blackrock summit

October is a really busy month for me; I'm working every Saturday and Sunday, which means it might be a little tricky to get out and enjoy what fall has to offer.  But, this past Sunday, the afternoon and evening were free and Evin and I were able to take a trip up to "the mountain" (as I call it) for a little hiking and marveling at Mother Nature.  When we go up to Skyline Drive, we typically head north from our entrance point, and usually seek waterfalls (often the same trail…oops!), but I decided I'd like to do something a little different.  I looked into a few waterfall trails to the south, but most seemed fairly strenuous and after a long week of standing and running around (for me) and a few hours of soccer Sunday morning (for Evin), plus the dry spell we've been experiencing…I thought we should save those for later.  So, I settled on the Black Rock Summit trail, a short hike to an impressive rocky top with stunning panoramic views, and Evin agreed.  It was actually our first time hiking to a vista in the park (like I said…usually we hike along streams to waterfalls in the woods) and it was my first time experiencing sunset from the park as well.  When we got out of the car in the parking lot, the cold was a little shocking…I think I still have summer blood.  But, we put on our hats and jackets and hiked the short way to the summit, where we climbed the rocks and admired the view.  I couldn't stop snapping photos, as we were there during golden hour, waiting for the sunset.  Poor Finley wasn't too fond of being perched on the windy rocks…

It was a great opportunity to try out my new-to-me lens, a fast mid-range zoom, which performed pretty well, I think (apart from its affinity to haze and flare when pointed toward a light source…the very strong afternoon sun, for instance).  I also took a few panoramas on my iPhone (love that feature!)