Mountains, Meadows & Morlocks

Spent a cool fall weekend at the Myron Glaser Cabin near Paris,VA for Kevin L.'s birthday. (above left is the composition of "Javin" ; Right is our Hike group @ Sky Meadows)

A first on this particular trip due to the hike in while raining and packing everything on me for the 2 miles from the car to the cabin. I don't think I had hiked anything like that since I was a Boy Scout. Even then, I don't think I carried as much as I did this time, or in such an awkward fashion compared to the rest of the group who had proper packs.


Eventually the rain stopped and we finally emerged into true sunny fall weather for a great hike to Sky Meadows along the old Appalachian Trail. It's kinda of strange in that I would have never guessed 4 years ago that I wold have enjoyed the mountains so much. But in a way I see it as a replacement for the beach, since the beach is always better! This trip was particularly cool in the sense that wildlife was actually spotted by my own eyes: 2 Deer, 1 Bald eagle, at least 2 hawks/falcons of some type - one extremely low-flying over us as we ate lunch at Sky Meadows, and various turkey Vultures headed to South Florida most probably (pic of them on the Miami Courthouse) . This was in addition to the various uncounted songbirds heard in the forest.

The view was kind of neat at sky meadows - but pretty spectacular was the pseudo impromptu game of Frisbee at the top of what is effectively a plateau with a view of the Paris, V.A. farmlands.


Overall a better way to spend a pre-Halloween weekend eschewing the costumes and parties for this year..... Either way it seems as if some phantom figures (or ghosts) showed up anyway, leaving strange images on my camera. Only discovered 2 days later when downloading them, I finally figured out why my batteries were so low!



The following week I re-did Old Rag Mountain. It was even more amazing than in the spring with all the foilage in perfection! Although I didnt also do the rock scramble on the way down due to starting off rough with what I believe was a pain in either the Tibal Posterior or Flexor Digitorum Longus Tendon(s). Either way is seriuosly hampered me to almost a crawl for about 30 minutes before the pain was bareable. Despite it I worked through it and was well enough later on, but still wasnt up to the scramble down. Next time I do Old Rag- although I will miss some amazing foilage on the fire road back- I will do the scramble down! I am glad I stuck it out because the colors were AMAZING!

From OLD RAG fall ...