Connecting dots. I started this section last year around the same time, then fell trying to dodge a cicada killer bee. Cracked my knee, hobbled back to my car, and promised myself I would be back! Luckily, this time around I had some hiking pals with me, so no out and back silliness!
Look at the size of this tree that came down! Wow!
We met at the 725 trail head at Manassas Gap, then shuttled back to Ashby Gap to begin our trek. After crossing Route 50, we came face to face with a young deer. Go back in the woods, Bambi! Route 50 is a split highway with high speed traffic…no place for a deer!
The first mile or so, after meeting up with Bambi, was climbing. Worth it! We came out in the high meadows of Sky Meadows State Park which were in full bloom. Lovely!
The High Meadow
We cruised along through Sky Meadows, taking our first sit down break at the intersection of the North Ridge trail. And then, guess what??? An older Virginia gentleman, who had come up the North Ridge trail, recited a poem for us. Always something interesting happening along the AT. Haha! So cool! Definitely made my day! 🙂 I inserted a link to a video of his performance. 🙂
This hike had two memorable pieces for me and that was one of them. The other was the visit to Dick’s Dome shelter, a geodesic dome. It looked like an Icosahedron to me…yep, math girl here! I was delighted by the equilateral triangles and just being in the dome. 🙂 🙂
IF I could somehow manage to spend a sabbatical researching mathematics along the AT…well, I’d be all set! Hike on!
Girl Gone Hiking 
Neat shelter. Not a math person myself but I do dig shapes and symmetry (loved the portions of my mineralogy class that dealt with crystal symmetry). That shelter works for me. Asymmetrical things drive me batty…
It is pretty neat! The powers that be have built a new shelter a little further back in the woods. I hope that doesn’t mean they will take the Dome down.
Would be a shame if they did…
Tried the link for the poem, but it was unavailable. That is a cool shelter, and hiking with friends is the best!
Oh…I need to make it public on my FB site! Thanks for letting me know!
Cool idea. I end up doing out and backs from the each trail head and never passed through Sky Meadows as a result. Word of warning: my co-workers report lots of ticks in Sky Meadows. One of my co-workers contracted Lyme disease there.
Well, that sucks…the Lyme disease. I hike in Sky Meadows many times a year, thankfully no ticks! But I can definitely see how they’d be an issue. Tall grasses in the summer.
So much Fibonacci out there!
Did you see the new shelter they are building just down from Dick’s Dome? It’s kind of hidden. It looks awesome! But it’s lacking the geodesic structure.
i am thinking about hiking here and i have a few questions. could you please contact me at j.mauger@yahoo.com thanks!
Sure thing!