Despite going to the Boone / Blowing Rock area every year for the past few years, we were pretty hesitant this year. With face masks and caution, we ventured up for ~12 days and braved the crowds. With significant rain in the forecast starting at Day 4, we decided to liven it up by shooting a lot of video and trying to document what a weird year of hiking it was. Enjoy!
Trails Hiked
(In chronological order, adjusted for extra walking. Distance and elevation for each.)
- Bass Lake Loop (1mi, 20ft)
- Boone Fork Trail (5mi, 530ft)
- Sections of Tanawha Trail (2.3mi, 400ft)
- Flat Top Mountain Trail (5.4mi, 700ft)
- Greenway Trail Loop / Boone Sidewalks (4mi, 180ft)
- Trout Lake Loop (Long) (2.7mi, 300ft)
- Blue Ridge Parkway Visitor Center Loop (1.5mi, 150ft)
- Crabtree Falls Loop (2.6mi, 577ft)
- Cone Manor to Bass Lake Loop (Short) (4.4mi, 390ft)
- Trout Lake Loop (Short) (1.6mi, 70ft)
- Elk Knob Summit Trail (5mi, 1000ft)
- Cascades / Tompkins (2mi, 150ft)
- Green Knob Loop (2mi, 515ft)
- Raven Rock Trail (2.4mi, 560ft)
- Flat Rock Loop (1mi, 140ft)
- Sections of Tanawha Trail (2.3mi)
- Glen Burney Trail (3.4mi, 700ft)
- Linville Falls Overlook Trail (2.75mi, 500ft)
- Stone Mountain to Cedar Rock Trail Loop (8.3mi, 1700ft)
- Daniel Boone Scout Trail to Calloway Peak Loop (7.85mi, 2100ft)
- Bass Lake Loop (1mi, 20ft)
Statistics
- Miles hiked: ~75mi on trail, ~100mi walked total
- Number of times stepped off trail to avoid non-masked hikers: 84
- Number of snakes seen on trail: 3
- Number of times shopped in Blowing Rock: 0
- Number of college kids smoking on Rough Ridge at sunset: too many
- Appropriate number of sausages for dinner: 3
- Number of donuts Leeroy received: 0
Awards
- Most annoying weather condition: rain
- Three-time best french toast in Blowing Rock: fugasa @ Village Cafe
- Best local drive-thru: Come Back Shack
- Worst timing to be closed for two weeks: Capone’s Pizza
- Biggest surprise: how cool the Glen Burney Trail is
- Most thankful for: hiking poles
- Worst choice of clothing: my hoodie in the rain
- Dumbest idea that actually worked out: my resume video shoot
- Hardest console to pre-order during a hike: Xbox Series X
- Most popular food item for Leeroy to become: burrito
- Strangest mystery: if Trout Lake has any trout
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