Oh Deer!
Deer, deer, everywhere I look, I see deer!
I just drove into the Big Meadows campgrounds in Shenandoah National Park and they are not joking when they say “watch for deer”. They are in the roads, at the campsite, and by the shower houses. Beautiful creatures! And these guys are fearless.


If you have followed me for long, you know that each year I try to do a section of the AT, the Appalachian Trail. It’s a trail that runs appx 2200 miles from Georgia to Maine. Many people complete the trail in one long hike which lasts about 6 months. They are called thru hikers. I’m a section hiker. I pick and choose which section I want to do and will probably finish at the age of 80!
This trip is a little different. After a back injury last year, I think my backpacking days are behind me. (No pun intended) No more carrying a 30lb pack up and down mountains and sleeping on the ground. This year, I packed up my SUV as a mini camper and I’ll be sleeping in the SUV at a base camp and day hiking my sections. Not sure I’ll get as many miles per day in as I would backpacking, but as with every season of our lives, I’ll adapt this activity too.

So I’m hanging out on my bed in my SUV, watching it rain, reading my book, and watching the deer family enjoy the Apple tree in my campsite.
Maybe this will be the year I FINALLY see a bear!!! (I’ve been hiking in the mountains since 2016 and have never run into one!)
Sleep well and stay peachy!
-Peachy (my trail name)
Day 2 (Wednesday)
First night in the Wamper(it’s a Wagoneer so we’ll call it the Wamper: Wagoneer+camper) was good!! It rained all night so it was MUCH better than being in a tent. My memory foam & air mattress bed were very comfortable and much better than anything I could have loaded into a backpack. I covered each window with sun visors so that no one could see in and I felt very safe. (I know a lot of you worry about my safety doing this alone)
One thing I have already decided about camping in the Wamper, is I need more organization! I don’t like clutter and small places need organized. So next time, I need better organizing. I feel like everything is everywhere!
I got to sleep in till 7am! It’s still raining but I have a little fire, made some peanut butter cup coffee, and I’m waiting for a break in the rain to start hiking.
Two hours later…..
No break in the rain to be seen. In fact, it rained all day and through the second night!
I took the opportunity of a rainy day and drove around Shenandoah Park. I’m sure the overlooks are beautiful, but all I could see was fog today. Better luck next time.
I did do a short 2-3 mile hike to visit a couple water falls. It was a wet trip but i didn’t mind. The falls were gorgeous!
The maps warn that they are usually very busy, so pro-tip – go when it’s raining! I met up with a family that took my picture- Thank you random folks! I also met 2 retired police dogs and their people. Such sweet dogs. Found a yellow tailed lizard too.
Back to the car, with heat turned up to dry me out, and I found a lodge. Shenandoah knows what they are doing! The Skyline drive runs through different sections of the park. I’m staying in Big Meadows. I drove up the road and found Skyland. I walked into the lodge and there is a Starbucks! This has got to be the roughest mountain trip I’ve ever been on! lol! There was also a restaurant/taproom. I decided to hang out, enjoy the foggy view and read my book. Meanwhile, I enjoyed some Italian wedding soup and, Omgoodness, a piece of Blackberry Ice Cream pie with Mile high meringue & fresh berries. I might have to go back for a second piece!!
I was still waiting for the rain to stop so I drove around a little more, hung out at camp, then went up to another little cafe in Big Meadows called the Wayside. Read my book for a good while in the warm, dry cafe then had the most delicious smash burger! It was called. Virginia Smash burger and it was 2 beef patties with a special sauce, pimento cheese, & a fried green tomato. I think fried green tomatoes would be about the only thing I would ever be talked into frying at the cafe! One of my favorites! That burger was amazing!
Weather forecast said it was supposed to clear up around 5pm, but Virginia weather just as accurate as Indiana and it rained all night. So early to bed!
Oh! Bear report… still no bear sighting.
Day 3 (Thursday)
No rain!! Time to hike!!
It started as a great morning with campfire coffee and hanging by the fire to read my book for a while.
I got my gear organized and wrote my note to put on my car (just in case anything happened, there would be a record of my journey for search & rescue. Safety first!)
I headed to Lewis falls trail and the weather was great! Actually a bit warm which was a nice change of pace. I intermittently had cell service, unfortunately, and found out the cafe was having a computer problem. Big thanks to my hubs who went in to handle tech support and thanks for the patience of the clientele who were inconvenienced.
The Lewis water fall was beautiful! It was also a perfect place for lunch and some book reading.
Getting back to the trail was a bit tricky. If you’ve ever hiked around a water source, nature makes its own paths which can be confused with the actual trail. So after a few back and forth moments, & a trip to nowhere in the woods, I backtracked and found the correct trail. These trails are marked with a blue blaze on trees every so often so you know you’re on the right path.
Then I saw it. My white blaze marking the Appalachian trail. I didn’t spend much time on it, but it was good to see.
I then came upon Black Rock. I was finally able to see a bit of a view as the fog was lifting. I sat here for a good while enjoying the quiet and thinking of the future.
After returning to camp, I realized my solitude is coming to an end. Today is Thursday and with the weekend, comes more campers. Oh well, the peacefulness was nice while it lasted.
I did experience something different today. A quarter operated shower! Since the campground is along the AT, and many thru hikers are just looking for a quick shower and resupply, they have pay showers. $5 for 10 minutes! Totally worth it though.
And…… still NO bear sightings!
Day 4 (Friday)
I was supposed to leave this morning but weather forecast predicted it would be the nicest day yet & they were right!! So I booked one more night, having to change campsites since my original one was booked by someone else, and I’ll be leaving in the morning (Saturday)
I do have to say, the best time to visit Shenandoah National Forest and trails would be Sunday- Thursday. Once Thurs evening rolled around, so did the campers and hikers. I got the last site still available for this evening. The trails were definitely more crowded too.
However, I had a GREAT day!
My day started with coffee by the fire, of course. And the locals put on an amazing show for my entertainment.
I then drove up to the lodge restaurant for some WiFi with my hubby and a short stack of pancakes with blackberry compote! Wow. Sooo good! I mean, not Just Peachy good, but they did hit the spot.
I hiked on the AT, then to Rose River Falls, then back by Dark hollow Falls (that I did in the rain Wednesday) then back to camp. All in all, it was a 7 mile hike. Excellent. I’m so glad I stayed today to enjoy this weather.
I finished my hike with a milkshake. Blackberry milkshakes overlooking the mountains are A.Maze.Ing, if you were wondering.
I’m going to finish my day with another Virginia Smash Burger, buying some souvenirs, and enjoying my campfire for one last night.
My new site was situated very close to my neighbors. Usually, I would not have been very happy about this but they were all lovely people. I met a couple from the Netherlands here on their honeymoon and a man from the Air Force stationed in Washington DC. Neat people and good company on my last night here.
What a great trip!
Still no bears :(.
Maybe next year!