Nelson County Rocks

For those who like hiking, this post is meant as an enticement to come visit us!  It also testifies to the fact that one great thing about retirement is that there is ample time to combine work and play.  With five acres and a needy house, there is always work to be done.  But we’ve found time to take advantage of wonderful local opportunities as well.

Walking and Birding in Rockfish Valley

The Rockfish Valley Foundation has developed a network of trails less than ten minutes away.  Monika and I have  hiked several of them in various seasons, as well as going on a guided bird walk.  The terrain is easy but varied, and the range of birds and other creatures (we saw a mink chasing and catching a rabbit on the birding walk!) extraordinary.  And the view up the creek to Three Ridges Mountain breathtaking.  Click here for more pictures, including Monika’s picture of a bluebird peeking out from its house.

Panoramic Views from Spy Rock

Spy Rock is a rocky dome that provides one of the best views (360 degrees) of the central Blue Ridge mountains.  The trailhead is only about 20 minutes away, and the round-trip hike only 3.2 miles.  The forest on the way up was filled with flowering dogwoods, which had faded weeks ago at lower elevations.  Nic and I did this hike on May 21, shortly after we finished putting in the vegetable garden.  Flaming azaleas and rhododendrons were in bloom at the higher elevations.  An unexpected surprise was the rock pool teaming with tadpoles on the summit!  Click here for more pictures.

Blackrock Mountain in Shenandoah National Park

I took this short hike on June 21 (just over a mile round trip from the Jones Run parking area) with Nic and Alison, who continued on to camp overnight on their anniversary weekend.  Despite the bouldering to the summit, it’s an easy hike rewarded with great views of mountains and valleys and of the winding Blue Ridge Parkway in the distance.  Click here for more pictures.

Crabtree Falls

Nic and I hiked the four mile (round trip) Crabtree Falls trail,  about twenty minutes drive away, in late June.  A sign at the trailhead reminds hikers that 23 people have died by getting too close to the series of cascades and waterfalls.  Despite the touristic hype about the falls–e.g. the claim that they are the highest east of the Mississippi–they are impressive and beautiful in their own right, and the trail well-designed to keep one safe and yet able to see the highlights.    A neat feature is a boulder cave that one can go through and rejoin the trail slightly higher up!  Click here for more pictures.