Hiking Trip Blog Post: December 7, 2013

 

On Saturday morning we gathered in the Outdoor Program Lounge before the sun had even risen to greet us, eager to embark on the last Summit Hike of the semester. The air was bitterly cold, but our hearts were warm with the prospects of new adventure.

 

We all piled in the van as Grace, our fearless leader, took the wheel. The drive seemed long since I was excited to start hiking, but we entertained ourselves with funny Thanksgiving stories and favorite memories of previous Outdoor Program trips.

On the Road Again…

 

When we finally arrived at Shenandoah Valley, we were disappointed to find out that Hogback Mountain, the hike we had originally planned, was closed because of the icy conditions. However, we were not to be deterred, so we chose another hike instead, Overall Run Falls, that included a huge waterfall. The cold and snow didn’t stop us either: this was no Everest, so we prepared for our icey ascent by piling on layers of warm gear. 

 

The views on our hike were absolutely magical, it felt like we had stepped into a Winter Wonderland. Beauty surrounded us, and we forgot how cold our feet were once we looked around and viewed the amazing the nature on the trails.

We had a young man from Hampden-Sydney join us, Taylor, who thoroughly enjoyed being surrounded by a group of ladies. Taylor was a participant in the Bachelor Auction charity event we hosted on campus a few weeks ago, and since he loved the outdoors he wanted to take his date on a hiking trip. His zealous ambition for life contributed to the many laughs we shared.

Taylor and Alex, with a successful photobomb by Emily

 

We finally climbed to the top, and got to witness a 93 foot waterfall, the tallest in the park. Looking beyond to the west, we could see the Shenandoah Valley and Massanutten Mountain. There were rock ledges where we could sit and enjoy the scenery, and we took a moment to soak it all in.

 

The hike to the falls and back was 6.4 miles round trip, and we climbed 1850 feet! We were all so exhausted that most of us fell asleep on the way home (except Grace, who was driving, of course!). A fun day was had by all, and I returned to Sweet Briar with a sense of accomplishment, having made new friends, and eager to go on another Outdoor Program trip soon!