Abandoned at Shenandoah National Park

The closest National Park to my home is a pretty one, with undulating blue waves in the sky–the Blue Ridge Mountains. Shenandoah National Park‘s views are quite gorgeous. And its scenic Skyline Drive allows you to keep your social distance… and blast your music. On display, the cranky mountain air and its cloud show.

Bumble Bees. They just want to eat.

Getting while the gettin’s good.

This is when I had second thoughts about setting up camp.

Very pretty right? Now for my rugged expedition… I hiked into the backcountry to find the ruins of an old Episcopal mission, the Pocosin Mission, a religious mountain community established in 1904. Abandoned places in the wild are a big allure (Ok, I am thinking of Daisy Town inside Great Smokey Mountains National Park.) So I went off the beaten path for a short but powerful hike. Powerful because it is secluded and totally in the wild. And powerful because it was the equivalent of climbing 24 flights on the way back… in the heatwave heat. So I looked like this afterwards… very pink!

Leaving word on the dash… because ya never know!

The decaying cabin was totally cool

Clearly I am obsessed…

The church steps and the church wall

Very interesting and detailed history of this community is detailed on this site. Was bummed to just read that there was a cemetery there that I missed…

To access the hike, find the fire road at mile 59.5 off Skyline Drive. Park and step over the chain that is blocking road from vehicles. Follow this downhill until it flattens out and you should see the dwellings. The Appalachian Trail bisects the fire road so don’t accidentally starting hiking on that–unless you want to meet the nice man working on the Pocosin Cabin, managed by the Potomac Appalachian Trail Club. It is pretty cool and you can rent it. The man let me inside to see the rustic accommodations. Here is an exterior shot.