Shenandoah National Park – A place of awe, inspiration and renewal. A sanctuary of sorts where wildlife abounds, birds serenade with their songs, and mountains captivate with their beauty. So lush and green, so peaceful and serene. Where the fog may hide the panoramic views, only to magnify the wildflowers and waterfalls.
We spent the day traveling to Shenandoah National Park in a rented black Toyota Camry. Packed with multiple bags, we traveled I-40 out of Tennessee to I-81 into Virginia, noticing the black Angus cows and beautiful green farmland, and found our hotel in Luray, Virginia. After a nice dinner at Uncle Bucks, we crashed in the nice comfy king size bed at The Cardinal Inn.
Saturday morning we purchased our 7 day pass, then drove into the park at Thorton’s Gap. Skyline Drive, the heart of Shenandoah, was a foggy 35 mile per hour 105 mile long stretch of road. As we got out of the car at the first overlook, I spotted an Indigo Bunting. It was such beautiful, deep blue, the colors popped in the fog. From the overlook, you could see nothing but FOG in the distance .. but looking closer we found a deer resting in the bushes. We could hear the birds singing and for just a moment the thought occurred to me.. “What if the fog doesn’t lift? What if we are here for five days and only see this?” Remembering what I had read — on foggy days look for wild flowers and focus on the waterfalls hikes – we went looking for suggestions. At Big Meadows Byrd Visitor Center, Shari suggested The Rose River Falls loop, which included two waterfalls – Rose River Falls and Dark Hollow Falls. She did warn us it would be wet, as they had lots of rain in the previous weeks. We gathered our hiking gear and spent the next several hours hiking the 4.5 mile loop. Wading two mountain creeks and more than one stream, we experienced rocks, mud and a beautiful path; all along were the sights and sounds of a cascading creek. It was a beautiful way to spend our first fog filled day at Shenandoah National Park. After our hike it began to rain. We returned to our hotel, showered and headed back to Uncle Bucks for dinner and then ice cream from the Sugar Shack. The owner of the Sugar Shack is from Nashville and it was fun talking to him. Today’s words: Fog/Water
Sunday’s forecast was sunny, so we took full advantage of Skyline Drive and the beautiful overlooks. A no-fog day of panoramic views from Thorton’s Gap to Loft Mountain, we meandered at the 35 mile an hour speed limit, listening to the bird songs along the way and looking at the blackberry bushes, Timothy, and Alfalfa up close and the mountain ranges in the distance. Views that no camera does justice, but we tried to capture it anyway. On our return drive from Loft Mountain, we saw our first black bear on Skyline Drive. We ended the evening at Big Meadows with a short hike, Story of the Forest. Along the way, we read the stories of how this park came to be. The history lessons were embedded on the walls at Big Meadow. Then we sat on a bench and watched deer. They’re plentiful in the evening. Today’s word: Overlooks
We began our Monday morning with two packed picnics… breakfast on Mary’s Rock Tunnel overlook and lunch for later. It looked like a promising sunny day so we hiked to Stony Man, a short .9 mile hike that showcases the park’s floral emblem, the large-flowered Trillium. It was a wonderful springtime floral display, which also provided sweeping views of Page Valley to the west and Skyline Drive to the east. We took a seat on the rock overlooks to soak in the views.. trees, mountains, clouds. And then the fog rolled in. It had no smell or feel, but was just really cool rolling over us and covering the view below. We were thankful we had arrived before the fog.
On our return hike we stopped to notice a particular pair of birds singing.. then watched as one of them flew into her nest right along our path. Some type of warbler with some light yellow and a beautiful song that made us thankful we stopped to listen. Lunchtime was a picnic at Pinnacle Picnic Grounds, then Skyland Lounge for coffee. You know it’s a good day when you have two picnics and a coffee break. Our next trek for the day was Hawksbill Summit, which actually takes us to the highest mountain in the park at 4,051 elevation. Again, beautiful views and a warm ascent which included part of the fire road. Near the observation deck is one of four Byrd’s Nest shelters included on the Appalachian trail. Today’s word was: Summits
Tuesday morning we returned to Skyline Drive at Thorton’s Gap and traveled north for the first time. The east side of Skyline was foggy – nothing to see off those overlooks. The west side, however, was clear with beautiful, tranquil, pure views of the farmland and the valley below. Once again, we were serenaded with bird songs. The weather forecast said an 80% chance of rain, yet the sky was clear. It was a beautiful day to visit Dickey Ridge Visitor Center and see the south fork of the Shenandoah River. We learned from the ranger at Dickey Ridge the mountains name- Massnutten, which is home to the George Washington National Forrest. On our return drive, near the Matthew Arms campground, we spotted a mama bear and her two cubs along Skyline Drive. She was very protective and somewhat nervous of us watching her. We followed Skyline Drive back to Big Meadows before heading back to Luray for dinner and sleep. I’m thankful for the beauty of yet another day in Shenandoah.
Wednesday morning after breakfast we drove to Meadow Spring Trail, a 2.8 mile in and out trek that included some of the Appalachian Trail, for a hike to Mary’s Rock. One more summit hike before leaving tomorrow. . A beautiful day to hike, with abundant sunshine – this hike had several surfaces, an old chimney, a few muddy spots and one amazing view at 3,514 ft. It was hard to leave this place, with the beauty that brings tears to your eyes and joy to your soul. We ate our lunch on top of this summit and held on tight to our hats as the wind blew. On the way out we met several other hikers, and smelled a bear. We never saw it, but made a lot of noise just in case. They stink.
After returning to the car, we drove back to Luray, showered, and picked up a picnic supper at West Main Market. Back to Skyline Drive to watch the deer at Big Meadows, then eat our picnic and watch a sunset at Spitler Knob, listen to Blue Grass music at Skyland and end our week with a dark drive out on Skyline Drive. Twenty-four polite deer and one lone black bear said goodbye to us as we slowly made our way out of the park. Stopping at one last overlook in the dark – seeing all the lights below – was a nice way to end our time.
Thankful, so thankful, to have eyes to see, a partner to share it with, ears to hear, and legs to hike. Shenandoah is a beautiful sanctuary, a place to meander.
#GoShen
Beverly Alice
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