{"id":308,"date":"2017-01-09T16:15:00","date_gmt":"2017-01-09T21:15:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sites.temple.edu\/prorangerblog\/2017\/01\/09\/program-visit-shen\/"},"modified":"2017-01-09T16:15:00","modified_gmt":"2017-01-09T21:15:00","slug":"program-visit-shen","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sites.temple.edu\/prorangerblog\/2017\/01\/09\/program-visit-shen\/","title":{"rendered":"Program Visit: SHEN"},"content":{"rendered":"


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I planned our visits to COLO and SHEN so we could spend the weekend camping and hiking at Shenandoah National Park.<\/div>\n
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But first, we made a stop along with way at Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park.  <\/span>We spent the afternoon with Ranger Matt Roland and his family, touring the park and earning some patches!  <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n
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The Rolands and the McGarveys.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n\n\n
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Junior ProRanger with the grave of Stonewall Jackson’s arm.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

I also got to catch up with ProRanger alumnus Eric Morgan who has recently returned from FLETC and field training at SHEN.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n
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Ranger Roland, Dr. McGarvey, Ranger Morgan and Junior ProRanger McGarvey<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n
Shortly after getting settled in Shenandoah NP at Mathews Arms campground, where I should note there is no cell service, I broke a crown on my tooth!  <\/span>Fortunately I was not in too much pain and we continued with the visit.  I’m just glad it was only a minor inconvenience — it does make a person think about how used to cell service we have all gotten!  <\/span><\/p>\n

The campground is in the North district where ProRanger Dan Bussell was working.  After a coincidental meeting with Dan and his supervisor Ranger Jacob Wahler we decided to have an impromptu meeting at the ranger station.  <\/span>Just then they got a call to back up another ranger and I almost followed them to the call!  After a quick grocery trip, we worked our way down Skyline drive stopping to admire the sunset at every pulloff!<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n
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Sunset along Skyline Drive<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n\n\n
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Sunset along Skyline Drive<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

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One of many bears on or near the road.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

We later saw them again as they passed through the campground and learned of a missing hiker from a campsite just across from us.  <\/span>Later Dan told me about their search \u2013 they found him later that evening, lost and dehydrated but otherwise fine.  SHEN is a busy park on the weekends!<\/div>\n

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Aislin and I spent our weekend camping, exploring the park, attending ranger programs and getting started on our junior ranger badges.  <\/span>We saw several bears by the roadside during our travels on Skyline Drive.<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n
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Dinner!<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n
We ate s\u2019mores for dinner (shhh!).<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n
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Lots of work to earn that badge!<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

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Byrd Visitors Center at Big Meadows<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

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Junior Ranger Program with Ranger Meredith!<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

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Climbing is fun!<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

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On our final morning, Dan met us at our campsite.  <\/span>As I finished packed the car, I heard rustling the bushes and out emerged a smallish bear!  <\/span>I scared him when I jumped in the car and slammed the door.  <\/span>So, alas, no photos!  <\/span>But, then I did remember all the rustling in the bushes that I heard from the tent each night.  <\/span>I had assumed they were just deer – now I’m not sure.  I sure was glad that I had followed all of the park\u2019s safety rules to properly store coolers and food items!!<\/div>\n
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Fun at the Dickey Ridge Visitors Center!<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n\n\n
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Working on the badge with ProRanger Dan Bussell.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n
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Taking the junior ranger oath is serious business.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

We spent the day with Dan on a hike, finishing our junior ranger badge and learning about Shenandoah NP and the law enforcement issues he has gotten to see this summer.  <\/span>

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ProRanger Bussell and Ranger Wahler.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n


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We also moved back into cell phone range, so I made an emergency appointment with the dentist!  <\/span>So, after a meeting with Ranger Jacob Wahler and presentation of the plaque, we hit the road for home!<\/div>\n
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Up next:  <\/span>VAFO<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I planned our visits to COLO and SHEN so we could spend the weekend camping and hiking at Shenandoah National Park. But first, we made…<\/p>\n

Continue readingProgram Visit: SHEN<\/span><\/a><\/div>\n","protected":false},"author":36,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[80,87,63],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-308","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-80","category-shenandoah-np","category-vicki-lewis-mcgarvey","entry"],"featured_image_src":null,"featured_image_src_square":null,"author_info":{"display_name":"Paul Paire","author_link":"https:\/\/sites.temple.edu\/prorangerblog\/author\/paire\/"},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.temple.edu\/prorangerblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/308","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.temple.edu\/prorangerblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.temple.edu\/prorangerblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.temple.edu\/prorangerblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/36"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.temple.edu\/prorangerblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=308"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/sites.temple.edu\/prorangerblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/308\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.temple.edu\/prorangerblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=308"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.temple.edu\/prorangerblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=308"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.temple.edu\/prorangerblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=308"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}