Shenandoah 2003
First Night With the camp set up and dinner behind us, it was a great opportunity for a photo op! |
Rocky Mountain Loop - Day 1 A hike with a few beautiful views, and a bit challenging, Julie and I completed the 10.2 mile, 3500 ft. elevation change trail in a bit more then 5 hours! The best part of this trail is that it was remote. A holiday weekend and we didn't pass any other hikers! |
A bit ragged... Even my pooch is pooped! |
Alex and Christian on Brown Mountain Acting energized, but feeling a bit pooped. Still, the trail was great :) We did see a copperhead that was a bit shocked to see us. I had to save Julie from certain death. Still, the worst danger of the remote nature was the several hundred ticks that were crawling up her leg, and the several THOUSAND that were secretly crawling over my dog. |
Back near camp before the storm. A big storm was brewing, so Alex is enjoying a short rest before fleeing inside the tent. At this point, you wouldn't believe the number of ticks that he had! |
Close up on a cutie What can I say, he loves the camera. |
South River Falls - Day 2 On our way on the extended 10 mile hike to South River Falls... an easy hike normally at 4.4 miles round trip, I thought we'd spice it up! |
Falls view from the top. A great overlook shows off the upper half of South River Falls. The next pic really shows it off. |
Composite of South River Falls. This was a beautiful view and proved to be a great spot to relax and grab a bite for lunch while Alexander swam and covered us in water. |
South River Falls A nice view :) |
Nice pic Julie poses for the camera. |
Come down and play! I like the pic, especially with my dog looking up at us wondering when we'll come in and swim. |
Photo op'. This was the moment where my idea of taking the long road takes a turn for the worse. |
Last moments of sanity. The trail was beautiful, and steep, and eventually turned into an old rutted road, then a path covered in trees, then a narrow trail guarded by a huge spider, and finally an abandoned apple orchard covered in thorns and no discernable path. We decided to cut the hike short and retreat to the safety of our tent. |
Return to camp A great example of the natural paths deep in Shenandoah National Park. I love the fern! |
Where to find wood... Finding wood after the storm was fun! I love the undergrowth... |
Did I fall asleep? She is a great hiker, but enjoyed a long nap before dinner. Isn't she cute! |