A friend and I recently hiked Stony Man Mountain on Skyline Drive (milepost 39.1), an easy 2.9 mile out-and-back trail with an elevation change of 750 feet. About half a mile up you'll run into Little Stony Man Cliffs where you get a spectacular view of the valley and can witness the cliff face for which the mountain was named. It's the second highest peak in Shenandoah National Park, by the way.
Unfortunately, just after reaching the summit, the sun sank behind a giant rain cloud. I was able to snap this shot of a family who'd made it to the top before the weather betrayed us, leaving us to eat our trail mix and peaches with the impending gloom. We flipped almonds and caught them in our mouths until I deemed him the King of The Mountaintop Almond Toss (a useful conversation starter and essential party skill).
We called the sunset quits just as it began to sprinkle and made it back to the car in time for the deluge, the sky flashing as we booked it out of the park along the Drive.
Unfortunately, just after reaching the summit, the sun sank behind a giant rain cloud. I was able to snap this shot of a family who'd made it to the top before the weather betrayed us, leaving us to eat our trail mix and peaches with the impending gloom. We flipped almonds and caught them in our mouths until I deemed him the King of The Mountaintop Almond Toss (a useful conversation starter and essential party skill).
We called the sunset quits just as it began to sprinkle and made it back to the car in time for the deluge, the sky flashing as we booked it out of the park along the Drive.
RSS Feed
