Yesterday we took a short hike on the Appalachian Trail at the footbridge over the James River.
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| The footbridge was completed in 2000. It rests on piers for an old railroad bridge that were extended upwards to make the bridge more flood tolerant. |
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| At 623 ft long, it is the longest foot bridge on the AT. A short Roanoke Times article on the opening can be found here. |
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| The not-so-new replacement railroad bridge runs alongside the foot bridge. The river was so still that it gave a perfect reflection. |
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| For the next two miles south on the AT, the trail is relatively level as it follows the James for about a mile, then turns up Matts Creek. |
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| A view up Matts Creek. |
The scenery was nice, but the ice - in many forms - was the visual winner.
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| Ice-encased rocks at the bottom of a rock face. |
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| Lon thought these ice-coated rocks in the creek looked like potatoes. |
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| Ice built up on tree limbs hanging over Matts Creek. |
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| Ice made fantastical shapes as water flowed over ferns, sticks, leaves, and rocks. |
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| Ice needles (see previous post) were very common along the Matts Creek portion of the trail. |
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