Shannon's pictures are here!

Mongolia through Shannon's lens, Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

You can read more about our trip in older posts. It's only 4 more days til we begin our next big adventure! We're not sure how much internet access we'll have, but we'll try to keep this updated with photos and stories of our travels.

Best Swimming Hole - Dismal Falls

Dismal Falls came as a very nice break from an otherwise hot few days in southern Virginia. It was located about half a mile on a side trail in an stretch of the AT where there weren't many other noteworthy places to see. There was a great swimming hole right underneath the falls and a tentsite just behind a large rock that allowed us to camp near the falls without getting all of our stuff soaked by the mist in the process. The creek was wide and littered with large boulders that made exploring the area a lot of fun. We were very tempted to take a zero day here, but we were running low on food and needed to keep going.

Our Campsite


View From on top of the Falls

Best Waterfall - Laurel Fork Falls

The best waterfall we saw the entire trip was probably Laurel Fork Falls. The waterfall was on the Laurel Fork River about 30 miles or so after Roan Mountain (I think). Like many of the other spectacular sites on the trail it came with a cost - a very steep/rocky hike down, but obviously well worth it. Not only were the falls nice, but the river was a godsend because we were in desperate need of a bath (it had been about 5 days). There was also a great shelter with a nice spring located high up on a rocky area close the falls.

The trail wrapped around this rocky area just above Laurel Fork River


Hiking through a blooming rhododendron tunnel on the way to the falls


Laurel Fork Shelter


The Laurel Fork River