Spring Break 2021

 Tuesday March 16, 2021

Today was a little bit epic.  We got up this morning and had coffee, eggs, bacon, fruit, etc., all cooked in our own little kitchen then we drove into the park to tackle what turned out to be an 8.25 “very strenuous” hike – and it was.  The trail was called the Cedar Run Trail to Whiteoak Cedar Run Link to Whiteoak Canyon Trail to the Whiteoak Canyon Fire Road.  

That should have been a 7.4 mi loop but the Whiteoak Cedar Run Link Trail was closed due to treacherous conditions so we had to take a longer route that ended up being 8.25 basically either straight uphill or downhill.  BUT we got to see tons of waterfalls, six of which were thirty feet or taller and the largest of which was 86 feet tall. 

We started the hike a little before 10am and didn’t finish until 3.  We enjoyed four (I think) creek crossings, the last of which involved Grant falling off a rock and getting his entire foot wet (and I should mention that when we started the hike it was 29 degrees outside and when we finished, it was 38).

Around 12:15 we stopped for our now mainstream trail meal of pepperoni, cream cheese and Ritz crackers with fruit.  The back part of the hike was just straight uphill so we made Twizzler stops, stopping every 30 minutes for everyone to have 1 Twizzler stick. 

My stomach bugged me the whole time so we fondly called it my fiery lake of poo inside my lower intestine.  But the lake is stilled dammed up so hopefully it will be emptied tomorrow!

The hike was exhausting but rewarding.  

Once we got back to the car, we drove about 20 miles south to the Swift Run Gap Entrance and exited the park there, stopping in Elkton for McDonalds drive-through!

From there we grabbed a few more items at the grocery store in Luray and made it back to our cabin around 5 – I think. 

Ryan fell asleep, Grant and I played chess (after I took a quick bath because dang, I sweat a lot) and Nick had some work to do.  Dinner was sandwiches – PB&J, grilled cheese, grilled cheese and bacon, and an egg sandwich.

After dinner we sat and watched Rain Man and the kids loved it.  It’s now 11 and we’re all going to bed.

It was a pretty easy decision to not spend tomorrow in Shenandoah and instead make the three-hour drive over to New River Gorge, officially to us, Park #47!

This trip has been busy and crazy AND relaxing - a strange combination.  So far, five major cities, four colleges, with three more to go, and two parks with one more to go.

Time to go to bed!!