I am just so damn pleased.  Last night I took a hike with some fellow Trail Dames at Cool Spring Battlefield in Bluemont, Virginia.  Now, I’m not damn pleased because I took a hike (although, I seriously deserve a freaking ribbon for doing that in the heat and humidity last night). No, my current smirk of satisfaction comes from seeing this previous golf course reclaimed and thoughtfully returned to its mostly natural state.  The asphalt roads built for the golf carts are still at Cool Spring, but now serve as walking paths.  This was my first visit to this battlefield and I was impressed.

The path we meandered along followed the Shenandoah River north.  Wildflowers lined our path, which made this sticky, hot hike bearable!  Not even a breeze! Oh, it was brutal but beautiful. 🙂

The river looked refreshing, but I resisted the urge to jump in.  I really didn’t want to drive the hour back home in damp clothes.  No one else took the plunge either, but it was nice to listen to the water tumble over the rocks as it moved on north.

We moved on, climbing the “big hill”, then headed to the waterfall.  This battlefield is wonderfully diverse! Meadows, a climb with a view, woodlands, the river, and now a waterfall! I like, I like, I like!

Luckily, we weren’t really in any hurry.  None of us cared if we did too many miles. After all, this was a Friday evening hike.  A chance to close out the week by inhaling the sweet scents of the meadow and exhaling all of our work stress.  Breath in, yes, it was working! Exhale, ahhhh, the weekend! Hike On!