This was a big day for me! I finally had the chance to do some hiking in the Appalachians and it was my dog’s first real hike!

My wife and I were in desperate need of some away time in the mountains so we headed to Shenandoah to hike the 10 mile Riprap Trail. I knew it was going to be a great day when we saw a black bear cross the road in front of our car on the way to the trailhead. Sadly, that would be the only bear we saw for the day. Man, why didn’t I have my camera out while driving?

The first few miles were absolutely beautiful. We were on the Appalachian Trail for a while and got to see some beautiful vistas. Solitude was very easy to find on this particular Thursday. We only ran into a handful of AT thru-hikers and saw no one once we departed the AT.

After several scenic vistas we went down, down, down for several miles. Only 3 miles into the hike, my dog was already wiped out. He kept trying to lay down in the middle of the trail He walks about 15 miles a week so this was a definite shocker. In a short amount of time we lost about 1,500 feet of altitude. What we found in the valley floor was nature’s beauty at it’s finest! Swift mountain streams, waterfalls, and wildlife. The beauty of Virginia is far more than what I had imagined. We stopped for a lunch break and let our dog, Duke, get some rest. While I was filling his dog bowl with water, I kicked over my Nalgene Everyday bottle (the new BPA-free one) and spilled 1/3 of the water. Crap! I had packed enough water because I didn’t feel like filtering any. So much for all the extra weight I had carried. There went that plan! I filtered some water at the next stream and everything was fine.

 All too soon it was time to ascend back up. We made up the 1,500 feet and then some on the way up. The remaining 4 miles would be a continual uphill slope. We made our way up Rocks Mountain (such an original name). When we got to the top there were some beautiful rocky outcrops called Chimney Rock, a popular destination among Shenandoah Hikers, but today we had it all to ourselves.

 After a few minutes of taking in the beauty, we made an uneventful, but beautiful 1 mile trip back to the car.

It was a great day of hiking. I can’t begin to tell you how much I needed to get outside and enjoy the mountains! My dog made it just fine and showed us just how capable he is. He’s gonna be a great hiking buddy.

Shenandoah National Park with My 4 month old Corgi…that dog hiked 10 miles on some steep sections!

A Letter to All of My Readers:

I’ve gotta admit I had no idea it’s been that long since I last posted. Time has really been flying by here! I’m very sorry for the lack of posts lately. I’m in the middle of buying a house (we close July 1), I’m about to take the teenagers of the church to camp, and I’m heading on vacation to the Rockies right after that!

In all honesty, I haven’t even been on the internet very much since we moved here. Even worse, I haven’t been able to enjoy the outdoors like I used to! I go to Pocahontas State Park a few times a week for a quick hike, but other than that, I’ve only hiked once for more than a half day. I’m having a tough time balancing ministry, family time, hobbies, and everything else going on in my life. It’s so much faster paced than my last job.

I’d love to promise to everyone that I’m gonna start posting daily again…but it probably isn’t going to happen until things slow down after July. What I will promise is this: I’m gonna blog a heck of a lot more frequently than I have been. I’m shooting for 2-3 times a week until I get back in the habit.

So please…hang in there with me, be patient, and know that A Little Closer to Heaven will be back in full swing before you know it!

 The move went smooth and it was a beautiful drive. We were in the Appalachians for several hours. The church here in Richmond has treated us wonderfully and I’m gonna gain like 50 pounds if they keep buying meals and groceries for us!

Last weekend, I got the chance to see some premier class IV and V rapids in action along the James River and visited several beautiful parks in the area. More on that later.

Just checking in today to let everyone know I’m still alive. I’ll post a real blog tomorrow.

That being said, I probably won’t be posting for a week or so as  I move to Virginia and get internet access in the new pad.

Check back next Monday for new posts.

Arkansas, thanks for all the memories!

Okay, I guess I don’t have time for that. But I am going car camping this weekend as probably my last outdoors adventure in Arkansas for a very long time . We’re packing up this afternoon and heading out for a day or two of camping on the river.

Have a great weekend everyone!