Completing the Triple Crown

~ theunassuminghiker

No, this isn’t about horse racing.  If you have hiked the Appalachian Trail, or live in Southwest Virginia, you know that the Triple Crown refers to  3 popular hikes on the AT.  McAfee’s Knob – by far the most popular and most photographed spot on the AT – it even appeared in the movie “A Walk in the Woods.”  The second one is Dragon’s Tooth, the tough hike that I finally completed earlier in the Spring.  Finally, the lesser talked about, but gaining in popularity is Tinker Cliffs.

I’m proud to say, that as of yesterday, JG and I have completed all three!

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It was a beautiful day for hiking, and we got an early start with some good friends.

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But thanks to all the rain Mother Nature has dumped on us lately, it was probably one of the muddiest hikes I’ve ever been on.

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We took the Andy Layne Trail which takes you through private land, with cows and bridges and snakes!

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This little guy was sunbathing at the end of the first bridge, while I called for backup.  He eventually slithered away from the steps so we could move on.

The cliffs are spread out over about a half a mile, so there’s room for everyone to find their special nook to enjoy the incredible view.

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That’s me, living the good life.

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The rock formations were also photo worthy. . .

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As was the mountain laurel,

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and other interesting things along the way, like this tree – what??

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After returning home, our friends fixed dinner for us!  How wonderful, especially since they were just as tired as we were.  Thanks Fred and Cindy – look forward to hiking with you again.

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After 8 miles, I thought I would feel worse than I do today.  Physical Therapy is where it’s at my friends.  Have a lovely weekend!

 

20 thoughts on “Completing the Triple Crown”

  3. Good work!! Now you’ve given me something new to target 😉
    I’m partial to rock formations, so the photo of the rock walls definitely caught my eye!
    … the snake? I could do without 😳

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  4. Wow, lovely! Does my soul good to see your pictures Karen – am still sick, now with a head/chest cold thing going on. My immune system has gone AWOL for this week, and the weather is amazing here. Not fair!

    Deb

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  5. Beautiful images Karen 🙂 That’s one hell of a tree. It looks like it’s suspended or caught up in the other trees branches. Either that or I smoked one to many funny cigarettes today 🤪

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  8. What a terrific hike, Karen. The views are magnificent. I can’t get over all the beautiful trails at your disposal. I love the suspended tree. You don’t see that every day.

    Are the snakes poisonous are just worrying if you don’t know what you’re looking at?

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      1. Laurie had a story to tell once of a snake in her house. The worst we get here are lizards. They startle me, but I can pick them up and put them outside again. It’s usually one of the cats that brings them in. Ugh!

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  9. I just picked up last fall’s SWVA hiking issue and I was so thrilled to read your piece. I used to be quite active until the last 9 years. Two knee replacements from tennis didn’t help plus a diagnosis of Lupus. If there is room in your hiking group for me, I would love to be a part of the challenge, commraderie and fun.

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