Noticed this Monarch Caterpillar munching some of its favorite food, the Milkweed, near Skyland lodge several days ago.

Good Evenings

After a great hike in the meadow I had the chance for a quick hike to the top of Compton peak on the ride home. It's sunsets like this that good evenings are made of, of course the cliff and the Mountain Ash help as well.

Bug-eyed in the Woods

Walking through the woods in Shenandoah this time of year can leave one a bit bug-eyed. There is so much to see, the big summer wildflowers, the butterflies, the bugs and the bear all vie for your attention. Here's a couple the folks on my hikes and I have seen in the past couple days.

A Locust hanging on a lichen covered tree near the Nicholson Hollow trail.

A Spicebush Swallowtail lighted on a Cardinal flower Stream side.

The biggest Wild Turkey leading the flock through the ferns of the Limberlost trail.

You Can Too!

She did it!

Tick Check!

Out again this year for our annual three day training with George Washington Universities Trails Guides and again it was a great year! The student leaders learned a multitude of wilderness leadership skills from LNT (Leave No Trace) to land navigation and many things in between. Pictured above students do a thorough tick check after a cross country bushwack orienteering session. Students left more prepared to lead their peers into the wilderness but hopefully no blood sucking, disease carrying, arachnid, parasites.

Blue Mountains

This plaque adorns the top of a headstone in one of Shenandoah's many cemeteries where the families of the deceased parkland residents are allowed to continue burying their kin. Click on the picture to enlarge it and read the window into a locals final thoughts.

Extreme Kids

Whether you are a kid, or a kid at heart, spending seven days in the woods is extreme.
Rock climbing, rappelling, water sliding, white water tubing, climbing mountains and carrying everything you need for five days on your back are also extreme. Good job ladies, you're stronger for it.

Respect Wildlife

One of the seven principles of Leave No Trace is Respect Wildlife, and it makes sense. If we harm the creatures whose home we pass through, that wilderness loses part of the reason we go there in the first place. When it comes to Crawdads, and my personal desire to show and teach on trips sometimes I pick one up to show just how cool they are. Crawdads (Crayfish for you northerners) are a great indicator species as they can not live in all but the cleanest of streams. So if you see them dying in a stream near you, watch out, there are pollution issues. Watch out if you pick them up as well, sometimes they get the last laugh.
(No Crawdads were hurt in the posting of this blog)