Destination Shenandoah National Park
With the weather finally turning to spring, I packed the truck with the camping gear and headed south. My destination was Shenandoah National Park. A place I had not been. Skyline drive, I had heard about it but didn’t see the attraction to just driving down a road. Boy, do I get it now. What a cool place. But I’m getting ahead of myself here.
Fighting through DC traffic, on a Friday afternoon, proved to be quite the challenge. I attempted to circumvent the highway parking lots by driving the back roads. Which seems like a good idea, but I only had a map book for the whole country which shows little in the way of back road detail, and of course no GPS.
All those that wander are not lost
Driving by basic cardinal directions, I headed both south and west for a while. Enjoying the rolling hills of Virginia, I still got stuck in traffic from time to time, but with the sun in my face and the breeze blowing in the windows I was enjoying the road trip. Ok, let’s be honest here. The bright setting sun blinded me when heading west and the windows were down because the air condition in the truck is not working right now; a casualty to my repairing the power steering pump.
Well after dark I found the 200,000 acre Shenandoah National Park. All of the campgrounds were still closed for the season, not opening until later in May.
When I decided to take this weekend trip to Skyline Drive and the Shenandoah, I made no plans. I figured on finding something to get into once I got there and thought I could just pitch my tent wherever. I was after all wearing my shirt that read, “All those that wander are not lost.”
My morning view over Hazel Mountain as I awoke from my truck Saturday Morning.
I was not lost, I had nowhere to be. I was just wandering around checking things out. And sometimes that looseness means you occasionally end up sleeping in your truck. But the view the next morning through the windshield was well worth it. Deer fed close by on the new spring grass shoots, not minding me and my truck.
In my five minutes of internet reading on the National Park Service website, I briefly saw something about a few waterfalls in the park. From my trip through the Northern Rockies in Canada and my time in Southeastern Alaska, I had become intrigued by waterfalls. In my wanderings, I stopped at a Skyland Resort looking for a park map, and ended up purchasing two books. One little paperback, Hikes to Waterfalls, and the second, The Undying Past of Shenandoah National Park, by Darwin Lambert.
The waterfalls of Shenandoah National Park
I quickly learned there are 10 notable waterfalls in Shenandoah NP, each with a hike ranging from 1.4 to 6.4 miles to reach the falls. I picked the closest to my current location and set off.
Rose River trailhead
Rose River Falls stands 67 feet tall and has a 2.6 mile roundtrip hike with a climb of 720 vertical feet. After a few stops taking in the views along the way, I came to the parking lot the book said was the trail head.
My one backpack held my clothes for the weekend. I dumped them on the car seat and stuffed my camera and tripod, two bottles of water, a banana and a pack of cheese crackers for the hike. Off I went. The trail led down the mountain through mature hardwoods. I passed a few other hikers. Reaching Rose River Falls, I took a few photos and soon realized the tripod mount I packed was the wrong size and was for the other tripod. A running theme it seems these days. Moving on, I soon discovered that a loop trial led to Dark Hollow Falls. Instead of back tracking, I pushed forward.
Rose River Falls
Apparently if I had a real trail map, which the Park Service provides for free, I would have known about the loop trail.
Heading straight up hill, the trail parallels Hogcamp Branch. In stair step fashion Hogcamp branch drops from one pool to another. I stopped several times along the trail to take photographs, not because my legs needed a rest from the uphill climb. Reaching Dark Hollow Falls, I photographed the 70 feet tall dropping of water. Enjoying the view, I sat and contemplated my next life steps and smiled at the direction.
In Alaska I was able to take some really cool photos of smaller falls with a slow shutter speed turning the water into a smooth silk ribbon. I was hoping to do the same here. However, the bright sun beaming on the white froth of water did not lend itself to such photographing tricks.
Once I completed the long uphill climb back to the truck, which was twice as long as the trail I hiked down, or at least felt that way, found the parking lot completely full of cars. Driving along Skyline Drive, I quickly noticed the park getting busy.
Knowing I had no place to camp for the night, I left Shenandoah National Park for George Washington National Forest and a camping site.
Shenandoah National Park is best known for Skyline Drive and its 105 miles of winding ridge top road filled with vistas. The overlooks are beautiful. As spring begins to show, the flowery blooms and greenery seen from above remind one of the rebirth of the season. But within those 200,000 acres lies so much more to do.
Making Plans for the Summer
Hogcamp Falls Shenandoah NP
Exiting the park, I looked down at the book describing the waterfalls and set a goal for myself. Before the end of the summer, visit all ten waterfalls in Shenandoah National Park. Stay tuned, I’ll be heading back to the Shenandoah Mountains for more uphill climbs. I entered the park with no plans, not even knowing where I was going to sleep for the night and left the next day with a goal for the summer. Life works that way sometimes.
To Be Continued…
