Appalachian Trail Backpacking - "Triple Crown" (Virginia) - May 2018

whoa I'm David gray and I'm heading out trip of the 2018 season I'm heading to Roanoke Virginia get together with Travis and we're going to do the Triple Crown of Virginia section of the Appalachian Trail the Triple Crown is a 30-mile section of the 80 that includes three of the better known landmarks along the entire trail dragon's tooth McAfee knob and tinker's Club you may have noticed that I'm sitting on the wrong side of the vehicle with no steering wheel in front of me that's because on this trip I'm actually being chauffeured to the trail by none other than Bob bob was able to get a few days off work and he needed a break from that pesky day job as bad as I did a little bit more so he's along for the trip I am really excited to get back to the Appalachian Trail it's a unique and special place that's really unlike any other place that you can hike in this country but I'm concerned about three things there's rain and people are specifically too many people May is a time of peak bear activity along the stretch of trail that we're going to be hiking and I checked the reports and there's actually been quite a few reports of bear encounters over the last couple weeks and the shelters and along the trails that we're going to be hiking in terms of rain I checked the forecast this morning and they're saying we could expect upwards of a couple inches of rain along stretch Trail that we're going to be hiking in the first couple of days but that may actually help with my third concern which is people are specifically too many the Triple Crown is an extremely popular area and we're also going to be hitting it at a time of the peek through like your bubble and we're also going to be doing it on a weekend and I add to that the fact that there's really only five spots along the trail that we're going to be hiking that you can actually camp hopefully the rain will actually keep the crowds down and we'll be able to find campsites the first couple of nights of our trail and with that let's get the show on the road next stop the little tinta Inman Suites in Roanoke Virginia we've been kind of going through some pockets of sunshine pop of popcorn fuel instructions in how to use the gas pump because this is the second stuff we've made the last time we didn't actually put any fuel in the [Music] yes Travis this is what we're bringing for dinner today we're gonna use some take oh yeah we got our barbecue and the only reason I'm doing this shot is because it's absolutely torture with the barbecue in the backseat and the smell that's propagating in the car you don't have smell-o-vision on this camera this is killing us we're taking our food to Travis you out the hotel window at least no rain right now but it sure does look like it's coming we're that blue dot right there I don't know what it is with weather in 2018 but I'm not catching many breaks that looks just like what we saw when we were heading into the Red River Gorge trip he practiced two champions at the La Quinta insane there's no anxiety or anticipation Laurie and when it's gonna stop raining it's full-on raining right now I think is pretty much what its gonna be all day long gonna be a wet one it's like we might be in the clouds again because that's where that ridge line is I think we're going to be hiked it hey we found it the handling trail trailhead part one of the cars the good news is at least for the moment is not raining nearly as hard I think I think we're trying to be optimistic here we're trying to get in the right right mental mental state to do this but it looks like it's gonna be just a full-on rain all day it's a little rainy but it's awful pretty this reminds me of Virginia countryside it is we are geared up for this section of the hike no packs it's raining but is not raining really hard this is the dragon's tooth parking lot so we're getting ready to head up dragon steep in the rain Dennis started day number one the Triple Crown of Virginia so we just passed together just came down from the trail he said there's a water crossing up ahead that's about knee-deep board and he was an adventurer and up to dragon's teeth this is one you wish you had trekking pole this is what your height becomes when all the strain loaded well you see right there if the trail and that all is about knee-deep or higher so we didn't want to get everything soak for we're all looking for I shouldn't be here girl now end up switchbacks huh this is what we're hiking in as we near the Appalachian Trail Junction pretty much been like this 500 foot per mile grade terrain unsteadily but we're under this canopy and you can see which makes it seem as if it's not raining at all I've actually taken my rain jacket off that's the Appalachian Trail as is that you can see the iconic white blaze but this is the junction know you're out in back seven tenths of a mile up - dragons - that was a client and that was the easy part now we get the fun part the racks scramble up to the top so seven tenths of a mile more up - dragons - uh-huh like the last part wasn't definitely got rocky and it was rocky and steep before now it's rocky her and steeper nearing the tooth itself and those camera always makes it with a little less steep than this I don't think you're gonna make it through there Bob wedged in there so good I think that's the route right there this is this stuff we're running into kind of like a puzzle up there you mean that way no that way see the white blaze that's just some lichen I think we've reached the tough part it's kind of a puzzle to every man their own route do you think we've reached the Rock scramble portion of today's client looks a little scary I think the who you are oh my gosh this right before the top it's almost done there here's the hard part this is definitely get all four points of contact going holy smokes that's scary it's like straight up and there is like nothing but a little ledge to climb and scramble now you keep in mind you get to go down that - can't wait for that what a view it would have been this is the view spot doing well Oh God hey have a good one oh my gosh I think we're getting close little rock Scrabble area such is dragon's tooth or the blaze with the arrow up all right there's a tea I think we reached the top the fun part is we get to go do that going down that'll be a whole lot of fun in a different sense a lot easier on the heart that is dragon's tooth in the clouds say goodbye to a dry lens don't have many dry article support anything left well now the fun part is now the dragon's tooth is over we get to go down well down is gonna be a whole lot less challenging aerobic Li but few of those stretches might be kind of entertaining from finger Factory always know it's gonna be fun when you're hiking with rebar this is definitely using all points of contact down Hill Climb reason but you're using knees you're using hands you're using everything you don't see this every day in Indiana with dragon's tooth hike from the dragon's tooth trailhead is no joke hike is the hardest part of our entire three-day hike right there and our dental care so that's kind of a good feeling this be a neat camping spot or what this is right at the junction of the trail that goes down to the dragon's tooth dragon - so parking lot nice one not the end of our hike for the first day but it's always a good scene I think Bob's decided to call it a day maybe you even us all right phase two of the trip gets going now in the rain we've decided just to stay here at this gas station for the next everybody's kid like three I didn't know extreme got hard for that long spiders my same thing oh yeah so I never like say if I'm feeling the vortex if we don't hope so yeah that's enough we are geared up ready to go after our little refreshment stop the Gatorade and pizza and ice ice cream in Bob's case so hits a spot so weary energized ready for the last seven miles to the shelter final stretch for the day number one in the Triple Crown of Virginia here's what we're hiking in I've just reached the peak of that first climb after the road cross whoo past the gas station rain still coming down has been all day hasn't been too unpleasant temperature is perfect in the low 70s humidity as you can imagine is saturated here something about being out in the woods on the Appalachian Trail white blaze in the distance that's just so special you feel like you're part of something came to this cool little spot where we start climbing in we were all concerned about the same thing little Nero oh nice we're gonna cross the road down here you can see the trail over there across the road and then we're heading up that Ridge that you can't see in the clouds is what will be on basically the entire rest of the hike until we hike down to the car not quite to the uphill yet scared the bejeebers out this is what we've been hiking in for the last few hours what it is all right it is really dark and gloomy we've been hiking for about eight hours now coming up on Virginia 311 which is where the McAfee nob trailhead parking lot is and I think that signifies it will basically one mile from the shelter we are coming upon the intersection with Virginia Virginia 311 you can see the fine weather that we have we were hoping for maybe a picnic table kiosk and a drinking fountain and I think we're gonna have to settle for porta-potties that's where we're gonna cross the road and head up about 0.9 miles from the shelter at this spot getting closer and boy are we ready to be done okay for this moment this moment in time we are dry crossing in the world they come in frequently and fast I have to admit coming upon an Appalachian Trail shelter in this sort of weather well really in any sort of weather is one of the highlights of your emotional life I'm not kidding this is just pretty downright miserable right now it's raining harder than it has been making my way down there maybe look full we're set up in the shelter here we'll be along here and we'll have the gear stuff over there and there's another group that came in and set up their tent in the rain I think we made the right call coming in here because it's nice and dry and not the greatest shelter compared to some of them done a little dark in here but dry and warm and comfortable there's nothing wrong about doing a little sip of adult beverage that was a long day in the rain all day and every stop that was quite a day for the first day on the Triple Crown of Virginia on the Appalachian Trail cheddar cheese time get some Ritz crackers you got Bob and we got Travis gets the first Bailey's not so you gotta fill in that [Music] good to go gonna we've got cell phone courage we're all out checking selfies and everything this is like the deluxe luxury health in here they really like Dave last time they did definitely like me the last time and then the first night John's spring shelter on the 88 ready for night and over day number two that night number one is in the books good morning number two I made a triple : on 80 starting off is wet when it has stopped raining since we showed up in this part of the country okay awfully thankful to be inside the shelter issues in a good shelter experience listening the sound of the rain and then work shelterless cool no we were out there yesterday not the most pleasant of morning's Dunkin Donuts coffee oh my god that's pretty nipples you know just like half brutes and nuts and spells they're good heartily endorse doable well that's kind of a nice site we're at that little blue doubt there it looks like the rain is moving on the skies are brighter there's no rain right now you saw it earlier this morning as we were getting everything ready it was pouring down rain and then it just kind of stopped putting on the wet cold shirt from yesterday I get on the camera Jetstream we're geared up ready to go no rain yet second day on the triple crown of Virginia's getting ready to get off spirits are a lot higher than the RIKEN good news and bad news bad news is as you can see from those prior clips my video camera kinda took it on the chin from all the water so that's kind of a bummer good news is I caught it before I got then there's the trip dangers of trying to make a movie these kind of conditions I guess one side a trail freakin clear next side a trail you can see the old higher damage this is the Catawba shelter here's the scene I stream down there have a pretty setting not the greatest for camping I guess tent camping but there's actually a bear box having a of a time as you can see keeping a camera's functioning and the lenses fog free then the greatest of conditions to try to make a video on find a house that's just 100 percent its moisture saturated the cameras were in the rain all day yesterday so hasn't been easy so I'll see what I can do and this is the camp area they could talk a shelter pretty nice actually 1.5 miles to McAfee knob and 6.6 to tinker cliffs and or camping not far past that so that's our day for today came upon this little powerline corridor here pretty cool pretty foggy not gonna be many views that McAfee now trails sort of become a stream right through here actually that's pretty much what he's been looking like most of the way once we've started up this final climb up and walking I can't tell the difference between the screen and the trail and most places where your eyes yeah kind of a cereal section of 80 with the call the moss on the side of the tree very hobbit hobbit like how about you woods like well that's a pretty important thing the Sun yeah I'm not sure it's this bright thing in the sky that we haven't seen in days and days I made it to McAfee now huh not many views today kind of setting up for the obligatory McAfee knob shot here gonna have to photoshop in some scenery in the distance kind of a crazy little stretch of trail it's kind of like a Canyon carve through all these rock things really neat very cool two things about this shot my Canon Vixia g---forty has dried out enough to use and this is a really cool area very mysterious like Robin Hood woods or something I'm happy to be looking into this camera again I apologize for the quality of some of those shots whatever I decided to use won't be able to tell how bad it is until I get back and start doing the editing but I know it's lost a lot of good stuff gonna have to come up with a better strategy on how to weatherproof all the camera gear in these kind of conditions this is the pig farm campsite and despite its name which doesn't conjure up visions of Pleasant places that's actually a really nice camp spot another hundred yards past the pig farm site last one is a shelter this is the Campbell shelter and they are I surround the environment hey Dave I'm really liking this sitting spot that's that's really good Bob very clever only on the downhill can you come up with those reach the bottom of the descent from McAfee nav and this is what we're hiking on which is very nice this is kind of a cool little spot you can see what we're hiking on well I'd call it a knife edge but it's pretty wide knife head right this is the top of that Ridge you know it forms the basis of this whole hike really no salamander have crazy little stretch I'm actually going up on top of this rock here oh my you see the blazes you know moving very fast fun a little stretch that's the beginning of our climb up to tinker cliffs which looks a little steep plus a little sign of civilization right there I think there's like a farm over there or something we're hoping there'd be like a beer stand or something or water I'm out of water and the next the next water is at the shelter so I was really tempted to attach a line to the back of that front group because they were literally running up it gives you a little perspective now this is the gut hook app we're where the little blue doubt is going to the right and had a little thing up there at the top it looks like binoculars it's tinker cliffs if you're out here hiking you haven't used the gut hook app it's a pretty nice app for your phone it uses a GPS on your phone doesn't use a whole lot of batteries so it's just handy it's got a lot of stuff that's not in the guide book we got that recommendation when Bob and I were on the trail last year from I don't know and I don't know thank you very much because I'm using it again this year these are the last climb I hope the tinkerer cliff looks like four tenths of a mile to go and a 300 vertical feet last little push to the top so that always gives you a little better burst of adrenaline so once we get up to the top that's it for climbing for today and then it's all downhill to the shelter I'll tell you this ain't easy at the end of a long day when your legs are toast there's no energy left in them I think I made it to the top and this is the terrain you find yourself man maybe a quarter-mile to actually get the tinkerer cliffs but this is the top of the client this is tinker cooks and well I'm not sure that qualifies as a view it was a little better a few seconds ago but here's the scene up here made it to the cliffs third leg of the Virginia Triple Crown here's the view oh man man I get creeped out standing next to the edge of these things River look at how flooded that river is Bob all right I think that's the best idea I've heard get my pack off too and rest for a minute before we got down to the shelter well Bob made a point that thought was worthy of getting on the video here is that I am completely out of water and have been for quite some time we were actually walking through it for the first six or seven miles of the hike it was everywhere the trail was basically a stream but I missed the last water source and once we got past the Campbell shelter and camp area right after McAfee nob there was no water for almost seven miles 6 or 6 plus miles to McAfee knob a lot of water we were racing downhill to the shelter here in about a my Ellen first thing I will be doing is chugging a whole bunch of water I ran out of water I'm Irenaeus wettest couple of days I've ever hiked figures we're hiking in on the way down from Tinker Cliff pretty cool okay this is kind of torture actually walking in a stream I can't really get water from easily and very very thirsty it's kind of like torture maybe we'll find a better trickle up here a little bit this is coming right out of the mountain right here there's no stream up above it there's good water you don't mind when you're got me to fill me water everybody wants one now this is what the hiking looks like as you approach the Lambert Meadows shelter and campsite I'm kind of here there's a stream down there which I'm guessing it's probably a water source maybe for both and I'm guessing that reflection this is the shelter we have arrived at our destination for the night er darn near half so long day always feels unbelievably good to get to your destination and well that's a Lambert meadow shelter fire rang and I actually have bear boxes there's the water source just looks mighty fine to me right now I'm still kind of thirsty privy fort is uh really hard to see but right there there's the little trail to the privy yeah it's just I'm sure this is one of the older ones review said that there's a family of snakes living under the floor and big huge spiders we're gonna go take a look at the campsite which is separate from here about another tenth of a mile down the trail and see what it looks like if you come back here if we have to well we got it to ourselves at this point its bordering on a trench foot there Travis these feet need to get out of those shoes bad we've decided on the shelter and we've created our own tenting space right and the bear things like a puzzle trying to get some tents in this place that's really good for one we're using the bear at fault table and shelters going up that's a much-needed water filtering okay was went down and got two four litre bags we had to work around two stumps move one of them and all the tents are touching but we got our space for the minute never needed this much [Applause] to save even tastes pretty good right now completed here's the scene at the shelter tonight so far getting snacks go on and appetizers and everybody's kind of doing their chores doing their thing I'm ready for dinner all right the happy hour of peace oligo was bust now we're going with sweetly sour pork this is a double serving that I put in there to zip line fifteen minutes would he ever dinner these guys are torturing us back here with homemade taco meat tacos and burritos and the cheese and lettuce and they got a whole claw a Coors Light in the back the dual running down right there thanks very much multi-camera get the dog that'd be bad if I lost the circle oh don't eat Bob okay here unless you to battle so the porcupine mom I'm going to be attacked to get a table me when you want to be a minor dorm I may be the best thing that covered my whole life thank you we've got to make a fire Kristen elevators [Applause] and then you can dry all the extras up here but you gotta have got over ready I'm going to be able to make a fire without any firestarter oh yeah I need more birch trees I can be real picky on the Bob doesn't fire right [Applause] you just want to laugh there we go two days a month nature TV just watching the fire trying to be good you got a phone [Applause] you got a more detailed plan so full-steam going to ball team effort here this barons taking my face down this is what it looks like trying to light the fire with extremely wet wood oh that's a terrific the secret ingenious fellow [Applause] okay we are going to have a fire tonight behind the tree we'll see like this calling is hell people forget the most important thing for fun air flow oxygen Bob doesn't forget oxygen or is loose oh it's an outcall it's not a moose call that's an elk I think you guys are onto something this is looking encouraging at a minimum it's provided us half an hour of entertainment potential that is the elk and mating season call I'm sorry it's hard to take you serious a straw that doesn't sound like alcohol or an alcohol very encouraged I'm impressed by packs Anna that is and work go to Bob who that I am I know we got back to 2006 of every NFL game I'll show the well I guess we didn't escape the rain entirely to hold off long enough that we will have on the last last night in the shelter right when we were all getting ready to go to bed we started raining and we made this mad scramble to the town and a fun stuff last night perfect welcome to day 3 on the Appalachian Trail yeah rainy start to the night but no rain no last day I'll get up then broke me down got about 1/2 mile back up the hill to that and awaiting trail intersection and then three and a half miles after that down to the power and our triple crown will be finished I had this took my ring be in the early morning Castries fit speak and being really careful typical around Dunkin Donuts coffee little damp foot dry nice morning and looks like the sun's actually gonna come out Lambert's meadow shelters on the 18th and now today and I strong breakfast this morning is the nola with milk give you berries I call it a smart recklessly very tasty that's what it looks like it gets a lot bluer than that playing out now so my different like hip fine it's like a magical experience camp is essentially broken down and last-minute preparations for the day the last look at the shelter here scenery wasn't quite sure what that is because we haven't seen it in so long but that actually gives you an indication of the day we've got just beautiful blue sky day that's the Sun we're geared up and ready to go day number three you got about a half mile up the hill to the Andy Lane Trail and then three and a half miles downhill to the car whoo and we'll be done our Triple Crown will be over here we go day number three heading back south bound on the 18 a great group of people here by the way in the shelter last night was great night see you guys bye Sherpa for first half mile sure is nice in the woods this one looks just like this all the way up to the Andy Lane Trail get your heart beat in the morning as for sure pretty relentless great good thing it's only about half mile this one is just steep enough play seven hundred feet per mile having to take a few rest stops to get the heart rate down this is a sight for sore eyes this is the intersection with the ambulating trail the 80 goes up there Bob looks happy heading down now intersection with Andy Lane trail 3.1 miles to the car and down really not as well-traveled as the 80 lucky I'm pretty sure we're just heading down there downhill all the way to the car huh that's a good thing to know I was actually to thinking one of the options last night instead of going down that hill so the Lambert meadow show shelter was maybe camp on the and Elayne trail somewhere but if you ever come this way no camping on the Andy Wayne trail and d'Alene trail is a yellow blaze and down they actually would have some views today we could get any place where we could see them nice day I'll admit that's a little frustrating we didn't get any views but things that happened yes you go with whatever kind of weather you have we didn't happen to have any view the absolutely spectacular day today beautiful you can see the stairs started way up there and they go first far as you can see and it is just mud D it's all mud and clay like clay so your bottom of your shoes all the grip on the bottom of your shoe is gone because you've got here covered with mud kind of dangerous we were thinking going up this wouldn't you ha ha ha if you ever want to do the an D Alene trail up to tinker cliffs prepare yourself for a beastly climb 3.1 miles of this kind of stuff up to there and then another I think it was at least a half a mile up to tinker cliffs up something even steeper so this would be a real climb going yeah so so we just got down from that contrary to published reports that the Andi Lane Trail was all downhill looks like we get a little bit up kind of a sharp little up a little bit anyways making our way down a mile to go over the car [Applause] beautiful setting sights and sounds of the forest makes me pretty happy there's a bridge here although it looks like that bridge is kind of taking it on the chin a little bit huh look at this you think they've had a little we've had a little water here this isn't the easiest thing in the world hook go up holy smokes well this is that River I think when we were up on tinker cliffs oh my god this is kind of this thing moves around a little bit when we were up on tinker cliffs and we were seeing those swollen rivers I think this is one of them we got our first great view of the trip too bad it's from about a quarter-mile from the parking lot just when you thought you were done they throw one more at you here brutal steep upload anything like Travis said a little kiss goodbye from the triple cry now that is always one of the best sights ever I made it back to the car well we have successfully completed the Appalachian Triple Crown of Virginia sadly we went over 3 on spectacular views or maybe 0.54 3 if you get that little tiny glimpse we got a tinkerer cliff but we were still able to experience the magical social element of the trail and log a few more miles on a section of the Appalachian Trail we had never done before in terms of the concerns we had going into the trip bears not a sign of unless you count that handy storage locker that we use to store our gear in and use as a table rain yeah people call the rain did its job keeping all the day hikers away so all we really ran into her a whole bunch of through hikers and some really great people at the shelter's triple crown a little moist but a great hike [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] you you

Channel: David Gray

Views: 19,465

Rating: 4.9583335 out of 5

Keywords: davidgrayin, Appalachian Trail, AT, hiking, backpacking, camping, virginia, Triple Crown, McAfee Knob, Dragons Tooth, Tinker Cliffs, Zpack, Dunkin Donuts, Johns Spring Shelter, Pig Farm campsite, Lamberts Meadow shelter, Catawba shelter, Catawba campsite, Lamberts Meadow campsite, Andy Layne Trail

Id: YqCJ-YihhLE

Length: 55min 27sec (3327 seconds)

Published: Sun Jun 03 2018