Shenandoah, Jamestown and Williamsburg

Shenandoah National Park, view looking east from Skyline Drive

Thursday morning we were the third car in line at the northern entrance to Shenandoah National Park.  We greeted the ranger at the booth with a “We are so glad you are back at work.”  He laughed and said it was great to have the park open again.  Heading for Big Meadows Campground, we drove along Skyline Drive marveling at how beautiful the park looked with the fall leaves.  It is hard to believe we were driving this very same road going north in June and here we are in October heading back to Texas. 

Doyles Falls

Arriving at the campground, we again found the park employees full of smiles and glad to have the park open.  Being in a beautiful place usually makes people happy, but everyone was in an exceptionally good mood that first day Shenandoah was back in business.  I bet it was the same in the rest of the parks across the country.



Leaves on the trail...

 

We enjoyed three days in Shenandoah and took two long hikes, both including some miles on the Appalachian Trail.  The days were cloudy and mild but the nights were cold!   A reminder that winter arrives earlier up here and it is time to be heading south.

 

South River Falls

 

The drive leaving Shenandoah was spectacular.  Many places on Skyline Drive were in peak color.  There were fewer maples, so the color was not as vividly red as in New England and New York.  Still, we weren’t complaining.

 

Maya investigates a new hiding place

 

On our way to the National Historic Site of Jamestown and to Colonial Williamsburg we continued to enjoy the fall color along Virginia roads.  When we reached Richmond, we made a stop for lunch at a Chuy’s.  David was so excited to discover that his favorite restaurant, Chuy’s, has expanded and now has several locations in the east.  The food tasted just as good as it does in Texas.  There was also an REI and Whole Foods in the same shopping center.  David bought badly needed new hiking boots and I stocked up on some of my favorite foods from Whole Foods.  It doesn’t get much better. 

 

Archaeology 'dig' in front of church at Jamestown

 

We spent a couple of days visiting Jamestown and Williamsburg and had a great time.  Probably because we have been thinking and talking about our government and its difficulties as of late made visiting these historic places all the more meaningful.  To think it all began with the first English settlement at Jamestown in 1607! 

 

Restored framing of the Barracks at Jamestown

 

 Except for tourists, archaeologists and park staff, Jamestown is abandoned.  The whole place feels silent and empty, much like it did when there were only 104 men and boys living on the island with the occasional Native American visitors.  It made me think how vast and lonely this country must have felt to the first settlers.  They were much braver than me.

 

 

Carriage ride for tourists in Colonial Williamsburg

 

Colonial Williamsburg, on the other hand, felt like a bustling little city.  Carriages were constantly going by and re-enactors were abundant in the shops, restaurants and walking along the streets.  There were plenty of tourists as well, but it wasn’t hard to imagine that you were in colonial times and might see George Washington or Patrick Henry on the streets.

 

Re-enactors in front of restored Williamsburg home

 

Jamestown was Virginia’s first capital until it was moved to Williamsburg in 1699.  During those years and many to follow the seeds of our form of representative government grew.  And other legacies from those early days are still with us too – American Indian policies, the consequences of slavery and tobacco.  We are still 'a work in progress.' 

 

 

David’s Stats:

Days Hiked    2

Total Miles Hiked   18.05

Ave. Miles per Day      7.03
Total Elevation Gain       2,889
Ave. Elevation Gain per day    1,420

 

 

Fall Photo Gallery

Here are a few more photographs from the Adirondack Mountains in New York.  The color was so incredible – we have never seen anything like it.  A fall trip to the northeast should be on everyone’s ‘bucket list.’

 

These sweeping views of fall leaves remind David of 'Pointillist' paintings
 

Magnificent Maples

 

Clouds beginning to lift near summit of Mt. Van Hoevenburg
 

 

Young spruce 'decorated' with fall leaves



Long Lake shoreline

 

Leaves and mushrooms on the forest floor

 

 

 

Leaving New York and on to Pennsylvania

 

Maple leaves on fallen paper birch
 

 

A storm rolled through upstate New York and New England bringing rain during the night then high winds for the next few days.  The perfectly peak leaves in the Adirondacks started tumbling down.  We were glad we had stayed and enjoyed a few more days but decided if we wanted to catch any more leaves we had better move on.  Much of Vermont and New Hampshire experienced this same storm system so rather than going east as originally planned, we decided to start heading south.  The government shut-down was also a factor as the national forests were closed making it much harder to visit and camp near the White and Green Mountains.



Keene Valley the day before the storm blew in...

View from Bald Mountain after the storm

Still pretty but so many leaves blew down

Fire tower on Bald Mountain

 

Maya is an excellent fire tower climber

 

We had not really planned on returning to the Catskills but since it was a state forest and "open" we camped there for three days.  The leaf colors were more muted and many had fallen, still we had a great time taking two long hikes in beautiful fall weather.  A cold morning with leaves both crunching under foot and floating down from above, the whole day ahead to wander by streams and waterfalls, then a mountain to climb – it doesn’t get much better than that.

 

Inspiration Point, Catskills

 

Katterskill Falls, Catskills

 

Sunset Rock, Catskills

 

 

 

 

We left the Catskills and New York for the Delaware Water Gap on the border of Pennsylvania and New Jersey.  Here the Delaware River carved a ‘gap’ or path through the mountains.  The Appalachian Trail, plus I-80 and a few other roads take advantage of this passageway through the mountains.  On Columbus Day we hiked the AT through the water gap.  Again the leaf colors were subtle more in the yellow and rust hues, partly because of the lower elevation and types of trees native to the area and also because of the leaf drop.  The trail was almost crowded with hikers enjoying their holiday and the beautiful fall weather.  I suspect that many people were just like us - out enjoying state parks and other trails that were open since it wasn’t possible to visit a national park or monument. 

 

Delaware Water Gap

 

Searching for another open campground, we drove into southern Pennsylvania to the Michaux State Forest and Caledonia State Park.  We had thought of stopping in this area earlier in the summer as it was so near Gettysburg but it was just too hot then.  A few months and a new season can change everything.  With the holiday crowds gone, we practically had the park to ourselves.  We hiked two sections on the AT enjoying subtle fall colors on the cool overcast days.

Along the Appalachian Trail in Caledonia State Park

 

We were trying to decide what to do and where to go next when the great news came on Thursday morning that the government was back in business.  So we packed up and headed to Shenandoah National Park in Virginia with plans to head to Williamsburg and Jamestown shortly thereafter.  Life is better when the government is functioning...

Underside of maple leaf

 

 

David’s Stats:

Days Hiked  8

Rain Days   2

Total Miles Hiked  43.84

Ave. Miles per Day      5.48
Total Elevation Gain       6,553
Ave. Elevation Gain per day   819
 

 

Witch-hobble, Maya-hobble



Maya tangled in witch-hobble

A fun thing about traveling in new places is learning about the plants that are native to the region.  Going east this year, the learning curve has been steep.  Sometimes as we hike along a trail with many unfamiliar plants, it is obvious that we are “not in Texas anymore.”   So we take some pictures and get out the guide books or go on-line and try to make an ID.  Sometimes a park ranger or an interpretive sign on a nature trail will help us out.  It may take a little time, but we usually find out what the ‘mystery’ plant is.

 

Witch-hobble blooming

 

One such interesting plant that has appeared on trails from northern Georgia to Maine is witch-hobble (Viburnum lantanoides) also called hobblebush.  We first noticed the beautiful blooms in early spring just as the plant was beginning to put on leaves.  Witch-hobble has very distinctive white blooms with smaller central blossoms surrounded by larger marginal flowers.  The blooms are located between opposite leaves that are heavily veined and can grow to 4 or more inches.  The leaves are usually green but some plants have more reddish leaves with green veins.

Witch-hobble with more reddish leaves

Besides the beautiful appearance, we were intrigued by the name.  A sign on a nature trail said that according to legend it was believed this plant kept witches away.   What was that all about?  After a little digging we discovered that witch-hobble grows long stems that can root when they touch the ground thus creating a bush with many ‘loops’ that could tangle or ‘hobble’ even a witch. 

 

Witch-hobble with berries and leaves starting to turn

 

As we traveled farther north we continued to notice witch-hobble growing in many shady and moist places and were able to observe its tangled growth habit.  Maya, though not a witch, managed to hobble herself in it quite often.  So we jokingly started referring to the plant as, “Maya-hobble.”

 

Fall leaf color

 

As summer progressed blooms faded and leaves grew large and lush with some plants growing to heights of 6 feet or more.  In August, the greenish berries became bright red.  And then as if all this weren’t spectacular enough, fall arrived and the leaves started turning a variety of stunning colors.  Some plants had mostly solid yellow or orange leaves.  Others were more red with green veins.  But many had almost checkered or paisley leaves of yellow, red, green, and magenta.  The variety and pattern of color was so unique and beautiful, seducing me to take way too many photos of witch-hobble leaves. With Halloween drawing near, maybe this would be a good plant to consider for ‘witch defense.’  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Adirondack Fall...

Big Moose Lake near sunset

The fall leaf websites were not wrong.  We arrived at Indian Lake, New York in the center of the Adirondack Mountains Park after a breathtaking drive through some of the most gorgeous fall foliage we had ever seen.  What is it about colorful leaves?  We could not stop smiling or exclaiming how beautiful everything was. 
 

Driving into the park

What a big relief that the Adirondacks were a state-owned Forest Preserve and not run by our ‘shut-down’ national government.  We would have been very disappointed otherwise.  As it is, we will have to make new plans concerning the national parks, forests and historic sites we had planned to visit on our way back to Texas.  Unless a miracle occurs... 

View from the top of Mt. Van Hoevenberg near Placid Lake

 

Along the trail to Mt. Van Hoevenberg

 

Although we managed to see a great deal of the park when we were in the Adirondacks back in July, it was very hot and we cut our visit short and headed north for cooler weather.  It was so good to be back and get the chance to enjoy the park in a different season and visit the places we missed.

View of Long Lake from Castle Rock Mountain

 

We took hikes near Indian Lake, Long Lake, Blue Mountain Lake, the Fulton Lakes Chain, Lake Placid and the Keene Valley.  Some days were sunny and many were cloudy, but it made no difference – the leaves were still beautiful.  After our fourth day, many of the leaves started dropping.  Our campsite and the trails were covered in multi-colored mounds.  I guess if the leaves covered your grass and had to be raked you might have a different perspective, but we could think of nothing more wonderful than heaps of leaves as far as the eye could see.

 

Out the window of our RV at the campground

  

Maya likes the leaves too...

 

Our picnic table disappears in the leaves...

 

 

The temperatures were perfect once we put on our down comforter (last year’s Christmas gift from David’s brother) to keep us warm at night.  Days were in the 60s to low 70s while the nights were in the low 40s and sometimes as warm as 50. 

 

Color as far as the eye can see

 

We met the nicest people out on the trails.  Many New Yorkers were taking advantage of the last few weeks of beautiful weather and enjoying ‘leaf hikes.’  One couple that we talked to on the summit of Rocky Mountain near Old Forge suggested a good restaurant.  Later on we ran into them at that restaurant, the Big Moose Lodge on Moose Lake, and we all had a lovely evening sitting outside by the lake having dinner.

Blue Mountain Lake from the Adirondack Museum grounds

 

Private railroad car taken by wealthy visitors to visit the Adirondacks

 

Towards the end of the week we began to get some light rains so we did more car touring and one day visited the Adirondack Museum. The museum overlooks Blue Mountain Lake and has many outdoor attractions on its 32 acres.  There are over 22 exhibit buildings plus an Adirondack fire tower, log cabins, lean-tos, rustic gazebos and gardens.  Quite by coincidence, we learned that we were visiting the museum on a “Furry Friday” which meant that Maya didn’t have to stay in the RV.  She was welcome at the museum and they even had dog sitters available so guests could tour the indoor exhibits. We all had a very fun day!

'Family' portrait from summit of Rocky Mountain with Fulton Lakes

 

As I think I mentioned in a previous post, the Adirondacks are truly a hiker’s paradise.  We've had so much fun this past week that we are going to stay a few more days even though there is rain predicted.  If it is not too rainy and the leaves don't all get 'rained' away, we will hike a few more days. 

 

 

  

 

David’s Stats:

Days Hiked  5

Rain Days    1

Total Miles Hiked   31.32

Ave. Miles per Day      6.06
Total Elevation Gain       7,082
Ave. Elevation Gain per day  1,396