Road Trip in May 2012 - Shenandoah National Park Day 1

Our first hike at Shenandoah was at Gravel Springs Gap (mile 17.6). It was a short hike with some steep places. The water from the springs trickled through rock lined channels that we crossed many times as we made the look. The area was lush and we enjoyed our first glimpses of the wild flowers that were already blooming - maybe a bit early this year. I've picked my favorite pictures from the Gravel Springs Hike for the collage below.

Next we decided to hike down to Dark Hollow Falls (mile 51). Like many hikes in Shenandoah from Skyline Drive, the first part is downhill and the return is up.  I took one picture of the falls and then focused on the wildflowers, shelf fungus, and the way rocks hung over the water. This was the first location I photographed trillium and noticed that the maples are significant later than at home where the samara have already flown off the trees.

By the time we made it to the hotel, my Fitbit had recorded that I had climbed the equivalent of over 80 flights of stairs! It was quite a day.

Favorite Smells of Spring

What are you favorite smells of spring?

The smells I most strongly associate with spring are those that are outdoors.

Hyacinths. The scent of hyacinths is synonymous with early spring for me. The bulbs come up early and sometimes weather a last snow - as they did this year. A few times I’ve bought a pot of them to have indoors but most of the time I am content with smelling them on the March breeze.

Violets. We have wild violets that grow in the shade under our high deck. They bloom in April. You have to be in the right place to spell their scent on the air. They’re small and close to the ground but prolific bloomers so often I smell them before seeing them.

Lemon Balm. I planted a small pot of lemon balm years ago and now it takes over whole beds and grows out into the yard. It comes out very early and imparts its lemony smell whenever it is disturbed.

What are your favorite smells of spring?