Favorite Section of AT-Punchbowl Mountain to James River-11 Miles-Strenuous
Details
Beginning Point - Punchbowl Mountain Overlook
Ending Point - James River Footbridge
Hike Distance/Rating - 11 Miles/Strenuous
Trailhead GPS Coordinates - 37.596957, -79.391466
PLEASE NOTE - This hike is rated as a strenuous hike due to distance of this hike and the elevation associated with this hike. There are vetting questions that must be answered before I allow anybody on this hike. Here are the vetting questions.
- How often do you hike?
- What strenuous or challenging hikes have you completed?
- When was the last strenuous hike that you completed?
The answers can be sent to me via Meetup Messages or email at patrickcory@hotmail.com. You will have 3 days to answer these vetting questions. Failure to address these questions will move you from the wait list to NOT GOING.
This is a point-to-point hike from Punchbowl Overlook on the Blue Ridge Parkway to the James River Footbridge. The noted meetup time and pinned location is the time and location for the organized carpool in Charlottesville. This is going to be a full day commitment to complete this hike. We will first meet at the endpoint of the hike in the small parking area next to the footbridge. I will post a comment closer to the hike with the arrival time of those carpooling from Charlottesville at the footbridge. After everybody has arrived at the footbridge, we will carpool to the beginning point on the Blue Ridge Parkway. We will then hike back to the cars at the footbridge. We will have to go back after the hike and pick up those cars at the beginning point.
Hike Highlights - Punchbowl Mountain Overlook, Appalachian Trail, Bluff Mountain, Otie Cline Powel Memorial, Big Rocky Row, Fuller Rocks, James River Footbridge
Hike Details - This is one of my favorite if not all time favorite fall hike on the Appalachian Trail. We will hopefully (fingers crossed) be hiking as the fall colors are arriving at the higher ridgeline that this hike will take. We will start from the Punchbowl Mountain Overlook on the Blue Ridge Parkway. For the first 2 or so miles , we will climb to the summit of Bluff Mountain. The summit of Bluff Mountain will provide us with the first of many incredible views. After climbing to the summit of Bluff Mountain, we will descend via switchbacks. The Appalachian Trail will level off and we will primarily be on the ridgeline to Big Rocky Row. our lunch spot. After Big Rocky Row, we will steeply descend and climb up to Fuller Rocks, our last view of the day. After Fuller Rocks, we will descend via switchbacks to an incredible gorge with a couple stream crossings via 2 bridges before reaching the endpoint of the hike at the James River Footbridge. There will be an optional post hike at one of the breweries following the hike.
What to Bring - Good Day Pack, Good Hiking Boots/Shoes, Layers for Possible Cooler Fall Weather, Sunscreen, Tick Repellent, Lunch/Snacks, 3 to 5 Liters of Water/Electrolytes depending on the Weather, Camera, Money for your Driver is participating in the organized carpool, Money for the Post Hike