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April 2026 (Part 01)

Shenandoah NP

We went up to Shenandoah National Park in early April.  We had been looking for a camp site either there our farther west in New River Gorge NP, WV.  It was Easter weekend during spring break, so we were unable to reserve a campsite until it got close and it was clear the weather would be a bit sketchy.  Andy managed to find a site for Saturday night only, which at least gave us some time to prep and ensure our camping gear was ready for use (we hadn't lit the stove in a while or used some of the lanterns).  We stopped for a hike to Mary's Rock overlook, which had a trailhead just south of the Thorton Gap entrance (between the north and central sections of the park).  This was about a 3.5-4 mile round trip, with a pretty good uphill to start which maxed Lexi's heart rate several times.

We then headed to Big Meadows to set up our tent.  There was a but of time before sunset to wander down the AT, which allowed us to enjoy a pretty nice sunset. 

A bit more glamping than camping, but we headed to the restaurant at Skyland to get dinner, as it allowed Steve to see Illinois play in the final four (unfortunately, they lost to the University of Connecticut 71-62) and to get what turned out the be an amazing dinner with blackberry deserts.  We should have paid a bit more attention to the weather, as the temperature was projected to drop dramatically overnight.  It should have been obvious this meant a low was moving through and would bring a lot of wind.  We missed that obvious conclusion and wound up spending a rather sleepless night listening to the tent whip in the wind and having to go out to reset the gye-wires a couple times.  So, we decided to pack up pretty early, and managed to be pulling out of the campsite just as it started raining.  Still a nice time.

This moonrise was incredible.