Nelson County Rocks

 

 

Readers of this blog may have recognized that Spy Rock is my favorite Nelson County hike.  I can’t remember how many times I’ve climbed it to enjoy its incredible 360 degree view, mostly of Blue Ridge wilderness.  This was my second time with Holly.  A lovely October day.

  

After extensive rains before and during Hurricane Joaquim, we ventured out to check out the Tye River, which was certainly the highest I’ve seen it since moving here.  At the AT suspension bridge over the river, we were surprised and impressed to see a group of kayakers who’d come up from the Tidewater area negotiating the raging river with apparent ease.  Inside at Silver Creek orchards, we stocked up on apples.  The sun returned the next day.  We were fortunate not to have the kind of extensive flooding that occurred in South Carolina.

Holly and I recently returned from an eight-day nature tour of Costa Rica.  We had a great time!  The landscapes, flora and fauna were all incredible in their diversity, complexity, and beauty.  With expert guides, our eyes were opened and directed to some of the most amazing things we’ve ever seen.  Needless to say, we took lots of pictures–so many that it seems best to divide them into the categories below.  For each set, click on the indicated link.

Poas and Arenal Volcanoes

Virtually all mountains in Costa Rica are of volcanic origin, and are either active, dormant, or extinct.  We were able to hike to the rim of Poas Volcano (8,885 feet), about an hour from San Jose, and to view over the course of several days, the classically-sculpted Arenal Volcano ( 5479  ft) near the town of La Fortuna.  Both are often hidden by clouds, but we were extremely fortunate to see both in beautiful weather (we were visiting towards the end of the Costa Rican dry season, which helped).

click here for more pictures of the Poas and Arenal Volcanoes

Wildlife River Cruises

 

We took two river cruises, one on Rio Frio up to the Nicaraguan border, the other on the Tarcoles River.  Both were great for birds, monkeys, and reptiles, including caimans and crocodiles.  We did not have high-powered cameras, but considering everything we feel we did pretty well.

click here for more pictures of Wildlife River Cruises

Tropical Forests: Rain, Cloud, Transitional

We learned that Costa Rica has a variety of types of forests.  We hiked the Escalonia Cloud Forest Trail on the side of the Poas Volcano; hiked and crossed many hanging bridges in the tropical rain forest in the Arenal Volcano and Manuel Antonio National Parks, and rode an aerial tram through and above a dry transitional forest (albeit with a beautiful waterfall).  Due to climate change, the famous Monteverdi cloud forest is becoming a rain forest, as the clouds and moisture move higher up the mountains.

click here for more pictures of tropical forests

Specialty Stops Along the Way

   

A few of the stops along the way: an animal rescue “zoo”; the Doka water-powered coffee plantation; an oxcart factory (also water-powered); a regional church and its topiary; a large-scale hot springs resort in La Fortuna, heated by the Arenal volcano.

click here for more pictures of specialty stops along the way

Where We Stayed: Beautiful Hotels, Pools, and Gardens

 

On most trips, this wouldn’t rate a mention, but the hotels we stayed at (with the exception of the Quality Inn the last night) were incredible: beautiful facilities, views, and tropical gardens.  Much more than a place to sleep after a busy day, they were an important part of our Costa Rica experience.

click here for pictures of hotel facilities and gardens

The tour is offered by Caravan Tours.  Our excellent tour director was Fiorella Matarrita. (more…)

Apart from a few flurries, our first snow of the season came on February 16-17.  At about six inches, it was nothing compared to what New England has been getting, but digging out the driveway was nonetheless good exercise.  Snow always gives our Nelson County landscapes a special grandeur and texture.

 

 

This past summer Holly took me up to the Delaware eastern shore to meet her longtime friends Barb and Robert.  We had a delightful time and in early October they visited us.  In addition to an antique show in the Shenandoah Valley, we took them to The Plunge hike at Wintergreen and enjoyed a picnic lunch and a walk around Sherando Lake on a beautiful fall day.  Later: Dinner with two of Holly’s sisters.

First, a new discovery near Holly’s place at Lake Monticello: the Scheier Natural Area, bequeathed to the public by a couple who established a homestead to “live off the land” on this one-hundred acre property, now managed by the Rivanna Conservation Society.  The place is a gem, with nine interconnected ponds and lovely trails through the forests.  While sitting on a bench by Cunningham Creek, Holly (see if you can find her in the middle picture above) wondered why a branch of a nearby beech tree looked white, almost as if it were covered by snow (right picture above).  We subsequently claimed in a Facebook posting: “Twerking’s origins were discovered yesterday by Holly and me in a walk in the Scheier Natural Area in Fluvanna County, Virginia! See for yourselves in the video below of Beech Blight Aphids, which, according to Wikipedia, have “a defensive behaviour in that it raises the posterior end of its body and sways from side to side when disturbed.” No kidding! 🙂

click here for Facebook video (no log in required)

Second, a familiar route with a new face: we walked a section of the Blue Ridge Railway Trail, just down the road from my place, with Holly’s son John, who was visiting for the first time.  A nice, peaceful afternoon, graced by a great blue heron by the river and a flock of wild turkeys that crossed the trail.

We drove over the challenging road to Crabtree Meadows, where we were quite surprised to run into Barbara and Marion from Grace Church.   Holly and I then walked a mile down the trail to the top of Crabtree Falls, and then explored the Crabtree Meadows and its wildflowers.   Later in the month we walked around beautiful Lake Sherando on the other side of the Blue Ridge.  We’ve been blessed with many perfect days this summer: sunny but not too humid or hot.

We ended our little outing that day at Milmont Nurseries where I snapped the picture below of Holly getting ready to snap her own of the beautiful Blue Ridge to the east.

(note: as with all pictures on this blog, click on image for an enlarged version in a separate window)

 

 

 

 

 

Holly and I spent two nights in Luray, staying at the stately Mimslyn Inn.  We visited Luray Caverns and the quite interesting historical museum and buildings associated with it, and explored the relatively new Hawksbill Greenway, a walking and biking trail that weaves around the town, with impressive wildlife, resting and viewing places, a gathering space for music and performances, and beautiful murals on old farm and industrial buildings.  (Query: can you find me in one?)  Very nicely done; the town is clearly and understandably proud of its creation.  We returned on the third day via Skyline Drive in Shenandoah National Park.  There were many beautiful sights, but we were particularly taken with the flowering Turks Caps along the way.

 

 

This past spring I attended a fund-raising event for the Blue Ridge Medical Center, and quite impetuously ended up bidding on a seven-night condo stay near Sapphire Beach in St. Thomas.  I “won” by offering the highest bid, and so this past week Holly and I spent a week at an extremely nice and well-situated condo overlooking the marina and looking beyond to the sea and many islands.  We had a wonderful time swimming and snorkeling at Sapphire Beach, taking the ferry twice to nearby and beautiful St. John, and one day joining a power boat excursion to the British Virgin Islands.  The weather, and just about everything about our trip, was perfect.  We had a great time!

click here for more pictures

   

Holly hadn’t climbed Humpback Rocks for many years, so we hiked up there early in June, partly in preparation for Spy Rock.  On the way Holly spotted the red eft above, and subsequently we saw a mid-sized bear near the Humpback Rocks picnic area.

That weekend we joined four friends from the Grace Church retreat at Montebello in climbing up Spy Rock, which offers a 360 degree view of almost total wilderness.  A challenge, but all made it to the top.  We were fortunate that the rhododendron were in full bloom at the higher elevations, including on the rocky dome itself.