(No hikes in October: During the weekend hiking odyssey we began on Valentine’s Day 2004, Gail and I had missed just 14 of the 700 or so weekends overall, and none since June, 2009; until when, in October 2017, my brother—and to my knowledge this blog’s most-devoted reader—needed our help as he dealt with a serious health issue. We could not have spent a more rewarding month had we hiked the highest peaks in, say, 30 states in 30 days. And of course we did do lots of walking; just not in the woods. As of November, with Eric returning to health during his “one-in-a-million” recovery, we continued to spend lots of time with him, but also got back to regular weekend hiking, as of course he championed. And as he increased his own daily walking around our neighborhood. And then way around our neighborhood as he discovered not only its hills but also its charming nooks and crannies, kooks and grannies.)
November 4. Appalachian Trail from U.S. 220 in Daleville to viewpoint over Carvins Cove and back. 5 miles.
Not a huge hike for our first one back—not even quite to our usual “Hey” Rock spot, given that the threatening day changed just a little too soon to acting on the threat with a shower. We busted out the trusty rain tarp—inactive for years—and got it up just in time to stay dry for lunch. And even from rocks not quite as far as those we usually reach, the view down onto the reservoir was worth the walk.
November 12. Peaks of Otter Lodge to Flat Top summit and back. 5.4 miles.
If The Greatest Day Hiker Of Them All has one fault, it is that she hastens the season. Well, not spring. Or summer. Or even fall. But at the first hint of cold, her protest that winter has arrived is loud and predictable. “We better eat in the lodge, Kurt, because it’s . . . freeeezing!” Which of course it wasn’t, quite, and the sequence of eating first and then hiking is always a serious breech of our general pattern. But eat first we did, and then set out on the sort of back-door climb we’d done perhaps only once before, and did not remember as being as steep as it was this day. The view atop Flat Top are always, always, always worth the walk.
November 18. Andy Layne and Appalachian trails to Tinker Cliffs and back. 7.6 miles.
Ah, the real thing . . . The good stream area, the steeps, the switchbacks and the long, final .6 after reaching the A.T., to the top. You climb a mountain with your lunch on your back and you park yourself at a stunning viewpoint, you are going to feel the satisfaction. The Day Hiker and I are well beyond 20 times for this ascent, and while it does become completely familiar, it does not lose any of its magic as a walk in the woods. And those steps on the two major steep sections—now around for a few years (thanks once again to the wonderful trail builders of the region)—become more and more welcomed.
November 26. Home via streets to Wildflower at Towers and back via Roanoke River Greenway. 5.5 miles.
Well, one urban hike for the first month back isn’t too bad. And the fine fare at Wildflower makes for a fine mid-point and prep-point to go walk along the river back toward home.
Since Valentine’s Day 2004, Blue Ridge Country Editor in Chief Kurt Rheinheimer and his wife Gail have hiked at least once almost every weekend. Of those bazillion weekends, they have missed just 14, virtually all due to occasional balkiness from Kurt’s old-man knees or achilles. For the first two years (Valentine’s Day 2004 through Valentine’s Day 2006) they didn’t miss a single week, and they have a longer streak now, which Kurt is too superstitious to talk about. They celebrated their 1oth anniversary of hiking with a February 2014 trip to hike the trails of St. John in the U.S. Virgin Islands. They completed the 550 miles of the Appalachian Trail in Virginia in the summer of 2008, and have walked more than 5,100 miles total, mostly in Virginia but including hikes in West Virginia, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, Texas, Florida, Oregon and … New Zealand! This blog is an ongoing chronicle of those hikes. We hope you enjoy these tales from the trail, and we encourage you to get out there and experience the beautiful Blue Ridge for yourself – happy hiking!
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