Ryan and I set off from the banks of the New River yesterday in a slight drizzling rain. Llyn Sharp, geologist, and Alan Raflo, with the VA Water Resources Research Center (both from VA Tech) gave us a ride from Blacksburg to show us the narrowest point in the Ridge and Valley province - at Narrows VA. Fancy that. We got a side-of-the road geology lesson from Llyn who showed us a section of rock where the crumpled, up-heaved layers of the Appalachians meet the flat horizontal rock layers of the Alleghany plateau of WV. (See previous post for an interpretive rendition by me and Alan.)
We said our goodbyes and started walking toward the Appalachian Trail via busy 4-lane highway. I recommend walking along the shoulder of a road like this with a little bit of truck spray BEFORE getting onto a nice quiet wooded trail. Makes you appreciate it all the more.
The reward at the end of the day was getting to the top of Peters Mtn in a cloaking fog and a sunset peaking through it after dinner.
I'd say a good start to the next month and a half.
Laurel
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| Llyn Sharp (center) gives me and Alan Raflo a geology lesson |
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| Geologic meeting point of the Ridge & Valley and the Alleghany |
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| Starting point: New River near Narrows, VA |
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| Ryan and I crossing bridge over New River |
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| People often ask me, "Y are you doing this?" |
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| Summit to sea, actually |
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| Sunset through the fog on Peters Mountain |
