Reconnecting with nature through hiking, camping, and paddling
I stopped to look around at the edge of a meadow in Powhatan State Park on a hot summer day. The sun was blazing, and most of the wildlife was laying low. That’s when I noticed this little beetle perched on the edge of a leaf. It seemed to be surveying the meadow, just checking things out to see what was going on. I managed to snap this photo just before it flew away.
Continue reading “Surveying the Meadow”
As I pull into the parking lot, I realize this won’t be one of those days when I have the trails to myself. That’s fine. Even when the lot is full, this park never feels crowded. With miles of trails traversing hilly, wooded terrain, I’ll see other hikers but won’t feel like they’re encroaching on my solitude.
Solo hiking comes with a range of emotions. It can be a wonderful escape, with no concern about how far or fast others want to hike, or what they’ll think every time I stop to look at a bird or a mushroom. I can ramble through the park at my own pace. But it can also be lonely. I’ve had plenty of experiences I wished I could share with someone else. Still, hiking alone leaves a lot of room for reflection and can become almost meditative for me.
Continue reading “Solitude and Stillness: Reflections on a Summer Hike”It’s notoriously hard to get a good weather forecast for Shenandoah National Park. The park is over 100 miles long and the closest cities and towns are at least 1,000′ lower than the ridge line.
I checked the weather before leaving home. The forecast for a nearby town was for partly cloudy skies with temperatures in the upper 70’s. There was a slight chance of rain so I grabbed my rain jacket on the way out the door.
As I reached the foothills of the mountains it began to rain. “Not to worry,” I thought. I had my rain gear and the trailhead is 20 miles north of the entrance station. The weather there could be completely different.
I entered the park in a steady rain with temperatures 15 degrees lower than I expected. The drive to the trailhead was mostly inside clouds intent on shedding their moisture as they crossed the Appalachian Mountains.
When I arrived at the trailhead the rain was slow but steady. Having already driven over two hours to hike this trail, I decided to don my rain gear and make the best of it. As they say “there’s no bad weather, only bad gear.”
About 15 minutes into my hike the clouds still enshrouded the mountains but the rain had stopped. The vistas I came to see were clouded in but it was still a good day and left me with a reason to come back another time.
There weren’t many dramatic views that day but the weather gave the mountains a peaceful and mysterious quality.
While hiking on a foggy and rainy day in the mountains I started to feel like I walked into a Tolkien novel.
Quietly paddling the Mattaponi River on a cool September morning, I captured this image of a Painted Turtle. Like all reptiles, turtles are cold blooded, so you’ll see them basking in the sun on cooler mornings. They love logs and rocks overhanging the water. There they find a sunny location with a quick escape into the water if a predator, or curious photographer gets too close.
This post contains a close up image of a spider. If that kind of thing creeps you out, turn back now.
Continue reading “Rabid Wolf Spider”
Hiking through a meadow on a sunny, summer afternoon I spotted this beautiful black snake resting just off the hiking trail. In my experience black snakes are fearless of humans and this one was no exception. I got close enough to get this picture with my iPhone and the snake didn’t seem in the least bit interested or concerned.
A variety of pollinators were active on the Purple Passionflowers in a meadow I hiked in early August. The bumble bees seemed to be running things, perfectly sized to gather the pollen from the down turned stamen of the passionflowers. In fact, most of the yellow above this bee’s wings is a thick coating of pollen.
This little Woodland Box Turtle and I briefly shared a hiking trail in Powhatan State Park earlier this month. Encountering wildlife, even a small, humble turtle, always makes me feel more connected and brings me a sense of joy and awe.
I prompted ChatGPT to write a short story about a turtle and a photographer meeting on a hike and here’s what it came up with.
Continue reading “The day I met Tessa”
Usually it’s harder to photograph butterflies than you might think. They are always moving and lots of them flutter away when they see anything approach.
Continue reading “Unexpected Hiking Partner”