The weekend before the heavy, long lasting rainy weather started, we went on our first hike in California! We decided to hike to Pincushion Peak.
Chimney Tops Hike: We Were Disappointed [09/18/2023]
Chimney Tops is a very popular hike. It is a short hike, but the elevation gain makes it tough. Like maxing-out-your-heart-rate tough. Well, maybe not that bad for most people, but still tough enough that some people we met along the trail turned around! Long story short, the Chimney Tops hike is close to 2 miles one-way with 1,400 feet of elevation gain. But it is worth it… or at least it used to be worth it.
Abrams Falls: Beautiful yet Dangerous Waterfall Hike [09/15/2023]
Did you know Abrams Falls, located in the Cades Cove area of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, has been deemed one of the most dangerous hikes in all of America? If you’ve hiked to Abrams Falls you might think that’s a bit crazy. The hike itself to Abrams Falls is not dangerous by any means. However, most of the deaths that have occurred there have been water-related incidences, such as drowning by the waterfall or falling from the waterfall due to climbing the slippery rocks.
Dragon’s Tooth Hike: Amazing Sunrise Spot near Roanoke, VA [11/04/2023]
If you know us, you know we love a good sunrise hike! To be more exact, we love watching sunrise from the top of a mountain. We don’t necessarily enjoy waking up at the crack of dawn and hiking in the dark. But it’s (almost) always worth it!
My husband and I had already hiked to McAfee Knob and Tinker Cliffs which are a part of Virginia’s Triple Crown. Dragon’s Tooth was the missing piece! To make things more interesting, we decided to watch sunrise from the top.
McAfee Knob and Tinker Cliffs: Hiking 18 Miles in One Day [10-21-2023]
I had this crazy idea to hike McAfee Knob and Tinker Cliffs… out-and-back. Not one-way but out-and-back! The total would come out to be about 18 miles. That’s a pretty far distance to cover in one day unless you’re some ultra-marathon runner… which we are not.
Hiking All Three Peaks of Otter in One Day [10/28/2023]
Want to take on the “Peaks of Otter One Day Challenge”??? I actually just made up… it’s not an “official” challenge. Either way, it’s something really fun to do if you like physically challenging yourself. Basically, we hiked all three Peaks of Otter in one day. The total mileage came out to be about 12 miles and elevation gain was about 4,000 feet. For the average hiker, I would consider this a tough challenge.
Flat Top Mountain: Foggy Hike to the Tallest Peak of Otter [06/07/2022]
There was something special about this hike. At first, I thought it was not going to be very fun. We had a hard time finding the trailhead to Flat Top Mountain. It was rainy and cloudy. The temperatures were chilly, and of course I did not wear appropriate layers for rainy and (somewhat) cold weather conditions. I had to hit up the Peaks of Otter gift shop to buy myself sweater (and so did Vikas). Our negative attitudes changed midway through the hike. But how?
Old Rag Mountain: The Best Hike in Virginia [01/04/2024]
This was our second time hiking Old Rag Mountain together – AKA the best hike in Virginia. My husband and I first hiked to the summit of Old Rag in 2022 and loved it so much we wanted to do it again! Instead of hiking it in the middle of summer, we decided to hike it in winter. Why not make this already challenging hike a little bit more challenging?
Old Rag: Our Favorite Hike in All of Virginia [06/20/2022]
Old Rag Mountain is our favorite hike in all of Virginia! We went of a Monday afternoon in the summer. Surprisingly, it was not very crowded. We had the best time hiking and rock scrambling to reach the summit of Old Rag!
Hawksbill Summit: Hiking to the Highest Peak in Shenandoah National Park & Watching Sunset [04/24/2022 & 06/03/2022]
We hiked to Hawksbill Summit which is the highest peak in Shenandoah National Park and also one of the best spots to watch sunrise in Virginia.