South River Falls day trip

“This trip melded two people's plans into one. Since I was going to West Virginia for a windmill meeting, and since Cynthia was planning to hike to Pocosin Mission in Shenandoah National Park, I camped overnight in the GW National Forest and met her in the park on Sunday morning.

We hiked about a mile and change to Pocosin Mission, an old Presbyterian mission in what is now the park circa the 1920s.

The rock-walled mission is pretty much down except for one wall. A wood shed is tumbling under fallen locust trees, but still standing. Go figure.

From there we walked the trail over to South River Falls, passing the rusted remains of an old Model A ford in the woods. I had seen this hulk in a hike through the same area 30 years prior, and it was interesting to still find it there.

We also visited the old cemetery for a mountain family. Several tombstones had inscriptions, while others were so old there were no inscriptions, or the inscriptions had weathered away. Some had metal tags that are now rusting away.

The falls were running high due to recent rains and were spectacular. We ate a lunch that Cynthia had prepared - hoagies with oil and brownies. A Boy Scout troop filed past us, and a family came down the trail. The grandma was developing a blister, so Cynthia provided moleskin and some advice.

We continued on up the trail, eventually reaching the Appalachian Trail to return to the car. That took us over Bald Face Mountain, which I had remembered having a view from a cliff from my 1973 trip. The view had become somewhat grown with trees in the intervening 30 years, but it was still there.

The trails were wet in springy spots with all the rain. No wildflowers, but we did see plenty of juncos and I spotted one white-throated sparrow.

The day was warm. We met plenty of people and a few dogs, including one very muddy spaniel who wanted to make friends. We did 10 miles, which wore both of us out from our winter inactivity. But it was great.”

“(Shhh, don't tell Geo, but I just made up the Pocosin Mission thing to get him alone in the woods. Ha!)

What he didn't tell you in the trip report was that he is a little stubborn. He forgot his hiking poles in the car. Nearing the end of the hike, we were both tired, and I was concerned that he might re-injure his right ankle that he dislocated last summer. Without a hiking pole to help break a fall, he could end up an invalid and screw up our plans for future hikes. To heck with his ankle and general well being; this woman has hiking plans!

At first he wouldn't take my hiking pole, or fashion one out of a downed tree limb. At one point, I sat on a rock and pouted, threatening to stay there until he agreed to use a pole. That didn't work, so I threatened to break his arm. Finally, he acquiesced!

We also found and sat in his "rock chair" at the South River Falls overlook that he claims to have registered with the park service some 30 years ago. I thought he was giving me a line when he said that the chair fits his buttocks perfectly. Sure enough the divots in the rock are perfectly formed to each Geobeet cheek.

The day was absolutely perfect. The memories are magical. And life is good.”

“Photos from this trip and some windmill shots are at Link”

“No pic of the Geobeet-butt-cheek-rock-chair?”

“Awfully interested in butt cheeks today bit?”

“lol.....No, it just seemed odd that you didn't have a pic of the highlight of the trip!”

“We had a photo of the two of us with me on the spot, but it's on Cynthia's camera.”