The Guillotine and Glasglow, VA

On Tuesday (5-17) I hiked 18.7 miles from 9:40 AM-8 PM on a cool day with eminent rain.  The AT parallels the Blue Ridge Parkway and later Skyline Drive for approximately 200 miles.  It crosses the Blue Ridge Mountains about 10 times.  I had lunch at the Wilson Creek Shelter and planned to camp at Bobblets Gap Shelter but it was full so I hiked another .2 miles. It was raining hard when I found a great, flat, hard tent site so I waited several minutes for the rain to slow down before setting up for the night.  I began hiking on Wednesday (5-18) at 8:20 AM.  I enjoyed trail magic of zucchini bread, peanut butter crackers, and a small box of sugar coated Shredded Wheat which was all washed down with a Pepsi.  The trail magic was left at a road where I though about hitchhiking into a small town to resupply but thanks to the trail magic, I didn't have to!  After lunch at the Bryant Ridge Shelter, I climbed from 1,320 feet to an elevation of 3,520 feet (Floyd Mountain).  It was a nice day but just before I was ready to camp, it rained heavily for 15 minutes.  After the rain stopped, I camped just off the trail past the Cornelius Creek Shelter in a large rhododendron area.  I hiked 18.3 miles.  A year ago on May 18, 2010, I was in Page, AZ and my only beautiful granddaughter (I have four wonderful grandsons too!), Paige Janice Akers, was born!  What a great trip it was to the US Western National Parks!  Thursday (5-19) was a late start day since I didn't get going until 9:15 AM.  Since my campsite was in the middle of lots of rhododendron bushes, it made it difficult to find the trail.  It took me 10 minutes just to get going because I couldn't find the trail!  I climbed Apple Orchard Mountain with an elevation of 4,225 feet.  It is the highest point until the White Mountains in New Hampshire.  Here is a picture of the Guillotine. 

It is an impressive large boulder that is stuck over the AT between a rock formation.  I had lunch at the Thunder Hill Shelter at noon and talked to another thru-hiker, "Rain Gear", who was planning to meet his dad about 15 miles ahead at 6:30 PM at the James River (VA-501).  He offered me a round trip ride into Glasglow, VA where I could resupply.  This was fantastic because no hitchhiking would be needed but 15 miles in six hours was a stretch.  Thank goodness it was largely downhill and well grated and we made it!  After returning back from Glasglow, I hiked until 8 PM and covered 21.8 miles.