A Covered Bridge, a Lake, and Waterfalls

Our next journey took us back to the Covington area.  Having not made it to the waterfall on our last trip, I was determined to give it another shot.  I had also found out about a very old covered bridge in the area since our last visit.  Humpback Bridge is purported to be the oldest remaining covered bridge in Virginia.  Crossing Dunlap Creek, It is the fourth in a series of bridges, the first built in the 1820s.  Three bridges were washed away from flooding.  The current bridge was built in 1857 and was actively used until 1929 when it was replaced with a “modern” bridge.    The bridge remained mostly unused (other than to store hay) until the 1950s when it was restored and became a roadside attraction.

Humpback Bridge is easy to get to, less than a mile from I-64.  It is easy to see why the bridge is named Humpback as it is 4 feet higher in the center (I would imagine for counteracting the flooding that destroyed the first three bridges).  The bridge is a peaceful spot with the gentle current of the creek passing under.  The wayside is adorned with beautiful flowers and the bridge is open to walk across.  It was disappointing to see the graffiti covering the inside of the bridge, but apparently, visitors feel the need to leave their mark.

The highlight of the attraction to me was the LOVEworks installation.  To go along with the “Virginia is for Lovers” slogan, more than 150 LOVE art pieces have been created around the state.  Each has it’s own local flair, with communities creating each unique design.  We have seen quite a few of the pieces, but the one at Humpback Bridge is by far my favorite.  When I first saw it, I didn’t even realize what it was.  I was wondering why there was a random brick structure near the bridge.  I didn’t get a full picture until I walked around looking for a beautiful shot of the bridge.  As I came around in front of the structure, I saw it.  The historic bricks formed the L.  The O was created with one of the gears from a retired paper machine from a local factory.  The E was made with railroad ties representing the history of the railroad in the community.  What really impressed me was the V, created naturally by a tree on the creek bank.  It amazes me how much joy came from something so simple as this LOVEworks.

After visiting the bridge, we stopped at Jack Mason’s Tavern for a nice lunch before heading to Douthat State Park.  We picked a lovely campsite right on the lake and then headed for my nemesis waterfall.  Chris, ever on his quest for mushrooms, was excited to find a morel before we even started our hike.  My original theory that the trail was flooded because of the heavy snowfall before our last trip was proven false when the creek crossed the trail in the same spots as our last trip.  I was prepared this time.  I changed into my hiking sandals and trudged through the creek.  The water was cold, but not intolerable like it would have been in December.  Once we tackled the stream crossings the hike was an easy one.  Before we knew it we were looking at a beautiful waterfall.  To his delight, Chris was able to spot a few more morels along the way.

We spent the rest of the evening relaxing by the campfire next to the lake.  It was a glorious night. In the morning we headed to Shenandoah National Park for more waterfalls and hiking.  It was Earth Day, so there was a line to get into the park.  As we waited for our turn, a group of bicycles rode to the front of the line.  I was a little irritated that they didn’t see the need to wait their turn like everyone else, but what can you do?  As we neared the front of the line, we noticed that the bikers were still standing there, waiting to get in.  The park ranger apparently felt that they shouldn’t be able to skip the line either.  They harassed her to the point that she finally allowed them to pay, but not before making them wait for a while.  I heard one of the bikers ask what was the point of riding bikes if they weren’t able to skip the line.

Our intent was to hike to Blackrock Summit and Doyle River Falls, but when we approached the park ranger we realized that the Skyline Drive was closed (due to heavy storm damage from the winter) in the direction that we needed to go.  We asked if there was another way around or if there were any comparable spots that we could get to.  The ranger was kind enough to point us to a couple of waterfalls in the opposite direction.  The South River Falls hike started with a steep descent down the side of the mountain.  The trail then follows the South River to the falls.  At the top, there was not much in the way of greenery, but once we descended we found wildflowers everywhere.  Other than the steep descent, to be followed by the steep ascent back to the parking lot, the hike was relatively easy with one easy stream crossing.  The waterfall was beautiful and well worth the hike.

Next, we went to Dark Hollow Falls.  The hike is less than a mile to the falls and was very crowded.  I was disappointed by the number of people with dogs on the trail, as it is very clearly marked that animals are not allowed on this particular trail.  The dogs would not have really bothered me that much, except that their owners not only ignored the sign but also did not feel the need to keep them on a leash.  As we sat on the rocks enjoying the waterfall, one dog (actually on a leash) was allowed to run to and jump on Chris.  The waterfall was pretty, but definitely not the most impressive we’ve seen.  I have seen pictures since the trip, which did not look like the falls we saw and wonder if we didn’t follow the trail far enough.

Because the Skyline Drive was closed, we took an over the mountain and through the woods trek to Crozet Pizza for dinner before heading home.

Cost of trip – camping $36.59, firewood $24.30, 1 1/2 tanks of gas $54.