Sunday, February 8, 2009

February isn't always the ideal month to go hiking at Shenandoah National Park.

"Normally at this time of year it is fairly quiet just because most people don't make plans to come out this time of year. We've seen a few people here and there," said Andrew Bargielski, who was hiking today.

"I didn't know what to expect. There's snow on the side of the road here so we didn't know how many people to find," said Laurie Paquette, another hiker.

But this weekend is an exception.

"It's just a beautiful day here. I like the champagne air up here on Skyline Drive. This is one of my favorite parts of Virginia. It's just a place to relax and collect ones sorts," said Gerald Lewis.

People are making it a day of hiking and sightseeing at Shenandoah National Park. They are taking advantage of the beautiful February weather.

"We came in through the southern most entrance of the park. We just stopped here and decided to take a little hike. Then we'll head on down the road and go for another hike in the park before we go back home," said Annie Bargielski, a visitor to the park.

Some just wanted to relax.

"I was about to drop off actually going to have a little snooze," said Lewis.

And others wanted to take in all the sights around them.

"It's beautiful. It's really, really gorgeous. We were kind of hoping to see some more animals because usually when we come we see a good bit of deer.

"It's just a great way to enjoy God's country," said Paquette.

Park rangers say the weather is a huge factor when it comes to attendance. On a nice day like today, they say they'll see a few hundred people. But on a bad day, they say that number drops to as few as ten.