Exploring Shenandoah National Park

Exploring Shenandoah National Park   …   Thursday 23 - Friday 24 May 2013

Breakfast consisted of coffee / hot chocolate and pastries at the resort dining area. We are way too cheap to spring for the full breakfast, but this worked out just fine. We then took a lovely walk along a wheel chair accessible trail called "Limberlost". It was very tranquil in the woods with only the sounds of birds and the gurgling of the stream at the end. After about half a mile we came face to face with a deer making its way along the trail, and then a little further along we were thrilled to come across a black bear. He (she) wasn't that big, maybe 150lb, and we suspect he was a one year old. It was just great for Edyth to be able to see this from her chair. We also saw Chestnut sided warblers, Hooded warblers and American redstarts. In the afternoon we took one of the access roads west out of the park and drove through the villages of Shenandoah and Luray. The countryside was dotted with farms and we crossed the south fork of the Shenandoah River a number of times. This is the area that Stonewall Jackson and the Confederate army ran rings around the Union troops. We took a brief walk around Luray but decided to head up back to the Park for dinner and we ate in the restaurant with an outstanding view out over the valley  … and had a very good meal. In the evening Mike went out in the car to take a few more photos. As he returned a storm rolled in and the driving conditions became really difficult with heavy rain and mist.

It continued to rain most of the night and when we got up this morning it was blowing a gale (literally) and the temperature was 37oF.  After a similar breakfast to yesterday we decided to spend the morning exploring the northern part of the park by car. The views were great but it remained extremely windy. We chose a scenic pullout for our picnic lunch and Mike prepared sandwiches in the trunk of the car which we ate in the relative warmth inside. After returning to Skyland, we (Mike and Gloria) took a hike up Stony Man mountain. The trail was fairly easy and protected from the wind by the trees. Not so much at the top, where it was difficult too stand upright, but the views were spectacular. Ali and Edyth, who is not feeling too well again, decided to have a restful afternoon in their room. Tomorrow we head on to Gettysburg.

Chestnut sided warbler (female)

Black bear on the Limberlost Trail

White tailed deer at dusk

White tailed deer in motion

Approaching storm on Skyline Drive

Looking east from Skyline Drive

Looking northeast from Skyline Drive

View from Stony Man Mountain back to Skyland Resort