Weekend at Shenandoah National Park (Day 3)

19 July 2009

“To everyone, especially to those who live in narrow streets where automobiles are thicker than ants in an ant hill and where trolleys clang, sirens screech, and people rush about, we say, come to this beautiful Blue Ridge area for recreation and interesting knowledge...; come, and enjoy tranquility in the canyons where streams ripple over rocks and waterfalls...; come, and feel the stimulation of the strong wind on some lofty peaks. Do these things, and you will not be disappointed; you will carry away a memory of beautiful and interesting places and a little more strength, a little more wisdom, a little more happiness than you brought with you.”

Quote from a supporter at the dedication of the park.

It’s 4:00p. We arrived home at 1:30p. The bags are unpacked, leftover food has been put in the refrigerator, and the washing machine is taking care of the dirty laundry … time to wrap up our short weekend getaway to Shenandoah National Park.

We woke up at 6:00a to clear skies that were brightening with each passing moment. Stepping out on the balcony, I was happy to note that there was no breeze to speak of, which made the early morning temperature of 55F (13C) quite comfortable. The view of Shenandoah Valley was as clear as we’ve ever seen it, the usual haze notwithstanding. At the other end of the building, deer were grazing — three females and two fawns. I couldn’t resist going down for a few quick clicks of the camera.

White-tailed deer stop by for some breakfast.

As this was our last morning in the park, we took our time over another picnic breakfast on the balcony. With none of the neighboring guests stirring, it felt like we had the entire park to ourselves. By 8:15a, we were heading south on Skyline Drive to do one more hike before leaving the park. A couple of wild turkeys scampering around in the grass near the road were a first for us; we’ve not seen them on previous visits. Several more does and fawns added to our overall deer count.

Our best wildlife sighting of the morning, however, was the one we dubbed “four boys in search of breakfast.” We always see does and fawns when we visit Shenandoah NP, but it’s not often that we see bucks, especially not ones with reasonably good-sized racks. What made this sighting even more special was that there were four of them traveling together, two on either side of the road. They weren’t very cooperative when it came to posing for pictures, but I managed a click or two.

One of the four boys looking for breakfast.

Today’s hike was supposed to be an easy one with a treat at the end — a 360° view from the summit of Bearfence Mountain (elev. 3,640 ft [1,110 m]). Rock climbing wasn’t supposed to be part of the deal. OK, so it was more of a scramble up ancient lava flows compressed into rock, but we still had to use all of our dexterity to maneuver through the craggy jumble — some of which was precariously close to the edge. We managed to get through without mishap even though I had to sit down and scoot myself up a few times when the next foothold was not within easy reach for me. Had there been any mountain goats in the vicinity, they would have applauded our success.

(As you might imagine, we didn’t stop for too many photo ops during the scramble, but here are a few snapshots that we took when we felt that one of us was on a safe perch and could pull out the P&S camera.)

Mui makes his way up the Bearfence Mountain rock scramble.

My turn to scramble up the rocks.

The scenery consisted of forest-covered land. There were probably some distant mountains, but we were focused more on our precarious footing than on the landscape. Since sitting on the jagged rocks wasn’t an option, we continued on to the summit where we had a 180° view. Taking advantage of a wide ledge, we perched near the edge of the cliff to enjoy the scenery.

Taking in the scenery at the summit of Bearfence Mountain.

While we ate our snack, we weighed our options for the return portion of the hike. We could have gone back the way we came, but we decided that one scramble a day was our limit and opted to connect to the Appalachian Trail instead. Sure, the return portion wasn’t nearly as interesting, but we’d had enough excitement for the day, so we didn’t mind.

We exited the park at Swift Run Gap for a longer, but faster trip back home. At about the halfway point of our drive, we lucked into some picnic tables and stopped for an al fresco lunch, which consisted of walnut-cranberry chicken salad served with pita crisps. Dessert was homemade chocolate chip cookies. Eating roadside was not very exciting perhaps, but our choices were limited. Besides, with the temperature at the 70F (21C) mark, having one more opportunity to enjoy a picnic meal was too good to resist.

JAG's is a roadside picnic area made available to drivers by the kind owner of a convenience store/gas station.

After lunch, we made one more stop before completing the drive home — a roadside fruit/vegetable stand. We’ll be having sweet corn on the cob (accompanied by what I know not yet) and tomato salad for dinner. For dessert — juicy yellow peaches. Sounds good to me.

For a clip of our weekend getaway, click here.

Weekend at Shenandoah National Park (Day 2)

18 July 2009

“National parks are the best idea we ever had. Absolutely American, absolutely democratic, they reflect us at our best rather than our worst.”

Wallace Stegner (writer)

It’s 2:30p; once again I am on the balcony of our room. I’m bundled up in my fleece jacket and have one of the blankets wrapped around my legs. Yes, yes … it might be summer everywhere else in the country, but it sure doesn’t feel like it here in the park. The last time I looked, the temp was around 65F (18C), which would be downright comfortable, but there is a fairly strong, constant breeze adding a noticeable chill factor that is just barely balanced by the warmth of the brightly shining sun. Don’t get me wrong; I’m not complaining. We’re enjoying the cool weather and the absolute lack of humidity.

I was up at 5:00a this morning. Mui was still snoozing and I didn’t have the heart to wake him up for an early start. I peeked through the blinds into the inky darkness and was surprised to see twinkling lights on the valley floor. Taking it as a sign that we’d be having clear skies, I went back to bed and slept soundly until 6:30a. Checking out the view the second time around, the twinkling lights were gone, but the valley was visible — albeit a bit hazy.

This is the view that was hidden from sight last night.

We’d come prepared to enjoy our morning meal at one of the overlooks on Skyline Drive. Seeing as how we had a pretty great view of the valley, we decided our balcony would do just as well, if not better. With the temperature in the low 50F (10C) range, it was a bit nippy on the balcony. A cup of hot chocolate and one of those alpaca caps we brought back from Perú would not have gone amiss, but we made do without.

Left: The chef sets the breakfast table.
Right: Breakfast is served.

If you don’t have a wool cap, you make do with whatever is at hand!

We left the room around 8:15a and drove south on Skyline Drive. En route, we couldn’t resist a quick peek at the view from the Timber Hollow Overlook.

The view of the valley doesn’t change much; just a slight angle shift.

Our next stop was at the trailhead for the hike recommended by the NPS ranger at the Dickey Ridge Visitor Center yesterday: Hawksbill Summit. The two hikers who were at the trailhead were off and gone long before we were ready to start hiking; nice because it meant that we had the trail to ourselves. Taking the advice of the friendly NPS ranger, we extended the path to a 2.9-mile (4.6 km) loop by starting off on the Appalachian Trail. This route offered a more gradual ascent of the 800-foot (245 m) elevation gain and made for a moderate hike to the highest peak in the park (4,051 feet [1,235 m]).

The rustle of the breeze in the canopy and the chirps of birds were the only sounds to break the silence. If there’s one downside to the trails in Shenandoah NP, it’s that most do not offer any entertainment value during the hike. You’re generally surrounded by trees and brush the entire time. But at the end of the trail, there’s usually a nice treat that makes the effort worthwhile. In this case, we had an expansive view of the Shenandoah Valley.

View from the observation platform at Hawksbill Summit.

The view wasn’t perfectly clear; there was the usual haze enveloping the valley far below, but we could see well enough. If you looked straight out, the observation platform felt like it was floating in the air. The sun was a brilliant orb overhead with beautiful blue skies and fair-weather clouds. The only downside was the wind. It was blowing strong and non-stop, and it was downright cold even with our windbreakers on. So, we abandoned our plans to have a mid-morning snack at the summit and left after just 15 minutes, all the while keeping an eye out for the peregrine falcons that nest in the cliffs. No luck seeing them today.

The return portion of the loop was down a shorter, but steeper trail strewn with pebbles. We took our time going down and arrived back in the parking lot around 11:15a. Just over two hours to complete the hike; not bad, but we were exhausted from having to brake with our feet all the way down.

After a brief stop at the Byrd Visitor Center to get a recommendation for an easy hike on our way out of the park tomorrow, we returned to Skyland. As with breakfast, we decided to eat lunch on our balcony — make the most of what we were paying for and give ourselves a midday break to rest.

When we arrived at the lower level of the resort, we found “Summerfest 2009” festivities just starting up. Intrigued by the antique cars lined up on the grass near the playground and the music streaming out from the speakers, we grabbed our cameras and headed over to check things out for a bit. The proud owners had polished the cars up so that they glinted in the sun, making for some picturesque photo ops.

Most of the antique cars on display are Ford models.

Wouldn’t mind taking a ride in this car — a Gazelle.

Waving the flag.

By 1:00p, we were on the balcony, eating lunch and enjoying the view. Our picnic consisted of a series of cold items ranging from shrimp with cocktail sauce, to quinoa salad, to veggies with a peppercorn dip. For dessert we had homemade brownies drizzled with caramel. Our meal may not have been very elaborate, but it was very satisfying.

I’m ready for lunch; are you?

On that note, it’s time to take a break from blogging. The blue skies we’ve been enjoying have been replaced by gray clouds that portend rain. I hope we don’t end up having to abandon our plans for an afternoon stroll around Big Meadows. More to come …

… three hours later

The overcast clouds were gone by the time we arrived at Big Meadows. There were few people out and about, which was fine by us. Would like to have seen some deer, but they were nowhere to be found. Wrong time of the day, I suppose. Picking our way through the grass in the meadow, we found deer trails to follow for a meandering walk that was a nice, peaceful way to conclude our day.

Big Meadows lives up to its name.

Mui tries his hand at photographing some common milkweed blooms at Big Meadows.

We returned to the room around 6:00p, set the table on the balcony, and sat down to a picnic dinner that was far better than anything we would have been served in the Skyland dining room. On the menu tonight was a crab spread served with pita crisps and Tuscan bean salad. We washed it all down with a couple of bottles of frosty Dos XX beer. The weather cooperated; the breeze that had been blowing all day was nearly non-existent and the sun peeking through the clouds added just enough warmth to make it downright pleasant. We topped the meal off with a truly yummy blackberry milkshake, which Mui carried out from the Skyland dining room. (Ooops! Didn’t think of a dessert photo op until it was too late — wink, wink!)

Tomorrow we check out from Skyland and head south for one more hike before we leave to go home.

Next Up: Weekend at Shenandoah National Park (Day 3)

Weekend at Shenandoah National Park (Day 1)

17 July 2009

“...with the smell of the woods, and the wind in the trees, they will forget the rush and strain of all the other long weeks of the year, and for a short time at least, the days will be good for their hearts and for their souls.”

(President Franklin Roosevelt, speaking about vacationers to national parks
in his speech at Shenandoah National Park’s dedication – July 13, 1936.)

It’s 8:00p and I am sitting on the balcony of our room — #112 in the Laurel Building at Skyland Resort. This is a “superior” room, meaning that it’s in one of the renovated buildings and it has a valley view. At the moment, the distant landscape is veiled by translucent clouds. This is par for the course. We’ve been to Skyline Drive in Shenandoah National Park many times and I don’t think we’ve ever seen a crystal clear view of the Shenandoah Valley. It’s always as though we’re looking at the scenery through filmy curtains. I don’t mind really; I like the quiet, peaceful vista with the mountains mere silhouettes and wispy clouds floating by. I can almost guarantee that by sunset the valley will look like it’s filled with a mound of whipped cream.

Blogging on the balcony of Room 112 in the Laurel Building.

The sun has finally broken through after a day of overcast; at the same time, it is raining — not a downpour, but heavy enough that good raingear would be essential if we were out and about. Instead, we’re watching Mother Nature at work from the comfort of our covered balcony. A hawk flies by every so often; must have a nest in one of the trees. All we need are some deer to complete the picture; it’s still a bit early for them to come by to graze on the lush green grass. But you know, it’s OK if they don’t visit tonight. After all, we saw quite a few does and fawns as we drove from the park entrance to Skyland earlier today.

We started the 55-mile (88 km) drive to Shenandoah NP shortly before 2:00p. It was overcast with some light rain on and off for the next 30 minutes. The temperature was a humid 90F (32C) — all the more reason, if we needed one, to be glad that we were on our way to the mountains. Traffic was heavy in all the expected places, but it moved steadily. Fifteen miles into the drive, with little traffic to impede our progress, we were flying down the freeway (within the speed limit, of course).

At 3:15p, we were at the Front Royal entrance to the park, showing the NPS ranger our annual pass. Our timing couldn’t have been better — we were welcomed into the park by a doe and her two adorable fawns, which couldn’t have been more than two months old. (Sorry, no photos; the youngsters were skittish and didn’t stick around to pose for us.)

The 41-mile (66 km) drive from the park entrance to Skyland resort was leisurely — the 35 mph (56 kph) speed limit and the curving, winding road contributed to our slow progress. Not that we minded, we were enjoying the cool temps — it was already down to 78F (26C) — and the additional wildlife encounters. The highlight of the latter was a black bear sow with her tiny, tiny cub (about six months old). We came upon the pair suddenly when we rounded a curve. They were crossing the road at a pretty good clip, but we had a clear, unobstructed view of them. Mum had only one thing in mind — to get her cub to safety. She didn’t even look around at us as she jumped over the retaining wall at the edge of the road. Her cub was right on her heels, but curiosity got the better of it. Jumping on the wall, it turned around and looked straight at us. Then, it jumped into the brush and was gone. A very precious moment, made all the more intimate and special by the fact that we were the only ones to witness it. (Sorry; again, no photos.)

We arrived at Skyland, which is located at the highest point on Skyline Drive — 3,680 feet (1,122 m) — and immediately went to find the Laurel Building. From past experience, we knew that some of the rooms have a slightly obstructed view and we wanted to be prepared to ask for one of the better rooms. Armed with that information, we then headed to the office to check-in. There were only five people ahead of us in the queue, but it took about 30 minutes for our turn to come. Our recon paid off and we were able to get our assigned room switched to one with a completely unobstructed view of the valley.

Fluffy clouds are the only obstruction to the view tonight.

The buildings at Skyland Resort are laid out in descending tiers. Since Laurel is on the lowest tier, we decided to go to the dining room, which is located in a building adjacent to the office, before heading to our room for the evening. The dining room was not full yet, but that changed soon after we were seated, so our timing was good.

Skyland’s cuisine has not given us lasting memories in the past; tonight was no different. Mui had the pan seared ahi tuna special, which he said was quite bland. My vegetarian dish — penne pasta with pan seared ratatouille (not to be confused with RATatouille) — was not bad, but there was twice as much as I could eat. Having stopped for some ice cream on the way to Skyland, we were going to skip dessert, but we couldn’t resist sharing a single scoop of the region’s specialty — blackberry ice cream. Another time we’ll have to try the blackberry milkshake that our waiter tried to tempt us with tonight, but we’ll stick with our plans for dining al fresco for the rest of our stay.

We were in our room by 7:00p. Once more, our timing was great. No sooner were we in the room that the rain started. With our plans for an evening stroll thus pre-empted, we unpacked and settled in for the night. As I noted above, #112 is one of the renovated rooms. The hardwood paneling has been partially replaced, which makes the room feel brighter. The facilities could use some work — clean and adequate, but the cramped layout leaves a lot to be desired. Considering the overall size of the room, I’m surprised part of the space was not used to create more spacious facilities. The balcony runs the width of the room, with plenty of space for two chairs and a small table. If it’s not too chilly, we plan to have an al fresco breakfast here tomorrow morning.

Laurel is one of the renovated buildings at Skyland.

We always ask for a room on the second floor.

Room 112 is quite spacious and comfortable for a weekend stay.

Speaking of chilly, the temp has dipped into the 60F (15.5C) range and it is nearly pitch dark out now. The sunset I envisioned never materialized — maybe tomorrow night. But a couple of deer did come by and graze below our balcony. A good ending to our day. On that note … good night!

Next Up: Weekend at Shenandoah National Park (Day 2)