Day 2 started off with some hammock shenanigans, as Jordan's favorite game is to turn it into a porch swing. Exhibit A:
After a few minutes of this, it was on to a bit of exploring. I knew our site was fairly close to the Appalachian Trail (I could already smell the weed & pachouli oil), but after a few hundred feet of hiking, I came to this.
There was something strange about hiking where thousands and thousands have been hiking for decades. I started wondering how many people actually followed through with whatever plan brought them to the trail. I have nothing but respect for those who have hiked the entire trail, it would seem as much a mental as a physical accomplishment. Or they just got really, really high.
We got on the road shortly after the exploratory hike, and came to the first of over 70 overlooks along Skyline Drive. It was pretty evident that we were in for a good day of hiking.
We were armed with a hot tip from Quiet Bill (we found out his nickname after we returned and thanked him for the advice), who worked the counter at the local camp store at our campground. He had told us about a trail called Bearfence Mountain Trail, and as he explained that there was a lot of boulder scrambling, Jordan's eyes lit up. Outside of intentionally messing with me every chance she gets, her favorite thing in life is to climb on rocks. This was going to be a good day. Once we got there, we realized how right he was.
I think both of us had a parental moment right around the same time. I have been encouraging Jordan to be brave, to try things that push her comfort zone as long as she is aware of & manages the risk (something I am nearly incapable of doing). Well, those things exploded on the trail today. The pic above is just before she crested that hill and found that the scramble route was right along the edge of a sheer dropoff. I didn't want to make her nervous, but internally I was both proud and completely freaking out. All I could hear was "Here you go jackass, you wanted her to be bold and brave, well now you get to watch her on the edge of a cliff". I assume it was in my own voice, but either way I realized how old I now am and for the first time I started paying attention to how many times I would say "careful", only to be met with a "Dad, I'm fine. You said that already." I am screwed.
I'm going to take a moment to embarrass the female contingent of this family by doing something they aren't very accustomed to. Complimenting them. We sit in the Big Truck for hours on end, cavorting across the continent to go see cool stuff and experience adventures together, and I now realize how spoiled I am to have people that are able to road trip like this. Sometimes when we describe our vacations to people, their eyes tend to glaze over and we get the polite nod. You know the one - the "yeah, that sounds really great - or it sounds like my own personal hell, but I'm sure it's great for you guys". Well, we love it and I couldn't be more fortunate to have a family that is similarly afflicted. Hopefully they remember this brief interlude of praise the next time I'm explaining the 6 activities I have planned before lunch.
After lamenting the fact that the return hike was merely a trail and not a continuous boulder scramble, Jordan led us back to the Jeep and it was on to the highest point of Skyline Drive, appropriately named Skyland.
Just before we got to Skyland, we stopped at Big Meadows Visitors Center to take a look around. We always try to learn a bit about the particular park we are visiting, and in this case it actually made us feel bad about visiting. Spare me your politics, but this is the nutshell version of Shenandoah. A fat president needed a nice place to vacation, free from the heat and humidity of Washington DC. A bunch of working stiffs owned property all along the mountain ridge where said president, a governor, and others wanted to vacation. They bought up the property (based on values they assigned) and evicted those that refused to sell. Now it is a beautiful park, enjoyed by many unless your family had established a homestead there and got Uncle Sam's boot. Ok, back to the amazing scenery.
While we were learning about the park's origins, Jordan was getting pretty into it. I always get a kick out of what piques her interest & what she might remember. Here she is deeply concentrating on whatever is coming out of that old timey phone thing.
Outside, there was a statue commemorating the work of the CCC 'boys' from the 1930s that built much of the infrastructure of the park.
It is my contention that those pearly whites are showing because that dude is shirtless, clearly quite dreamy, and does not have a beautifully blossoming red afro like their travel companion.
Next up - Skyland. Here we found what we were looking for. Lunch - and a tap room, with this view.
After a gigantic lunch, we headed out to Dark Hollow Falls, something we all kind of knew was a terrible idea but we still wanted to do. Uuuuuntil we did it. 500ft drop in 8/10 of a mile, all the while knowing that you have to climb back out.
Here are some pics that show the destination, and also what Kim alleges look like the fake backdrops used in elementary school photos.
Ok - full disclosure, I am back to Sam Kinison mode, there is a 1byte internet connection here, and to attempt to write this blog is an exercise in futility. This is me currently trying to hold it together.
On the way back to the campsite, I wanted to stop for a quick photo op. After my first idea was soundly defeated by the female contingent (I am always outnumbered - makes it all the more impressive that any of my ideas ever make it to light), this was the conciliatory pose.
Upon returning to the campground, we were all pretty tired, but I was determined to find a sunset vista for us. I did a quick exploratory walk around, and sure enough. A few hundred yards from the campsite, we found this.
Directly off the Appalachian Trail, with some other campers and their dogs (which nearly knocked Jordan off the boulders, but that's for another day), and it set us up for this selfie with my giant dome and Kim's hair which she believes looks like a tumor (It's not a tumor!)
Yes - I realize the size of my dome, and I know I've already used the 'So I Married An Axe Murderer' scenes about the giant heeeed. I'll just blame the camera angle for how full and luscious the ging beard looks in this photo.
Day 3 - wheels up to OBX, 4 days of unbridled sunburn ahead.
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