I had looked up a few hikes and we decided to do the most difficult one first, Humpback Rocks, which was located just a few miles south on the Blue Ridge Parkway.
After a quick stop at the Visitor's Center, we parked at the trailhead and began the very steep one mile hike to the top.
The trail climbs 720 feet over a mile which is pretty steep. We started out feeling cold, but warmed up quickly with our huffing and puffing to the top.
You know it's cold when you see small patches of ice on the ground.
After our steep climb, we reached the top of Humpback Rocks (along with a lot of other hikers too).
Since it was so crowded, I found a place to sit and wait before venturing out to the top.
Chuck made it out to the top first,
followed by Ken,
and then Bonnie and me.
The view at the top of Humpback Rocks was as incredible as the reviews had described.
After we had enjoyed the views for a while, we climbed back down the rocks so others could enjoy the views and then hiked on wobbly knees back down the trail. We enjoy hiking but these steep trails in cold weather kind of makes your knees ache a little more.
When we got to the bottom, we drove back to the Visitor's Center where there was an exhibit of an old log cabin and farm showing what life in the Blue Ridge Mountains was like years ago.
The ranger inside the cabin explained what it took for a family to live in the mountains.
I climbed up the ladder to take a peak in the loft where the children would have slept and played.
Chuck stepped outside and strummed a banjo with the ladies on the porch.
As we started walking toward the other farm buildings, we could see Humpback Rocks way off in the distance...
...and the crazy people (like us) on the top.
We walked by an old barn where the farmer would have kept his cows and horses.
And then the farm refrigerator, an old springhouse...
...with an actual spring running through it.
This V-shaped trough was used for making lye soap. Ashes from the fireplace would be dumped in this hopper. Water poured through the ashes producing lye which was collected from the drain at the bottom. The lye was mixed with old fat and meat drippings to make soap for washing clothing or people. Something about being washed in ashes and old fat just doesn't sound very cleansing to me. :)
There weren't any picnic tables that we could find around the Visitor's Center but it was too cold for a picnic lunch outside today so we drove to a nearby overlook, parked, and ate our lunch in a nice warm car.
After lunch, we headed north and drove up Skyline Drive...
...stopping at overlooks along the way.
We decided not to do any more hikes today because it was so cold and windy and our knees had enough hiking for one day. However, the photographers of the bunch (Ken and me) would hop out at the overlooks try to capture the beauty of the Shenandoah Mountains on our cameras.
The fall colors are definitely better at the higher elevations. Ken captured this really cool picture of this Shenandoah mountainside.
We stopped at one more overlook...
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| I took this last picture from inside the warm car! |
We got together at Ken and Bonnie's again to play some cards. The women won Up the River but the guys won Pinochle and SkipBo. But they didn't win "handily." We let them win but we made them work for it. :)
When we left the farm exhibit today, this wooly worm crossed our path.
The old wives' tale says that if the brown band in the middle is narrow, the winter will be harsh; and if the brown band is thicker, the opposite holds true. Well, I don't know about the winter projections but tonight it's supposed to get into the upper 20's here in Waynesboro, Virginia.
This bunch of RVers and leaf peepers are ready to head south for warmer temperatures but we sure know how to have fun along the way!
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