Cycling Skyline Drive - Drove to Front Royal today to ride my Rans V-Rex recumbent along Skyline Drive in Shenandoah National Park. I usually park just outside the Park and ride about 2 miles to the entrance. The entry fee for bikes is $5, and a year pass is $20. It's a difficult ride, especially on a recumbent. The first six miles are a continuous climb. There's a short downhill section, then a climb for another seven or eight miles. I rode about 16 miles within the park and turned around for the mostly downhill ride back to the car. It took over 2 ½ hours for the first part, and about an hour for the return trip.

On one of the long climbs I saw this rather large rattlesnake. It was about 2-3 feet long with a girth about the size of my wrist. Even though there were flies on it and it smelled bad, I still felt like he could have turned and struck at any moment.

I noticed that the weeds along the drive were getting out of control. I assume it's because of the lack of funds for needed maintenance in our national parks, thanks to our fearless leader Bush cutting taxes and spending billions in Iraq. Thanks George.

Rattlesnake on side of road	Weeds along Skyline Drive

posted by Bruce Wright at 7:55 PM #