Hike that started it all, part 2

After breakfast at the Skyland restaurant, where we enjoyed the wonderful Page County views along with our bacon and eggs, we walked back down the short trail to our cabin (here's a photo of Mary on that trail - in the early Spring it is still chilly up there). As we considered our hiking options, there were two or three trails we thought might fit the bill: among them Dark Hollow Falls and the Hawksbill Summit.



Mary and I have done this hike a number of times and it is one of our favorites. Here is a link to a posting about it, along with a portion of the review from that site.

http://ajheatwole.com/guide/log2/log24.htm
Round trip 1.4 miles; total climb about 440 feet; time required 1:25. Take the trail at the north end of the parking area. It crosses the stream and then goes downhill along its left bank. This is Hogcamp Branch, which drains Big Meadows Swamp and becomes the principal tributary of Rose River. You may find it dry at the beginning, but it will gradually acquire enough water to make a satisfactory waterfall.

Here is a photo of me on the early part of the hike, and one of the namesake falls near the bottom of the path. Above, the photo is of one of the small cascades near the trail as the stream gathers. Along the trail, one can see trout in the waters, and in the Spring, wild rhododendrums are in bloom.

On one of the previous hikes of this trail, Mary and I set out from the District in July. There had been weeks of heat and humidity, and by that Sunday we were desperate for some relief. We went to this falls, and stood in front of it for 30 minutes, enjoying nature's air conditioning as the cool air was pulled down the mountain by the falling water. Later as we drove home in a thunderstorm, we knew that the hot spell would be broken.

With the positive developments beginning at work, this weekend getaway seemed to be a start to improving a few things about the situation we found ourselves in last year. It was important to us to find time for ourselves, and our time at the Park was a good way to begin.