Training Log Archive: YouRNotHere

Quick bike ride just to get out of the house. It has been very rainy lately and we finally got a break today. Spent most of the morning and afternoon taking care the yard then out for this quick ride. My goal was to average 20MPH on this short course but came up a little short. It does have several traffic lights where I had to stop. If I get green lights would likely easily reach my goal.

Another loop hike at Shenandoah. The start was from Dark Hollow Falls parking near Big Meadows. Across Skyline Drive then north on a horse trail where we soon saw two young bears lounging 50 feet off the trail. Got some good photos of them. Then on to Fishers Gap and across Skyline Drive again then descent to the Rose River loop. Headed clockwise on that loop with some up and down then long steep climb to get to Dark Hollow Falls and back to the parking lot. There were a lot of scenic water falls on the Rose River but hardly any hikers. The ascent was tough because we were still tired from the day before.

Luisa and I did a long hike at Shenandoah National Park. This was the Cedar Run-White Oak Canyon loop. We started at lower the Hawksbill Gap parking lot in a fog bank. We descended out of the fog and the temperature climbed a little. Then less than 1 mile of flat ground and a trail lunch by the stream. The climb back up started after that. Wow, you don't realize how far you have descended until you start to hike back up! Final 1.5 miles was on a fire road that was long continuous ascent which led us back into the fog. Near the end of the hike we say two young black bears in the woods but they darted away. This was a very tough hike - our legs were screaming by the end.

We did this loop several years ago with our 2 kids when they were around ages 10 and 13. Based on how hard this was for Luisa and me I'm not sure how we ever made it thru this hike then. I remember that there was a lot of asking how much further it was!