Compton Peak to Hogwallow Gap

After reading February's Potomac Appalachian, Artuna and I wanted to hike up to the columnar basalt deposit off the top of Compton Peak.  Just by chance, I needed to hike that section of the AT so it worked out well.  The trail up from the parking lot in Compton Gap is a steady uphill.  In the middle section we hit a fair amount of ice in the trail and there were patches of mud, but it wasn't bad footing.  Once reaching the top, we first went down to the columnar basalt formations, which are a good distance downhill to the east. 

Then we hiked up and over to the viewpoint.  It was a cold but sunny day. 

At that point, Artuna graciously offered to return to the car and pick me up at the next road crossing.  See he went north and I went south on the AT.  En route I met John Hedrick, President of PATC, doing trailwork with another maintainer and his son, around 9 years old.  There were lots of trees down between Jenkins Gap and Hogwallow Gap.  Thanks to trail maintainers like them, hikers have an easy time on SNP trails. 

I reached Hogwallow Gap in good time and hiked back to Hogwallow Flats Overlook where Artuna was waiting.  He had paid a visit to Windham Rocks.

One additional trail and 2 at sections added.