Sandy Rumsey
...an ordinary person
Miles Hiked in 2021
63,920 ft of Elevation Gain
In 2020, my total miles hiked was a personal best. It was the year of Covid and I needed the sanity of the woods in order to cope. My total miles hiked were 456.5 miles with 81,706 feet of elevation gain. So, this is the number to beat in 2021.
My husband will be newly retired, so I expect to get in longer hikes during the week. Hopefully, together, we can break this record.
It's a ponytail life for me!
2021 Hiking Log
Chimney Rock
September 14
- Distance: 3.4 Miles
- Elevation Gain: 1110 ft.
- Difficulty: Moderate
Wagon Road Gap Picnic Area to Green Knob
September 12
- Distance: 2.8 Miles
- Elevation Gain: 725 ft.
- Difficulty: Moderate
Avery Creek Loop – Modified
September 7
- Distance: 10.1 Miles
- Elevation Gain: 2169 ft.
- Difficulty: Hard
Mt. Hardy Manway to Summit Trail
September 5
- Distance: 2.0 Miles
- Elevation Gain: 640 ft.
- Difficulty: Hard – Very Steep
Bearwallow Road
September 2
- Distance: 2.2 Miles
- Elevation Gain: 591 ft.
- Difficulty: Easy
Bearwallow Road
August 27
- Distance: 2.2 Miles
- Elevation Gain: 590 ft.
- Difficulty: Easy
Elk Pasture Gap
August 24
- Distance: 3.8 Miles
- Elevation Gain: 1407 ft.
- Difficulty: Moderat
Coon Tree Loop
August 23
- Distance: 3.9 Miles
- Elevation Gain: 1033 ft.
- Difficulty: Moderat
Bearwallow Road
August 22
- Distance: 2.2 Miles
- Elevation Gain: 591 ft.
- Difficulty: Easy
Tower Trail at Devils Tower
August 13
- Distance: 1.9 Miles
- Elevation Gain: 187 ft.
- Difficulty: Easy
North 40 “T”
August 11
- Distance: 1.0 Miles
- Elevation Gain: 144 ft.
- Difficulty: Easy
Finding Cows
August 9
- Distance: 0.8 Miles
- Elevation Gain: 79 ft.
- Difficulty: Easy
Cow Wrangling
August 8
- Distance: 1.2 Miles
- Elevation Gain: 236 ft.
- Difficulty: Easy
North 40
August 7
- Distance: 1.2 Miles
- Elevation Gain: 102 ft.
- Difficulty: Easy
Mountain View Trail Loop
August 4
- Distance: 2.8 Miles
- Elevation Gain: 325 ft.
- Difficulty: Easy
Afternoon Hike – North 40
August 3
- Distance: 2.0 Miles
- Elevation Gain: 233 ft.
- Difficulty: Easy
Mountain View Trail Loop
August 1
- Distance: 3.7 Miles
- Elevation Gain: 495 ft.
- Difficulty: Easy
Mountain View Trail Loop
July 30
- Distance: 2.7 Miles
- Elevation Gain: 328 ft.
- Difficulty: Easy
State Land up Lester’s Gulch
July 24
- Distance: 1.5 Miles
- Elevation Gain: 249 ft.
- Difficulty: Easy
Mountain View Trail Loop
July 22
- Distance: 2.8 Miles
- Elevation Gain: 331 ft.
- Difficulty: Easy
Mountain View Trail Loop
July 20
- Distance: 2.7 Miles
- Elevation Gain: 322 ft.
- Difficulty: Easy
North 40 “T”
July 15
- Distance: 1.0 Miles
- Elevation Gain: 141 ft.
- Difficulty: Easy
North 40 “T”
July 16
- Distance: 1.1 Miles
- Elevation Gain: 144 ft.
- Difficulty: Easy
Grassy Mountain Area toward Hwy 12
July 15
- Distance: 3.5 Miles
- Elevation Gain: 692 ft.
- Difficulty: Easy
North 40 “T”
July 12
- Distance: 1.1 Miles
- Elevation Gain: 171 ft.
- Difficulty: Easy
Skidway Area
July 10
- Distance: 3.4 Miles
- Elevation Gain: 758 ft.
- Difficulty: Easy
Mountain View Trail Loop
July 8
- Distance: 2.7 Miles
- Elevation Gain: 315 ft.
- Difficulty: Easy
North 40
July 7
- Distance: 0.9 Miles
- Elevation Gain: 102 ft.
- Difficulty: Easy
Top of Grassy Mountain
July 5
- Distance: 2.3 Miles
- Elevation Gain: 430 ft.
- Difficulty: Moderate
Over Bearwallow to Wildcat Rock
June 25
- Distance: 7.5 Miles
- Elevation Gain: 1719 ft.
- Difficulty: Moderate
Mt. Pisgah
June 23
- Distance: 3 Miles
- Elevation Gain:709 ft.
- Difficulty: Easy
Mountain View Trail Loop
June 13
- Distance: 1.8 Miles
- Elevation Gain: 325 ft.
- Difficulty: Easy
Mountain View Trail Loop
June 10
- Distance: 2.7 Miles
- Elevation Gain: 331 ft.
- Difficulty: Easy
Afternoon Hike on the T
July 7
- Distance: 1.3 Miles
- Elevation Gain: 184 ft.
- Difficulty: Easy
Afternoon Hike on “T”
June 5
- Distance: 1.0 Miles
- Elevation Gain: 141 ft.
- Difficulty: Easy
Grassy Mtn FSR 583-B1
June 1
- Distance: 3.6 Miles
- Elevation Gain: 938 ft.
- Difficulty: Moderate
North 40 Morning Hike
June 1
- Distance: 1.2 Miles
- Elevation Gain: 154 ft.
- Difficulty: Easy
North 40 Afternoon Hike
May 31
- Distance: 0.7 Miles
- Elevation Gain: 112 ft.
- Difficulty: Easy
Bridger View
May 31
- Distance: 1.8 Miles
- Elevation Gain: 246 ft.
- Difficulty: Easy
Afternoon Walk: “T”
May 30
- Distance: 1.2 Miles
- Elevation Gain: 157 ft.
- Difficulty: Easy
Morning Walk
May 30
- Distance: 0.9 Miles
- Elevation Gain: 144 ft.
- Difficulty: Easy
North 40 “T”
May 28
- Distance: 1.1 Miles
- Elevation Gain: 148 ft.
- Difficulty: Easy
North 40 Loop
May 27
- Distance: 1.1 Miles
- Elevation Gain: 207 ft.
- Difficulty: Easy
Game Reserve Loop
May 18
- Distance: 4.0 Miles
- Elevation Gain: 666 ft.
- Difficulty: Easy
Wolfpen Loop
May 16
- Distance: 1.5 Miles
- Elevation Gain: 144 ft.
- Difficulty: Easy
Bearwallow Loop
May 15
- Distance: 2.5 Miles
- Elevation Gain: 604 ft.
- Difficulty: Easy
Wolfpen Walkabout
May 14
- Distance: 1.4 Miles
- Elevation Gain: 133 ft.
- Difficulty: Easy
Morning Walk
May 13
- Distance: 2.2 Miles
- Elevation Gain: 128 ft.
- Difficulty: Easy
Cat Gap Loop
May 11, 2021
- Distance: 4.9 Miles
- Elevation Gain: 1047 ft.
- Difficulty: Moderate
Bearwallow Road
May 10
- Distance: 2.3 Miles
- Elevation Gain: 600 ft.
- Difficulty: Easy
Coon Tree Loop
May 1
- Distance: 3.8 Miles
- Elevation Gain: 1030 ft.
- Difficulty: Moderate
Bearwallow Trail – Road Loop
April 29
- Distance: 2.2 Miles
- Elevation Gain: 587 ft.
- Difficulty: Easy
Trombotore Trail
April 26
- Distance: 5.4 Miles
- Elevation Gain: 1227 ft.
- Difficulty: Easy to Moderate
Pressley Cove and Avery Creek Area Forest Roads
April 23
- Distance: 5.5 Miles
- Elevation Gain: 1060 ft.
- Difficulty: Moderate to Easy
Turkey Gut – Stairstep Falls – Long Branch Loop
April 21
- Distance: 4.1 Miles
- Elevation Gain: 633 ft.
- Difficulty: Easy
Wildcat Rock Trail
April 19
- Distance: 3.2 Miles
- Elevation Gain: 1086 ft.
- Difficulty:Moderate
Frying Pan Tower Trail from Pisgah Inn
April 14
- Distance: 4.4 Miles
- Elevation Gain: 1070 ft.
- Difficulty: Easy
Pisgah Inn to Summit of Mt. Pisgah
April 13
- Distance: 5.4 Miles
- Elevation Gain: 1165 ft.
- Difficulty: Easy to Moderate
Wolfpen Walkabout
April 12
- Distance: 1.4 Miles
- Elevation Gain: 133 ft.
- Difficulty: Easy
Big Hungry River Dam
April 11
- Distance: .3 Miles
- Elevation Gain: 30 ft.
- Difficulty: Easy
Long Ridge – Bear Branch – Bishop Branch
April 11
- Distance: 2.5 Miles
- Elevation Gain: 348 ft.
- Difficulty: Easy
Bearwallow – Wildcat Rock Trail
April 8
- Distance: 4.9 Miles
- Elevation Gain: 1056 ft.
- Difficulty: Easy to Moderate
Elk Pasture Gap
April 6
- Distance: 3.4 Miles
- Elevation Gain: 1100 ft.
- Difficulty: Moderate
Green Knob on Mountains to the Sea Trail
April 4
- Distance: 3.4 Miles
- Elevation Gain: 840 ft.
- Difficulty: Easy to Moderate
Mt. Pisgah
March 30
- Distance: 3 Miles
- Elevation Gain: 750 ft.
- Difficulty: Moderate
Long Ridge – Bear Branch – Bishop Branch
March 29
- Distance: 3.8 Miles
- Elevation Gain: 594 ft.
- Difficulty: Easy
FSR 5098
March 26
- Distance: 5.2 Miles
- Elevation Gain: 801 ft.
- Difficulty: Easy
Mt. Hardy Gap Manway to Summit
March 22
- Distance: 2.2 Miles
- Elevation Gain: 643 ft.
- Difficulty: Moderate
Wolfpen Walkabout
March 21
- Distance: 1.4 Miles
- Elevation Gain: 133 ft.
- Difficulty: Easy
Mt. Hardy via Mountains to the Sea Trail
March 20
- Distance: 4.7 Miles
- Elevation Gain: 810 ft.
- Difficulty: Easy to Moderate
Four Seasons Trail
March 19
- Distance: 2.7 Miles
- Elevation Gain: 758 ft.
- Difficulty: Easy
Sam’s Knob
March 17
- Distance: 2.7 Miles
- Elevation Gain: 558 ft.
- Difficulty: Easy to Moderate
Mt. Pisgah
March 15
- Distance: 3 Miles
- Elevation Gain: 750 ft.
- Difficulty: Easy to Moderate
MTS: Bennet Gap to Green Knob
March 14
- Distance: 2.0 Miles
- Elevation Gain: 656 ft.
- Difficulty: Easy
Long/Bear Branch Loop
March 13
- Distance: 2.5 Miles
- Elevation Gain: 348 ft.
- Difficulty: Easy
Wolfpen Walkabout
March 11
- Distance: 1.4 Miles
- Elevation Gain: 133 ft.
- Difficulty: Easy
Elk Pasture Gap
March 10
- Distance: 3.9 Miles
- Elevation Gain: 1404 ft.
- Difficulty: Strenuous
Daniel Ridge Loop
March 9
- Distance: 4.9 Miles
- Elevation Gain: 856 ft.
- Difficulty: Moderate
Elk Pasture Gap (Partial)
March 8
- Distance: 2.4 Miles
- Elevation Gain: 576 ft.
- Difficulty: Moderate
Middle Prong: MTS to Buckeye Gap Trail
March 6
- Distance: 6.0 Miles
- Elevation Gain: 515 ft.
- Difficulty: Easy
John Rock
March 3
- Distance:5.7 Miles
- Elevation Gain: 1066 ft.
- Difficulty: Easy
Bearwallow Trail / Road Loop
March 2
- Distance: 2.5 Miles
- Elevation: 597 ft.
- Difficulty: Easy
Bearwallow Road Walk
February 28
- Distance: 2.2 Miles
- Elevation Gain: 591 ft.
- Difficulty: Easy
Wolfpen Walkabout
February 26
- Distance: 1.1 Miles
- Elevation Gain: 100 ft.
- Difficulty: Easy
Wolfpen Walkabout
February 25
- Distance: 1.1 Miles
- Elevation Gain: 100 ft.
- Difficulty: Easy
FR 5058 to Buckhorn Gap Shelter
February 24
- Distance: 9.5 Miles
- Elevation Gain: 1457 ft.
- Difficulty: Moderate
Long Branch to Bear Branch to Bishop Branch Loop
February 21
- Distance: 2.5 Miles
- Elevation Gain: 341 ft.
- Difficulty: Easy
BRP at Wagon Road Gap to Green Knob to BRP at Bennet Gap
February 20
- Distance: 5.4 Miles
- Elevation Gain: 1316 ft.
- Difficulty: Easy
5058 – 5098 – Maxell Creek Loop
February 19
- Distance: 2.6 Miles
- Elevation Gain: 492 ft.
- Difficulty: Easy
Bearwallow Road Walk
February 18
- Distance: 2.2 Miles
- Elevation Gain: 591 ft.
- Difficulty: Easy
Wolfpen Walkabout
February 16
- Distance: 1.4 Miles
- Elevation Gain: 133 ft.
- Difficulty: Easy
BRP: Wagon Rd Gap to Firetower Rd
February 10
- Distance: 4.7 Miles
- Elevation Gain: 400 ft.
- Difficulty: Easy Road Walk
Bearwallow Road Walk
February 9
- Distance: 2.2 Miles
- Elevation Gain: 591 ft.
- Difficulty: Easy
Forest Service Road 5058 to Buckhorn Gap
February 8
- Distance: 8.7 Miles
- Elevation Gain: 1368 ft.
- Difficulty: Easy to Moderate Road Walk
Wolfpen Walkabout
February 7
- Distance: 1.4 Miles
- Elevation Gain: 133 ft.
- Difficulty: Easy
Wolfpen Walkabout
February 6
- Distance: 1.4 Miles
- Elevation Gain: 133 ft.
- Difficulty: Easy
Coon Tree to Bennet Gap Trailhead
February 5
- Distance: 4.6 Miles
- Elevation Gain: 1194 ft.
- Difficulty: Easy
Maxwell Cove – 5098 – 5058 Loop
February 4
- Distance: 2.7 Miles
- Elevation Gain: 489 ft.
- Difficulty:Easy
Wolfpen Walkabout
February 1
- Distance: .7 Miles
- Elevation Gain: 46 ft.
- Difficulty:Easy
Wolfpen Walkabout
January 30
- Distance: 1.4 Miles
- Elevation Gain: 133 ft.
- Difficulty: Easy
Maxwell Cove Loop
January 29
- Distance: 3.3 Miles
- Elevation Gain: 722 ft.
- Difficulty: Easy
Bearwallow Road Walk
January 26
- Distance: 2.2 Miles
- Elevation Gain: 591 ft.
- Difficulty: Easy
Cat Gap Bypass Loop
January 24
- Distance: 4.6 Miles
- Elevation Gain: 807 ft.
- Difficulty: Easy
Bear Branch / Long Ridge Loop
January 22
- Distance: 4.1 Miles
- Elevation Gain: 587 ft.
- Difficulty: Easy
Wolfpen Walkabout
January 20
- Distance: 1.4 Miles
- Elevation Gain: 133 ft.
- Difficulty: Easy
Wolfpen Walkabout
January 19
- Distance: 1.4 Miles
- Elevation Gain: 133 ft.
- Difficulty: Easy
Wagon Rd Gap – MLK Day Walk on Parkway
January 18
- Distance: 1.4 Miles
- Elevation Gain: 75 ft.
- Difficulty: Easy
Long Ridge – Turkey Gut Trail Loop
January 17
- Distance: 4.1 Miles
- Elevation Gain: 643 ft.
- Difficulty: Easy
Wolfpen Walkabout
January 15
- Distance: 1.4 Miles
- Elevation Gain: 133 ft.
- Difficulty: Easy
Long Ridge Trail
January 14
- Distance: 3.5 Miles
- Elevation Gain: 358 ft.
- Difficulty:Easy Peasy
Bearwallow to the Meadow
January 12
- Distance: 5.2 Miles
- Elevation Gain: 1109 ft.
- Difficulty: Moderate
Wolfpen Walkabout
January 10
- Distance: 1.4 Miles
- Elevation Gain: 133 ft.
- Difficulty: Easy
Bennet Gap Trail – Perry Cove Loop
January 9
- Distance: 4.2 Miles
- Elevation Gain: 1099 ft.
- Difficulty: Moderate
Wolfpen Walkabout
January 7
- Distance: .7 Miles
- Elevation Gain: 60 ft.
- Difficulty: Easy
Wolfpen Walkabout
January 6
- Distance: 1.4 Miles
- Elevation Gain: 133 ft.
- Difficulty: Easy
Wolfpen Walkabout
January 4
- Distance: 1.4 Miles
- Elevation Gain: 133 ft.
- Difficulty: Easy
Wolfpen Walkabout (half)
January 3
- Distance: .7 Miles
- Elevation Gain: 60 ft.
- Difficulty: Easy
MTS: Wagon Rd Gap to Penny’s Rock
January 2
- Distance: 3.4 Miles
- Elevation Gain: 758 ft.
- Difficulty: Easy
Take only pictures, leave only footprints.
The picture to the left is my favorite picture. It was taken on an overcast spring day on the Blue Ridge Parkway in North Carolina. Although I usually take pictures with my iPhone, I used a Nikon D3200 DSLR for this picture. Not bad for a novice.
Trillium Grandiflora