Peaks of Otter: June 21-22

Hike #1: Saturday-Abbott Lake to Flat top to Falling Water Cascades trail, total distance - 11.45 miles
Hike Leader: Kelly O’Rourke

Attendees: Iva Gillet, Dan Ralston, Jeanne Densmore, CJ Woodburn, and Michael Seth (some of us were expertly chauffeured by Bill Holman).
Started at the Peaks of Otter (PoO) lodge and hiked up flat top mountain where we crossed the blue ridge parkway past the flat rock parking lot to the Fallingwater Cascade.

Hike #2-Sunday Sharp Top trail plus, Harkening Hill Trail to Johnson Farm trail -7 miles

Leave the PoO lodge and walk the other way around Abbott Lake past the nature center and around Harkening Hill Trail to Johnson Farm trail loop. We then crossed the road to enter the parking lot to go to the top of Sharp top mtn. (1.5 miles up). It was a beautiful hike, though we would have appreciated it if the weather would have cooperated a bit more as we were not able to see anything except for the faint glimmer thru the clouds for a minute. We need to go back, because this would be a really spectacular view from the top!

es trail loop (loop is 1.6M) and hike back to the lodge. This was a very beautiful hike with many enormous trees. No stream crossings. Not much water in the falls, but a good time was had by all.