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Overall Run Falls Hike


Razors Edge

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We just returned from camping again up at Mathews Arm in Shenandoah Nat Park.  We've done variations on the Falls hike several times in the past month or two, BUT the big difference this time was that it rained Sun and Mon (all day), so when we got there Tuesday at noon, the falls were in late spring levels rather than the normal late summer/early fall trickle from just a week or two ago.  :hapydance:

You have to walk across the rocks to avoid the creek - last time it was just damp and not really flowing:

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Then it starts to come together as a more focused stream with plenty of smaller cascades like the one to the right of the photo. The sound of the stream follows you past the first smaller falls overlook (didn't take a photo), and then as you continue down to the bigger set of falls.

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It's supposedly 93', but we were well above it on a rock that overlooked the falls and - to the right - the Shenandoah river valley.  These falls are probably the most photographed in the Park, and I bet if I dug through old photos, we'd have ones from many different years and seasons.

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One great thing is that the colors are really changing this week.  Probably peak leaves this week and next.  It was great hiking along and having the leaves dropping all around us, and sleeping in the tent was a constant rain of leaves all around us and onto the tent.  Great conditions.

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A short vid:

Our little hike with arrows at the creek crossing and main overlook.  My wife was able to do the longer 9 mile loop that comes in from below (top left of image) and follows the creek up to where we had turned around.  Our hike was about 5 miles or so.

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8 hours ago, dennis said:

Fall camping is great. The colors are amazing. Well done.

Sadly, I'm a fairly crappy photographer (most of the various hiking photos are on my wife's phone), but I know @Thaddeus Kosciuszko likes the waterfalls, and this was a rare autumn strong flow off the falls, and even I thought a few photos and a video were worth taking :)

Fall camping is definitely great as the temps are the mildest - not too hot during the day, and pleasantly cool/cold at night.  The big downside is the SHORT day, so it is dark by 7pm (and getting steadily earlier), and our pup needs to head into the tent at dark or she becomes overly stressed out by flashlights or headlights (it is all lightning in her mind).  So, we end up hitting the sack early - reading for a while but inevitably sleeping for 10+ hours!!!!!  I guess we need it once in a while, but it does seem like a lot time sleeping.

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