Sitting at the top of the mountain, Mary’s Rock offers breathtaking views of the Shenandoah valley of West Virginia. Getting there, however, requires  determination and a sense of humility. Determination to overcome the rough and steep climb; humility to accept the weakness and pain you are bound to feel with each step.  We accessed the Appalachian Trail from Thorton Gap and made our way up to Birds Nest where we spent the night. This section of the Appalachian Trail may seem easy but it may take double the time and effort because of the ups and downs of the terrain. Zorro’s earlier post “A Reality Check” gets into the details of our experience.

 Check out our National Parks at http://www.nps.gov/shen/index.htm