Short Stretch

My sixteen year old daughter has been visiting for a short time from Connecticut. Unfortunately her visit has coincided with the first wet weather we have had for over a month. I was bound and determined not to sit around the house and let my 4 and 6 year old boys drive us nuts all day. Soooo....I thought a jaunt in the Shenandoah might be a nice diversion. I also really wanted to feel a little bit of trail under my feet. It has been a while since my last good hike. I thought that at least my daughter could see the SNP for the first time.
Well, weather being as it was, we ascended into fairly thick fog heading up Skyline Drive. There was some slight glimpses of the valley floor, but that was about it. We parked at the Dickey ridge Visitor Center, also encased in fog. The mist caused a slight chill in the air and noises were pretty muffled from the fog. I was surprised at the amount of tourists at the center on a weekday.
We walked along Skyline Drive to reach the trail head...I know, not the smartest move I've made, but I thought we were in the right spot. Well we weren't, and it was a good quarter mile before we reached it. The kids were less than enthusiastic at this point. We finally got off the side of Skyline and headed down Snead farm Trail. The boys were a bit spooked by the trail visibility being limited from the fog, but it was also exciting to them. I think even my daughter thought it was pretty cool. I noticed no one was complaining about being cold anymore, so I assume blood was pumping well enough to keep them warm. We stopped at various plants and to watch spiders in their beautiful webs, made more visible with the mist from fog. A nice little ascent heading toward Snead Farm was cause for the first "I'm tired" to be uttered from the 4 year old. A low hanging web mid trail distracted him from his fatigue.
We came upon the farm site, and stopped to explore and have a snack. The barn is nicely preserved/restored, and the top floor is accessible to the public. The cool air was enough to keep the hoards of wasps in their nests up in the rafters. Their activity level, I'm sure, is higher in the warmer climate. The Spring House next to the barn is an eerie structure to look into. I can only imagine the hardness of life the mountain families had here. The house foundation is also there to explore, and it appeared to have been a pretty large structure. A stone staircase is still standing. Presently more hikers came in and hung out to explore. We packed out things and headed back. The kids seemed rejuvenated from snacks and the hike back was without protest. Not wanting to tempt fate, we took the path back through the picnic ground and returned to the car. The picnic ground is well maintained with nice grills for use. I'd like to come back for a little picnic and a nice Autumn hike with the family again.
The visitor center is well done, and we poked around there for a while. There is a nice interactive display that the boys enjoyed studying. All seemed happy with the experience. As we drove out of Skyline Drive, a doe and her fawn stood by the side of the road. I stopped the car for the kids to see, and the deer just stood watching, offering a nice time for the kids to see them up close. A fun outing. I was happy with the trip, and satisfied with the experience offered to the children. It doesn't have to be a 14 miler to reap the benefits of a hike in the woods. The fox Hollow and Snead Farm Trails can be combined for a lovely 5 miler. Nice things really do come in small packages.