| Once Upon a Time in Virginia Trip Report |
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| Once Upon a Time in Virginia   | 
| Page Type: Trip Report Date Climbed/Hiked: Jan 31, 2003 Activities: Hiking Season: Winter | Page By: Bob Sihler Created/Edited: Jan 19, 2007 / Sep 27, 2007 Object ID: 262387 Hits: 498 Loading... Page Score: 88.1% - 7 Votes Loading... Vote: Log in to vote |
Once Upon a Time...Okay, Virginia has never really been a place where epic amounts of snow fall, but we used to be able to count on some respectable storms two or three times a winter (this TR is not headed for a tangent on climate change). Our “blizzards” were usually just standard stuff for people living in the northern half of the country, but they were still more than the dustings that can cause people here to go into survival mode and feel proud to own an SUV.
This year, though, my area of Virginia has had another warmer-than-average winter and, so far, so few flakes that one could literally have counted the ones falling in his or her immediate vicinity. We got our last noteworthy snowfall back in 2004. Ski resorts, not that I have any sympathy for their woes, may start offering mud skiing soon, so fast does their manufactured snow melt.
The paucity of snow this year has made me remember the good old days when I could count on a storm or two each winter to shut down Shenandoah National Park’s Skyline Drive for a few days and allow me to walk through a frozen wonderland bereft of cars and other people. It’s reminded me of February of 1997, when it was so cold for such a stretch that the waterfalls of Whiteoak Canyon froze over completely and ice climbers tested their skills on the cliffs. And it’s reminded me of my snowy hikes to Mary’s Rock in January and February of 2003, especially the February one.
Mary's Rock in Winter
Mary’s Rock is a summit just off the Appalachian Trail that offers what many people think is the finest view in the park. It’s always a nice hike, and the outcrops at the top are fun to play on, but it can be a crowded hike because of its popularity and its easy access from Skyline Drive. But when snow and ice have closed the road, it’s a winter spectacle--- quiet, serene, and lovely. Winter has always been my favorite season in Shenandoah--- the crowds are gone, the snow is filled with animal tracks, giant icicles drape the cliffs, the naked trees have a harder time obstructing views, and the air is crisp and clear. And Mary’s Rock makes my favorite winter hike in the park.
It’s only about two miles to the summit, and I made it up quickly, but I probably stayed up there at least as long a time as I took to get there, despite the cold. The sky was just so blue, the snow adorning the summit rocks created a very Rockies-like illusion through the camera lens, and the swirls and drifts of snow made fascinating patterns in the silent forest and atop the wind-beaten rocks. There was peace there, and only the cold, gradually seeping through my layers, finally made me leave.
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Blue Ridge Mountains
