September 18, 2010 Sharp Top

With the weather nice, the club (today Rekha, Deept, and Jody, though we ran into Van on the hike) set out for Sharp Top for a hike with a winery stop at LeoGrande in Goode, VA. Sharp Top is a fairly short, but steep hike (rising 1,370 feet over 1.6 miles) where route 43 meets the Blue Ridge parkway that was once thought to be the tallest mountain in Virginia. For those not interested in the hike, but interested in the view, there's also a bus that can take you to the top while the weather holds. Peaks of Otter Lodge is at the base, where the club stopped for lunch at the end.

Click through to see photos from the hike.

Sign at the trail head.

Rekha hiking near the bottom of the trail.

Deept hiking next to some boulders.

A view from part way up Sharp Top

Another view along the hike.

Yet another great view.

Deept and Rekha hiking.

Jody resting at Buzzard's Roost. When asked by hikers climbing up how much farther the hike is, Jody likes to give his estimate, but then point down at his shirt and say "But the log flume ride at the top makes it all worth it."

View from along the hike.

An outcropping at Buzzard's Roost (the little side spur near the top, which is MUCH less crowded and which has way fewer bugs than the top of Sharp Top.

A boulder balanced on top of an outcropping on Buzzard's Roost. Looks like a giant-size cairn.

Another mountain (don't know the name).

Rekha and Deept are doing ... err... something.

Shelter at the top of Sharp Top.

Sign at the top.

Looking out from near the top of Sharp Top.

Rekha taking a break at the top.

Deept looking stern.

Photos from LeoGrande to be posted when they're available

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