Mountain Men

I had to share some images of an exhilirating experience I had this weekend! A couple of men in our church are avid hikers and I joined them on a day trip to Shenandoah National Forest for a hike up Stony Man Mountain. It was a spectacular day, made all the more memorable by a special surprise (read on!).

Nothing like taking in views such as this to attack the mid winter doldrums!

"Behold how good and how pleasant it is

for brethren to dwell together in unity."

Mark Youndt (left), Bryce Allison and me.

During lunch Mark led us in singing "Rock of Ages." He's a retired pastor who can discuss any and every topic that comes up, and we covered alot of ground on this trip!

Bryce is lured to highlands by his ancestry. He's a Scotsman and therefore known as the Scottish Mountain Goat.

As we progressed, I casually mentioned how curious it was that we hadn't seen any wildlife...

When suddenly, this enormous doe crossed our trail. I estimated she would tip the scales at 170 pounds or more. The really incredible thing is, she just looked right back at us and went on about her business, not the least bit concerned by our presence.

We continued on our merry way for a couple of minutes, and were stopped dead in our tracks by a sight that took my breath away.....

MR. MAC DADDY MONSTER BUCK! (how bout this bad boy Ashley?) It was easily the biggest buck I've ever seen up close. He had a perfect 10-point rack, and was huge -- probably close to 200 pounds, and just like the doe, he didn't run! The deer in Shenandoah National Forest aren't hunted, so they're not afraid of people and we stood there, paralyzed with Buck Fever. Luckily, Bryce had the presence of mind to take some pics. This was the icing on the cake to an already magnificent day, thanks be to God.