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Kurt’s Hikes

CURRENT Kurt’s Hikes

Tinker Cliffs Times 20: Still New

You do a hike for the 20th time over a seven-plus-year period and you ought to know its every twist and turn. Which we pretty much do for this favorite, though of course there are always a few small surprises:

New Trails in the Roanoke Valley

The recently cut trails in the preserve illustrate with just about every step of the walk the mammoth work of trail building.

Kurt’s Hikes: Good Afternoon, Irene

On this day, we took a new-to-us short route up, to look over and see Hurricane Irene hit the Virginia coast.

Walking the Roanoke Valley Horse Trail, Looking for Parkway Plan Answers

The Blue Ridge Parkway is seeking comment on a new trail plan for the Roanoke Valley section of the parkway. See it here: http://parkplanning.nps.gov/roanokevalleytrailplan

Of Spiders and Hermits

The thing about ocean-area hikes that aren't along the beach is that they all have three things in common: They're hot, they've got bugs and the Day Hiker talks a lot about 1 and 2 above.

Current Issue

Tinker Cliffs Times 20: Still New

You do a hike for the 20th time over a seven-plus-year period and you ought to know its every twist and turn. Which we pretty much do for this favorite, though of course there are always a few small surprises:
Fruit of the piratebush, one of the rarest shrubs in the Eastern mountains.

New Trails in the Roanoke Valley

The recently cut trails in the preserve illustrate with just about every step of the walk the mammoth work of trail building.

Kurt’s Hikes: Good Afternoon, Irene

On this day, we took a new-to-us short route up, to look over and see Hurricane Irene hit the Virginia coast.

Walking the Roanoke Valley Horse Trail, Looking for Parkway Plan Answers

The Blue Ridge Parkway is seeking comment on a new trail plan for the Roanoke Valley section of the parkway. See it here: http://parkplanning.nps.gov/roanokevalleytrailplan
Robert Harrill lived in this structure for 17 years.

Of Spiders and Hermits

The thing about ocean-area hikes that aren't along the beach is that they all have three things in common: They're hot, they've got bugs and the Day Hiker talks a lot about 1 and 2 above.
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Departments

Vibrant Monarch butterfly clings to its translucent dew covered cocoon
Creature Feature

Monarch Mimickers

It’s easy to mistake other orange species for the king of fall butterflies.

August 26, 2026
At Coopers Rock State Forest, new Stargazer cabins invite guests to look up through skylights and telescopes.
Country Roads

Even Closer to Almost Heaven

New Stargazer cabins at Coopers Rock State Forest offer a skyward escape in the mountains of West Virginia.

June 29, 2026
©Duncan Seaman
Country Roads

A Mountain Tradition Turns 90 

Visitors flock to Galax, Virginia, each summer for the Old Fiddlers’ Convention, a days-long celebration of Appalachian music.

June 29, 2026

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