Most of our every-weekend hikes were local to our home in Roanoke, Virginia, and repeats of ones we’ve done many times, but there were a few new things along the way.
Photo Above: The Greatest Day Hiker of Them All takes the jump at Arnold Valley Pool, June 16 (the family gave her a standing O).
- A good winter walk with family at Douthat State Park in January.
- Our best bike ride of the year, from downtown Charleston, South Carolina over the giant Ravenel Bridge to Sullivan’s Island and back. Plus a series of 20-mile biking days at Hilton Head, South Carolina.
- We finally walked the historic Crozet Tunnel, near Charlottesville.
- The Wildcat Mountain Loop Trail at Virginia’s Cave Mountain Lake proved to be the hardest 4.8 many hard-hiking family members had ever done.
- Trails we’d never done at Claytor Lake State Park.
- A set of great, nearly-all-family hikes during our getaway in Boone, North Carolina, highlighted by the walk from Carvers Gap to Grassy Ridge Bald and walks on Grandfather Mountain.
Jan 1. Home to Fork in the Alley and back. 6.0
Jan 7. Poor Mountain Preserve loop. 4.6
Jan 14. Star and Monument trails onto Walnut Ave to Lew’s and back. 5.2
Jan 20. Loop walk at Douthat State Park. 4*
Jan 28. AT from VA 601 to Kelly Knob and back. 4*
Feb 4. Hotel, Buck, Brushy, HiDeeHo trails loop at Carvins Cove. 6
Feb 11. Woodthrush, Ridgeline, Riser, Sunny trails to Fork in Alley and back. 6.5
Feb 14. 20th Anniversary of Every Weekend Hike to Apple Orchard Falls for Valentine’s Day. 4.0
Feb 18. Mt. Pleasant loop. 5.4*
Feb 25. Chestnut Ridge Loop Trail. 5.4
Mar 3. Horse Pen and Lakeside trails out and back. 4
Mar 5-6. Trails around Mountain Lake. 3
Mar 10. Home to Fork in Alley and back. 6
Mar 17. Loop hike from home to Tanglewood Mall and back. 7.5
Mar 24. Andy Layne and AT to Tinker Cliffs and back. 7.6
Mar 30. Read Mountain loop. 4*
Apr 6. Bike ride from downtown Charleston SC over Ravenel Bridge to Sullivan’s island and back (20 miles)
Apr 8-9. Walks in Amelia Beach Fla. 5.2
Apr 12. Downtown Savannah GA walks. 6
Apr 21. AT from US 220 to ‘Little Hay Rock’ and back. 5.6
Apr 28. Apple Orchard, Forest Road, Cornelius Creek trails loop. 6*
May 5. Chestnut Ridge Loop Trail. 5.4
May 12. Tinker Creek Greenway from Plantation Road to Carvins Cove and back. 4.8
May 19. Home to Billy’s and back. 6
May 26. Apple Orchard, Forest Road, Cornelius Creek trails loop. 6
Jun 1. AT from US 11 to Fullhart Knob Ridge line and back. 7
Jun 9. Smith Mountain Lake State Park trails. 3*
Jun 16. Beyond Devils Marbleyard to ridge line and back. 4.4*
Jun 23. Crozet Tunnel through and back. 4.4
Jun 29. 4.4
Jul 5. Wildcat Mountain loop trail. 4.8*
Jul 13. Horse Pen, Lakeside trails and back. 4
Jul 20. Trails of Claytor Lake State Park. 5.6*
Jul 27. AT to “Little Hay” and back. 4.8
Aug 4. Goshen River Trail near Boone. 3.1*
Aug 5. Hebron Falls Trail near Boone. 3.1*
Aug 7. Grandfather Mountain loop. 2.4*
Aug 9. Carvers Gap to Grassy Ridge Bald and back. 5.2*
Aug 17. Home to Tap room and back; home to Wildflour and back. 6
Aug 24. Home to downtown Roanoke and back. 7
Sep 1. Horsepen and Lakeside trails. 4
Sep 7. AT from Bearwallow Gap to Mill Creek overlook and back. 4*
Sep 14. At to Cold Mountain and back. 4
Sep 21. Chestnut Ridge loop trail. 5.4
Sep 28. Home to Bernard’s Gastropub and back. 6
Oct 5. Hotel, Buck, Brushy, HiDeeHo loop. 6*
Oct 12-18. Daily biking at Hilton Head. 124 bicycle miles
Oct 26. Andy Layne Trail to beyond Scorched Earth Gap on AT and back. 7.2*
Nov 2. Bottom Creek Gorge loop. 5*
Nov 10. Chestnut Ridge loop. 5.4*
Nov 18. Beach walk at Cherry Grove, SC. 4
Nov 24. AT from U.S 11 to Fullhart Knob ridge line and back. 6.6*
Nov 30. Home to Beamers and back*
Dec 8. Tinker Creek Trail from Plantation to Carvins Cove and back. 4.8*
Dec 14. Home to Bernards and back. 6
Dec 20. Home to downtown Roanoke and back. 7
Dec 27. Star and Monument trails onto Walnut Ave to Lew’s Restaurant and back. 5.2*
