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Kurt and Gail RheinheimerBlue Ridge Country editor-in-chief Kurt Rheinheimer and his wife Gail woke up on Valentine's Day in 2004 looking to do something a little different in recognition of the occasion.

Since then, Kurt and Gail have hiked at least once every weekend for almost five years. Of those 250 weekends, they have missed 13, virtually all due to occasional balkiness from Kurt's old-man knees or achilles. For the first two years (Valentine's Day 2004 through Valentine's Day 2006) they didn't miss a single week. They completed the 546 miles of the Appalachian Trail in Virginia in the summer of 2008, and have walked more than 2,300 miles total, mostly in Virginia but including hikes in West Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Texas, Florida and Oregon.

A Hike in Fog and Drizzle

Salt Pond (Forest) Road to the Appalachian Trail; north on AT to Fullhart Knob Shelter and back. 8 miles.

Heading to a shelter as the lunch stop in warmer weather can only mean one thing: rain or the strong threat of it.

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Trail Magic at the Eastern Continental Divide

Appalachian Trail : Va. 621 southbound to crest of Sinking Creek Mountain and back. 7.4 miles.

On a day forecast to reach 90 degrees, we set out to go west and up high, in search of a cool breeze.

The walk began with a cool breeze in the form of a coupl...

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Summiting Terrapin Mountain, and Rock-hopping with a Nervous Puppy

Summiting Terrapin Mountain, and Rock-hopping with a Nervous Puppy

Terrapin Mountain Trail/Reed Creek Trail loop. 9 miles.

We'd been trying to get back to this hike – done years ago and only vaguely remembered – for weeks, owing to Gail's hope to pass by the old homeplace of a friend/co-worker who grew up on the side...

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Honoring Wilderness, and Audie Murphy

Honoring Wilderness, and Audie Murphy

Appalachian Trail , Va. 620 to Audie Murphy Monument and back. 7.6 miles.

We picked this walk on this day in honor the signing by the president of the omnibus outdoors bill, which includes the creation of a new designated wilderness along its route – Bru...

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Following in Thomas Jefferson's Footsteps

Following in Thomas Jefferson's Footsteps

From Blue Ridge Parkway milepost 83.1: Fallingwater Cascades Trail loop and Flat Top Mountain up and back. 7.2 miles.

This two-walk walk is a good one for an early-spring, post-rain trek, given the presence of falling water, moist spots for early wild...

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In Search of a Tunnel

In Search of a Tunnel

Carvins Cove Boat Launch Lot to Tinker Creek tunnel and beyond on the fire road on the northern side of the reservoir, and back. 8 miles.

This walk was occasioned by the previous week's, when we crossed Tinker Creek on the Appalachian Trail just south ...

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Tiny Trail Magic

Tiny Trail Magic

Appalachian Trail from U.S. 220 southbound to first full viewpoint of Carvins Cove and back. 6 miles.

With rain all weekend and grandkid commitments here and there, we snuck in an old favorite and got lucky not to catch any drops during the two hours w...

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