A Trip of Treasures (Sec 8A)

 

Approaching the Humpback Mountain Overlook

When I first became a section overseer years ago I wondered if I would get “bored” walking the same section. That turned out not to be the case. I marveled at how different the trail looked in early Spring, before the leaves came out, than Summer when the foliage was in full bloom. Of course Autumn brought it’s own unique perspective to the mountains. The weather on a particular day could also have a dramatic effect as to what one will experience. Indeed something new was learned and observed on each maintenance trip.

Thus, when the opportunity arose to take over trail maintenance on a newly created one mile section on Humpback Mountain, it was too good to pass up. To those who may not know, Humpback Mountain is the mountain in the 19.1 miles of AT that ODATC maintains. Yes, our section skirts Elk and Dobie Mountains, but nothing is as dramatic and has such a wide variety of features as 3,600 foot Humpback. One can easily see it when driving westbound on I-64 past Charlottesville as the second “scenic view” area is approached, looming large on the left.

The Saturday of April 27^th turned out to be a perfect day to be in the woods. It was beautifully sunny with blue skies and just warm enough to be comfortable, yet cool enough to keep the bugs at bay. The good news about this section maintenance wise is that it is only a mile long and there are several ways to get to it. The bad news is that there is no easy way to get to it. But hey, we are a hiking club too, so this is a great way to combine a hike and maintenance trip in one day.

Starting about the 3,100 foot elevation I couldn’t help but notice the lack of foliage on this late April day. While the trees in Richmond had been in full bloom for two weeks, the trees here were just beginning to bud.

 

This mountain has a lot to behold. The woods are fairly open, especially without the foliage, so it was easier to see some of the interesting features that the mountain has. Here is an interesting boulder that is a ways off the AT. If you look carefully you can see a rock wall in the background. This wall seems to run for miles and is an object worthy of exploration in its own right.

 

Here is a larger boulder on the side of Humpback Mountain, again, off the AT. I estimated it to be 30 feet long and 10 feet high.

 

This unknown white flowering tree was starting to bloom right on the AT.

 

This unique rock formation, which looks like a “mini Humpback Rocks,” and rock slide were easily visible from the AT ascending Humpback Mountain.  

 

Near the summit of the mountain, and the end of this section, a cliff overlook gives a nice view from the north to east.

 

Hopefully these pictures give you a sample of what the mountain has to offer. You probably noticed a lot of rocks and the mountain certainly has its share of them. The AT through this section is indeed very rocky, conveniently using some for waterbars to help prevent trail erosion. Overall, this is a fun and exciting place, both from a maintenance and hiking perspective. Humpback Mountain certainly invites one to linger and do some exploring. It will be interesting and exciting to see what treasures future maintenance trips may reveal.

~ Paul G.

(All Photos: Paul G.)