Start/End: Berry Hollow parking lot

Peaks: Old Rag (3,284')

Elevation Gain: 1,750 ft

RT Mileage: 5.4 mi

Duration: 3 hours, 11 minutes

Rock Difficulty: Class 1

Old Rag was #1 on our priority list when we visited Shenandoah, and we were really looking forward to the rock scramble on the infamous Ridge Trail. However, the national park has done a great job at discouraging people from attempting that route, convincing visitors that the route from Berry Hollow is nearly as challenging (spoiler alert: it isn't), and we unfortunately believed it too. Read more...

Start/End: Roaring Brook Trailhead, Rt. 73

Peaks: Giant (4,627')

Elevation Gain: 3,300 ft

RT Mileage: 6.8 mi

Duration: 6 hours, 28 minutes

Rock Difficulty: Class 1

We went camping in the Adirondacks for Memorial Day weekend, so we decided to bag a High Peak on one of the days. Our last major hike was in August 2020, nine months ago, so we opted for one of the easier High Peaks. We ended up choosing Giant Mtn via Roaring Brook Trail, which is just your average Class 1 below-treeline hike. Read more...