Started the day with a long climb up Bluff Mountain. There was a threat of rain all day, bit luckily it held off.

There were several lookout points on the way up, that provided some great views of the James river flowing through the mountains.

The trail got a little rocky towards the top, but soon after, it leveled off at the peak.

Near the top, I found an old sign post with a feather stuck in it. How fast was that bird going?

At the top of Bluff mountain, there was a nice lookout point, but the weather was beginning to turn.

After the summit, it was all downhill for 10 miles or so to the shelter I was going to camp near.

There was a cool little suspension bridge over a stream near the bottom of the mountain.

And later, another wooden footbridge crossing a stream just beneath a waterfall.

The section of forest leading up to the shelter had once been a little settlement in the early 1900s

You could still see the old stone walls

I finished up my 20 mile day at Brown Mountain shelter. I had just enough time to set up my hammock and tarp before it started raining.  Hopefully it moves on by the morning!