The rain had brought forth springs of water splashing over the rocks. There were also splashes of color from wildflowers blooming in profusion.
Fences Around the World. |
If you've been to the central part of the park, you probably saw the profile of Stonyman. Here a rock formation makes the slope of the mountain look like the side of a face, as long as you use just a little imagination.
"Stony Man’s façade is greenstone, a metamorphosed ancient volcanic rock. Even though we think of rock as never changing, it does change – it weathers, erodes, and breaks down. A rapid event like an earthquake or a landslide could alter the shape of Stony Man’s face or make his nose fall off in an instant! No matter the shape of his face, the view from the top is worth the effort it takes to get there."
I was dismayed to see trash at this overlook and at other points along the drive. I hope this bad behavior does not discourage the Park Service from reopening the rest of the park. Overcrowding and carelessness were problems earlier in the pandemic when the park stayed open after most recreational places had closed. No one wants to pick up items that might be contaminated with the virus!
Rappahannock County has several trailheads leading into the park and they have chosen to keep them closed because hikers were blocking roads with the vehicles after trail parking lots filled up. County leaders are also concerned about people from other localities bringing the virus into their rural area.
I've heard similar concerns voiced in Warren County but so far they are still welcoming visitors.
On a more pleasant note, I'm closing with mountain laurel and a scenic view. Some of the flowering plants were planted when Skyline Drive was built. A landscape architect was actually employed and plants were purchased in nurseries in the valley. Like the well-engineered road, the landscaping blends in beautifully with the mountain scenery.
A beautiful and refrehing nature!
ReplyDelete...it has been a slow reopening here, I'm afraid that many don't care about the number of deaths. Thanks for sharing these refreshing images. Take care Linda.
ReplyDeleteA pretty waterfall.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful park. I like the sound of waterfalls. Some people are just not bothered to keep public places clean. It is sad to see trash left behind by visitors of the park.
ReplyDeleteI went Tuesday. Drove all the way to Big Meadows and back. I was looking for mountain laurel!
ReplyDeleteI love the shots of water. Isn't it great that parks are slowly opening again! Wishing a lovely weekend.
ReplyDeleteThanks for bringing these beautiful views to me. I miss my Blue Ridge Parkway, which is probably having much the same use...I know it's crowded, no restrooms, no trash pickup. It's a beautiful day today here!
ReplyDeleteThanks for taking us along, some great scenery and plants to see. So disappointing that people are trashy.
ReplyDeleteThe black and white is beautiful! I like Stony Man, too. I DON'T LIKE the way people drop trash at places like this!
ReplyDeleteI like Stony Man. Beautiful photos and a great location to explore!
ReplyDeletedon't get me started on trash ... sadly the hubby and i see this all the time. makes your heart hurt. have a great week. hey there chickadee ... hope u r well this weekend. i for some reason am earlier ... i usually wait til my post is live ... mine will be alive tomorrow 5/31 ... but i had a moment and decided to go blog hopping. have a great rest of your week. i did deck staining today ... so i am just chilling this evening. it was nice exercise. always find new muscles i didn't know i had. LOL!! take care. ( ; ( ;
ReplyDeleteSo good to get out into the national parks again Linda, we are heading on on a hike early tomorrow. Gorgeous views here, I liked your Stonyman profile 💙
ReplyDeleteYou would really think that at this stage of our advancement as a species we could have reached the point where we don't litter the landscape wouldn't you?
ReplyDeleteI love those last two shots--so pretty.
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