New Year's Morning 2013

Thousands of tired, nerve-shaken, over-civilized people are beginning to find out that going to the mountains is going home; that wildness is a necessity; and that mountain parks and reservations are useful not only as fountains of timber and irrigating rivers, but as fountains of life. Awakening from the stupefying effects of the vice of over-industry and the deadly apathy of luxury, they are trying as best they can to mix and enrich their own little ongoings with those of Nature, and to get rid of rust and disease. Briskly venturing and roaming, some are washing off sins and cobweb cares of the devil's spinning in all-day storms on mountains; sauntering in rosiny pinewods or in gentian meadows, brushing through chaparral, bending down and parting sweet, flowery sprays, tracing rivers to their sources, getting in touch with the nerves of Mother Earth; jumping from rock to rock, feeling the life of them, learning the songs of them, panting in whole-souled exercise, and rejoicing in deep, long-drawn breaths of pure wildness. ~ John Muir

Pictures from new year's morning summit.

The Slide on Cedar Run Trail

Icicles on Cedar Run Trail.

Ascending a snow packed Cedar Run Trail

Ascending an unbroken, posthole-ridden, icicle-piece covered Hawksbill Summit Trail. The isolated area of Hawksbill summit, though unbeknownst to most its visitors, is actually home to a small population of Balsam Fir, shown above on right.

Old Rag 3,291' as seen from Hawksbill summit 4,051', with ice frosted trees at front.

View west from Hawksbill 4,051', with Naked Top at front, Massanutten Mtn in the distance, and George Washington National Forest and West Virginia's mountains on the distant horizon.

View over Timber Hollow from Hawksbill 4,051'

Stony Man 4,011' just right of center, as seen from Hawksbill 4,051'

Vast view west from Hawksbill 4,051'

Upper Cedar Run.

Halfmile Cliffs as seen from Cedar Run Trail at The Slide

Wondering about possible scrambles up Halfmile Cliff

Lower Cedar Run.

View of Old Rag 3,291' as seen through the trees from Cedar Run Trail.

Lower Cedar Run

Lower Cedar Run Falls from Cedar Run Trail

Both of these get pretty wild, especially their later halves, but both are so good. These two seem to really nail home what it is that gets me moving with a smile. Gotta listen to both in their entirety, obnoxiously loud of course.