The weather forecast was predicting cold and very windy weather. We did not quite know what to expect as we headed up White Oak Canyon Trail. It turns out that the weather and wind were not quite as bad as we thought they would be. There was a nice group of nine people who showed up for the hike.
The waterfalls were beautiful as we were hiking up the trail. There was a small amount of ice and snow on the way. However, it began to melt as the bright sun came out. We hiked a little slower up the steep and rocky steps beside the falls. Marian Styles and Briana Taylor took some time to pause and enjoy the view of the falls. Paige Madison, John Shannon, and Ken Moss took advantage of the nice scenery to take some pictures. John Brandt decided to move a little quicker and met us near the top of the last set of falls. 
We decided to stop and have lunch overlooking the top of the falls. It was an ideal place for lunch- great view and not too windy or cold. After consulting with John Shannon and Ken Moss, hike leader Liz Lyons decided to make this hike an out and back. We were not sure if we could complete the full circuit across the horse trail and down Cedar Run before dusk. We knew Cedar Run would be slippery and probably have more ice to contend with. The group did not seem to mind and decided it would allow time to stop at a vineyard on the way back home. We all made it back down White Oak Canyon Trail in one piece.
After the hike, we stopped at DuCard Vineyard in Etlan. Some of the group did a wine tasting while others sat on the couch to enjoy the great view and some conversation with one of staff members at the vineyard. After the wine tasting, everyone sat down for some more conversation and rest after the hike. It was the perfect way to end a great day at one of Shenandoah National Park's most scenic hikes!
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