‘Outdoors | Hiking’ Posts⁽⁶⁾

It’s a long weekend for those of us on Federal holiday schedule … Columbus Day weekend. With the extra time, I decided to go a bit farther afield than I normally travel.

A good friend of mine has always said great things about George Washington National Forest (and nearby Jefferson National Forest). Due to a slight trail mixup (and poor signage) I didn’t have enought time to do the ever-popular Signal Knob hike, but did an abbreviated version that went over Meneka Peak instead.

Great hike, but about two weeks too early for any real foliage. I will have to come back a little later next year.

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Meneka Peak, near Front Royal, Virginia

Things turned out so well when we decided to visit The State Arboreatum of Virginia based soley off its brown sign on I-66 that we decided to follow the brown signs to Sky Meadows State Park.

It was fall festival, which filled up the parking lot a bit, but once we got out on the trails there was no real sign that there was anyone else in the park at all.

As the name implies, the best bits of the park are the meadow sections. Grass, sky, clouds … probably the closest I will get to a real “prairie” this close to the Atlantic.

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Sky Meadows State Park, Virginia

After all that driving, it appears that the preserve was closed. Unfortunately, I kind of had to pee (and the gate was unlocked), so I decided to take my chances.

We walked around a bit, saw yet another snake (NOT poisonous) and I was incrediably impressed with the preserve. It was well signed, very good literature, and obviously well cared for.

As we were leaving, the preserve keeper came over to shoo us away (nicely, of course) … and we talked for a while before we drove off. Not that I am not already a donor, but if I wasn’t I think the whole experince was enough to inspire me to get my checkbook out.

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Patagonia-Sonoita Creek Preserve, Arizona

The first hike was so good that I decided to come back, take a wrong turn, get stuck in the desert after dark and anger not one, but two venomous western rattlesnakes. Mmmmmmm.

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Saguaro National Park, Arlzona

After the disasterous hike this morning, a small group of us who were staying through the weekend broke off and hit the western branch of the Saguaro National Park.

We all had our role — Simon was on amphibian patrol, Steve pretended he could analyze animal poo and Jonathon evaluated the sharpness of cacti needles. Oh, and I ran around taking pictures, all the while rediculously underestimating how far away we were from the summit.

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Saguaro National Park, Arlzona

I always seem to go shooting between 1 and 4 pm, which is great for getting a good night’s sleep, but pretty lousy for pictures. Looking for a place to hit at sunset, I took a chance on Stony Man Cliffs, soley because it faced west. Not spectacular, but much better than doing it in the dead of the afternoon.

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Stony Man Cliffs, Shenandoah National Park, Virginia

I took my last flex day of the summer, and went for one final hike. hawkbill moutain is the tallest peak in the shenandoah national park and almost all of the trail’s rise (1372 ft) is in the first mile. once up there, the view is stunning … 360 degrees of the valleys to the east and west.

hawksbill mountain, shenandoah national park, virginia
http://www.flickr.com/photos/unclevanya/sets/…4257/

Spent the day hiking around “Shotgun Recreational Site” outside of Springfield, Oregon (don’t bother Googling “shotgun” and “Oregon” … nothing useful turns up. Fantastically large trees.

The picture here isn’t actually of the park (or “Recreational Site” as it were) but was of sunset on the drive back to Portland.

Shotgun Park, Oregon
http://www.flickr.com/photos/unclevanya/sets/…6808/