I'm just going to post the beautiful view right at the start of this post. I cannot say enough good things about the people who work in and maintain Shenandoah National Park. This hike, for me, was very difficult. The ascent was 830 feet over the course of about 0.8 miles, then 0.2 of down and flat to get to the cliff's edge where we had lunch, and then a mile walk back, down down down. It was an out and back and I read that it is a very popular hike. I can see why - the views are spectacular, and it is only 10 miles from the start of Shenandoah National Park on the north side, making it very location-friendly for those of us who live in the DC metro area.
We were not alone on the trail today - there were two other hiker groups we passed. One group was two older couples, I'd guess in their late 60s, possibly the "just past retirement" hiking set. This was nice - they were on a two week section hike along the AT and were heading for the next shelter on the trail, Gravel Springs Hut. It's much nicer, on the trail, to camp at a shelter with water and even a roof than to trail camp, or stealth camp. You're not guaranteed water and you're really not supposed to do it - though who could blame you if you absolutely couldn't walk another step. They'd had to do that the night before, and it was about 8 miles to the shelter, so I wish them luck and hope they made it - it did rain dreadfully last night.
So up. It was hard. I ain't gonna lie - this is likely due to the fibromyalgia. My lungs said NO STOP! My legs said WHY ARE WE DOING THIS AGAIN?!? and my heart said HEY SLOW DOWN A BIT. But we made it, by and by, and I was able to say hey! This is why the guide books say it takes 2.5 hours to do this little 2.0 - 2.4 mile hike! There were very cool things to see - basalt rock from the Catoctin Lava Flow, long before the mountains were formed and before feet touched soil. Deer, squirrels, centipedes, hawks, I'm sure many more things but I was a little too focused on not tripping to see everything.
When we got to the top, we met our second group - three men, all the same age as the first group. These were day hikers - they carried nice packs that had very little in them, much as we were carrying. I was happy that everyone was using hiking poles. Instead of my cane, when I hike, I use my hiking poles. I also cannot say enough good things about them. They distribute weight and help you balance, keep your hands from swelling, and make sure you don't lose your footing. I love them. They decided to turn left and go to the secondary lookout, and we went right. Rock scramble and 0.2 miles later and we arrived at the edge of the cliff, pictured to the left. Do you see that road? That's where we hiked up from. It felt really good to have that visual reminder that the pain in my hips was really due to hard effort and we were rewarded by having a lunch up on the rocks. Still, I was glad I'd brought my flexeril and some tylenol, because I knew I was going to need it. I felt like I couldn't walk anymore, and it was cold up there. 50 degrees seems warm nestled in the valley, or broken by trees, but with the wind and the cliff? I was glad I'd brought my shawl and Aaron his flannel.Down was easy and fast. It really felt like 4 miles going up and 1 mile going down. All in all, a nice day. And we purchased the annual pass for the park, $30, because we definitely intend to do more hiking in Shenandoah this season.
Time spent on trail: 2 hours, including lunch.
Difficulty: Hard for me, medium for someone without walking difficulty normally.
Bonuses: The view, the silence, the wind and the wildlife.
View: My photos don't capture the absolute majesty, but it's just wonderful. You can see all the way into Maryland, the south fork of the Shenandoah, Front Royal, it's all laid out like a map.
Kid-friendly: Kids would like it. Be cautious if you bring small kids - they'll get freaking exhausted and those cliffs are really high up. You don't want to necessarily wind up carrying them half the way.
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