In
September 2003, Hurricane Isabel whirled up the Atlantic
Coast and ripped a wide swath of destruction through
the heart of Shenandoah. Gale-force winds uprooted brittle
black locusts, splintered strong oaks, and occasionally
toppled entire trees onto roads and roofs. The park
was closed for a time as crews worked nonstop to clear
thousands of downed tees in time for the promised throngs
that would soon descend to view the fall colors.
My
husband and I arrived two weeks after the hurricane,
and autumn was just getting out the paints and brushes.
A smattering of vines and trees was undergoing that
miraculous transformation that takes place each year
in the eastern deciduous forest. Virginia creeper streaked
crimson across gray rocks along Skyline Drive. Hickories
and black gums gleamed yellow and orange. Goldenrods
and asters bloomed in the last corners of warmth. Polished
brown acorns littered the trails, awaiting the mouths
of voracious squirrels and birds and bears. Turkey vultures
tilted effortlesly over the ridges, forming alliances
for the long trip south for the winter. Monarch butterflies
fluttered at purple thistles, sipping nectar to fuel
their epic migration.
...The Blue Ridge Mountains begin a sharp, steady rise
in north-central Virginia, part of the greater Appalachian
Mountain chain. Stretching 70 miles north to south,
Shenandoah National Park forms a long, narrow bulwark
of the Blue Ridge between the Piedmont to the east and
the Shenandoah Valley to the west.
The
leafy corridor of Skyline Drive sweeps down the spine
of the park. Reaching heights of nearly 3,700 feet,
the road provides the perfect platform for viewing the
surrounding terrain. From many overlooks and pullouts
along the way, Shenandoah’s special geographicaal
and topographical significance can be appreciated.
—From “The Edge of The Sky” by Rose
Houk
The
Edge of The Sky
Rose Houk
64 pages. 9”x9”
ISBN 978-1-58071-062-6
$8.95
- OTHER TITLES THAT MAY BE OF INTEREST
Blue Ridge Parkway Road Guide by Rose Houk
- Civil
War Battlefields: The Landscapes of War by Scott Thybony
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