DC & Shenandoah

iPhone / Instagram // @alostfeather

Thank you for all of your encouraging comments on my last post. I definitely needed to hear some uplifting words and you totally came through for me. Thank you.

I found out yesterday that my foot is not broken, so I can start running again when it feels normal again. Hopefully that is soon and hopefully I still want to run when it's better!

How excited are all of you Android users for Instagram?! I can't believe how long it took for them to extend to that platform. Let the fun begin!

Luck

I've been having an incredibly unlucky time lately. I'm hoping my bad luck has worn out and I'm trying to keep a positive attitude, but seriously...

In the past 7 days I have... taken a bad fall while running and smashed my iphone to bits, realized that my foot is actually seriously injured from that fall, gotten stranded at an impossibly loud grunge/punk/screamo/not my style/ show for about 7 hours, fell on my bad foot AGAIN.. probably happened because I can barely walk and tripped due to the way I'm walking, and left my favorite sunglasses on a bus in Manhattan.

I did get the sunglasses back because my friend Niki is eternally optimistic and calm and smart and figured out how to find them.. on a bus in Manhattan. I mean, those things should have been long gone. (Also, a very nice bus employee helped us out after several people completely ignored us.) 

Blah. I did get to spend a good 3 hours in Shenandoah National Park this weekend with Niki and it was beautiful (see?) but I would have loved to do a little hiking, but I can't walk so.. 

Niki took that photo of me looking out at the Blue Ridge mountains. Marissa, Kate and I hiked to the highest peak in the photo back in July.. it was pretty amazing to be back in the area again. 

It was also amazing to spend a weekend with Niki even though it wasn't exactly the weekend we expected. It was an adventure. That is for SURE.

Kate & Marissa

from our hiking trip this past summer.
Shenandoah National Park, VA

clips from an adventure .II.

My cousin, Kate; sister, Marissa; and I traveled down to Shenandoah National Park way back in July. We had an amazing time and tackled one of the hardest hikes any of us have ever done (hey, Old Rag mountain) in 100+ degrees to boot.

While we were there, we used my iPhone to capture some of the memories in motion, but the app I decided to use failed us miserably. The Super 8 app, my friends. To make a long story short, the app locked all of my clips inside the app and I couldn't release them to save my life. I refused to give up and kept hoping Super 8 would put out an upgrade that would solve their bug and finally last month they did. It wasn't perfect- I had to individually e-mail all of my clips to myself to make this film.. all 80 of them. It was worth it.. I'm happy.

Have you been to Shenandoah? I'd love to go back. It was gorgeous and so, so much fun to be there with Kate and Marissa. Just like old times.

((here's another video for National Park fanatics, like myself. Matt and I at Yosemite National Park in June))

A Literal Leap of Faith

Shenandoah National Park / Old Rag Mountain Trail / July 23, 2011

The Old Rag trail is easily one of the hardest trails I've ever done. It wasn't all that long- about 8 miles round trip, but it was steep, grueling, and mentally challenging. It was also about 100 degrees and absurdly humid. 

When we were about 1 mile into the 1.5 mile rock scramble we heard thunder in the distance. I think the worst possible scenario would have been rain on the rock scramble. The rocks were already slick, steep, and challenging- rain would have made the stretch treacherous. More treacherous, I should say. 

Thank goodness the rain held out long enough and we made it, but not before we used serious rock climbing skills and jumped a 4ft crevice. That jump was probably the scariest thing I've ever done in my life because the fall would have been 20+ feet and the surfaces we were jumping from and landing on were not friendly. I shudder thinking about that jump. 

A literal leap of faith. Marissa made it across the crevice first and left Kate and me standing on the other side. She told us to take a leap of faith, which I found to be very nerve-wracking since the faith would be in my mind and body's ability to cope with my fear. I was nervous that my body would quit mid jump or that my mind would change right as I left the safety of the rock. Kate had similar feelings. We knew all to well that real safety was a 4 hr hike away (although I don't think I wold have been any less scared if paramedics were standing by.)

Once we all made it to the other side (after much deliberation and stalling) we just sat on the rock feeling thankful that we'd done it and that it was over. I'm glad I did it and I hope I don't have to do it again. 

p.s. I realize that a 4 ft jump is not very long at all, in fact it's easy. It's a different story when there is a 20ft drop that you have to jump over. A 20 ft drop with jagged edges on the way down. I still can't believe we all made it across. I also can't believe we all tried to make it across. Terrifying. 

At the end of the 8 miles we were so proud of ourselves. We all conquered some major fears on this trail and we did it together.

Life is old there, older than the trees

... younger than the mountains, growin' like the breeze."

Shenandoah National Park / Skyline Drive & Dark Hollow Falls Trail / July 22, 2011

Marissa and I woke up around 4:15am and drove over to Brooklyn to pick up our cousin, Katie. We got the most delicious bagels and hopped on the road. 9 hours and a bunch of coffee later we found ourselves in the mountains of Shenandoah National Park.

In the middle of a serious heat wave (100 degrees +) we went on a 3 hour hike to a couple of small waterfalls. This particular trail (Dark Hollow Falls) was very well covered by the trees so the heat was not completely awful. We didn't care anyway because we were so happy to have started our adventure.

By the time we started the hike it was already late afternoon so the morning crowds were gone and we had the place to ourselves. We enjoyed the peace and quiet, splashed around in the quiet stream, and hunted for pretty stones. We were like little kids and it was great.

I'm so happy I got to share this experience with my sister and my cousin. I can't remember the last time we got together for a long weekend and it was way over due.