If you are a Virginian and reading this, then you are well aware and probably sick of all the rain we have received. It has been a lot. All I kept thinking is, “I need to get to some good waterfalls!” When hiking in Shenandoah it is easy to find a cascade or a waterfall but often there is a trickle of water – especially in the late fall or summer. All of this rain was good for those of us who love photographing waterfalls.
I decided to return to Doyle’s River Falls. While I enjoyed the photos I took there last year, I yearned for more water and this was my chance. I had originally planned to only hike to the lower falls and return but wondered how Jones Run would look. So I tacked that on to my day since I was alone.
As I started down the trail, I was happy. I was alone. The birds were chirping. And it wasn’t long before I heard the water. As you go down the trail, you follow the stream down to the falls. I could already tell the amount of water was far more than what I had experienced last year. There is a small waterfall before you reach the upper falls. I had the place to myself (a common occurrence on my hike) and could spend time trying new compositions and camera levels. Not every shot was a winner but it was fun trying. The water felt great as well.
It wasn’t long before I made it to the upper falls. I sloshed around in the water, sometimes up to almost my knees, trying compositions and ideas. I kept thinking, “I can’t believe I am alone!” It is possible to climb up to the ledge on these falls. I did it last year but since I was alone, I decided to not take a chance. I would have loved to though. Eventually, a family came and their sons removed their shoes and provided to climb everything. It was a blast to watch them. They relished in letting the falls wash over their heads and declared that the water wasn’t that cold. I chatted with the father a bit before proceeding on down the path.
It was here where I took my second favorite shot of the day. Maybe my most favorite. I go back and forth. There was just something about the positioning of the logs and how the water ran over the rocks. There is moss and green and it was just beautiful. I enjoyed thinking back to my previous hike and comparing the scenes. As I stood taking this shot, the family passed me by on their way to the lower falls.
The lower falls took my breath away. They barely resembled the falls of my memory. Water was everywhere. Again, the boys had climbed up quite high. I wish I could have gotten a shot of them when they were letting the water fall all around them. It looked so cool! They were too speedy for me though. I was waiting patiently so I could have my time. I was careful with where I stepped because where they were waterfalls in Shenandoah, there are snakes. They didn’t spend a lot of time at the falls so once again, I was alone. Photography is something that relaxes me a lot. The moving from place to place. Trying new things. Reviewing shots. Making adjustments. It all takes my mind off of whatever is going on in my life. And then just stopping, looking up, and being one with nature. It soothes me. My only complaint about this location was that a tree had fallen over and it blocked out part of the upper portion of the falls. I imagine it probably fell during our big wind storm back in March. All part of the scenery I guess.
At this point, I could have turned and gone home satisfied with what I had seen. I decided I would just continue on because why not. I wanted to see what Jones Run looked like with a large amount of water. While Jones Run Falls is not my favorite in the park, the trail is very high on my list. I love hiking along a creek/run/river and this one is just beautiful. There were many places where I wanted to slip down the side of the trail for a photo but knew I had a long ways to hike. Thankfully, some large rocks provided good places for quick photos.
Jones Run
It is a pretty easy hike to reach Jones Run Falls. Hooray! Water! I took some time to eat a snack and took a few photos. It is a great place for a rest as there are a lot of large, flat-ish rocks for sitting. Again, I made sure to look for snakes. Earlier, after walking out of the water, I did almost step on one. I don’t know what kind it was but I certainly didn’t stop and look. I got the heck out of the water.
Jones Run Waterfall
Finally, satisfied with my photos, I took off. I knew the hike back up to the Skyline was steep. Thankfully, my training made the hike much easier than it was previously. My plan was to hitch a ride back to Doyle’s River parking lot. It is about a 3 mile drive but a 3.4 mile hike. I tried. No cars would stop fro me. So I started down Skyline thinking someone would see me and stop. This was actually pretty fun. I was able to see wildflowers that weren’t visible in the woods. No one stopped. I reached a portion of the trail and saw the white blaze (for the Appalachian Trail) and figured I’d just hoof it the rest of the way on the trail. Well, my mistake…. I didn’t realize it crossed the road. I should have known better since I was on a fire road. I was just excited that it was flat and fast. Soon, I realized I didn’t see any white blazes. I looked at my phone and nope…. I was on some other trail. Can we all say, “UGH!!!!” together? I had to retrace my steps.
So once again, when I reached Skyline, I tried to hitch a ride. This normally isn’t a problem but no one would stop. I once again reached the trail and just at that moment, a car slowed. I moved forward and they moved forward. And then they took off. Hope squashed. I sucked it up and eventually made it back to my car. If I had just stopped trying to hitch a ride, I probably would have made it back much earlier. Lame on my part.
I was still super happy with my day. 9 miles hiked. Waterfalls galore. Everything was green.
If you’d like to see the rest of my photos, take a look here:
Hiking Adventures 