Rockfish to Reeds: SECTION 8 (A)

1.0 Miles

Intersection of AT with the blue-blaze trail that goes down to Humpback Rocks to the Humpback Mountain View Overlook

Intersection of AT & blue-blaze to Humpback Rocks. Looking north, AT goes off to the right & the blue-blaze is straight ahead. (Photo: Merlot)

Hog Pen - There is an old stone hog pen off the trail at the top of the first steps on this section (heading south). It is off of the stone wall that runs to 'Hole-in-the-Wall 9and beyond) so I am surmising that hogs could be herded along the wall and when they hit the gap in the wall that is the entrance to the pen, they would dodge into the gap and thus more easily into the pen. The plan is to get more historical info on the walls and the folks that built them from a historian for future posts ..... still working on it!

(Photo: Merlot)

Hole-in-the-Wall - The AT goes through a hole in a nice stretch of stone wall and thus the name. The AT closely parallels a really beautiful stretch of stone wall when you are heading south toward Hole-in-the-Wall ..... there are some big stones in the wall and some large rocks that were original to the course of the wall and 'built around'.

Hole-in-the-Wall, looking south (Photo: Merlot)

A beautiful section of the stone wall heading south to Hole-in-the-Wall
(Photo: Merlot)

Another section of stone wall - note the large rocks incorporated into the wall.
(Photo: Merlot)

Rock Step Project - Not far down the trail is the 'Rock Step Project'. Three to four of us worked on these steps on club work trips for at least two years. The AT originally went up a slab of rock that was hard to navigate and slick so we built a switchback around it. The slope was steep and steps were required. By the time we hiked in with tools and rock bars, a good part of the morning was gone. Finding large rocks for steps, moving and setting them took up the rest of the time we had to work ..... sometimes we didn't get a step totally completed. The project seemed to drag on forever, but finally got finished. We never called these steps anything else but 'the Rock Step Project'. Something to look out for in the summer: at the bottom of these steps is a short section of wild woodland sunflowers. The area is a little low and it must have good moisture because the flowers flourish there - I've seen them shoulder high. When they are in bloom, the large patch is really pretty, but they get easily out of control and it's a constant battle to keep them from crowding in on the trail.

Upper half of Rock Step Project, after you make the turn in the switchback.
(Photo: Merlot)

Lower half of Rock Step Project (Photo: Merlot)

Woodland sunflower field approaching the Rock Step Project - too early for any blooms.

(Photo: Merlot - June 2012)

Woodland Sunflowers (Photo: Merlot Aug. 18, 2012)

Woodland sunflower field in full bloom. (Photo: Merlot - Aug. 18, 2012)

Humpback Mountain View - The view from near the summit (elev. 3,600) of Humpback Mountain, way above 'The Rocks' and the crowds of people. It's a bit of a hike, but a nice one.