Harrisonburg, VA (USA)

I'd intended to hike the AT this weekend but the forecast was very nasty in all directions - the best bet was to head south and hope that the weather guessers were wrong... I had an added incentive to go that direction: Erin had asked if she could join me! I left home at 0500 (with light sprinkles) and made good time to Harrisonburg. I got gas at 7-Eleven in Marshall (0600). It was raining by the time I arrived but Erin was waiting with bagel sandwiches so, undeterred, we decided to go east into Shenandoah National Park for as much hiking as we could get before a downpour began. We entered via US-33 (Swift Run Gap) and drove north on Skyline Drive to Milam Gap. By then, the mists of morning had cleared, so we parked at the AT trailhead and started into the woods (0800). We saw Thru hikers camping out, a herd of deer, evidence of bears and a secluded cemetery (with old stones). Great conversation all day! The terrain was pretty easy and we quickly made our way to the gravel road that led to Lewis Falls (although we didn't know it at the time). We then visited the National Park wayside at Big Meadows and decided to walk back to our car on Skyline Drive. By then, it seemed like it was time to leave, since the overcast had returned. However, when we stopped (1030) at the wayside again (to get fudge at the store), we also found a trail map to the Falls and decided to make a visit! It was only about a mile down to the point where a little creek fell over a cliff into a pretty valley below. We enjoyed a picnic lunch with the view but it wasn't until we walked a few hundred yards across the plateau that we realized there was an even better view (of the water cascading down). Very pretty! Our return leg was a little tougher - all uphill - but we made it back to the car eventually. The rain held off the whole time and we got into the car by noon. We logged 5.5 miles for the day - it was really fun to get outside with Erin! By the time we got back to Harrisonburg it started to pour. We met up with Brenna and spent most of the afternoon talking and planning for the Summer Break. We ate dinner at El Charro for Cinco de Mayo topped off the day (finished at 1645). Decided to head back to NoVA because it didn’t look like the weather was going to improve. I arrived back at my apartment by 1900. Mollie texted to ask if I could pick her up after a play that she had gone to so I went to Edison at 2100; when we got home, we had a very long conversation about her plan to possibly live with me indefinitely. We went to bed at 2330. Can’t beat the Daddy-Daughter time!