walk at the battlefield

jogger running up the to the Stonewall Jackson monument

This past Friday morning November 11th 20011, I was home in Manassas, the scene of one of the first major battles during the civil war 150 years ago and where there is a large national park on those battle grounds. I had an hour free on Veterans day and decided to go take a walk in the park. It's been a good while since I was up there and this time I discovered a new trail leading to a new section of the park I didn't know could be accessed by walking down this new trail through the woods! Perfect time of year if not the perfect day for a walk there. On the main ground site it was painfully windy and cold 36ºF wind chill they said as I was driving away at 11 in the morning after my walk! I had the small Kodak handy to make a few pictures and enjoyed a woodland and over field walk for 45 minutes by myself. There were a number of runners, joggers and dog walkers there too but I was one of the early birds at 10 AM.

cannon on the ridge overlooking Henry house and Manassas Mountain in the distance, beautiful woods ablaze with color between the field and the mountain.

cluster of oak trees looking kind of red orange stand against the intense wind which made the flags stand straight out this veterans day.

as I approached the woods this red grassy field and the colorful trees beyond built my excitement to see more leaves 

The entrance to the trail a wooded section of the park behind the visitors center.

Look carefully at the blow up to see the deer in the woods

It was a doe but about 100 feet further down the trail as a jogger came towards me a buck sauntered across the trail between us and seemed to be limping a bit. He had about 5 antlers on his head.

golden leaves of a young beech tree which may be as much as 15-20  years old they grow very slowly

at the edge of the forest were several more fields along the trail I followed

This reddish grass is one of my favorite things in the fall fields . 

The field beyond the trial's edge seen from the woods casting shadows in the foreground

Lots of colored leaves but they didn't photograph as well as they looked with the naked eye. 

I want to go back and try one of the long walks. They have one trail that is a full 5-6 miles long! Woods and fields and hills and valleys and Bull run the creek that surrounds one edge of the battlefield is another place to visit during the early spring. It has some great wild flowers that bloom just before the leaves come out on the trees. Next trip will be a winter walk. Maybe on Thanksgiving weekend? Or perhaps during Christmas holiday visits.