The night before our latest adventure I just could not sleep. I’m not sure why…the anticipation of a new adventure, menopausal insomnia, too keyed up from the busy night at work, too much going on in my head…your guess is as good as mine. We were planning to leave at 8 am. The last time I looked at the clock it was six. When the alarm went off at 6:30, I checked the weather and it was raining. The weather report said that it would be raining until 1 pm. There was no point in driving to the corn maze just to have to wait for the rain to stop, so I reset the alarm to get a few more hours of sleep.
We were out the door at 10. The rain caused all sorts of backups on the interstate, but we arrived at our lunch spot in just a little over two hours. The Market at Grelen was a beautiful place for lunch, despite the nasty weather. While having lunch, I called the corn maze to find out that they would not be opening because of the weather. We took our time exploring the gift shop after lunch and then headed for the Skyline Drive.
As we pulled on to Rt. 33 facing directly into the mountains, we had the most spectacular view. The mountains, covered in low-lying clouds, were an amazing scene. We drove up the mountain to Shenandoah National Park. The regular admission, which is good for one week, is $30. We plan to make at least two more trips to the park, so purchased the annual park pass for $55.
The heavy fog made for slow-going. It was surreal to barely be able to see the trees on the side of the road as we drove. We made our way to the campground at the top of the mountain. After three trips around the campground, we finally picked our perfect site. Set up was quick and easy. It was not actually raining, but we were in the middle of a cloud so there was a constant mist.
My research indicated that there was a larger than normal amount of bear sightings this year, so we decided that it wouldn’t be a bad idea to set up a perimeter to alert us of any critters nearing our tent. We used garden twine, but it was too thick to string the bells that we had. We split the twine into three pieces, creating a perfect border for our campsite. We must have been a sight…the two of us unraveling the long piece of twine, attempting to keep the ends from getting tangled up, and then stringing all of those tiny bells.
We thought about going for a hike but were both exhausted so decided to take a nap instead. When we woke up we started our campfire and heated chili for a tasty dinner. It was still very wet and had started raining again. It had been dark for a while so, thinking that it was late, we went into the tent to go to bed. When I set the alarm, I realized that it was only 9:00! Chris has a language app on his phone, so we entertained ourselves by honing our skills in Spanish until we grew tired.
In the morning, we woke to a beautiful, clear day. The sky was blue and the sun was shining. As we drove out of the campground, what had looked like a spot in the woods was really the top of the mountain with gorgeous views of the valley and mountains in the distance. We stopped to take a few pictures of the spectacular view. On the road not far from us was a pile of bear scat. We didn’t see any bears, but that was fresh evidence that one had been nearby recently.
After stopping at the Visitor Center to pick up a few souvenirs we put Doyles River Falls into Google Maps. Our destination was close by. We stopped at Big Run Overlook on the way. With the rain the day before, the air was clear and the view was amazing. Most of the leaves had not turned yet, but there was some color starting to show. When we arrived at Doyles River Overlook, the view was even better than what we had seen before. The clouds had settled in the valley below us, making it look almost like the ocean.
As we started down the trail, I noticed that there was nothing about the falls on the signpost. I decided to double-check the map to make sure we were on the right trail. I was glad I did. Doyles River Overlook and Doyles River Falls Trailhead are two different places. Once we got to the right spot, we headed down the trail in search of waterfalls. The beautiful trail is a fairly steep descent. There were plenty of mushrooms to see along the way, including some small teal-colored ones (with a little research I learned that they were blue stain fungi).
After walking for a little over a mile we found our first waterfall. It was smaller than what I was expecting, I thought probably because it had been so dry lately. We continued on to see the lower waterfall. When we arrived at the next waterfall, there was a sign indicating that it was actually the Upper Falls. It was definitely a more impressive waterfall than the “teaser” falls we had passed. We continued on until we reached the Lower Falls, which were just as magnificent as the Upper.
After admiring the falls, we hiked back up the mountain. By up, I mean a mile and a half up a VERY steep incline. It was a tough climb. At one point we stopped to chat with a couple heading down the trail. They mentioned they had seen three bear cubs in a tree about half a mile down the road. We finally made it back to the parking lot. We went back to the Visitor Center to take a break but did not see the bear cubs on the way.
After a short break, we next went to Blackrock Summit. It is an easier hike, only one-mile round trip, and fairly flat. The view from the top is nothing short of amazing. Large, dark rocks cover the peak of the mountain. The trail circles the rocks. After taking photos from several vantage points, we discussed scrambling up the rocks for the 360-degree view. After the steep hike we had already done, we were both feeling a little sore so we decided not to climb the rocks. I was commenting that it isn’t like we won’t find another full-circle view, when suddenly Chris, in a very urgent voice, said, “Back up! Back up! Back up!”, while he quickly backed up, pushing me back as well.
Not sure what was going on, I moved back as visions of tumbling down the side of the mountain ran through my head. Once Chris stopped I asked what was going on. He pointed ahead on the trail at a timber rattlesnake curled in a defensive position, ready to strike. The snake, camouflaged by the trail, had moved into the defensive position as Chris was about to step on him. The movement is what got Chris’s attention. Had he stepped down, he would have stepped right on the creature and most likely would have suffered a venomous snake bite.
After the initial scare, we spent some time taking pictures and admiring the handsome snake. Chris tossed a few pebbles at him hoping to get him to leave the path. It worked and the snake moved into the rocks. Chris told me to stay on the outside edge of the path, keeping outside the snake’s reach. As I started to move by, the snake made a strike. He was on dead leaves, so his strike (though nowhere near me) made a loud noise, causing me to jump all the way back to Chris as I squealed like a little girl. After another moment, the snake moved further into the rocks, allowing us to continue on our way.
We enjoyed the beauty of the Skyline Drive as we headed home. We were happy that we had the directions in Google Maps when she directed us around a major backup. We had an easy drive home after stopping at Dot’s Back Inn for dinner.
Cost of trip – 1 1/2 tanks of gas $40, park fee $55, campground $15.
View Gallery
Leave A Comment