(RST) Ramesh Suma Tharun ☺

UTAH

1. USA - UTAH - DAY 5 - ZION NATIONAL PARK - OCT 2024

2. USA - UTAH - DAY 6 - CEDARS BREAK NATIONAL MONUMENT - OCT 2024

3. USA - UTAH - DAY 7 - BRYCE CANYON NATIONAL PARK - OCT 2024

ARIZONA

1. USA - ARIZONA - DAY 1 - PHOENIX - OCT 2024

2. USA - ARIZONA - DAY 2 - GRAND CANYON NATIONAL PARK - OCT 2024

3. USA - ARIZONA - DAY 3 - GRAND CANYON - DESERT VIEW TOWER - OCT 2024

4. USA - ARIZONA - DAY 4 - HORSE SHOE BEND + ANTELOPE CANYON - OCT 2024

5. USA - ARIZONA - DAY 8 - GLEN CANYON RECREATIONAL AREA - OCT 2024

8 DAYS TRIP TO ARIZONA N UTAH - OCT 2024

I. USA - ARIZONA - DAY 1 - PHOENIX - OCT 2024

2. USA - ARIZONA - DAY 2 - GRAND CANYON NATIONAL PARK - OCT 2024

3. USA - ARIZONA - DAY 3 - GRAND CANYON - DESERT VIEW TOWER - OCT 2024

4. USA - ARIZONA - DAY 4 - HORSE SHOE BEND + ANTELOPE CANYON - OCT 2024

5. USA - UTAH - DAY 5 - ZION NATIONAL PARK - OCT 2024

6. USA - UTAH - DAY 6 - CEDARS BREAK NATIONAL MONUMENT - OCT 2024

7. USA - UTAH - DAY 7 - BRYCE CANYON NATIONAL PARK - OCT 2024

8. USA - ARIZONA - DAY 8 - GLEN CANYON RECREATIONAL AREA - OCT 2024

1 DAY TRIP IN OHIO

CUHAYOGA NATIONAL PARK

CLEVELAND DOWNTOWN

EDGEWATER PARK - LAKE ERIE

GREATER CLEVELAND - SHIVA VISHNU TEMPLE

HIKINGS IN USA

1. Watkins glen state park - New York - Sep 2018

2. Maryland Heights Trail - West Virginia - Aug 2021

3. Springer mountain - Georgia - Aug 2021

4. Artist Bluff - New Hampshire - Oct 2021

5. Owl's Head Hiking Trial - Vermont - Oct 2021

6. Diamond head state park - Hawaii - May 2022

7. Mount Arab Fire tower - New York - Oct 2023

8. Delaware Water Gap from Mt. Tammany Trial - New Jersey - Apr 2024

9. Ooh Aah Point - Grand Canyon National park- Arizona - Oct 2024

10. Scout Lookout - Zion National Park - Arizona - Oct 2024

11. Navajo Loop Trail - Bryce Canyon National Park - Utah - Oct 2024

12. Plainsboro preserve - New Jersey - May 2025

13. Hudson highland state park - Bulls hill loop - New Jersey - May 2025

14. Exit glacier - Glacier overlook - Jul 2025

15. Twins peak - Eklutna Lake - Alaska - Jul 2025

1. Watkins glen state park - New York - Sep 2018

Gorge Trail, which is about 1.5 miles long and spans the length of the park. The gorge follows the path of Glen Creek at the base of the 400-foot-deep gorge and features 832 stone steps. It took us about 2 hours,you need to have snacks, comfortable clothes and sneakers

2. Maryland Heights Trail - West Virginia - Aug 2021

We parked our car at the Visitor Center parking area and use the park’s free shuttle system to access the trail from Lower Town. The trail from Lower Town to Maryland Heights Overlook - 4.5miles , takes 3-4hrs.

view from summit

3. Springer mountain - Georgia - Aug 2021

The Springer summit is just 1.9-mile out-and-back trail, but considered moderately challenging route . A bronze plaque on the summit commemorates the final, southernmost white blaze of the Appalachian Trail, the start (or end) of an epic adventure for thru-hikers on their 2,000+ mile journey.

4. Artist Bluff - New Hampshire - Oct 2021

Initial steep ascent that makes it challenging but the overall distance is just 1.5 mile loop.Great view of Echo lake & the highway from the top.

5. Owl's Head Hiking Trial - Vermont - Oct 2021

Distance: 3.6 miles round trip . This 1.5 hour trail leads to a breathtaking view of Lake Groton, Kettle Pond, and the glorious Green Mountain

6. Diamond head state park - Hawaii - May 2022

This 1.6 miles round trip, hike from trailhead to the summit is steep and strenuous, gaining 560 feet as it ascends from the crater floor a moderately challenging route, it takes an average of 1 h 5 min to complete, it is very steep and uneven in some areas.This broad, saucer-shaped crater was formed about 300,000 years ago during a single, explosive eruption that sent ash and fine particles in the air. As these materials settled, they cemented together into a rock called tuff, creating the crater, and which is visible from the trail in the park.

7. Mount Arab Fire tower - New York - Oct 2023

1.9-mile out-and-back trail near Piercefield, New York. This takes about 2hours. Mt Arab has been a very popular because of the spectacular views from the fire tower. You can view Tupper Lake and Mount Morris to the southeast, the Adirondack High Peaks to the east Mt Arab Lake to the west.

view from mount Arab

8. Delaware Water Gap from Mt. Tammany Trial - New Jersey - Apr 2024

The Mt. Tammany Trail (Red Dot) is one of two trails that lead to the outstanding view looking into the Delaware Water Gap from Mt. Tammany. This hike is one of the most challenging in the park. We took a loop , hiking up the Red Dot Trail and down the Pahaquarry Trail (Blue Blaze)

9. Ooh Aah Point - Grand Canyon National park- Arizona - Oct 2024

This 1.8 miles - Moderately challenging and takes about 1 Hour with 600 Total Feet of Climbing and Max Elevation of 7260 feet. Each step of the hike offers breathtaking views, culminating at Ooh Ahh Point where you get to see panoramas, including the little-visited eastern Grand Canyon.

10. Scout Lookout - Zion National Park - Arizona - Oct 2024

This 4.2 mi round trip hike is considered Strenuous hike with Elevation Change of ~1,000 ft and needs min 3 hours. Trail is paved, steep, and narrow in sections. , but has a section - Walter’s Wiggles: a series of 21 switchbacks, is really challenging especially for young kids, without hand railings or fences at some points

11. Navajo Loop Trail - Bryce Canyon National Park - Utah - Oct 2024

This hike is 1.3 mile and takes around 2 hours, with an Elevation Gain: 515 feet and considered Moderately difficult.The iconic Navajo Loop Trail begins and ends at Sunset Point. Its switchbacks wind between narrow walls of colorful limestone with views of towering Douglas-fir trees and the park's most famous hoodoo: Thor's hammer. The loop has two sides: Two Bridges and Wall Street. The Two Bridges side is open year-round, however, the Wall Street side is closed during the winter months.

Appalachian National Scenic Trail

The Appalachian Trail is a scenic hiking trail that stretches over 2,200 miles (3,500 km)

from Springer Mountain in Georgia to Mount Katahdin in Maine, passing through 14 states in the eastern United States.

The states are Georgia, North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine.

Ramesh was fascinated by this hike, which takes about 6months. We got an opportunity to cover some of the sectional hikes during our trips to this states.

Annually, almost 4,000 inspired thru-hikers begin their ambitious journeys at Georgia’s Springer Mountain, with the goal of hiking the entire A.T. north through 14 states to Maine

Taking 6 months off from work for this Thru hike is not feasible for us , and needs lot more practice to achieve this hiking, walkings 10's of miles each day.

Below are some of the hikes we visited as part of Appalachian trial

1. Georgia

Georgia has 76.4 miles (123.0 km) of the trail, including the southern terminus at springer mountain at (elevation 3,780 ft or 1,150 m).

2. Tennessee

Tennessee has 287.9 miles (463.3 km) of the trail, including more than 200 miles (320 km) along or near the North Carolina border. The section that runs just below the summit of Clingmans Dome in the Great Smoky mountain National park is the highest point on the trail at 6,625 feet (2,019 m)

3. Virginia

Virginia has the most mileage of the trail of any state with 550.3 miles (885.6 km) of the trail (one-fourth of the entire trail), including more than 20 miles (32 km) along the West Virginia border

Substantial portions of the trail closely parallel skyline drive in Shenandoah National Park and, further south, the Blue ridge parkway

4. West Virginia

West Virginia has 2.4 miles (4 km) of the trail , not including about 20 miles (32 km) along the Virginia border. The trail passes through the town of Harpers Ferry

The AT crosses the railroad bridge at left in Harpers Ferry National historic park

5 . Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania has 229.6 miles (369.5 km) of the trail, extending from the Pennsylvania-Maryland border at pen mar, a tiny town straddling the state line, to the Delaware Water Gap, at the Pennsylvania-New Jersey line.

6. New Jersey

New Jersey has 72.2 miles (116.2 km) of the trail.This makes the New Jersey section of the Appalachian Trail the second longest trail in the state, behind the Delaware and Rarital canal ,and eventually reaches High point state park highest peak in New Jersey

7. New york

New York's 88.4 miles (142.3 km) of trail, contain very little elevation change compared to other states. At Bear mountain state park it goes through the park zoo, where the lowest point on the entire AT, at 124 feet (38 m) above sea level, is located in front of the bear cage.

8. Massachusetts

Massachusetts has 90.2 miles (145.2 km) of trail. It ascends into the Taconic Mountains again, visiting Mount Greylock the highest point in the state at 3,491 feet (1,064 m)

9. New Hampshire

New Hampshire has 160.9 miles (258.9 km) of the trail. The New Hampshire AT is nearly all within the White mountain national forest , and enters high peaks region of the white mountains.