Hike from Rt 60 to the Seeley-Wentworth Shelter

“What is life but one grand adventure?”

May 19, 2021
Hike from Rt 60 to the Seeley-Wentworth Shelter
AT miles: 14.0 miles
Ascent: 3964’
Descent: 2279’
Weather: sunny and 80
High points: Hiking Cole Mountain— a hike I have done many times before— and a fascinating dinner conversation

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I drove from Williamsburg to where the AT crosses VA Rt 56 at the Tye River suspension bridge right near The Priest. A shuttle picked me up and dropped me off where the Appalachian Trail crosses VA Rt 60. And I began my two-day 25.4-mile mini-hike!

The first 5 miles of today’s hike were all uphill. I mean UP hill. I was disappointed when I got to the top. The summit is called Bald Knob (4042’), and it is NOT bald so there were only a few views. This one was particularly amazing!

The path was still a wildflower garden.

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Today was definitely the day of oddly-named places. I hiked down to Cow Camp Gap (don’t you love the name?) and then up to one of my favorite mountains in Virginia, Cole Mountain. Cole Mountain is a bald so the views from it are fantastic, and I have hiked it many many times.

I then hiked down to Hog Camp Gap. (???) Since it was a warm day, I needed water so I had to walk 0.3 miles each way off the trail to find this spring.

I then walked along the Tar Jacket Ridge. (Again, what an odd name!)

There were one or two balds, so the views were fantastic.

Today’s hike had one more funny name — Salt Log Gap! All these names must’ve meant something at some point but right now they’re just a peculiar window into another time.

The last bit of the hike was along the side of a ridge, so it had no views, but it was nice and almost level! (I did not know that the Appalachian Trail was ever this level!)

I eventually made it to the Seeley-Wentworth Shelter, having seen a total of nine people on the trail all day (eight thru-hikers and a trail-maintainer). I was the first person there so I set up my tent and did my camp chores —  getting water from the spring, filtering the water, preparing dinner and then hanging my bear bag. And then someone else showed up! In fact two people showed up. They were really nice thru-hikers in their 50’s who started their trek to Katahdin in early March. They have had many adventures on their journey, and talking to them was loads of fun.

I am now in my tent and ready to go to sleep!