Tag: hikers

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Hikes and Wild Ponies at Grayson Highlands State Park

Most recently updated October 15th, 2024

The Grayson Highlands Park is right on the edge of  the areas of North Carolina and Virginia that were hardest hit by Hurricane Helene.

That said, the Park is open (with some restrictions) and many of the surrounding communities are open for business and could really use your Fall vacation dollars to help rebuild!

Go to my Hurricane Helene page to get the latest updates on the latest Park, Trail and road repairs. 

Mists rise from the mountains after a summer rain.
Smoky Mountains get their name from the mist that settles in the valleys.

Grayson Highlands State Park in Virginia is a great place to go hiking and look for wild ponies!   

I was lucky enough to spend a few days there this past September.

The Park covers 4800-acres, and is adjacent to Virginia’s highest peak at an elevation of 5,729 feet,  Mount Rogers.

You’ll find camping, picnicking, overnight horse stables, a visitor center, hiking trails, and access to the Appalachian Trail at Grayson Highlands.

But the ponies were the REAL attraction for me 🙂

A young pony being friendly.
A young pony being friendly.

The mountain balds are inhabited by a herd of  ~120 ponies that run wild within the confines of the Park.

 
They’re not at all shy, so you get a lot of chances to see them.  
 
Grayson Highlands is home to other wildlife, too.
 
Visitors might also see black bear, bobcat, red fox, ruffed grouse, deer, and wild turkeys – and also longhorn cattle! 
These cattle were blocking the trailhead, and also adorable :)
These cattle were blocking the trailhead, and also adorable 🙂

Read on to learn about the park and area history, hiking trails, and all of those wild ponies just waiting for you to visit!

Continue reading Hikes and Wild Ponies at Grayson Highlands State Park

Myrtle Beach – 5 Days of Walks and Outdoor Fun!

Most recently updated October 15th, 2024

Estimated Reading Time: 18 minutes

Myrtle Beach, South Carolina is a favorite Summer family vacation spot!

Located in the center of the 60-mile long stretch of beach known as “The Grand Strand”, it’s one of the major tourist destinations in the entire country, attracting over 20M visitors each year.

Myrtle Beach Spring Break

Spring Break reveler at Myrtle Beach :-)
Spring Break reveler at Myrtle Beach 🙂

Myrtle Beach is also a notorious Spring Break destination, but it’s not what you think!

The Spring Break crowd in Myrtle typically has adult supervision and isn’t the crazy College break scene like you get in Fort Lauderdale.

So Myrtle Beach is a good choice for both adult travelers and families with school-aged children on Easter break. 

Winter at the Beach

I usually go to Myrtle in the off-season, because it’s both less crowded and less expensive then.  

North Myrtle Beach in February.
North Myrtle Beach in February.

And I like the beach in the Winter, because you can walk by the water for miles without suffering heat stroke 😉

That said, more things are open in the Summer season, when more people are around.

Read on to learn about fun activities I’ve found in every season – including the beach – that work for adult travelers and families, too.   

Continue reading Myrtle Beach – 5 Days of Walks and Outdoor Fun!

Hike the Great Channels on Brumley Mountain

Most recently updated October 15th, 2024

Estimated Reading Time: 14 minutes

The Great Channels are right on the edge of  the areas of North Carolina and Virginia that were hardest hit by Hurricane Helene.

That said, the Park is open (with some restrictions) and many of the surrounding communities are open for business and could really use your Fall vacation dollars to help rebuild!

Go to my Hurricane Helene page to get the latest updates on the latest Park, Trail and road repairs. 

Mists rise from the mountains after a summer rain.
Smoky Mountains get their name from the mist that settles in the valleys.

I finally got to explore the Great Channels on Brumley Mountain, Virginia earlier this Fall after obsessing over it for nearly a year!

On the Navajo Trail in Bryce Canyon, Utah
On the Navajo Trail in Bryce Canyon, Utah

The Great Channels sit at the summit of a mountain, and features a maze of slot canyons similar to those you might find in the parks in Utah or Arizona.   

But the Great Channels formation is a surprise geologic gem hidden in southwest Virginia! 

Anyway, last year, while planning a hiking trip to Grayson Highlands State Park (more on that later),  I stumbled across an article about the Great Channels. 

“Stumbled” is probably not the best word for a hiker to use, but you know what I mean 😉

I made some new friends at Grayson Highlands State Park.
I made some new friends at Grayson Highlands State Park.

The Channels are a series of deep crevices worn into prehistoric sandstone outcrops, where you can walk down into the maze-like network of  crevices and explore.

You can also climb up on top of the Channels to get a stunning 360 view of the surrounding mountains!

Read on to learn how you can hike to the Great Channels, too.

Continue reading Hike the Great Channels on Brumley Mountain

Hike to the Flat Top Observation Tower on the Blue Ridge Parkway

Most recently updated October 15th, 2024

Estimated Reading Time: 16 minutes

The Blue Ridge Parkway runs through or very near areas of North Carolina and Virginia that were hardest hit by Hurricane Helene.

The North Carolina section of the Blue Ridge Parkway is closed, along with many other NC State Parks.  That said, the Virginia side of the BRP and many surrounding communities are open for business and could really use your Fall vacation dollars to help rebuild!  

Go to my Hurricane Helene page to get the latest updates on the latest area Park, Trail and road repairs. 

Mists rise from the mountains after a summer rain.
Smoky Mountains get their name from the mist that settles in the valleys.

I’ve been driving the Blue Ridge Parkway (BRP) in North Carolina and Virginia to get between places  for more than 25 years.

But,  I have to admit – until the last couple of years – I have completely neglected Blue Ridge Parkway hikes!

Then last year, a hiking friend introduced me to the  Rock Castle Gorge trail near Rocky Knob on the BRP.  Ever since then I’ve kept an eye peeled for new Parkway hikes I could try.

Tunnel beneath the BRP on a carriage road at Moses Cone Memorial Park.
Tunnel beneath the BRP on a carriage road at Moses Cone Memorial Park.

And this summer… I found some!  🙂

This past season, I hiked some trails in and around Grandfather Mountain State Park  (more on that later) and found myself driving the Parkway more than once to get from my lodgings in Banner Elk, NC to nearby trailheads and attractions.

One afternoon I finished a hike earlier than planned, and spotted  Moses Cone Memorial Park on the way back. 

It was a beautiful day, and I still had a couple of hours until sundown so I  stopped to check it out.

Hike the carriage roads to the Flat Top Observation Tower.
Hike the carriage roads to the Flat Top Observation Tower.

I found beautiful grounds with 25 miles of hikes along old carriage roads, including a  5-mile RT hike to the Flat Rock Observation Tower!

Read on to learn more about the Flat Top Tower hike in Moses Cone Memorial Park and all of the other beautiful bridle and hiking trails you can  experience there, too.

Continue reading Hike to the Flat Top Observation Tower on the Blue Ridge Parkway

New River Gorge National Park – 5-Day Hike Guide

Most recently updated October 19th, 2022

Estimated Reading Time: 18 minutes

New River Gorge National Park and Preserve in West Virginia is our nation’s 63rd – and newest – National Park.

Rock wall along the Rend Trail in the Thurmond area.
Rock wall along the Rend Trail in the Thurmond area.

The park encompasses over 70,000 acres of land along 53 miles of the New River from Bluestone Dam to Hawk’s Nest Lake.

In spite of it’s name, the New River is one of the oldest rivers on Earth, and has carved the deepest and longest river gorge in the Appalachian Mountains – dropping 750 feet over 50 miles!

More than a million people visit the gorge each year to kayak, canoe, and fish in the river or hike, bike, and camp on the land.  

For the past two years, I’ve been one of them!  

Each Summer, my family has a reunion in Indiana over the July 4th holiday. 

One of the smaller Falls and Sandstone Falls in the Park.
One of the smaller Falls at Sandstone Falls in the Park.

It’s a long drive, so on the return trip I’ve stopped at  New River Gorge National Park to break up the drive and check it out.

The first year, I only had a day at the Park, but this time I scheduled 4 whole days!  I was NOT disappointed 🙂

Read on to find out about the hikes I found there, and how you can go, too! Continue reading New River Gorge National Park – 5-Day Hike Guide

Hike Old Rag in Shenandoah National Park

Most recently updated October 15th, 2024

Estimated Reading Time: 16 minutes

The Shenandoah National Park is right on the edge of  the areas of North Carolina and Virginia that were hardest hit by Hurricane Helene.

That said, the Park is open and many of the surrounding communities are open for business and could really use your Fall vacation dollars to help rebuild!

Go to my Hurricane Helene page to get the latest updates on the latest Park, Trail and road repairs. 

Mists rise from the mountains after a summer rain.
Smoky Mountains get their name from the mist that settles in the valleys.

I made the journey to Shenandoah National Park in Virginia again last Spring, specifically to (finally!) hike the iconic Old Rag summit hike.

Old Rag was my Moby Hike - the one that got away!
Until this year, Old Rag was my Moby Hike – the one that got away!

It was the hike that got away – my Moby Hike!

I’ve had plans to hike Old Rag for the past three years – but each attempt was thwarted by weather or logistics.  

So I went back to try again – and I’m so glad I did! 

It was a perfect-weather weekday in May before all of the families started their Summer vacations, so there were other hikers on the trail, but the place wasn’t over-run.

There’s a long rock scramble to the mountain’s summit that works better with some teamwork – especially if you’re a little bit vertically challenged, like I am 🙂

I conquered Old Rag, then I found a couple of other rock-scrambly hikes in Shenandoah that were a little less daunting to do the next day.

Read on to learn how you can hike Old Rag, and those other hikes too!

Continue reading Hike Old Rag in Shenandoah National Park

Hike the Mountains to Sea Trail at Rolling View in Falls Lake

Most recently updated October 15th, 2024

Estimated Reading Time: 11.5 minutes

The Mountains to Sea Trail (MST) runs through or very near areas of North Carolina that were hardest hit by Hurricane Helene.

The Falls Lake section of the MST is open, along with many other NC State Parks and trails in the Eastern part of the State.  That said, Parks and the MST on the Western side of the State have been damaged and may be inaccessible. 

Go to my Hurricane Helene page to get the latest updates on the latest area Park, Trail and road repairs before you travel. 

Mists rise from the mountains after a summer rain.
Smoky Mountains get their name from the mist that settles in the valleys.

The Mountains-to-Sea-Trail (MST) is a simple hiking trail that spans almost 1200 miles across North Carolina, from the Great Smoky Mountains in the West to the Outer Banks on the East Coast.

Even though I’ve known about the MST for a good while, I didn’t really start hiking it on purpose until this past year.

MST Day Hike #22 in Winter.
MST Day Hike #22 in Winter.

Lately more and more people have been moving to my local area, and the easy-to-get-to hiking trails have become really crowded – especially on the weekends.

So I’ve had to look a little bit farther away for new trails – and that’s how I started paying more attention to the MST.

As of January 2019, 669 miles of the trail were completed, and even  more have been done since then.

The MST across North Carolina.
The MST across North Carolina.

That’s just over half of the planned MST miles that are now completed in multiple segments across the state!

With temporary routes (for the unfinished parts of the MST) on backroads and bicycle paths, hikers can now follow the MST all the way  across North Carolina.

One of the longest finished segments goes ~60 miles along the Southern shore of Falls Lake, just to the North of Raleigh near Wake Forest.

View of Falls Lake from the trail.
View of Falls Lake from the trail.

Even 60 miles (out of 1200) is an epic hike to most of us – but never fear!

You can hike smaller sections of the MST to make it an overnight backpacking trip, a day trip, or even just a few hours on the trail.

Today, I’ll tell you about the MST, and how you can hike my favorite local MST section (so far): MST Day Hike #22 at Rolling View in Falls Lake Recreation Area.

Continue reading Hike the Mountains to Sea Trail at Rolling View in Falls Lake

8 Weeks to Awesome (Again) – Hike Training Plan

Most recently updated July 15th, 2024

Estimated Reading Time: 12 minutes

Somehow we’re back again to the time of year when everyone resolves to change their lives (or themselves) for the better.

That also means it’s time to get into my hike training plan “8 Weeks to Awesome” again!

It's time for New Year's Resolutions again! Or, just set some goals .
It’s time for New Year’s Resolutions again! Or, just set some goals .

So, that’s why this year I’m calling it:  “8 Weeks to Awesome (Again)”.

Also, my hiking group and this 8 week hiking plan was recently featured in Cary Magazine, so I guess I gotta keep doing it 😉

Though I don’t really think New Year’s Resolutions work, I do believe you can set a goal and achieve it!

This hike training plan starts with setting your own individual goal – basically, deciding what you’re training for.

One of the fun T-shirts available in the IRW Merch shop.

Your goal may be to increase your ability to:

      • Hike a longer distance, or
      • Hike at a faster speed, or
      • Be better at elevation gain – or even, yes,
      • The dreaded weight-loss goal!

Or, your goal could be to complete an epic Bucket List hike on a planned (or dreamed of!) trip for the coming year.

If you’re looking for a way to get back into shape before Spring – even if you don’t have a big trip coming –  this hike training plan could be just what you need!

Read more to learn how to set up a hike training plan for your own individual goals!

Continue reading 8 Weeks to Awesome (Again) – Hike Training Plan

Hike the Rock Castle Gorge Trail on the Blue Ridge Parkway

Most recently updated October 15th, 2024

Estimated Reading Time: 16 minutes

The Blue Ridge Parkway runs through or very near areas of North Carolina and Virginia that were hardest hit by Hurricane Helene.

The North Carolina section of the Blue Ridge Parkway is closed, along with many other NC State Parks.  That said, the Virginia side of the BRP and many surrounding communities are open for business and could really use your Fall vacation dollars to help rebuild!  

Go to my Hurricane Helene page to get the latest updates on the latest area Park, Trail and road repairs. 

Mists rise from the mountains after a summer rain.
Smoky Mountains get their name from the mist that settles in the valleys.

I’ve enjoyed driving the Blue Ridge Parkway (BRP) in North Carolina and Virginia for more than 25 years.

But,  I have to admit – other than some quick roadside waterfall viewing – I have completely neglected Blue Ridge Parkway hikes!

But recently I found out what I’d been missing when I was invited to hike the Rock Castle Gorge Trail at Rocky Knob 🙂

The Blue Ridge Parkway is a National Parkway in the United States, noted for its scenic beauty.

Flower-lined trail at Shenandoah National Park
Flower-lined trail at Shenandoah National Park

It’s America’s longest linear park, running 469 miles through  Virginia and North Carolina, linking Shenandoah National Park to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

Combined with Shenandoah’s Skyline Drive, the Blue Ridge Parkway is also a favorite twisty-windey  motorcycle adventure through some beautiful scenery, especially in the Fall. 

Read on to learn more about the Parkway and Rocky Knob Recreation Area hiking trails – including the famous Rock Castle Gorge Trail!

Continue reading Hike the Rock Castle Gorge Trail on the Blue Ridge Parkway

Hike Stone Mountain State Park

Most recently updated October 15th, 2024

Estimated Reading Time: 19 minutes

Stone Mountain State Park is very near areas of North Carolina that were hardest hit by Hurricane Helene.

Stone Mountain is currently closed, along with many other NC State Parks and trails in the Western part of the State.  

Go to my Hurricane Helene page to get the latest updates on the latest area Park, Trail and road repairs before you travel. 

Mists rise from the mountains after a summer rain.
Smoky Mountains get their name from the mist that settles in the valleys.

I’ve been visiting Stone Mountain State Park in North Carolina for almost 20 years, either with kid in tow, with That Man, or on my own.

My most recent visit was just a few weeks ago –  and the mountain was still just as beautiful as I remembered 🙂

Located on more than 14,100 acres in Wilkes and Alleghany counties in North Carolina, Stone Mountain State Park offers cascading waterfalls, cool mountain streams, and quiet forests to explore.

And of course, the massive 600-foot granite dome of Stone Mountain itself.

There are more than 18 miles of hiking and riding trails, and 20 miles of designated trout waters available in the park.

Can you imagine living in the shadow of the dome on Stone Mountain ?
Can you imagine living in the shadow of the dome on Stone Mountain ?

You can also go rock climbing (with a permit) on the towering granite face of the landmark mountain.

Climbers on the dome look down over the Hutchinson Homestead, a restored mid-19th century mountain farm that rests in it’s shadow.

Read on to learn about the park and area history, hiking trails, and great views just waiting for you to visit!

Continue reading Hike Stone Mountain State Park