Earl Shaffer wrote in his book, Walking with Spring, about his 1948 AT through hike, "This couple of miles was probably the most rugged and most spectacular segment of the trail." He was referring to the Pinnacles of Dan in Virginia. The segment of the trail was relocated to the west but in 1948 was part of the AT. It started as a joke. Myron Avery was scouting this section of Virginia for possible trail routes. He had a couple trail scouts working ahead of him. They scouted routes and Avery either approved them or relocated the trail. The trail scouts had a great time climbing the steep pinnacles and decided they'd route the trail over them, knowing that Avery would not approve. Apparently, Avery called their bluff and approved the route.
Here is the view from the tallest pinnacle. The route up here is a scramble. You are constantly looking for handholds and footholds. There is a cave near the top. We stopped in it briefly before the last scramble up. Once on top, I noticed carvings in the rock. We could not make it all out but it appears to have been craved there for a few decades. There was lichen growing in and around it.
Early spring wildflowers were growing in the rich soil. We saw Bloodroot, Dutchmans Breeches, Trailing Arbutus, and a few other usual suspects.
The property is owned by the city of Danville. The Dan River winds through, The city has built 2 dams and pipes the water from the first dam to the second. Below is a section of the pipe, now replaced.
Danville has operated an hydro-electric generating plant here since 1885. It was the first municipally owned electric plant in the country. When I walked through the plant today to obtain an entry permit, I saw new transformers ready to be installed. So it looks like it will continue operating for a while.
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