We were originally supposed to hike Little Devils Stairs in Shenandoah National Park, but unfortunately, the road to the trail was closed. The park authorities were conducting a search and rescure operation for a local man who was reported missing and whose car was found abandoned in the park, so they shut down access. Our hike leaders chose another trail in Shenandoah instead -- Buck Ridge/Buck Hollow Loop, a 5.8-mile loop starting on Skyline Drive.
The weather called for steady rain, but we lucked out yet again. It was overcast and breezy at the trailhead, but got warmer as we descended the steep trail. The first half of the trail led us down and down for almost 3 miles. It was so steep that in some parts, log stairs were added.
We reached the bottom and turned to go up the second half of the trail, which was just as steep as the one on the way down. This trail, however, criss-crossed over Buck Hollow, a peaceful stream, several times so we could heard the water rippling for most of the ascent. I had missed the last two training hikes because I had injured my lower back, so I was pretty out of shape. Fortunately, my 3 teammates were extremely patient and waited with me as I stopped periodically to catch my breath (and snap some photos). Here's a picture of them (Kathy, Amy and Darcie):
Click here to view the rest of my hike training photo album.
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