Blacksburg, VA (USA)

I had another chance to do some recruiting for my company and, like last Fall, the trip took me to Virginia Tech. So I made sure to capitalize on the opportunity to hike near Blacksburg. After several hours of work in the morning, I headed west on I-66.  Gas fillup in Linden (1045) and then got on I-81.  Checked into Red Carpet Inn in Blacksburg at 1410.  It was raining when I arrived but I didn't let it deter me. Instead, I drove to the trailhead on (gravel) Mountain Lake Road (VA-613). I'd visited the same location in May 2014 but arrived from the north (much rougher ride). It was very damp (but not raining) when I headed NOBO (1530). I was wearing a short sleeve shirt under my poncho (not cold at all). The section was mostly flat, all the way to Lone Pine Peak. The eerie fog, along with the silence, lulled me into a trance while I trudged along. There weren't any views but I saw a huge owl take flight in the mist. No sign of people at all - that was nice. Finished at 1745 after nearly 5.5 miles. Not a long day but it was nice to get another day on the trail. Hopefully, the rain will hold off tomorrow after work... AT Today = 2.60 miles / Grand Total AT = 865.18 miles