Charlottesville, VA (USA)

Had an unexpected special day with Mollie on the trail today! We left the apartment at 0600 and headed down to Charlottesville (via I-66 and US-29). We got gas in Gainesville around 0700 ($2.09 per gallon!). It was actually even cheaper a few miles down the road (we saw $1.95 per gallon). The roads were swarming with State Troopers... We stopped at a rest area after we got on I-64 (west) and then we got off the highway just east of Waynesboro. We drove to around mile marker 10 on the Blue Ridge Parkway (Dripping Rock Parking) and found the AT trailhead. Got started by 0830. Mollie and I had taken some earlier (short) nature walks on AT (2006, 2012, 2013) but this was probably her first true hike (backpack, poles) following the white blazes. Our target was the south face of Humpback Mountain - we climbed up to an overlook I visited in the spring. What great conditions: 70s, sunny but partly cloudy, good trail! I was quite pleased at how Mollie did - even after she was stung by a yellow jacket. It was almost all uphill on the outbound (NOBO) leg but we made pretty good time. We ate a picnic lunch on the ridge. Downhill was much easier and I had to work hard to contain Mollie's daredevil streak on some big rocks before we were done. Only saw a few day hikers and one section (out for two weeks) hiker. Totaled over 4 miles today and felt great. We finished (Mollie's choice) around noon. Would have stayed longer in the area but our adventure weekend (IHRT biking, Animal Park, hike to the Falls, etc.) had to come to a close eventually... After hiking, we stopped for lunch (1230) at a busy Chick-fil-A in Charlottesville (wow!). We had a good drive home (backtrack all the way except used Fairfax County Parkway to finish the trip). Arrived at my apartment at 1500. Spent the rest of the day with cleanup & movies (before Mollie's mom came to get her). Look forward to hiking with Mollie again soon! AT Today = 2.0 miles / Grand Total AT = 497.11 miles