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Ascent of Apple Orchard Mountain on 2011-08-13

Climber: Tom Layton

Date:

Saturday, August 13, 2011

Ascent Type:

Successful Summit Attained

Peak:

Apple Orchard Mountain

Location:

USA-Virginia

Elevation:

4225 ft / 1287 m

Ascent Trip Report

Ron Tagliapietra's 2000 directions are as good as ever.

I took the Blue Ridge Parkway to MP 76, parked at a gate on the E side just N of the AT crossing and headed southbound on the AT. It's a nice 0.9-mile hike up to the mowed clearing around the air-traffic-control facility on the summit.

However, it's easy to miss the HP, especially if you hike in fog at dawn, like I did.

The BM is E of the fence and is obviously not the highest ground.

The spot circled on the Peakbagger map W of the fence includes a couple of boulders that I was ready to claim--until I started down, took a fortuitous wrong turn on the AT, and continued S for about 30 yards. There I found the AT sign for the summit and another mowed path leading to a formidable outcropping 6-8 feet higher than the boulders near the fence. Go through the bushes to find a reasonable route up the highest rock, which has an old anchor bolt.

Roundtrip (including summit exploration): 2.18 miles, 1 hour 19 minutes, 334-foot climb.

Summary Total Data
Elevation Gain:	374 ft / 114 m
Elevation Loss:	374 ft / 114 m
Distance:	1.8 mi / 2.9 km
Quality:	8 (on a subjective 1-10 scale)
Weather:	Drizzle, Cool, Calm, White-out
Ascent Statistics
Elevation Gain:	354 ft / 108 m
Extra Loss:	20 ft / 6 m
Distance:	0.9 mi / 1.5 km
Route:	AT southbound
Trailhead:	BRP MP 76 3891 ft / 1185 m
Time Up:	40 Minutes
Descent Statistics
Elevation Loss:	354 ft / 108 m
Extra Gain:	20 ft / 6 m
Distance:	0.9 mi / 1.5 km
Route:	AT northbound
Trailhead:	BRP MP 76 3891 ft / 1185 m
Time Down:	29 Minutes

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