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Walking to John Gorka

From our house via the Roanoke River Greenway and Franklin Road to downtown Roanoke and back. About 6 miles.

A Virginia “Classic” in Winter

Rock Castle Gorge loop from Rocky Knob Campground at Parkway milepost 167.1. 10.6 miles

Snowshoe Mountain: An Adventure

Caroline tells her adventure of skiing at Snowshoe Mountain in the beautiful WV region.

Where 4.0 is really 2.8

Price Mountain and Sulphur Ridge Trails loop. 4 miles

Late December Hikes: Three Nearby Faves

December 15: Parkway Milepost 101.5: FR 191 to AT to Fullhart Knob Shelter and back. December 23: Read Mountain Trail up and back with Aden and Matthew. December 31: Woodthrush Trail to Ridgeline Trail to top of Mill Mountain and down the Star Trail.

Current Issue

Hard to hear, in the typed word, John Gorka's joke as he picked up this G-sharp guitar: "OK, I'm gonna play a little guitar for you know." (As in "talk a little smack" or "tell you a little story" . . . OK, you had to be there.)

Walking to John Gorka

From our house via the Roanoke River Greenway and Franklin Road to downtown Roanoke and back. About 6 miles.
f6030d54-6a4c-11e2-81d7-1231394043be-rock-castle-bald2

A Virginia “Classic” in Winter

Rock Castle Gorge loop from Rocky Knob Campground at Parkway milepost 167.1. 10.6 miles
Snowshoe

Snowshoe Mountain: An Adventure

Caroline tells her adventure of skiing at Snowshoe Mountain in the beautiful WV region.
Have we mentioned we have matching hiking shoes, with a not-matching-anything dog?

Where 4.0 is really 2.8

Price Mountain and Sulphur Ridge Trails loop. 4 miles
From left: Aden, Kurt and Matthew at Buzzard Rocks looking west, December 23, 2012.

Late December Hikes: Three Nearby Faves

December 15: Parkway Milepost 101.5: FR 191 to AT to Fullhart Knob Shelter and back. December 23: Read Mountain Trail up and back with Aden and Matthew. December 31: Woodthrush Trail to Ridgeline Trail to top of Mill Mountain and down the Star Trail.
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Departments

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
Synchronous Fireflies
Creature Feature

The Light Fantastic

Fireflies are struggling with the effects of artificial light.

June 29, 2026

CALENDAR OF EVENTS