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Two-Day Appalachian Trail Hike

Two-Day Appalachian Trail Hike

Two-Day Appalachian Trail Hike

Nov 10, 2014 | Posted by Brian Beard | Stories | 0 comments |

During my first stint in Richmond, VA, I didn’t spend much time in the Shenandoah National Park, Blue Ridge Mountains, or any of the beautiful parks in Virginia. Having discovered how much I like hiking (short hikes in particular) that figures to change this time around.

And change quickly. Literally the day after moving into the new apartment (good timing, huh?), I was invited to join a group of guys for a 2-day hike along a short portion of the Appalachian Trail. We decided to hike Dobie Mountain and the Albright Loop Trail.

It was my first overnight hike; I’d been camping before, but only of the drive-up variety. My plan was to bring a simple backpack, but upon meeting up with everyone, I was “encouraged” to use someone’s extra real backpacking pack, and I’m glad I did. I never realized how great they are – I carried more weight while simultaneously feeling like I carried less weight.

We made the roughly 3 mile journey to our campsite (I told you I prefer short hikes) in just a few hours. The hike started  uphill, to the top of Dobie Mountain, before descending rapidly into the valley where the campsite was located. We did do some backtracking – there is wreckage from a 1964 plane crash just off the trail, and we missed it the first time around.

1964 plane crash appalachian trail
An old Beechcraft mysteriously crashed here in 1964
Appalachian Trail selfie
Appalachian Trail selfie!

Our campsite was simple – some flat ground around a fire pit, with a nearby stream that made for an excellent beer fridge. After pitching our tents, I spent some time photographing the colorful leaves. We were lucky, and this trip occurred in the peak fall color-changing season. Lots of yellow and orange!

Appalachian Trail, Afton, Virginia
Appalachian Trail, Afton, Virginia

The next day, we got up, cursed the hard ground and our aging joints, packed up the tents, and made the hike back. We took a different route back, and were rewarded with the Glass Hollow Overlook, which was definitely the best view of the entire two-day hike. Plus, since it was so early in the morning, we were the only ones there.

Glass Hollow Overlook

Glass Hollow Overlook

Overall, it was a gentle introduction to the mountains of Virginia, and I plan to come back regularly. In addition to the great landscape photo opportunities, it’s just a lot of fun to explore such a great natural area only 90 minutes from home.

Have you been hiking in the Virginia mountains? What are your favorite hikes?

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Tags: appalachian trailfall colorshikingiphone photographyiphoneographysmartphone photography
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About Brian Beard

Brian is an aspiring entrepreneur, traveler, and athlete. He's a seasoned analyst with a passion for measuring everything and using data to understand the world. He's also an adventurer with passport stamps from 31 countries and counting. You can find him on twitter and instagram.

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Thanks for visiting! I'm Brian, and I'm on a mission to prove that your smartphone is the only camera you need. I have no photography background, and I've never owned an expensive DSLR. I simply enjoy taking the best photos I can with the device I carry with me everywhere - my phone! iPhone photography is only a hobby for me, but as I go, I'll share my stories and photos, along with any tricks I've learned. I hope you'll follow along and be inspired to take better smartphone photos yourself!

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Thanks for making it this far down the page! My name is Brian, and one of my favorite things to do is travel and take pictures wherever I go. I have no photography background, and simply enjoy taking the best photos I can on my smartphone. It's only a hobby for me, but as I go I'll share my stories and photos, along with any smartphone photography tricks I've learned. I hope you'll follow along and be inspired to do some traveling yourself!

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