Biggs Cross Country 2017: Day 27

(Note: we have heard from Janet today that they have discovered that a Raccoon had been getting into our garage and eating Max’s food! They learned this by setting up a remote camera. Of course, Max continues to be elusive so there’s no telling how he’s managing with new roommate! They will get a trap and see if they can catch it)

Since we weren’t leaving the park today, we slept in a little bit, but when we got up we found that we were inside a cloud! Couldn’t see 100 feet over the balcony. And the wind was howling! But the fog burned off and it would turn out to be rather nice day! But the wind howled all day long!

After a leisurely breakfast at the lodge dining room, we went to the Byrd visitor center which has an excellent exhibit that tells the history of the park, the CCC boys who built the road in the 1930s, the acquisition of hundreds of parcels of land, some from unwilling farmers. The CCC camps were run by the military, the actual work was managed by the National Park Service. They didn’t always get along!

Then we drove north a few miles to the Skyland lodge area. This was the original vacation spot for folks in the DC area sweltering from summer heat. We had dinner in their dining room just for the fun of it!

Two hikes today. First was 1.6 miles up to Stoney Man Mountain for great views of the Shenandoah valley. Park of the hike was on the Appalachian Trail which traverses the park.Then I marched alone up the Little Stoney Man Mountain trail for similar views, but a shorter hike. Right here at the lodge there is the short Blackstone trail which also has a great view.

We’ll leave the park tomorrow and head north into PA.