🌜Punchbowl Shelter

Today started with an astounding sunrise off of an eastern facing ridge where we (me, Joey, Trickshot, Little Foot) were camped. It was an awesome backdrop to our breakfast rituals. We could see the colors of the sky reflecting in the bend of the river below. Quite astounding.

We hiked an easy 4 miles or so down to the main road into Glasgow VA. We crossed the longest footbridge on the AT to get to the parking lot and kindly a local named Sarah Elizabeth brought us into town.

We resupplied at a dollar general and had pizza at Scottos before getting back to trail. I saw a man dropping a $20 bill and informed him and he said it was mine for being honest😇 so we gave the server a nicer tip in cash 🙌. A city run shelter promised free showers but that seemed to be out of order so we splashed in the creek to cool down and tidy up before attempting the afternoon’s 4- mile uphill climb~so refreshing !

On the way up we encountered a sassy rattlesnake, and at the very top of the day’s final mountain we encountered a couple getting engaged! (They said yes!) soooo that of course meant trail magic for us —gourmet charcuterie— before descending into our shelter area.

Punchbowl shelter is the name? Is the punchbowl referencing the stagnant pond here? No. It’s the name of the mountain. Anyhow there are lots of frogs singing us to sleep and clear skies complete with shooting stars! Fireflies galore and an unsettling (yet gentle) late night visit visit by a family of local deer.

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