Powell Gap: an easy SNP day hike

Today, the second of five day hikes from my recent week of vacation, which I spent exploring day hikes on Skyline Drive. This one, also taken from the "Easy Day Hikes" guide (clicking on the book image will take you to an Amazon page for a description), starts at mile 70 on the drive, across the road from the sign that says Powell Gap (although the sign was down on my visit).

There is no parking area for this hike, so you will need to leave your car parked on the shoulder, near a clearing that was full of wildflowers on the day of my visit. As I geared up for the hike I looked at all the activity around the flowers - bees, butterflies, and many different kinds of birds flying around. It was a pleasant space to start the hike.
The guide lists Powell Gap as a 1 mile out-and-back, following the AT through an ascent of about 400 feet. It is a steady climb, not too steep, although this is a lot of climbing for such a short hike.

On some other day, I will have a post about my dissappointment with this guide's practice of carving off little out-and-backs from the AT; there is so much more to the Park than this. The AT has been designed for thru-hikers muscling their way down a 2,160 mile journey - it's mostly interesting, but can sacrifice scenery for efficiency. On three of these hikes I have reached the objective with the thought, "all that, just for this?"...I think I could write my own guide now. That said, the authors go as far as to say "This is one of our favorite short hikes."

The photos I have included are the AT guidepost and trailhead, a view of the trail near the start of the hike, and a rock formation that is in the middle of the main switchback on this trail. It is covered in moss and lichen; like most of my hikes this week I was more concerned with the possibility of timber rattlers or other snakes sunning themselves on the large sunny flat surfaces.

Also, many times this guide, updated in the late '90's, will reference a view that simply isn't available anymore because it is obscured by new growth forest. The first of these two is an example, showing what used to be a clearing looking east. The second is the prize at the end of the hike, a view east into a secluded valley from a rock outcropping. I was lucky and had the sunny spot to myself for about 15 minutes before turning back.

All in all, between the drive to Waynesboro, the hike of Calf Moutain, and this little trek, not a bad day in the woods.