Shenandoah National Park

2009-09-28: I started this day early, and enjoyed rolling through the little towns along the way, before anyone was out and about. One could certainly describe them as picturesque. I had expected more of the "South" but Virginia did not quite seem to fit with what I'd seen elsewhere. It was, in all honesty, better kept-up and much cleaner.

There is a north-south road that runs through the length of the park, offering dozens of overlooks, short trails, and trailheads into the backcountry. The day became warm (in the specific way an autumn day is warm) and quite breezy, with an occasional rain shower blowing through. I began slowly, stopping at most of the overlooks for photos and sightseeing, but as time went by I increased my pace just slightly. About halfway through the park, I came upon a site called Dark Hollow Falls, which of course I found very intriguing. It was simply a short trail that led to a waterfall. I had no knowledge of the trial I was about to face. In fact, my life was about to change forever in an unforeseen way.