Monday June 8, 2026
I wake up much later than expected but fate gives me a break. I take a fellow hiker and create a new itinerary as I go.
A case of Mondays
METROthe days. Widely considered the worst day of the week. For most it is because it marks a return to the daily routine after a two-day respite. For See You Tomorrow, Monday marks a return to trail. On the surface this probably seems like a good thing. But there are some pitfalls. First, returning to the trail for a multi-day hike means a backpack weighing several days’ worth of food. Secondly, access to the trail is almost always at a relatively low elevation and therefore means that a climb is imminent. For example, today’s hike begins at the James River, which flows through the Appalachians at a seemingly underground elevation of 650 feet above sea level.
A shrewd hike planner would balance the climb with fewer miles to maintain a reasonable level of difficulty. A planner like that must have been sick that day because I’m looking at a climb of 6,500 feet over nearly 25 miles. The good thing is that I am getting better and better at my preparation and the only thing I needed to pack before hitting the road was my spoon and my cold water, which I needed for breakfast.
Late start or start of destiny
At least, all of the above was the plan when I woke up this morning at 8:45 a.m. It was much later than I expected to wake up, but I drove to the James River trailhead with the intention of following my planned itinerary. I even put on my backpack and walked over the river where a group of family hikers were watching a train cross the river. One of them, Side Quest, asked me to take a group photo. Then he asked if I could take another hiker for a short walk. Having been on the receiving end of so many “the trail provides” moments, I jumped at the opportunity to help another hiker.
During the trip, I learned that the hiker, named White Walker, is a musician and wrote a album while on the Appalachian Trail in 2023. He returns to the trail every year because he enjoys playing music for the community.
Once we reached the Petite’s Gap trailhead, an idea occurred to me. Instead of driving the 15 minutes back to the James River and trying to hike 25 challenging miles, maybe I could start my hike from here. I saw that it was exactly 10 miles of road to the James River. I could just take my camel pack and backpack to the river and then return to the trailhead. This would eliminate about a day of mileage from my planned four-day itinerary. I was confident that I could adjust my route and put together a three-day plan and cover the exact same section of trail over the four days total.
Hugging the slopes
It was 10:30 am when I started the journey. He was sure he had made the right decision. My weather app reported cloudy conditions, but there were no clouds in the sky where I was. Temperatures were around 80 degrees and walking was a sweaty affair.
The trail passed Highcock Knob, then hugged several hillsides before descending to Matt’s Creek and then the James River. The trail followed the riverbank for about 1 mile before reaching the James River Pedestrian Bridge. The bridge is technically a pedestrian bridge, but is dedicated to Bill Foot, a dedicated Appalachian Trail conservationist. While I was on the bridge admiring the view, two trains roared by. This was by far the busiest railway line I encountered along the way.
View from the AT near Highcock Knob.
First look at the James River from the trail.
The James River flows far below the AT.
The James River flows far below the AT.
The James River flows far below the AT.
Crossing Matt’s Creek.
William T. Dedication of the foot.
The James River Pedestrian Bridge.
Looking north towards the James River from the bridge.
A train crosses the James River.
About the face
With the first leg of the hike completed, it was time to turn around and climb 3,000 feet back to Petite’s Gap. Walking in the warm, stagnant air was difficult. He drank continually from my camel’s back. The road was not steep, but the uphill was relentless. I had the James River below to remind me that I was making progress. Every few tenths of a mile I checked and it was a little lower.
The trail finally turned around a hillside and just like that, the river disappeared. I was now surrounded by mountains that jutted out around me like waves of the sea. By then there was a thin layer of clouds blocking some of the sunlight. It wasn’t enough to beat the heat, but it provided a slight respite. The only thing I could think about was ice cream. Back in Daleville, I had easy access to grocery stores after several days of walking. I was eating a pint of ice cream every day. Ice cream wasn’t exactly accessible today, which was a shame. Although I should probably be grateful for the savings on my dental bill.
working late
As I got closer and closer to Petite’s Gap, I began to wonder if I had more miles to go. I started much later than usual and would have only gone 20 miles by the time I got back to the van. I checked FarOut and discovered the Thunder Ridge trailhead, just a few miles south of the trail from Petite’s Gap. I could hike out and back to the trailhead and start my hike from there tomorrow. My itinerary was already in need of an overhaul and I was struggling to find new campsites along the trail. There were options, but most were miles from reliable water sources.
Therefore, I concluded that a few extra miles today would open up the camping options I needed. When I got back to the truck around 7:00 pm, I started walking at least another mile to a spring on the trail. I made enough time to continue to a second spring, another half mile further up the trail. Maybe I could have gone further, but I thought I had done enough to be in a good place tomorrow.
Looking at Thunder Ridge and Apple Orchard Mountain from the AT.
Sunset in Arnold Valley
FarOut’s topographic maps showed overlooks along Blue Ridge Avenue. It was around 8:20 pm and the sun was setting early. I could see an overlook facing roughly west and thought I should try to catch the sunset there. The Thunder Ridge trailhead from which I would begin the next morning was only a few tenths of a mile away. I watched the sunset and took advantage of the cell reception at the Arnold Valley Overlook to polish up today’s blog before heading to the trailhead to be ready to begin the next day’s hike. This time I’ll set an alarm.
Watch the sunset from the Arnold Valley Overlook at the Blue Ridge Overlook.
-See you tomorrow
| Leg | Begin | Mile | End | Mile | Ascent | Decline | Address |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Petite Gap Trail | 778.0 | US Route 501 | 788.0 | 1,362 | 3,102 | NOBO |
| 2 | US Route 501 | 788.0 | Petite Gap Trail | 778.0 | 3,102 | 1,362 | THE ROOM |
| 3 | Petite Gap Trail | 778.0 | Spring mm 776.6 | 776.6 | 879 | 0 | THE ROOM |
| 4 | Spring mm 776.6 | 776.6 | Petite Gap Trail | 778.0 | 0 | 879 | NOBO |
Total: 22.8 miles, 50,015 steps
- Hike type: slack-packing
- Camp: van
This website contains affiliate links, which means The Trek may receive a percentage of any products or services you purchase using links in articles or advertisements. The buyer pays the same price they would otherwise pay, and their purchase helps support The Trek’s ongoing goal of bringing you quality backpacking information and advice. Thank you for your support!
For more information, visit the About page of this site.
