Hiking 5:42:00 [4] 8.8 mi (38:52 / mi)
Luisa and I did a long hike at Shenandoah National Park. This was the Cedar Run-White Oak Canyon loop. We started at lower the Hawksbill Gap parking lot in a fog bank. We descended out of the fog and the temperature climbed a little. Then less than 1 mile of flat ground and a trail lunch by the stream. The climb back up started after that. Wow, you don't realize how far you have descended until you start to hike back up! Final 1.5 miles was on a fire road that was long continuous ascent which led us back into the fog. Near the end of the hike we say two young black bears in the woods but they darted away. This was a very tough hike - our legs were screaming by the end.
We did this loop several years ago with our 2 kids when they were around ages 10 and 13. Based on how hard this was for Luisa and me I'm not sure how we ever made it thru this hike then. I remember that there was a lot of asking how much further it was!