Northern Half of Shenandoah National Park

Welcome to Shenandoah National Park

Three day backpacking in the park.  Saturday we started out in the rain which stopped mid-morning.  Stopped for lunch and watched the fog rolling around in the valley below.  Lots of amazing views.  Got water and used the restrooms at the Pinnicle Picnic area, same place we stopped years ago on a hike with my sister, Carolyn.  Stopped at a creek for water late afternoon and decided to cook there instead of carrying the water up the next mountain.  Ate and then hiked another hour and a half.
Very windy that night but we were pretty comfortable in the new sleeping bags.
Sunday - cold start in the morning but warmed up nicely.  Stayed windy all day.  Made good time and did 16 miles.  Came to Elkwallow Wayside at lunchtime. Thought we could get water there but there were no winter spigots.  Did sit on the sunny  side of the store and ate lunch out of the wind.   At 3:00 we came to Gravel Spring Hut and stopped to get water. Decided to cook and early supper.  A few other hikers came who were spending the night there.  Had a fun conversation.  We ate and then hiked three more miles.  Amazing how much more energy we had after the hour break and eating a good meal.  Not as cold at night. but still windy.
Monday - only had six miles to go to get to the car. Drove back into the park to pick up the other car and saw two of the hikers from the evening before at a road crossing - quite a coincidence.