..."and the great brown bear came lolloping over the mountaintop..."

Several weeks ago, I took a day for myself and went solo hiking.
Since I live near Shenandoah National Park, I decided to hike to the summit of
Hawksbill Mountain.
The trail up to the summit gains approximately 720 feet over the course of 0.7 miles.
It's fairly steep.


But it sure was puuuurty.

The hike back was not nearly so steep, though it sure was isolated.
There's nothing like realizing that you're the only person around for several miles...and then remembering that there are quite a few bears in the park.

I picked up a big rock and carried it with me the rest of the way.

Apparently word got out in the bear community that I had a rock.
I didn't see a single bear.

Weenies.

The last mile of the hike back down was along the Appalachian Trail.
It was really neat to be hiking on a trail that stretches from Georgia to Maine; however, with that in mind, it was a bit more narrow than I expected.

It had a couple nice views, though,
so I plopped down on the rocks to enjoy the scenery for a few minutes.

I pulled over at several scenic overlooks on the drive out of the park.
Partly for the scenery, partly so I could stuff my face because the hike left me starving.
I put down the tasty snacks long enough to snap this pic.

Overall, my first solo hike was a success!
Though I think I will invest in some bear mace before the next trip.
You know, just in case I lose my rock.