Shenandoah NP - Hawksbill - October 14, 2006

We headed out for our annual attempt to see part of Shenandoah during the Fall colors. As is typical, some parts are still very green and some are in color. Some years we get there and everything has already blown away. We had planned to do a longer hike, but curiously when we got there, deja vu kicked in. We realized we had done part of the planned hike last year during fall colors. Last year, we had missed the peak and most of the leaves were gone. And now I realize that I am very behind on posting pictures, because those pictures from 2005 are not on the website yet!

Anyway, we decided instead to take a much shorter hike up to Hawksbill Mountain... the highest peak in the park at 4050 feet. The hike from the Lower Hawksbill parking area is about 2.5 miles round trip, but it seemed shorter.

	Most of the trail is through woods, a nice thing this time of year.




	At the summit. The bright red berries might be Sumac.
	A panoramic view from the summit

	Several crows were hanging out at the summit. A couple were riding the uplifting wind currents, just hovering in place a few feet off the cliff face.
	Two others were 'playing', which is the only thing I could guess it was. They would chase each other around and then tussle in mid-air... over and over again flying high and then diving straight down again for a good 10 minutes. At one point, I noticed one was carrying something in his claws. I'm not sure where he got it, but just as soon as I noticed it, he dropped it. I managed to get a picture of him with it and of it falling through the air. I have no idea what it is though. Food? A toy? Who knows.
	The walk back
	The arresting colors on this tree in one of the pullout viewpoints catches your attention as you drive Skyline. Reds seem to be the most transient, as we often miss them at Shenandoah.
	Her legs are just too short