Bear Church Rock Hike (November 2018)

Choosing a day-hike requires a bit of compromise for us.  A is always trying to hike up, toward a summit and a commanding view.  I'm looking to hike down to valleys and fishing opportunities. 

After consulting a friend on Shenandoah National Park hikes, we landed on Bear Church Rock.  Our hope was to summit early and catch a few late-fall brookies on the way down.  Also appealing were reports that this hike was under-appreciated, and thus less crowded than more popular SNP routes. 

"I partied last night and it's early...but I have copious amounts of Pedialyte, coffee and water"

After parking in the small lot, we climbed steadily uphill through beautiful hardwoods on the bank of the Rapidan River.  The Rapidan is where I learned to catch Virginia brookies years ago, and I always feel some nostalgia for its plunge pools and little runs. 

Rapidan still high 

Before long, the hike forked and led us along the Staunton River, a slightly smaller stream but apparently chock full of brook trout.  I suggested to A that we hike no further, save our energy, and fish the day away.  No luck.

Eventually, the trail steepened, and the sounds of the river faded. The large hardwoods gave way to groves of mountain-laurel as we approached the summit. 

Modeling new daypack

Mountain-laurel tunnel 

At the summit, we sat enjoying the view and soaking up the November sun on our backs.  After a sandwich, we headed down for what I hoped for would be a fishy second half of the adventure.

Back on the banks of the Staunton, A set up her hammock while I stuck together my 6-piece, 3-weight rod.  For an hour, I slung Adams and ant-pattern dry flies to seemingly perfect trout water.
The type of water where you know there's fish.  Nothing.  Perhaps it was already too late in the season for trout to feed on the surface.  With a few cold shadows growing, we decided to head down.

As corny anglers say, that's why it's called "fishing"...not "catching".

I didn't have to wait long for my spirits to rise.  Out of the woods, we were back in the sun, and Virginia shimmered.  A flight of beer at our favorite Shenandoah-area brewery, Bald Top, set me straight.  A giant hamburger, a bonfire, and some good conversation left me happy and exhausted.

Virginia looking her best