Two Turks

With this post, my blog is finally caught up.  I did this hike November 4.  It was really two separate out and back hikes, totaling about six miles.  The first (red arrow) was a hike to the Shenandoah National Park border on the Turk Gap Trail.  The second (purple arrow) was a hike to the summit of Turk Mountain, and its nice views across the Shenandoah Valley.  Both hikes started and returned to the Skyline Drive (purple star).

It was a cool fall day, and actually cold on the summit of windy Turk Mountain.  The foliage had diminished a lot just since my hike five days before in the same area.  The Turk Gap hike was steadily downhill, and returning up hill.  Turk Mountain, as you might guess, was pretty much the opposite.  Here are some photos from Turk Gap, starting with this view of Turk Mountain - my second hike of the day - looming above.

The Turk Gap Trail was a very pleasant walk.  I didn't run into any spectacular beasts or scenery, but just had a mellow walk in a pretty forest.

Lady in red...

I threw my Jet Boil in my pack, along with my mug, a tea bag, and a little honey.  So I enjoyed a pleasant tea break along the trail.

This maple almost looks like flames.

Here are two more views of the trail going through the autumnal forest.

A splash of yellow with Turk Mountain in the background.

Turk Mountain has some nice views from its rocky summit.  I will let them speak for themselves.  These are views across the Shenandoah Valley and also of some of the mountains in SNP.

This is probably the last photo of fall foliage in the mountains I'll take in 2016 - but you never know.  Now that my blog is caught up, it's time for another hike!