Black Bear On Skyline Drive Shenandoah National Park Virginia 7-25-2010

Click on these pictures to enlarge them. Photos by Rachel.



We went back to Skyline Drive in the Shenandoah National Park yesterday and saw this black bear as we were leaving the park. It was out by the road. A man walking nearby signaled for us to stop and look. Another car came and we signaled for them to stop. The bear looked to be an adolescent. It had long legs and big ears. It turned around to walk off. It had very large testicles as big as baseballs.

We had just listened to a Park Ranger at Skyland give a very informative talk about Black Bears. 70 years ago when the park was created there were no black bears in that area and very few deer. The trees had been cut for farming but once the park was created the trees grew back over the years since the 1930s and the bears and deer have returned and are now very numerous.

Skyland Resort Skyline Drive Shenandoah National Park Virginia

Click on the picture above to enlarge it.

The picture above is the blackberry ice cream pie. Sorry it can't be enlarged.

http://www.visitshenandoah.com/accommodations/skyland-resort.aspx
Click on the link above to read all about Skyland Resort.
We went to this place today. We go there often. It is only 70 miles to Front Royal, Va. from Washington D.C. Once there you can enter the Shenandoah National Park near Front Royal,Va.
Today it was a blazing 95 degrees hot and humid in D.C. and surrounding suburbs. At Skyline Drive once we got to 3,500 feet elevation it was a cool breezy 71 degrees.
Skyland is a resort 41 miles into Skyline Drive once you enter at Front Royal,Va.
Skyland has a nice restaurant and gift shop. The also have cabins for rent. It was not at all crowded today.
In the restaurant they serve a tasty blackberry ice cream pie. Blackberry ice cream with blackberry sauce and whipped cream. It is about 4 inches high at least.
Here is a good link about the Shenandoah National Park.
http://www.visitshenandoah.com/
This park was created by the C.C.C.(Civilian Conservation Corps)in the 1930s.
When Teddy Roosevelt created the first National Parks he did so because he said city people suffer from nature deficiency. Once we got in the park and on Skyline Drive we were no longer suffering from nature deficiency.