Hiking with the Bopnopper

This fall has been spectacular. The autumn color started firing up the last week of September, and has been going strong ever since! Fall is always spectacular up here in the Shenandoah, but this has been one of the most beautiful I can remember. Even now, the first part of November, it's STILL awesomely gorgeous. These pics were taken yesterday and today. The oak in our backyard is in full glory. The box elders are yellow, the maples are orange, the pin oak is shining crimson.

After church today, Bopnopper and I decided to go hiking in the mountains: exercise, solitude, peace and quiet, glowing colors, fresh air... a real spiritual experience if there ever was one.

Before leaving, we checked the trap, and sure enough, we got another one of Dubby's Jasons. This one is really fattened up for the winter. I've never seen a whistlepig so chubby. The pears worked great as bait.

Speaking of pears, every night, we have deer eating our pears. Bopnopper and I went out on the deck last night and scared two young bucks away right at sunset.

The three of us (Bopnopper, me, and the Jason) drove out to the parking lot at the lower trailhead of the Paine Run Trail, at the border of the Shenandoah National Park east of Harriston. We liberated Jason, and then headed up the mountain. The colors are indescribably fantastic, even though it was a cloudy overcast day. Click on these photos, and take a close look at the colors...

Bopnopper brought the camera. We put it on a trail marker post to take our picture.

About a half-mile up, we forded Paine Run, then a hundred yards or so further, we crossed again. Fortunately, the water is low, and there were stepping stones, so we didn't have to take off our shoes and socks and walk through the ice-cold water like I usually do at this spot.

A half-mile further on, we split off onto the Trayfoot Mountain Trail and began climbing. The scenery can't be described, and even the photos don't do it justice. Click on the pic and enjoy the brilliance.

We climbed and climbed. After a little less than an hour, we finally reached the lower ridge of Trayfoot Mountain, which is about 1000 feet of elevation change above the trailhead. If I look sweaty, it's because I am, even though the temperature is about 55 degrees.

The Bopnopper is in great shape. She had no trouble at all keeping up with the 52-year-old asthmatic arthritic old Geezer. Again, click on this picture and see the wonderful colors.

Tha's Buzzard Rocks in the background. The peace and serenity up here in the wilderness is truly spiritually refreshing.

Those of you in Florida, Alaska, or other places, click on the photo below and try to imagine yourself here. The air is crisp, the walk invigorating, ahhhh.

Bopnopper took the picture below, looking east and down across Left-Hand Hollow. We were up on the ridge for about a half-hour, waiting on the setting sun to come out from behind the cloud and light up the mountain across the hollow, over by Buzzard Rocks. But when the sun finally came out from behind the cloud, we realized the opposing mountain was in its own shadow. Oh, well, the color was still inspiring.

Everywhere we turned, there was color, color, color.

By the time we hiked back down the mountain, the sun had set completely and we were in the twilight. The last couple of pictures didn't come out as pretty, but in person, the colors were still fantastic, even in the almost-dark. Click on these pictures and see the full-sized versions.

By the time we got home, it was getting cold. Dubby had made some of her signature homemade chicken pot pie. Mmmm. This has been a great day. Life is really, really good.