Ascent of Apple Orchard Mountain on 2011-08-13Date: | Saturday, August 13, 2011 | Ascent Type: | Successful Summit Attained | Peak: | Apple Orchard Mountain | Location: | USA-Virginia | Elevation: | 4225 ft / 1287 m |
Ascent Trip ReportRon 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.
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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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