660 - Weverton Cliffs
Today I sweat more than I ever have.
Virginia summers are no joke. And once you start sweating like a baboon, there’s no going back.
My mission was to make it to the top of the Weverton Cliffs for sunset, mainly as a hipster alternative to Harper’s Ferry. It’s just lesser known.
But let’s be real. I’m gonna do a Harper’s Ferry adventure someday. It’s a Virginia classic. But I’d have to repeat it- which is why I’ve been putting it off for so long. I actually already hiked it a couple years ago without my camera, and I’m not a fan of going back to places. But one day we shall prevail for the gram.
Until then… I’m here, at the Weverton Cliffs.
Listening to one of the most god-awful bird calls I’ve ever heard.
In fact, it was so rancid that I had to do a double take and circle back. What on Earth could possibly make this sound?
Turns out, a barred owl could. And it was only ~ 20 feet away from me:
That shot was captured on a 24-105mm. A TWENTY FOUR TO ONE OH FIVE.
Lord knows I’ve never been a birder but nature spoke to me today. If every bird was this close I’d be a goddamn pro by now.
I kept moving despite the urge to shoot these owls for the next hour and a half. Sunset was approaching a tad more rapidly than I would have liked.
I hustled up the 570 feet to the top, and landed into a conglomerate of families. Not the worst mess in the world, but one had decided to set up camp right in the middle of the best viewpoint. Blankets down and everything, with no room spare.
As frustrating as it was, I took the opportunity to load up the drone and snag some tasty overhead shots:
You can see even more in the Official Reel™
It was one of those days where the post-sunset light was better than the actual sunset’s light. Soft, purplish orange saturated the landscape, creating a surreal view from above.
The family had (thankfully) left by now, but someone new just arrived. And they ran right to space the family occupied before.
It was definitely the spot with little room to spare.
Now don’t get me wrong, there was a whole cliffside to chill at, but the view was partially blocked by the density of trees. This one spot everyone seemed attracted to was the throne, per se, of the Cliffs.
I chatted him up for a bit to become friendly, and after a few minutes he left to set up a hammock somewhere. Apparently he comes up here once a week to decompress in the sunset.
Wow. What a life. In the outdoor hiking hobby spectrum, that’s the equivalent of shooting film. Just taking it slow, enjoying the process, soaking it all in. But I’m out here shooting digi, baby.
New spot every three days:
Now you can see why the spot was so coveted. Sitting on those rocks is peak Weverton. Maybe one day I’ll learn to slow down and enjoy the process.
But until then…
