Sunday, September 21, 2014

Mountains, Ponies, and Memories

We just returned from a week of hiking and camping with our son after his return from Korea.  

The escape from the demands of social media and everyday bustle gave us a chance to reconnect.

Grayson Highlands State Park is a remarkable place. Every hike has its own features. Some trails, like Wilburn Ridge, require rock scrambling. On others, streams must be crossed by balancing on the larger rocks sticking out of the water. Luckily I only fell in once!


 Purple thistle, hawthorn berries, and masses of yellow wildflowers were surprising bursts of color in open areas.


On the Cabin Creek trail we were treated to several wildly rushing waterfalls.
 
This forest with a lush fern understory felt prehistoric, like a pterosaur could swoop by any time.


Most of the trails offer incredible views from balds and ridges. 

Wild ponies crop the highland grass;  longhorn cattle along some trails give hikers a wary eye and in return hikers give the cattle a wide berth.

The Appalachian Trail runs through the park, and Grayson is one of its loveliest sections. These photos provide a small taste of this park's natural beauty.

5 comments:

  1. What fun! It looks like a beautiful place. The photo with the wild pony next to the no horseback riding sign is too funny!

    ReplyDelete
  2. What a lovely place to have a holiday and reconnect with nature. Have a marvellous Monday.
    Best wishes Molly

    ReplyDelete
  3. what a gorgeous vista!! Love the wild pony! So glad you had an amazing time! MUCH better than social media for sure!

    ReplyDelete
  4. looks beautiful and those ponies are too cute

    retro rover

    ReplyDelete
  5. Gorgeous photos of a wonderful family outing. Mountains refresh my mind and soul. We're heading to the hills soon.
    Hugs madi and mom

    ReplyDelete

We love to know what you have to meow, bow-wow, growl, or just plain howl. Leave a comment for us!

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...