Shenandoah National Park – Central District – Big Meadows
Time: 48+ hours
Gear: Camping checklist!
Difficulty Level: 1 paw
Scenery: 3 paws
Pack: You and your dog or a whole pack
We set out in the afternoon on Friday, putting us just ahead of the DC traffic on 66 heading west. Our destination was the Big Meadows campground in the central district of Shenandoah National Park and this time we showed up without a reservation as the “reserved” spots were already taken.
Most campgrounds set aside so many spots for “walk-ups” and we were told there were more than 60 of those available on a first come, first serve basis. Our home for the next two nights would be close to the amenities – bathroom, shower, host camper, entrance, small store and even a “restaurant” of sorts touting its fried chicken. I was worried it would be a busy spot in such a large campground but it turned out to be great.
Learning our lesson from our previous trip, we parked the cars and took the dogs for a leisurely hour-long walk all around the campground. Truth be told, we didn’t completely read our guide and thought we were heading toward the actual meadow but instead walked in and around the amphitheatre, picnic areas, cabins, trails and campgrounds. Regardless, mission accomplished, the dogs were happy to settle in – mostly.
Once back, we set up our site with all the trimmings. I had made great progress since our last adventure and now had a dedicated bin that was packed with all things kitchen-related including a red-checkered tablecloth, tinware plates and cloth napkins. All reusable and the tinware pieces were found in an antique store so all eco-friendly. I mean, why should we live like savages?
Dinner was a 5-cheese penne made by Katina and heated up on our fabulous grill. Of course there was a lovely cabernet to go along. When you think about how to pack your cooler and eat your foods in the order in which they might perish, you don’t have to survive on spaghetti and peanut butter (not that there’s anything wrong with that.).
The only downside in the evening was our inability to start a proper fire. I even brought fire starter thingies and still we gave up. We did not bring enough newspaper nor did we have kindling or twigs and so no toasted marshmallows for us.
The weather was fantastic and aided a great night of sleep. In the morning it was bacon and eggs to fuel our big hike. The dogs of course we among the earlier risers in the campground and so we were up and about early.
After our hike, everyone was tired and ready to lounge. Katina, Cannon and I took our places in the sun while Karma napped behind a car in the shade. Once the sun moved to take that shade away, we created some for him by stringing Katina’s rain fly between the tree and picnic table. Not the most elegant of solutions, but it worked – note to self: bring shade!
And then, late afternoon it rained. Hard. Katina and Cannon took to her car and Karma and I took to our tent. Unfortunately for Katina, Cannon had broken a key zipper earlier that day that was now letting water inside resulting in a wet sleeping bag and pad – ugh.
The rain stopped for a few hours – long enough to have a nice dinner, build a successful fire and dry out some of Katina’s things. But the wind picked up and embers were flying in every campsite. Cannon got cold and begged to curl up in his car but Karma was happy with the cooler temps and I just had to make sure one of the embers didn’t catch him on fire!
The rain started again just in time for lights out and Katina and Cannon decided against the tent and took to my SUV instead. (She has since purchased a new tent!) The wind was incredible that night – even Karma got a little nervous as to how much our tent was swaying!
The morning brought brief periods of non-rain and so we packed in between the drops and headed out earlier than planned. We had wanted to actually find that big meadow but decided not to wait around for the weather to clear and so we headed home. And yes, the weather ended up being beautiful!
The other day I went crazy on Amazon.com and bought a bunch of books about hiking with dogs and hiking in general in our region. The first group I will tell you about focuses on the Shenandoah National Park and are Falcon Guides.
The first book – Hiking Shenandoah National Park by Bert and Jane Gildart is a must have! While it is a general hiking guide, it will tell you if dogs are not allowed on a particular trail or if it is unsafe for dogs to drink the water – very important!
What I really appreciate about this guide is the detailed information about each trail, especially the elevation change information. Three miles is one thing, three miles with an 800 ft. elevation change and rock scrambles is something totally different. This is a must have if you are heading to SNP!
The second book, also by Bert and Jane, is Best Easy Day Hikes: Shenandoah National Park. As the name suggests, this is a subset of the previous book and as such is smaller and thinner – great for the daypack when you head out. The way we typically use the two books is to do “homework” and planning with the first book then carry this one in the pack when doing an easier hike. A nice to have.
Finally, I tried Shenandoah National Park Pocket Guide (Bert and Jane still). This one is a disappointment, so don’t fall for it. I was hoping it would be something even more compact that I could take in my pack but other than the fun pop-out maps in the beginning and end, it really doesn’t have much value. Skip this one.
Got a favorite book or guide? Tell us about it!
I honestly don’t remember how old the dogs were – it’s one of the details I have erased from my memory – but Cannon wasn’t yet a year old and I’m pretty sure it was winter. Katina and I got the idea to pack up the cars and head to Canaan Valley in West Virginia for some great hiking and a night of cabin “camping.”
The plan was sound and we were ambitious, including laptops and games in our gear – we were going to accomplish so much! Once at the cabin it must have taken us four trips each to unload our respective cars. We were prepared!
It should be stated that this was the first time the dogs were together for an extended period of time. It is also important to note that Cannon was sporting a bandage on his foot that was protecting an injury that needed to stay clean. Also important to share is that Katina and I were rookies even though we had owned dogs before.
The two intact males started to play upon our arrival and we were constantly trying to intervene (mistake). We would let them go for a while but when it escalated beyond the point we thought was appropriate, we reprimanded and separated (futile). Meanwhile Cannon’s bandage was constantly falling off causing Katina to take him back to the bedroom and try, try again to wrap his foot in just the right way. This, too, was unsuccessful.
At one point we built a fire in the large fireplace and though the flue was open, smoke filled the cabin. After some time we figured out how to position the fire in the fireplace so as to minimize the soot in the air, but only after we opened the doors and windows and put on a layer of fleece. The dogs were unfazed.
Then there was the time when in an effort to separate the dogs, Katina tied Cannon to a chair while Karma lay panting on the kitchen floor. Cannon drug the chair down the hall after Katina getting it caught and scaring himself. Clearly that didn’t work.
Somehow we managed to make dinner and of course drink the wine but no games were played and little work was accomplished. Karma was up all night sniffing at the door and moving about the small room hoping that any minute Cannon would appear and the wrestling match would resume. Not much sleep for me.
In the morning it must have taken us 45 minutes to make bacon and eggs. I think Katina re-bandaged Cannon a few times and Karma played the role of instigator. We tried to take the dogs for a walk but with Cannon’s bandage constantly sliding off, all we got in was a lap around the cabins. Needless to say we were exhausted and we made our eight trips to the car and stopped by the conference center on our way out. By my memory the smoothest part of the trip was when we stopped at Pizza Hut on our way home. Mmmmmm, pizza.
Thankfully, the next time the dogs met for a playdate – this time at my house – we let them have the run of the lower level and we went upstairs, letting them figure it out all on their own. Without our constant fretting and intervening, the dogs figured it out. Imagine that!
P.S. Cannon went to the vet on Monday for a follow up visit. Turns out the bandage could have come off over the weekend without hurting his foot. Great.
I HATE ticks. They are sneaky, overly-resilient and in this geography you have to fear them all year long. There are big ones and tiny ones and they don’t seem to care if they latch onto deer, dogs or people. They are evil.
Katina regularly picks ticks off of Cannon – in her backyard, on the trail, on walks. During one two-hour hike, she picked 10 off of Cannon and I picked off – and brutally murdered – two off of me. UGH! What I didn’t say is that I picked ticks off of Karma, because I didn’t. I did check carefully but it’s hard to find them through all that hair! Truth is, I have only ever found one (big) tick on him and that’s because it was feasting above his eye [shudder!].
A percentage of ticks carry Lyme disease which can be dangerous for both humans and dogs which is why you have to be vigilant about checking constantly and thoroughly. Humans will usually notice a “bullseye” redness at the site of the bite. If this occurs, you should see a doctor immediately. Symptoms in people vary wildly and can be dangerous so it’s not something to fool with – take it seriously!
According to the great site http://www.dogsandticks.com, “Lyme disease is caused by the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi and is transmitted by the deer tick (often referred to as the black-legged tick). Signs of Lyme disease in dogs are difficult to detect, and warning signs may not appear until several months after infection. Signs may come and go and can mimic other conditions. Cases vary from mild to severe. In severe cases of Lyme disease, kidney failure can occur.
“Most common signs of Lyme disease:
- Recurrent arthritis/lameness that lasts 3–4 days, sometimes accompanied by loss of appetite and depression
- Reluctance to move or a stiff, painful gait
- Swollen joints that are warm to the touch
- Pain in the legs or throughout the body
- Fever, fatigue and swollen lymph nodes”
This site also talks about other illnesses your dog can catch as a result of insects so check it out (at the risk of making you even more paranoid!).
So what are you supposed to do?
Check for ticks several times throughout your hike and camping adventure. According to experts, ticks need to be embedded for at least a day before they begin to spread disease so you have some time. If you find one, make sure you remove the entire creature and do so carefully so that you don’t break it apart. Pet stores sell tick removal devices (I bought one and I like it) or a pair of good tweezers work well too.
Topical products are available, as well as collars, sprays and even tags that are attached to the collar. Talk to your vet to determine which product is best for your dog. You may also want to discuss if the Lyme vaccine is an appropriate option.
As for my furry friend, I use K9 Advantix monthly which is touted to repel fleas, ticks and mosquitoes. I was using a combined heartworm and flea/tick monthly supplement but found that it wasn’t enough when Karma tested positive for Lyme disease.
When Karma went in for his annual check-up at 16 months of age, my vet tested him for Lyme as a normal part of his blood screening routine and the test came back positive. After a detailed discussion, we decided not to treat him since he wasn’t showing symptoms and to change his flea/tick protocol to something stronger. We agreed that because of Karma’s coloring and excessive amounts of hair (just ask my vacuum), it will always be a challenge to find ticks so prevention becomes even more important.
Every vet has their own opinion on how to address ticks and Lyme disease so it’s important to talk to your vet about your specific situation, habits and outdoor adventures!
Shenandoah National Park – North District – Elkswallow Wayside.
Just in case you forgot something when hiking, camping or just visiting the North District of the SNP, at mile 24.1 is the Elkswallow Wayside.
The Wayside is open from mid-April through fall and sells a large variety of goods in a compact space: Souvenirs, beer, wine, groceries, fuel and most importantly, firewood (remember, you cannot bring your own firewood into the park and it’s often tough to scavenge enough dry wood for a good fire!). They also have a lunch counter/deli and ice cream – a great treat for a hot day!
There is also a picnic area, staff to answer questions and a few items of clothing in case the weather changes or you need a clean, dry T-shirt!
