We made our annual pilgrimage to the Shenandoah Valley and the surrounding
mountains last weekend. The timing was just about right to see the peak fall
colors. As usual, we took tons of pictures. Click on any picture to see a larger
image.
It was about 45 degrees when we
got there -- just right for us. This is looking out over the valley from
somewhere on Skyline Drive. In fact, most of the pictures we took are
looking out over the valley from somewhere on Skyline Drive.
The colors apparently weren't as
brilliant this year as they were last year because we had less rain this
summer. We didn't care.
The place we stayed was very
cultivated. This perky daisy was right outside our room.
We took a hike to Dark Hollow
Falls, ostensibly one of the easiest falls to get to in Shenandoah
National Park. Tell that to my legs on the steep climb back.
Someone told us there was a trout
in this pool, but all Linda could find was this little guy. I didn't even
see him until I saw this picture.
On the way back from the falls, we
saw color that was even better than we had seen on the way down. Maybe
because we were going slower, and huffing and puffing. Or maybe because
the leaves are a different color on their back sides.
After the hike we were pleased to
see a family of deer feeding along side the road. We saw several animals
throughout the trip, including a fox (wild) and several llamas (tame).
Here's Linda looking fresh and
rested at the start of the hike.
This is me, looking sweaty and
exhausted at the bottom of the mountain, near the bottom of the falls.
The colors weren't explosive as
we've seen them in years past, but sometimes an understated red would cry
out for a photograph of eight or nine.
