A Day on the Trail: following a day hiker in Shenandoah National Park
Photographs and Captions by Leah Purdy April 30, 2022
An avid nature lover, David West poses at the Upper Hawksbill Trailhead parking sign. He is hiking this trail in Shenandoah National Park in Virginia to reach the summit and look for exciting aspects of nature along the trail margins on April 30, 2022. His hike was photographed for a photo essay assignment as part of a photojournalism class.
Fujifilm X-T4, ISO 3200, 55-200 mm, f/4.5 , 1/1000 sec.
Fujifilm X-T4, ISO 3200, 55-200 mm, f/4.5 , 1/1000 sec.
Before he leaves the trailhead, he reads over the rules and regulations and looks at the map trail map. These trailhead signs tell you what is and isn't allowed in the national park but also provide essential directions and have great information about local wildlife.
Fujifilm X-T4, ISO 160, 18-55 mm, f/16, 1/60 sec. |
The trailhead signage told him that he needs to look for blue blazes painted on trees. If he ended up seeing white blazes, that means he has made a wrong turn and is on the Appalachian Trail, and that could lead him all the way south to Georgia or north to Maine. He doesn't quite have time for all that today.
Fujifilm X-T4, ISO 160, 18-55 mm, f/4 , 1/80 sec. |
With all this information in mind, David feels like he has the knowledge base he needs to confidently hit the trail and begin his hike up to the summit of Hawksbill Mountain.
Fujifilm X-T4, ISO 160, 55-200 mm, f/4 , 1/900 sec.
Fujifilm X-T4, ISO 160, 55-200 mm, f/4 , 1/900 sec.
While David was looking to make it to the top of the mountain, that was not his only goal. As a nature enthusiast, he also wanted to see what fascinating plants and animals were visible from the trail as he hiked. He stopped and looked up to ponder what could have caused the weird growths and look for birds.
Fujifilm X-T4, ISO 160, 18-55 mm, f/7.1, 1/220 sec. |
He stooped down to admire the delicate spring ephemeral flowers popping up between the forest floor leaf litter. A few of the things he discovered included…
Fujifilm X-T4, ISO 160, 18-55 mm, f/4 , 1/280 sec. |
Bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis) is a native white flower that blooms in early spring. The name bloodroot comes from the orange-red sap that is excreted from roots and stems when broken. Indigenous Peoples used these plants as a dye and insect repellent.
Fujifilm X-T4, ISO 160, 18-55mm, f/7.1 , 1/125 sec. |
Large-flowered trillium (Trillium grandiflorum) is another native spring ephemeral that bloomed along the Hawksbill Trail. Trilliums are slow-growing perennial plants that don’t reach a mature enough age to flower until they are seven to 10 years old.
Fujifilm X-T4, ISO 160, 18-55 mm, f/4.5 , 1/320 sec. |
Even with breaks to enjoy the beauty and wonder of nature around him, David found himself winded on some of the uphill portions of the hike and bent over to catch his breath.
Fujifilm X-T4, ISO 160, 18-55 mm, f/5.6 , 1/160 sec. |
Water breaks were also frequent to prevent dehydration and keep up the energy to reach the summit.
Fujifilm X-T4, ISO 3200, 55-200 mm, f/4.5 , 1/1000 sec. |
After trekking up the mountain, David finally made it to the rocky Hawksbill Mountain summit, where he looked out over the valley and posed on the edge of the cliff face. The cloudy haze that threatened a slight rain potential that day left him with slightly diminished views. This image is a composite of eight different photographs stitched together to create a panorama of the view from the top of the mountain.
Fujifilm X-T4, ISO 160, 18-55 mm, f/22 , 1/40 sec.
Fujifilm X-T4, ISO 160, 18-55 mm, f/22 , 1/40 sec.
David clambered on top of these rocks to get a little more height to allow him to see just a little more of the landscape. He joked that standing on top of the rock pile made him feel like he was playing king of the mountain as he had as a child.
Fujifilm X-T4, ISO 160, 16 mm, f/16 , 1/200 sec. |
However, the enjoyment of the summit was short-lived as David quickly became unimpressed with the noise and crowds of people packing the summit. The chaos of the summit was jarring compared to the relatively quiet experience along the trail.
Fujifilm X-T4, ISO 160, 16 mm, f/16 , 1/110 sec. |
He decided that it was time to quickly get out of there quickly and head back down the mountain.
Fujifilm X-T4, ISO 160, 18-55 mm, f/6.4 , 1/170 sec. |
After making his way back to the parking lot, David sat on the back of his car and reflected on all the things he had seen and accomplished that day in Shenandoah National Park. He also reflected on his choice of footwear.
Fujifilm X-T4, ISO 160, 18-55 mm, f/10 , 1/90 sec. |
He said he wished he had worn his hiking boots because his feet were feeling very sore after walking up and down the mountain in his sneakers.
Fujifilm X-T4, ISO 160 , 18-55 mm, f/14 , 1/80 sec. |