Up the Ridge

Blue Ridge Parkway, Skyline Drive
Leaving Natural Bridge, I hoped to go to the Bridge the night before for a hike & a view, today I will try. This is a private venue, $12 for a hike & a view, so I decide to hike Sharps Top at Peaks of the Otto instead, poor visibility, still nice hike, I let my mind wander, and quite humid, sweating off all that BBQ off, right.
Bill Markham has lived here his whole life, as a boy he would see the CCC camps back in the 30’s working on the Parkway and the trail up Sharps Top, he never meet these people, they were not from here, so he stayed away, recently he meet one of the workers, both elderly now, they shared stories and talked about the work done here, it took 3 years to build the road to the top and trail, they used picks, and most labor done by hand, workers sent money home to families, about $28 per month, I have seen the work of the CCC in the west and now here, times were tough, no work, the depression, my grandparents told me stories, too. Links to the past through oral history, we pass on experiences our our generation and stories we have heard, please share, listen and pass them on.
Normally views of seven ridges, West Virginia some 52 miles away.
Down step by step, rock to rock most of the way, legs get a really good workout.
Baby fawn on trail, flowering columbine, peaceful on the trail, only me.
Peaceful drive north on Blue Ridge Parkway, had hoped to camp a couple of days along these mountains, but the clouds and rain are attached. Leisurely drive at 45 mph, the Parkway follows the Appalachian Mountains chain, provides seemingly endless views of parallel ranges connected by cross ranges and scattered hills.
The Parkway leads into the Shenandoah Natural Park and Skyline Drive, staring at the Smokey Mountains add 114 miles to 355 miles of beauty, you would need weeks to truly appreciate this drive, the wildlife is abundant, having seen a fawn, a small Black Bear, to shy for picture, and birds of all kinds, more deer.
There is History at every turn as well, ‘Stonewall’ Jackson used these mountains to confound the North for years.

Great driving road, lots of time for views and music, excellent way to sneak northeasterly, less people, less traffic, no hype, me, Skate, views, animals, flowers, trees, today I am one with the clouds.
Old timey music in old time mountains.
Front Royal, Virginia, out of the mountains, I find a Jersey style Italian Eatery, Castiglia’s,there's Pizza, Stromboli, Cheese Steak Sand, Meatball Sand, Eggplant Parmigiana, Cacciatore, Pasta, Tiramisu and Cannoli, I settle for a Pizza Steak Sandwich, no biscuits.
Take Hwy 522N up the road to Winchester, beer, blog and sleep
59.9 mpg/ 244.3 miles traveled

Books purchased: The Appalachians, America’s First and Last Frontier, companion to PBS series, and Blue Ridge Music Trails, Finding a Place in the Circle by Fred C. Fussell

“These mountain people, who have been shut out of the world all these years, I know them. If I live…perhaps we can do the justice they deserve” Abraham Lincoln
Follow-up on the Bill of Rights, today I read that Post 9/11 Patriot Act and other new laws, 9254 National Security Letters were issued in 2005, no courts, no review, no oversight, anti-terrorism laws allow access to an array of consumer information, as well as business, health, library and books, too.
The lock has been taken off the door!