25May2008 'Story of the forest' trail

Left Harrisonburg, returned to the Skyline Drive - the road which bisects Shenandoah NP - by way of the Swift Run Gap entrance and retraced our steps northwards to the Byrd Visitors Center. There we were introduced to an easy trail named 'Story of the forest'. Examples of how a forest changed - plants died and new growth generated - were pointed out to us by postings along the trail. It was interesting to learn that some strange shaped tree trunks resulted from gnawing by wildlife whilst still saplings; extreme weather (ice and storms) could also cause damage leading to deformation. The appearance of a forest was also the result of competition for sunlight and nutrients in the soil. Natural enemies like certain bugs and other parasitic growths are everywhere in the forest. With the facts in mind, we regarded our surroundings with a different perspective. Animal sightings were quite common, we saw deer twice on this short trail; with their natural enemies all but eradicated, the deer population was flourishing. Two ladies ran towards us claiming excitedly they just saw a mama bear with her cubs. We ploughed ahead nervously - secretly hoping that we will be blessed by similar sightings BUT from a long long way off. I forgot to mention that a ranger gave a short talk on bears yesterday at Dickey Ridge Visitors Center. Bears that come out of hibernation in Spring are very hungry but they are vegetarians - consuming mostly berries, fruits, acorns, nut etc - unless they come upon food left by careless campers (hence the need to keep food out of sight or have it stored at least 12ft off the ground). When confronted by a bear (most of them in these parts are black, about 150 to 250 lbs and are 5 to 6 ft standing on their hind legs), do not turn one's back to run (HOW is that possible with chicken old me?! ) Wave, gesticulate, make a lot of noise by clapping and shouting (apparently a bear has very poor sight but has a highly developed sense of smell and hearing).

That night, it was Days Inn at Waynesboro after exiting Shenandoah's southern entrance Rock Fish Gap. Oh, it was like we travelled in a time machine backwards - the terrible Chinese food at a nearby eatery was something out of the seventies !! The journey on the 103-mile Skyline Drive was punctuated by many stops to savor the views of the Shenandoah valley with its famous river. We have not seen so much greenery for a long time. (BUT little did we know that the verdure along the 469 mile Blue Ridge Parkway will out do all of this.)
In retrospect, having rushed through Shenandoah NP in two days, we have missed a lot of sights and could have sampled more trails. We had no fix schedule and did not have to return to HK any time soon. Why did we rush? A habit from the frantic pace we lived our lives? OK, these are early days and we will learn to take our time and enjoy mother Nature.
Oh God, by the end of the trip, please let me come away with the ability to recognise a few flowers and trees - it feels so ignorant to be surrounded by so much beauty and yet not being able to relate or describe it.

distance travelled 116.1 miles


This trip has been so educational. I didn't know that lichens,the small scaley plants that grow on the rocks, secret an acid which eats into the rock. With the help of freezing water, cracks develop and allow soil particles to aggregate giving small plants a foothold. The rocks are eventually whittled down - everything changes with time.


This wonderful brown creature appeared suddenly and proceeded to feed calmly, oblivious of our presence; we stood quietly till it decided to move on

Everything was so green on either side of the road. We quizzed ourselves: "How many shades of green were there?" Little did we know it was going to be even greener as we continued south.


To really experience how wonderful it is, one must really be there - photos are only a very poor alternative.