Catching Up - late April 2025

Sorry for the delay, folks. What follows is a large group of photos and observations from Builder/Bob.

"When you are not climbing up or coming down from a mountain top you are walking through many of the green tunnels the AT is sometimes referred to," he said. "As the Shenandoah mountains were not in full spring yet, unlike West Virginia, the tunnels were not so defined but these pictures give you an idea on what I was walking through in valleys or along mountain ridges."

Along with another series of photos he shared this observation: "Once in a while you get lucky on where you set up for the night. I decided to push to 16 miles and my Far Out Hiking App indicated an acceptable spot just off trail (0.1 miles) to camp but it turned out to be a bust unless you wanted to set up in a poison ivy/blackberry thorny area. Knowing there was no water ahead, I also had to carry 3 liters (5 lbs) of water for 4 miles. Walking off trail and crossing Skyline Drive, I came across a gravel road that led to an old family cemetery from the 1800s with a field of soft green grass. It's the best place I set up this entire adventure and I was able to dry and air out everything in my pack plus there was a proper tree to hang my bear bag (food). It was the best afternoon, night and morning the entire hike."

(He did say he paid his respects to the family before camping there.)

He definitely took time to stop and "smell the roses" rather than just plodding along looking out for the terrain. As he observed with the following group of photos, "Spring was coming to the Shenandoahs with all the beauty that follows, along with all the creatures that wander out sometimes unexpectedly."

(This is one of those creatures I did NOT want to meet, and which deterred me from even thinking about joining him on this adventure.)

Where's the bunny?

"The Shenandoahs have a range of hiking trail environments. Some are much easier than others, especially on the knees," he noted. (His knee pain was his biggest problem throughout his experience.)

And, to sum up this collection of photos, he noted, "Big vistas or just a meadow, or the morning sun, the Shenadoahs never disappoint." (And I agree, Virginia is a gorgeous state, and one we will always love and enjoy visiting, even though we are North Carolinians now. )

Stay tuned for more from Builder/Bob soon.