Trail Blog #2 Marble Springs to Cornelius Creek
I didn’t sleep well last night. The super friendly deer never left my side, snuffling and making noise in proximity of my tent. Even when I clapped and yelled and threw rocks, they just didn’t want to get the message.
Deer Lurkers
After a quick breakfast of pop tarts and peanut butter, I made my way up High Cock knob. The ascent was nicely graded. The summit had no view but was loaded with nearly every kind of edible and medicinal plant I could identify: plantain, jewel weed, nettles, cat mint, cow poke, mullein, and more. It seems the knob is recovering from a fire very well.
High Cock Knob
I then made my way down to petite gap for a repeat of breakfast. Instead of taking the trail I hopped on the blue ridge parkway.i normally don’t like road walks but it was still early and cool enough. On the way I found terrapin mountain, not to be confused with turtle island.
Terrapin Mountain
I hopped back on the white blaze at Thunder Ridge overlook, and for the first time got to see it with no fog or rain in the way.
Thunder ridge shelter had me a nice lunch and found some baby salamanders in the spring before heading down another 5 or 6 miles to Cornelius Creek shelter.
Lunch at Thunder Ridge
On the way I found some insects doing what they do best.
I passed through the Guillotine on the way to Apple Orchard Mountain and a giant dome.
I didn’t take the blue blaze to the falls this time.
Apple Orchard Dome
The flies and skeeters aren’t bad here but the bees are very curious and persistent, even with a smokey fire blowing in the shelter.
Supper was had. Now I wait for dark, alone again, except for the bees and the breeze.
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