This weekend was great! Jake and I hiked 19 miles, 16 of which were on the Appalachian Trail from Massie Gap to Old Orchard Shelter and back.
We drove up to Virginia on Friday night and spent the night in Grayson Highlands State Park. Staying in the state park is always a treat and even though we were there for such a short time we enjoyed every minute.
On Saturday morning, we repacked our backpacks, said goodbye to running water and flushable toilets and headed off to the backpacker’s lot.
For this backpacking trip we decided to go north on the AT, short for Appalachian Trail, because it was a section we had never hiked before.
Heading north on the AT, we came across several streams, hiked up and over Stone Mountain and Pine Mountain and witnessed large fluffy clouds dance along the mountains in the distance.
After finishing our descent of Pine Mountain, which I had clearly underestimated, we set up camp at Old Orchard shelter. It was a great choice! We had a great water source, a privy and we met some amazing people.
We were fortunate enough to spend the evening talking about gear and hiking with two thru-hikers hiking the Appalachian Trial. Thanks again Rock Boat and Kingfisher for talking with us!
The next day felt like a breeze compared to the first day. I was sore, but after climbing up Pine Mountain again and eating a Snicker’s bar I was ready for a great day of hiking!
It was a bittersweet end coming back to Massie Gap. I was tired, sore and sunburned. Wear sunscreen! Do as I say, not as I do. But, I enjoyed being on the trail so much, I was in the car planning our next adventure.
Until next time Grayson Highlands!
