James River Foot Bridge to Punchbowl Shelter

Monday, March 30, 2015
Day One - James River Foot Bridge to Punchbowl Shelter
10.5 Miles

Our 7:15 breakfast at Three Springs Hostel was very delicious and filling--scrambled eggs, bacon, toast, fruit and yogurt, and coffee. 

Me at James River Foot Bridge

At 8:00 we started our drive to the James River Foot Bridge and was hiking by 9:15.  We only planned to do 10.5 miles today because we knew we might get a late start and also because it would be our first day back on the trail.  The first day is always hard. 

We had a long steep climb up to begin with to get to Big Rocky Row Trail.  We had lunch at the top, overlooking the James River below.  The high today will be 58 degrees, it is windy and cold on the west side of the mountain. The sun peeked out only occasionally and I so wished that it would stay. 

We had a magnificent view of the James River for most of the morning.  So peaceful. 

Another steep climb took us to the top of Bluff Mountain. At the top of the mountain we saw a monument to four-year-old Ottie Cline Powell.  In the fall of 1890, Ottie went into the woods to gather firewood for his schoolhouse and never returned.  His body was found five months later on top of Bluff mountain, seven miles from the schoolhouse.  Someone had left a little blue toy dinosaur on the monument.  Sad. 

 It was a slow go, but we finally got to the shelter around 4:45 p.m.  Surprisingly, there were two men already there.  They were out for a week and had zeroed the day at the shelter today.  We had our supper, pitched our tent, and went to bed by 7:00.  Low tonight 38 degrees and windy.

Starting north along the James River
 

  

James River

James River

High above the James River

Looking over the James River

Monument to lost boy

Punchbowl Shelter

Pond at Punchbowl Shelter