sw virginia hikes: Apple Orchard Falls and Cornelius Creek Loop, July 10 2016

July 14, 2016.Reading time 8 minutes.

information

Apple Orchard Falls and Cornelius Creek Loop
type: loop
distance: 6.1 mi (listed at 5.6 mi)
elevation change: 1578 ft (listed at 1680 ft)
time: 3 hours with stops along the way
location: Jefferson National Forrest near Arcadia, VA
There are multiple ways you can do this loop including getting all the way up to the AT rather than taking the fire road connector and multiple trailheads to start at. My preferred trailhead is the trailhead at FS59 as described by hiking upwards in the link above. That way you do the climbing first before the downhills.
On the loop, there are many stinging nettles, especially on the Cornelius Creek Trail and the fire road. So it is recommend to cover your legs in the summer.

sw virginia hikes: Big and Little House Mountains, April 2 2016

May 3, 2016.Reading time 3 minutes.

information

Big and Little House Mountain
type: in and out
distance: 9.4 miles
elevation change: 3329 ft
time: 4.5 hours
location: near Lexington, VA
There are 2 possible overviews on this hike, Little House Mountain and Big House Mountain. If you are looking for a shorter hike, you can do only one of the peaks.

sw virginia hikes: pilgrimage to Tinker Cliffs, October 24 2015

October 27, 2015.Reading time 7 minutes.

2020/10: The updated report of this hike is available here with standardized formatting, updated photos, and a video.

For much of my travels, I don’t mind the number of people on the trails. I understand it; everyone wants to see these most aesthetically pleasing views out there. If people are going to spend their hard earned money to fly across the world, the least we all can do is share the experience. Plus they can all be potential drinking buddies. This is why I don’t include seclusion as a criterion on my rating system. While traveling, most places we will walk are going to be popular.

I do also enjoy the aspect of getting away from it all when I am hiking, this is especially true when I’m close to home. Here in the southwest Virginia area, there are many well-known hikes and sections of the Appalachian Trail within an hour drive from my front door. It’s not uncommon that on a sunny day, you’ll see a traffic jam on the on the curves up Catawba Valley Dr and people trying to squeeze their cars anywhere they can at McAfee Knob or Dragon’s Tooth trailheads. Both are well worth the hike and I eventually write about them (see links above). However, my local favorite is Tinker Cliffs via the Andy Layne Trail and it is the only hike that I will make the yearly pilgrimage to in the fall.