I awoke to my ears still ringing from last night’s Bruce Springsteen concert (or maybe just my regular tinnitus) and quickly packed up and checked out. Today’s plan was to drive out to Shenandoah National Park. Once past the DC traffic, I cruised through the Virginia countryside. Once on Skyland Drive, I headed south toward Big Meadows and the visitor center there. Along the way, I would pull over at one of the many overlooks to marvel at the views. At the visitor center, I stamped my passport book and picked up my Junior Ranger booklet. The plan for the morning was to make a nice loop from there down to Dark Hollow Falls, then up past Rose River Falls. From there, I planned to work my way over to the Big Meadows lodge for lunch, then down to Lewis Spring Falls before finally returning to the visitor center.
The creek flowed next to the trail as I made my way down toward the falls. It had been raining for the past week, so everything was still damp. The falls were lovely, and a few folks were milling about, taking in their beauty. I continued on down the trail, still marveling at everything. From time to time, I had to deal with water running along the trail. A few spots took some care, as I was without my trekking poles. The trail then turned upward toward the next major falls, Rose River. Once there, I took another break and enjoyed them.
Unfortunately, my left calf began to tighten. I drank some electrolytes and hoped that might address the issue. Once I reached the Rose River Trailhead, my route was now on the Appalachian Trail! As I worked my way toward the lodge at Big Meadows, I crossed paths with 4 different thru-hikers. I chatted with them briefly, and all were happy to have a break from the rain. The calf was getting better, but I knew I was going to be skipping the Lewis Springs Falls part of my hike.
After lunch and working on my Junior Ranger booklet, I made a quick trip up BlackRock Overlook. Once back at the visitor center and my Junior Ranger badge secured, I stopped at the general store next door and grabbed some bananas and another Gatorade. This adventure covered 7.5 miles in 3:47 and 1,464 feet of gain.
I am an avid peak bagger, sometimes backpacker, and former sea kayaker living in San Diego. I co-authored Urban Trails: San Diego, available now!
In 2019, I became the third person to complete the San Diego 100 Peak Challenge. Not stopping with that accomplishment, I set my sights on the harder San Diego Sierra Club 100 Peak list, which I completed in 2021. I’ve also conquered several Six-Pack of Peaks challenges (SoCal, San Diego, Central Coast, and both the Arizona-Winter and Arizona-Summer).
I look forward to exploring new summits and adventures across the Southwest.