About the blog

Sunrise at Beagle Gap, Virginia
In 2012, I started Hiking Shenandoah while I was a student at the University of Virginia to share information on less commonly hiked destinations in Shenandoah National Park. Having grown up near the Blue Ridge and having spent my weekends throughout college exploring the range to my heart's content, I wrote posts on Lewis Peak, Dry Run Falls, Oventop, and other oft-overlooked spots on or around Skyline Drive in hopes of helping other hikers to find the joyful and beautiful things that I saw as well.

A decade later, it's clear that this is no longer a blog just about hiking in Shenandoah- although the blog does cover over 50 hikes within the national park. I've moved west from my home state and in the process I've expanded my hiking horizons to include mountainous regions on both coasts. I've been in awe at the extraordinary beauty of the North American continent and of the inspiring people and places that make up the United States of America. This blog is my humble attempt at sharing that awe- and those landscapes- with you.

Yellow Aster Butte and Mount Baker

Tumbledown Mountain, Maine

Gooseneck Overlook in Canyonlands National Park, Utah


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About me

At the Mesquite Sand Dunes, Death Valley
Photo Credit to sifchen; follow her on Instagram!

I am a former student of the University of Virginia and Virginian, enamored with hiking, classical music, and the Blue Ridge Mountains. I love all mountains, but the Blue Ridge has a very special place in my heart. This blog is my attempt at sharing what I've experienced in Shenandoah National Park and other parts of the Virginia mountains. I hope that you will find my posts useful in planning your own trips to Shenandoah and that some part of my ramblings will allow you to have a deeper appreciation of the park!
I now live in California- so most updates will be coming from the West Coast. I'll still post updates from the Appalachians whenever I visit home though!

If you see me on the trails, don't be a stranger! I'd love to hear about the hikes you've done and plan for more hikes to do in the future.

If you wish to use any photos featured on this site, please contact me in advance.

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note about difficulty ratings and a disclaimer

This is a blog written for people who hike or exercise fairly often. Hiking is often just walking, but it can be quite difficult if you're not in very good shape. In this blog, an "easy" hike is one that can be done without requiring a large amount of physical exertion that has minimal hazards. By this definition, a hike that is four miles long and has a couple hundred feet of elevation gain can still be "easy." Moderate hikes often are either fairly steep, fairly long, both, or involve more hazardous aspects like rock scrambling or river crossings. The few hikes that are rated strenuous on this blog usually combine significant length, elevation gain, and hazards. If you've never hiked before, I would advise you to start with an "easy" or "easy-moderate" hike.

I describe the principal hazards in each hike and justify the difficulty rating at the start of each hike description. Read this carefully to make sure the hike fits you.

Hiking is an activity that carries an inherent element of risk; outdoor conditions are often unpredictable and can lead to injury or death. It is your responsibility to make sure that you are prepared for backcountry travel and to manage risks encountered during or on the way to any hikes. While every effort is made to ensure that the content on this blog is accurate, trail conditions and sometimes even landscapes themselves may change, rendering the provided information obsolete or incorrect. By reading the content on this blog, you consent that the author of this site will not be held liable for any accidents, injury, or death that may result from using the information provided on this site or due to any potential inaccuracies in the information provided.

9 comments:

  1. Great blog! I enjoyed your photos and trail descriptions.

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  2. Great blog. Very useful info here.

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  3. I hiked ptarmagin ridge the same day, was looking for pics of the goats and thus found your blog. I had a fun time moseying through it, as I had done a lot of the nw Washington hikes. your great photography took me down a pleasant memory lane. I was at Pilchuk last week. I too have hiked the enchantments in one day and your up/down approach intrigued me. thank you for a most pleasant read
    jackson

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    1. Hi Jackson- thanks for the visit! I took my time with Ptarmigan Ridge as well, the scenery was so excellent that it was difficult to leave any one spot! My one-day up/down approach to the Enchantments was more due to avoiding the logistical issues of hiking through the entire range rather than any other reason; it's nice to see Colchuck Lake and the Upper Enchantments twice in one day though!

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  4. coyote buttes north, April or October jackson

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  5. Just stumbled across your blog and have found it quite helpful. This summer the kids (5 and 8) are hiking every other day to make a scrapbook of this beautiful area we live in. SNP is only 45 minutes away,so we can't wait to explore. Funny you're in the PNW now as my family's last two vacations were in the Cascades and Olympics. Love that state. Best hike I've ever done was the Hidden Lake trail in the Cascades. It had everything.

    Anyway, thanks for the blog and info!

    Michael

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    1. Hi Michael- Thanks for checking out the blog. That hiking scrapbook sounds like a recipe for an awesome summer for your kids! I hiked up to Hidden Lake Lookout last summer but it was unfortunately socked in- hopefully I'll go back in nicer weather this year and be able to write about it on the blog. The North Cascades are absolutely beautiful!

      I'm going to "kid-friendly" as a label on hikes that I think are appropriate for families in the next few days- hope that will help with your planning!

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  6. Are you still on this site? If so, could you e-mail me? I had some questions about your hike over Andrews glacier! My email is teflonkeanu@gmail.com - thank you!

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