ShenandoahMay 26, 2010
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overlook
Appalachian Trail
another overlook
| II spent today driving the southern portion of Skyline Drive through Shenandoah National Park. When I first entered the park there was little to see; the fog was too thick to see anything from the overlooks. Soon though that cleared up and I could see why so many people say that this is one of the prettiest drives in our country. I still prefer the rugged mountains so I would still choose the roads through Glacier or Rocky Mountain but this is pretty. Naming the range the Blue Ridge makes sense too because there always seems to be a blue haze over the mountains. President Hoover had a cabin here he used as a retreat from the capital. I did not know what a controversial park this was when it was established. Apparently in an attempt to get a national park in the east some people pushed for this area and lied about the number of people who lived and worked here. Once they sold the idea of the park they then had to acquire the land and eventually they used the government’s right to take the land and relocate the residents. In the 1930s the Depression-era Civilian Conservation Corps built much of the roads and other park facilities. On my tour along Skyline Drive I saw one bear cub and about six deer right along the roads. I couldn’t be here and not hike at least a little ways on the Appalachian Trail so I did find one spot where the trail crosses Skyline Drive and I took a short walk. There I saw a number of really large purple butterflies. I’m hoping that tomorrow I’ll find someone who can tell me what kind they were. |
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