Adventuring through Virginia is also adventuring through our history. The Civil War brought intense fighting to the Shenandoah Valley, which was used so effectively by the Confederacy that it became known as the "Valley of Humiliation" for the Union. For most of the war, the Confederacy used the valley to threaten Washington, DC. Even as the war shifted in the North's favor, Southern forces out-maneuvered the Union for months, extending the conflict despite being outnumbered and out-supplied. Only after the Union waged a brutal "total war" through the valley did it fall. Shortly thereafter, the Confederacy collapsed.
If you can't already tell, I had a history-buff friend along for this adventure. It was mid-June, and too hot to hike. So Russell and I rented a canoe and set out on a two-day float down the South Fork of the Shenandoah River. After leaving DC in 6am, we stopped for a breakfast sandwich and coffee in Front Royal, site of a famous Confederate victory in May, 1862.
Virginia: Life is old here, but still looking good!
After renting our canoe, packing dry bags, and cramming the cooler with ice and beer, we shuttled upriver to just below Bixler Bridge in Luray. We set sail. Despite the busy morning, we suddenly found ourselves with nothing to do but float 30 miles downriver. The morning was still early, and the river gently switched between slow water and riffles as we got to know our boat.
It didn't take long for Virginia to reach the mid-80s, so we countered with beer on ice. Creativity was needed to pass beverages back and forth. And just as we began eyeing the dwindling contents of the cooler, we rescued the tube of a day-floater and were replenished!
Our solution for passing beers in a canoe
Toward the end of day 1, we guided the boat ashore and made camp on a sandy embankment. Later in the fall, we might have been the only people spending the night, but in mid-July, we shared the shore with several other groups. It wasn't silent.
Worn out from the sun, we took to hammock reading and casting for smallies. The good beer came out...all the way from Hawaii, and with local honey.
Our boat's home for the night
Sunset Casting
The night began hot and humid, but by morning we crawled into our sleeping bags for a relatively comfortable sleep. Nevertheless, rinsing off in the river the next morning felt great. I fished a bit before breakfast, and was joined by a hispanic woman hand-lining. It was great to see folks from different cultures all enjoying public land together, and bringing unique fishing practices with them. Needless to say, her hand-line out-fished my expensive fly setup. After a meal of MountainHouse breakfast scramble, we hit the river again.
Day 2 Begins
The second day of this float featured the only two rapids, both which were no problem. The first was a Class II wave train easily run on the right-hand side. The second was a small ledge that's a breeze with enough water-flow and momentum.
While the rapids were nothing to write home about, the Day 2 scenery was spectacular. The shoreline cabins from the day before melted away as we paddled through National Forest. This stretch of river was significantly more remote feeling, with great mountain views and rock structures. It was at this point we decided another trip down the South Fork would be planned, ideally in the fall with leaves changing.
Mid-afternoon on Sunday, we finished our 30 mile float and were shuttled back to our car. We celebrated with hot paninis in Front Royal. Not too shabby for a weekend!
Playing on a small ledge
Map for reference
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