Our hike began early in the morning. The first wasn't very strenuous and it was quite cool (weather wise). The most beautiful part of the hike was walking on the Steep Ravine trail. It was like walking through an jungle, minus the sound of cars every now and then when we ran parallel to the street. The trail was magical, and one of my favorites ever.

We passed the Pantoll campground, where an employee happily showed us on a map the best way to get to the peak.

From there we walked down Old Stage Road. The exotic jungle vibe from the earlier trail was replaced with a more dry, yet still beautiful, atmosphere. The road is wider than the earlier trail. A few steep parts but nothing that broke our backs. The second part of our hike ends at the West Point Inn.

We had a snack break, took in the few, then headed off down the upper Old Railroad Grade trail. If you're looking to get to the peak faster, I would recommend using the lower trail. Though we had an adventure cutting through the Fern Creek trail, it is a little more difficult.

The final stretch to the final, final stretch was strenuous. A lot of rock climbing. A lot of giant stair steps. And a very steep incline. Walking up those planks to the peak was one of the best feelings ever, and the view from the top is both beautiful and inspiring.

Our way down ended up on the lower Old Railroad Grade trail. We took the Nora trail and ended on the Matt Davis trail.

This hike is one of my favorites. It is long. It was hard at parts. But it was also a point of pride for me. It was a hell of a climb, and I am proud of myself for trekking it.

Words of caution:

Bring a lot of water.

Apply adequate sunscreen.

There were parts of the trail where the temperature was extremely high.