Humpback Rock - March 28, 2011

Today, we went on a spur-of-the-moment adventure to Humpback Rock, just a few miles south on the Blue Ridge Parkway, off I-64.  Lucky for us that great hiking happens to be halfway between JMU and UVA!  Although we had gotten some snow on Saturday night, we thought it would be completely clear in the mountains.  The roads were clear, but the trail was a bit snowy. And it sure was fun to be in the snow!  We were joined by our friend Katelyn, an exchange student from Australia! G’Day Mate!

We took our time ascending the mountain, due to the treacherous rocks and slippery slope, and photographed many things in the forest.  The melting snow had made many beautiful icicles on the boulders surrounding the trail.  Here's a piece of trivia for you: What do Australians call popsicles?    …    Ice blocks!

After temperatures in the 70’s last week, it sure was cool being back in the snow! Snowballs were thrown and snow was eaten! It was great having that experience one last time this year.

When we reached the top, the view was, as usual, wonderful!  There was just starting to be hints of green in the trees, so hopefully the next time we make the hike, it’ll be even prettier.  We decided to be adventurous and take the steeper trail back to the bottom of the mountain.   And oh my was it fun! It was very steep and had been rarely traveled before us in its current snowy state.  It certainly took a lot less time to go down the mountain than it did to go up!  And Jamie’s stomach had been well fed before this adventure, so the trip was pleasant for all.  Thank goodness!

Total Hike Time: 1 h 15 min (lots of this involved pictures)
Total Distance: 1.5 miles
Difficulty: Moderate. Especially in the snow!

Blackrock Gap - March 19, 2011

We went to the Shenandoah National Park today looking for Chimney Rock trail, but to no avail.  After driving for many miles north on the Skyline Drive, with Jamie falling asleep in the passenger seat, we decided to pick the first trail that looked interesting.  And so Blackrock gap it was!

When the hike started it was not very pretty.  We were expecting to see a lot more green since the weather was so warm, but it hadn't gotten too warm in the mountains yet.  There were a lot of rhododendrons in the forest, so as spring comes, the hike may be gorgeous!  As we rounded a bend to go down the mountain, the forest became much more open and visually appealing. (Alex's word choice. :)   )

After about a mile, we came to a fork in the road, without a sign to direct us which way to go.  The map at the trailhead suggested that we turn right to reach a point of interest, but there were many fallen trees blocking the trail.  So left it was!

We walked a ways down the trail until we saw a stream, so, being the adventurers that we are, we decided to go off the trail and investigate. Jamie, the fearless one, led the way, until.....  "EEEK!  A SNAKE!!!!!" and within seconds she was back behind Alex.  The snake was huge!  It could've eaten several children at one time.  (Or as Alex likes to think... about one foot in length, and a centimeter in diameter.) After some coaxing, it was time to adventure again.  The stream was beautiful, with plenty of rocks for Alex to skip. Jamie pounced from rock to rock along the stream to avoid any possible man-eating snakes in the brush.  We followed the stream a quarter of a mile upstream until we were ready to return to the trail.

We found our way back to the fork in the trail, and this time we decided to see what was in the other direction.  We climbed over fallen trees, vicious thorns, and through a mucky mud pit (which got the better of Jamie's shoe) to a campground, the point of interest (labeled "A" on the map).  Not too exciting, but now we won't be wondering what was on the other side!

When entering the park, we were warned that there was nowhere to buy food or gas on the Skyline Drive.  Unfortunately we did not heed the advice, and Jamie became very hungry at the bottom of the mountain.  Luckily, oh so strong Alex was there to give her a push or two back up the mountain.  Lesson learned..... always bring snacks.

Total Hike Time: 2.5 h
Total Distance: unknown
Difficulty: Easy to Moderate