Early Winter Snowfall, Blue Ridge Parkway, Virginia

As our first snowfall of the year started, I drove up to the Blue Ridge Parkway this morning for a walk. I’ve been hiking regularly this fall to break in my new boots and backpack for my trip to Patagonia this spring, and after 20 straight days of work (drive in in the dark, drive home in the dark) I wanted to be outside.  I figured that the roads north into the Shenandoah National Park and south along the Parkway would be closed due to weather, and they were, gated off in both directions from Route 250. I parked the 4Runner and headed south down the parkway, which had now become a 25 foot wide beautifully graded trekking path. I was early enough that there was no one else around- just the squirrels, a crow and me.  About 2 1/2 miles in I took this photograph, then turned around to return home for breakfast and a mid-morning nap.