Opi
Member
- Joined
- Oct 31, 2014
- Messages
- 188
Wasn't sure I'd do this trip report (I'm slow at this kind of stuff) but here you go.
I should warn you... there are a lot of cute pictures of ponies. And I will let the photos do most of the talking.
June 7th thru the 12th 2015
I Took my wife Cindy, my youngest boy Theo and daughter Annika on a little family backpacking trip down in Virginia.
We drove to Damascus VA parked at the Mt Rogers Outfitter's and took a shuttle to the Mount Rogers National Rec area Headquarters. From there we had about 64 miles of hiking on the AT back to our car.
It was a 5 day adventure through some pretty awesome mountains. Take a look.
Day 1 - 10.5m - Partnership shelter to Trimpi shelter area
All clean and fresh ready to go
The first day was our first good taste of the "Green Tunnel". And it was warm in the lower elevations.
Camp at Trimpi shelter
Day 2 - 16m - Trimpi shelter to Old Orchard shelter area
More Green Tunnel with pretty flowers
The first 2 days were all about the trail. Great days to really get your legs on. Not much for scenery
Almost felt like I was in a rain forest
Camp night 2. You can see the shelter in the distance. There was this 500 lb guy laying in it. Not sure how he got there but he stunk! It rained that night for maybe an hour and we had dinner with the fellow. Thankfully the rain stopped!
Day 3 - 15m Old Orchard shelter to Wilburn Ridge
Finally... we made it! near top of the Highlands.
First view of the area called the Scales
And we have Ponies!
And some cattle
Very hazy the next few days. Cooler up in the higher elevations too!
Kids are pointing to where we need to go
Serious
My Southern accent
Earlier afternoon we made the decision to hike an extra 5 miles to....
And ice cream and grape pop
At Grayson Highlands State park
We're off to Wilburn ridge. I guess we might see more Ponies!
There it is. And this is what we did the next few hours.....
Made it
View attachment 31560
She's in heaven
View attachment 31596
View attachment 31601
Don't pet the horses!
View attachment 31603
But they don't say anything thing about hugs!
View attachment 31618
View attachment 31581
View attachment 31676 View attachment 31677
View attachment 31683 View attachment 31684
Small tunnel/cave thing you go through. sorry about all the blurry pictures
View attachment 31687
View attachment 31679
View attachment 31696
Don't feed the horses!
Rhododendron Gap here we are!
No horses allowed on the Appalachian Trail?
Starting to get late
Camp night 3
She's pretty worn out for just hiking 15 miles?
This little fellow was so cute!
Again don't feed the ponies!
Here comes mom
Water sources were abundant
Next morning we slept in and played around for a while. Broke camp about 1 in the afternoon.
Here's a little taste of what we saw.
360 views from up here
Mount Rogers (highest mountain in VA at 5,729'
Camp was somewhere down there
Day 4 - 15m - Wilburn Ridge to Lost Mountain shelter area
and were off to climb Mount Rogers an extra 1 mile round trip..... got a do it!
Selfie from top of Mt Rogers
View from top of Mount Rogers..... There is none but we new that
Looking back at Wilburn Ridge
Evil ponies too!
If you haven't noticed its hard for our kids to not make a goofy faces.... every dam picture!
Coming up on Elk Garden area. No Elk
Just cows!
We were talking about how good a steak would be right about now
Heading down to Elk Park Trail Head
Toilet brake
Up on White Top Mountain
Nice flowing spring here.
Decided to play a trick on my daughter......
She didn't figure out until I showed her the picture
Top of Buzzard Rock
Looking back up White Top Mountain
Heading Down to Damascus
Trail connects for awhile with the Virginia Creeper Bike Trail
Arrived at camp day 4 about 9pm. Not much for photos after that. Pretty much green tunnel the rest of the way.
Day 5 -15m Lost Mountain shelter to Damascus
The exit from the trail.
We Made It!
All in all pretty awesome adventure. Next time I would try to skip the green tunnel parts and head right for the Highlands. It is part of the AT experience though so its still pretty cool!
Up next - 9 day solo in the Weminuche Wilderness Molas pass to Wolf Creek
Featured image for home page:
I should warn you... there are a lot of cute pictures of ponies. And I will let the photos do most of the talking.
June 7th thru the 12th 2015
I Took my wife Cindy, my youngest boy Theo and daughter Annika on a little family backpacking trip down in Virginia.
We drove to Damascus VA parked at the Mt Rogers Outfitter's and took a shuttle to the Mount Rogers National Rec area Headquarters. From there we had about 64 miles of hiking on the AT back to our car.
It was a 5 day adventure through some pretty awesome mountains. Take a look.
Day 1 - 10.5m - Partnership shelter to Trimpi shelter area
All clean and fresh ready to go
The first day was our first good taste of the "Green Tunnel". And it was warm in the lower elevations.
Camp at Trimpi shelter
Day 2 - 16m - Trimpi shelter to Old Orchard shelter area
More Green Tunnel with pretty flowers
The first 2 days were all about the trail. Great days to really get your legs on. Not much for scenery
Almost felt like I was in a rain forest
Camp night 2. You can see the shelter in the distance. There was this 500 lb guy laying in it. Not sure how he got there but he stunk! It rained that night for maybe an hour and we had dinner with the fellow. Thankfully the rain stopped!
Day 3 - 15m Old Orchard shelter to Wilburn Ridge
Finally... we made it! near top of the Highlands.
First view of the area called the Scales
And we have Ponies!
And some cattle
Very hazy the next few days. Cooler up in the higher elevations too!
Kids are pointing to where we need to go
Serious
My Southern accent
Earlier afternoon we made the decision to hike an extra 5 miles to....
And ice cream and grape pop
At Grayson Highlands State park
We're off to Wilburn ridge. I guess we might see more Ponies!
There it is. And this is what we did the next few hours.....
Made it
View attachment 31560
She's in heaven
View attachment 31596
View attachment 31601
Don't pet the horses!
View attachment 31603
But they don't say anything thing about hugs!
View attachment 31618
View attachment 31581
View attachment 31676 View attachment 31677
View attachment 31683 View attachment 31684
Small tunnel/cave thing you go through. sorry about all the blurry pictures
View attachment 31687
View attachment 31679
View attachment 31696
Don't feed the horses!
Rhododendron Gap here we are!
No horses allowed on the Appalachian Trail?
Starting to get late
Camp night 3
She's pretty worn out for just hiking 15 miles?
This little fellow was so cute!
Again don't feed the ponies!
Here comes mom
Water sources were abundant
Next morning we slept in and played around for a while. Broke camp about 1 in the afternoon.
Here's a little taste of what we saw.
360 views from up here
Mount Rogers (highest mountain in VA at 5,729'
Camp was somewhere down there
Day 4 - 15m - Wilburn Ridge to Lost Mountain shelter area
and were off to climb Mount Rogers an extra 1 mile round trip..... got a do it!
Selfie from top of Mt Rogers
View from top of Mount Rogers..... There is none but we new that
Looking back at Wilburn Ridge
Evil ponies too!
If you haven't noticed its hard for our kids to not make a goofy faces.... every dam picture!
Coming up on Elk Garden area. No Elk
Just cows!
We were talking about how good a steak would be right about now
Heading down to Elk Park Trail Head
Toilet brake
Up on White Top Mountain
Nice flowing spring here.
Decided to play a trick on my daughter......
She didn't figure out until I showed her the picture
Top of Buzzard Rock
Looking back up White Top Mountain
Heading Down to Damascus
Trail connects for awhile with the Virginia Creeper Bike Trail
Arrived at camp day 4 about 9pm. Not much for photos after that. Pretty much green tunnel the rest of the way.
Day 5 -15m Lost Mountain shelter to Damascus
The exit from the trail.
We Made It!
All in all pretty awesome adventure. Next time I would try to skip the green tunnel parts and head right for the Highlands. It is part of the AT experience though so its still pretty cool!
Up next - 9 day solo in the Weminuche Wilderness Molas pass to Wolf Creek
Featured image for home page:
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