Day One: Troutville (US-11) to Lamberts Meadow Shelter

Birch and I continued our AT adventure by starting in Troutville and going south. I should mention that we’ve hit a real milestone on the trail. We’ve shifted from hiking the Appl LAY chian trail to hiking the Apple LATCH ian trail. We’re in the land of “ya’ll’ and it feels great!

Both Birch and I have new backpacks and so during the first few miles I was making adjustments to my back. The first part of the hike is pretty easy, but before long we passed over Tinker Creek (with a new bridge) and ascended about 800 feet to Tinker Ridge. The ridge reminded me of Pennsylvania. Beautiful views of Daleville to the right, and views of Carvin Cove Reservoir to the left. It appears as if there may have been a fire in the area not long ago, but life always seems to spring up from the ashes.

For the most part, this isn’t a strenuous hike. It wasn’t long before we reached Lamberts Meadow Campsite, situated along Sawmill Run. This is a great spot. It even has a bear box and a picnic table. Just up the hill was Lamberts Meadow Shelter, where we set up camp for the night close to the stream.

Being a Friday, we figured we were likely to have company. Sure enough, it wasn’t long before “Sam” came along. Sam recently defended his dissertation, and a hike along the three ridges was just the thing to blow off a little steam. This was his first time on the trail, but you never would have guessed. Soon we were joined by 10 members of the Tidewater Appalachian Trail Club and a ton of other folks. About 20 people in all!

Day Two: Lamberts Meadow Shelter to Campbell Shelter

Today was a short hike, so Birch and I took our time getting up. With 20 people elbowing for room at the picnic table, why not wait? This day’s hike was more strenuous. It started with an immediate 1,000 ft ascent to Tinker Cliffs. Many say that Tinker Cliffs is better than McAfee Knob, and I can see why. It has amazing views and it isn’t very crowded. The trail is very close to the edge of the cliffs, though!

As we descended we noticed evidence of horse traffic. We think there is a trail near Brickey’s Gap that may give some horse owners access to the trail. Brickey’s Gap must have been more populated at one point. We saw farm equipment that once served a purpose, but was long past its prime.

Eventually, we made it to Campbell Shelter, named after some dedicated Roanoke Appalachian Trail members from the 80s. Two father/son pairs joined us and we even saw Sam again for a while!

Day Three: Campbell Shelter to Catawba Mountain (VA-311)

Birch and I were up early so that we could get to McAfee Knob before the crowds. We ate breakfast with “Found It”, a thru-hiker turned section-hiker. “Found it” got his name because he was always losing stuff – then finding it again. Sure enough, he lost his plastic baggies – then found them. It is always nice to see hikers who have earned their names. 🙂

As we neared McAfee Knob the anticipation was huge. I had seen so many pictures of this spot. Would it live up to its reputation? Sure enough, it was gorgeous. A few women were just about to leave, so we had someone there to take our picture. Then…the place was all ours! The sun was rising, the sky was bright blue, and we could see for miles. I’m so glad that we had a chance to experience this in peace.

The peace would not last long. As we descended we met tons of people – and dogs – coming the other way. One of the highlights of our trip was meeting up with Mr. Witcher again. He picked us up at 311 and dropped us off back at our starting point, where we left our car.