With The Day Hiker in Raleigh for daughter-in-law Emily’s baby shower for the day, I walked with son Eric and grandsons Aden and Matthew up the Apple Orchard Falls Trail to the Appalachian Trail, with a pleasant lunch at the falls, which was as thin as you’d expect in mid-September.
At the AT, the three overnight hikers and I went in different directions, as they headed north over Apple Orchard Mountain toward a night at Thunder Ridge Shelter, and I headed south toward the Cornelius Creek Trail and the descent back to the car.
Next morning, The Day Hiker, son Adam and his wife Rachel and a couple of dogs started back up the Cornelius Creek Trail to meet the overnighters on their way back down near the conclusion of their 11-plus mile two-day hike. Adam, Rachel and one dog stopped at the swimmin’ hole a little more than a mile up, and Gail and I continued on up, assuming we’d meet the overnighters on their way down.
Which we did, but not until we’d climbed the steep part of the Cornelius Creek Trail, one of Gail’s least-favorite trail stretches. In fact, we met immediately after that ascent, where the Cornelius Creek meets the forest road.
Back at the jump-in hole, two dogs and all males under 35 jumped in, and everybody ate a good lunch before we walked on back down the mountainside to the cars.
Apple Orchard Falls-AT-Cornelius Creek trails loop. 7.2; Cornelius Creek Trail to Forest Road and back. 4.6
How to get there: I-81 exit 168 at Arcadia; Va 614 to left on FR 59 to parking area at its end.
