Raven Rocks & Bear Chase Brewery

October 16, 2021March 9, 2025hikesandhopsblog Leave a comment

Bluemont, Virginia

We’ve got another birthday hike for you! My birthday is at the very beginning of October and to celebrate I wanted to try out a new hike and brew combo (big surprise). We went all the way out to Bluemont, Virginia to do Raven Rocks along the Appalachian Trail and to stop at Bear Chase Brewery right across the road. I couldn’t have asked for a better way to celebrate! We had excellent weather, good beer, and a fantastic hike. Cheers to another year around the globe.

Looking for more adventures in Pennsylvania and beyond? Check out my new book: Beer Hiking Pennsylvania and New Jersey

THE HIKE: Raven Rocks via Appalachian Trail

Length: 5.7 miles
Elevation Gain: 1,535 ft
Difficulty: Difficult
Time: 2.5-3 hours
Trail use: Hiking, leashed pets
Parking: small lot so plan accordingly
H&H: 5/5

Raven Rocks is a popular section of the Appalachian Trail in Bluemont, Virginia. It was a bit out of the way for us Maryland folks, but totally worth it! We started at the trailhead right off Harry Byrd Parkway/ VA 7. Although we were lucky to snag a spot, this parking lot is pretty small and there is NO STREET PARKING. You will get towed! As an alternative, you can park at the Snickers Gap Lot which adds 0.4 miles at either end of the hike. I was uneasy about parking here since it requires walking across the divided highway. If you park there please use EXTREME caution when crossing the road!

Most of this trail is fairly moderate, but there are a couple really rocky spots combined with elevation increases, so I’ve bumped it up to a Difficult rating. This was definitely a hike where I wished I had a walking stick or hiking poles at times. I really loved the challenge though! Sometimes a nice nature walk hits the spot, but other times I love scrambling over rocks and getting my heart rate up! Also I loved seeing all of the mushrooms and acorns along the trail. Despite the warm October we’ve been having, it felt a little like fall!

After a lot of winding up and down the trail (they don’t call this the Roller-Coaster for nothing) we made it to the overlook. It was so impressive and such a peaceful place to stop. We’ve seen a lot of rocky overlooks during our hikes, but I never get tired of them! This was quite a roomy overlook so there’s plenty of room even on a busy day. We relaxed for a while and eventually decided to head back down. Make sure you have really good shoes for this hike because some of the downhill is more difficult than going up! Close to three hours after we started, we made it back to our car. We had worked up quite a thirst and were so lucky that Bear Chase Brewery was so close!

THE BEER: Bear Chase Brewery

Address: 33665 Bear Chase Ln, Bluemont, VA 20135
Distance from Trail Head: 0.9 miles, 3 mins
Website: https://bearchasebrew.com/
Food?: Full Menu, No outside food
H&H Rating: 4/5

Bear Chase Brewery is located off VA 7 and is the perfect stop for hikers. In fact, the AT runs right behind their facility so you could add to your Raven Rocks hike to go to the Bear’s Den overlook. Or even further to Buzzard Rocks. The possibilities are endless! We stuck with Raven Rocks and then drove to the brewery since I really wasn’t into crossing that huge highway.

Bear Chase Brewery is a farm brewery located on a massive 35 acre property that offers plenty of places to relax with a handcrafted brew. For a pretty penny, you can even rent out the Bear Chase Manor for you and 13 of your closest friends! There’s also plenty of on-site restaurants and food trucks so you’ll never go hungry! Just note that no outside food is allowed. We weren’t expecting this and had to eat our packed lunch later on! We really enjoyed the views and atmosphere at this brewery. As an apartment dweller, I relished being able to kick back in an adirondack chair and take in the rolling hills as I sipped a decent beer. We only had one round here since we had a long drive ahead of us and we both thought the Mornin’ Sunshine was the best of the two. It had a really refreshing hop taste that was balanced by something fruity, guava maybe? Definitely hit the spot after our hike. Overall, I liked this brewery but I thought it toed the line of being, dare I say, too commercial? It felt a bit like one of those places that puts more into the location and the atmosphere than their actual product. But hey, I only tried two beers so I can’t be certain on that!

Our Beer:

Mornin’ Sunshine – American IPA – 6.7%
Oktoberfest Marzen – Marzen – 6%

SUM UP: Raven Rocks is a popular section of the Appalachian Trail in Bluemont Virginia. It has a small lot which fills up quickly. There is another parking location but it involves crossing a divided highway so be cautious. The trail itself is very rocky with lots of ups and downs. Wear good shoes and bring plenty of water. The 5.7 mile out-and-back trail has a turn around point at a beautiful overlook that’s a perfect place to have a snack and relax. After your hike, check out Bear Chase Brewery, a newer farm brewery only 0.9 miles up the road. It’s a huge facility with lots of food options and plenty of indoor and outdoor seating. May I suggest the Adirondack chairs overlooking the valley? If you have time, there are so many other breweries to check out in the area! We’ll definitely be back.

Looking for other hikes & hops in Virginia? Check out Shenandoah NP & Hawksbill Brewing near Luray

Beer Byte – October

October 15, 2021November 21, 2021hikesandhopsblog Leave a comment

Yeast: Operation Fermentation

Fermentation may have been a better invention than fire
David Wallace

So we’ve already talked about hops and malt, but we’re still missing a key ingredient in the beer making recipe. Yeast is the third main component of beer and it’s extra important since it gives beer it’s booze! Making beer is one big science experiment and that’s most evident in the fermentation process. Things can get a little technical here, but we’re gonna try to simplify it for everyone!

Yeast is one of the last ingredients added in the beer making process (aside from final flavoring hops). We’re gonna dig into this a bit more in another post, but briefly the beer making process starts with adding hot water to malt which yields a sugary liquid called wort. Then the wort is boiled and hops may be added at this stage. At this point, there is no alcohol yet in the beer! That’s where the yeast comes in. The mixture is transferred to the fermenter and brewer’s yeast is added. The yeast then feeds on the sugars from the malt, resulting in alcohol and CO2. Still with me? Cool.

So what exactly is yeast? Yeast is a microscopic, single-celled organism that’s part of the fungus kingdom. Feeling thirsty yet? Yeast cells feed on carbohydrates (which are made of sugars) and convert them to alcohol and carbon dioxide. This process is called fermentation.

Is there yeast in other alcohols too? Of course! Since fermentation occurs with yeast, it’s a primary ingredient in all alcohol. In wine, the yeast feeds on fruit sugars and in clear spirits, it feeds on starches like potatoes. And remember that whiskey also uses grains! Fermentation isn’t just in the drink world either. Lots of foods are made using this process, including bread, soy sauce, vinegar and more!

What a minute, why isn’t bread alcoholic then? Well actually it is! Yeast used in brewing and baking undergoes the same process of converting sugars into ethanol and carbon dioxide. The CO2 is what causes bread to rise! But when bread bakes, the alcohol cooks off. But bread does in fact have traces of alcohol even after baking. You’d get stuffed long before getting tipsy from bread though!

Are there different types of brewer’s yeast? – Definitely and it completely depends on what you’re making. Some yeast strains have specifically been cultivated for certain flavors. Generally, there are two types of yeast in brewing: top-fermenting and bottom-fermenting. Top-fermenting yeasts react best in warm water and are generally used to make ales. Bottom-fermenting yeasts do better in cold temperatures and are used to make lagers. But within these two categories, there are thousands of strains of yeast to choose from. Definitely gives me a new appreciation for some of my favorite beers.

*My dad’s homebrew ready for fermentation.*

How long does fermentation take? Like most things with beermaking, it depends. Lagers take much longer to ferment than ales. Also a high alcohol beer will need a longer conditioning (also called secondary fermentation) time. And the darker the beer, the longer the fermentation process. Brewers really need to know their stuff to make sure their product has had adequate time to bubble.

So there you have it! Hops, malt, yeast and water, what more could you need??

Resources:

https://aslanbrewing.com/thebrewingprocess

https://www.forbes.com/sites/quora/2017/08/03/why-isnt-bread-alcoholic/?sh=446ff7a3318a

The unexpected alcohol in everyday food and drink

https://beerconnoisseur.com/articles/role-yeast-brewing

https://www.allagash.com/blog/beer-fundamentals-beer-has-yeast-in-it/?ao_confirm

https://www.midwestsupplies.com/blogs/bottled-knowledge/how-long-is-the-fermentation-process

Sugarloaf Mountain & Mad Science Brewing Company

October 3, 2021May 25, 2024hikesandhopsblog Leave a comment

Dickerson, Maryland

*As of February 2024, Mad Science Brewing has permanently closed*

This was a very special Hike & Hop edition because it was J’s birthday! In honor of my favorite hiking partner and lover of trees, I took him on a surprise little pre-hike outing. We went to see the biggest tree in Maryland! It’s in Dickerson Conservation Park just off the C&O canal. The largest tree is an American Sycamore that’s a whopping 138ft tall and 310 inches in circumference. However, the tree itself is a bit hard to get to. Park at Dickerson Conservation Park and the tree is only about ¼ mile away. Cross the towpath and follow the trail leading towards the river. It will turn right and follow along the river. The tree is to the right of the path and there is a big rock outcropping on the VA side of the river directly across from the tree. The day we visited, there had been huge rain storms so the river trail was extremely washed out. The tree was totally worth it though, it was simply massive! Definitely worth checking out! Want to know more about big trees in Maryland? Check out https://www.mdbigtrees.info/ to see if there are any near you!

After trekking to find Maryland’s biggest tree, we decided to tackle Sugarloaf Mountain. We had been dying to come back here ever since doing a short hike with friends but the timing was never right. Weekends can get busy here, but aside from the main overlook point, the trails aren’t too busy. The best part of Sugarloaf? There’s a winery at the bottom of the mountain! And if you’re like me and beer is more your style, Mad Science Brewing is only a 10 minute drive away. And to round out your day, may I suggest Rocky Point Creamery in Tuscarora? This sounds like the perfect day to me so what are you waiting for?!

THE HIKE: Sugarloaf Mountain and Northern Peaks

*From the Sugarloaf Mtn website with our route overlaid*

Length: 7 miles
Elevation Gain: 1500ft
Difficulty: Hard
Time: 3- 3.5 hours
Trail use: Hiking, leashed pets
Parking: Large parking lots by trailhead. $5 suggested donation
H&H: 4/5

Sugarloaf Mountain is a very popular hiking area in Dickerson, Maryland. It is privately owned by the nonprofit Stronghold, Inc who maintains the park and event center. There is a suggested $5 fee to use the trails or you can get a yearly membership. This park is very popular so try to get there early (the park opens at 8). There’s a lot of parking but there can be a lot of traffic in and out of the lots. Just make sure you don’t start too late because the park closes at 6pm in the Spring/ Summer and at 4pm in the Fall/ Winter. Also be aware that there are no trash cans in the park! If you plan to have a picnic, make sure to pack out all of your trash.

We don’t make it out to this area very often so we wanted to see the best the mountain has to offer. That meant tackling the Northern Peaks trail. This is a ~7 mile loop that incorporates the main peak, as well as the White Rocks overlook. This trail was really rocky with a lot of elevation changes so I consider it difficult. The final assent to the top of Sugarloaf really pushed us to our limits! The view was so worth it though. Extra water, snacks, and hiking boots are all essential for this hike.

I really liked this hike and the views were incredible. Nothing beats this area of Maryland for hills and views! My only complaint was how busy the trail was. There were so many people, a lot of whom were clearly ill prepared for a hard hike. We noticed a lot of trash along the trail, including Starbucks cups?! Hiking pro tip: bring old grocery bags to pick up trash along the trail, every bit helps! Anyway, I’m really glad we did this hike, I just wish we could have gone during the week.

THE BEER: Mad Science Brewing Company

Address: 1619 Buckeystown Pike, Adamstown, MD 21710
Distance from Trail Head: 7.6 miles, 11 mins
Website: https://www.madsciencebrewing.com/
Food?: Food Trucks and BYO
H&H Rating: 4/5

Mad Science Brewing Company opened in 2013 as part of Thanksgiving Farms and Market in Adamstown. Even without the brewery, the farm is worth a visit for its huge variety of plants, eclectic gifts and home grown produce. Thanksgiving Farms prides themselves on their “We Grow Our Own” attitude and that extends to the brewery too! Every batch of beer is made with farm fresh ingredients and they currently have around 240 hop plants grown onsite.

Thanksgiving Farms is really quirky and I loved it. Everything is brightly colored and it just made me happy. I could have spent hours looking through the market and plants but there was beer to be had! The brewery is only open on weekends 11-5pm so make sure to plan accordingly! We rolled in after our hike and were pleased to see a full house with a bluegrass band playing. Nothing I like more than sipping a malty beer and listening to Avett Brothers covers, can you say Heaven? I went straight for the festbier (very predictable) while J opted for the Human Harvester, which was made with all freshly harvested hops from the farm. Everything we had at Mad Science was a solid beer, but my favorite was the Antidote #1. I really love a refreshing Pale Ale! And of course we had to try the barrel-aged scotch ale. Thank goodness we only got a small pour, this packed a punch! Overall, we really had a great time at Mad Science. My only complaint was the early closing time!

Our Beer:

Special Relativity – Festbier – 5.3%
Human Harvester – American IPA – 6.8%
C. Hopulinum – American IPA – 6.4%
Antidote #1 – Pale Ale – 5.3%
Barrel-Aged Wheezy – Scotch Ale – 7.3%

SUM UP: Sugarloaf Mountain is a very popular hiking spot in Dickerson Maryland. It is owned by the Stronghold Inc and there is a suggested $5 fee to enter. There is lots of parking but the roads can get rather backed up on the weekends so plan accordingly. Leashed dogs are allowed on the trails, but be aware that there are no trash cans so all trash must be packed out. The trail itself is very rocky with some steep inclines but the views are worth it! After your hike, check out Mad Science Brewing at Thanksgiving Farms for unique brews with a focus on hop-forward flavors. Before heading home for the evening, grab a sweet treat from Rocky Point Creamery and watch the sunset from the parking lot. Hike + Beer + Ice Cream = Day Made!

September Nature Nugget – PAWPAW

September 29, 2021October 1, 2021hikesandhopsblog Leave a comment

“Pickin’ up paw paws, put ’em in your pocket
Way down yonder in the paw paw patch”
Appalachian Folk Song

It’s September in Maryland and do you know what that means? PAWPAW SEASON! Okay let’s take a step back because chances are, you might not know what pawpaws are! Pawpaw trees (Asimina triloba) are native to the eastern US into Canada and produce a fruit in the late summer/ early fall. It’s actually the largest fruit indigenous to the United States! Cool right? So bright green pawpaw fruit start forming in the summer but come Fall they will ripen and turn soft and might even look slightly yellow-brown. They’re best eaten when they’re either fallen from the tree or easily come off the stem.

Pawpaw trees have really large, long leaves on spindly trunks. They prefer growing in bottom land that is very fertile and well-draining. I always keep my eyes out for them along stream and river beds. They’re considered an undergrowth tree, which means that they grow in the shade of larger trees. They can grow up to 30ft tall and are usually found in hardwood forests.

In the springtime, the pawpaw produces flowers with six petals arranged in sets of three. They are a beautiful deep maroon color but they don’t smell too nice! Around the same time that the flowers emerge, the tree begins putting out its signature huge oblong leaves. They are bright green most of the season and then turn to yellow and brown after it drops its fruit.

But what you probably want to know more about is the fruit! Pawpaw fruit is soft and creamy, often compared to custard. In fact, it’s very similar to bananas which over the years has given it a variety of colloquial names including: wild banana and Appalachian banana. The fruit contains several large brown seeds in a row and these seeds along with the peel are not edible.

History

Although you won’t find a pawpaw in the grocery store, they do have a long history in this area. Pawpaws were so important to the indigenous Shawnee people, who inhabited the Ohio Valley, that they named a month for them! In the Shawnee language September is literally called the Pawpaw Moon. The first written record of pawpaws dates back to 1541 when a Spanish explorer wrote of seeing Indigenous peoples harvesting them. Pawpaws were even enjoyed by founding fathers, with Thomas Jefferson planting groves at Monticello and one of George Washington’s favorite desserts was chilled pawpaw. Lewis and Clark even snacked on them during their expedition west!

Use and Popularity

*Gazing longing at a pawpaw that’s not ripe yet*

Pawpaws have grown in popularity with the increased interest in local foraging. Pawpaw fruits are notoriously difficult to transport as their flesh bruises easily and they quickly rot once they have been picked. However, more and more people are realizing how easy it is to find pawpaws around their own neighborhoods! On one of our hikes at the American Chestnut Land Trust, J and I found a huge pawpaw grove. Sadly, they weren’t ready to be picked yet. Another weekend, we were walking along the C&O Canal and found a whole group of people harvesting pawpaws. They were kind enough to share their loot with us so we had a tasty snack for our walk. Then finally, I found some pawpaws within walking distance from my home. I actually was out running and completely abandoned that when I found a tree with perfectly ripe pawpaws. I harvested a few, leaving some for others, and brought them home to gather the puree.

This was my very first attempt at making something with pawpaws. I usually just eat them raw (which is delicious) but I had been hearing a lot about how tasty they are in ice cream or baked goods. I got about 2 cups of pulp from my pawpaws so I decided to make bread. I took my favorite banana bread recipe and just subbed the pawpaws in for the fruit. I thought it was delicious and interestingly the bread turned pink! Apparently pawpaw fruit reacts with baking soda to turn it a light pink color. My whole family really liked the bread and we thought it tasted slightly berry-like. It was perfect for breakfast with a cup of coffee. I’m calling this bake a success! I think next time I would maybe add cinnamon or ginger. Have you ever tried a pawpaw? What did you think?

Hannah’s Pawpaw Bread

1 ¼ cup sugar
2 eggs
½ cup unsalted butter, softened
2 cups pawpaw puree
½ c plain Greek yogurt
1 tsp vanilla
2 ½ cups flour

Preheat oven to 350F. Grease the bottom of a 9 in loaf pan. Cream together butter and sugar. Stir in eggs and vanilla. Add pawpaw puree and yogurt. Beat until smooth. Stir in flour, baking soda, and salt until just combined. Don’t over mix! Pour into pans and bake for about an hour and 15 mins. This makes one very large loaf or two smaller loaves. If making muffins, bake for about 25-30 mins. Enjoy!

Resources:

https://www.wvpublic.org/section/arts-culture/2020-10-09/searching-for-the-pawpaws-indigenous-roots

http://www.arnoldia.arboretum.harvard.edu/pdf/articles/2014-72-1-the-pawpaw-a-forgotten-north-american-fruit-tree.pdf

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asimina_triloba

https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2017/09/15/550985844/this-once-obscure-fruit-is-on-its-way-to-becoming-pawpaw-pawpular

Bridger Mountains & Mountains Walking Brewing

September 26, 2021hikesandhopsblog Leave a comment

Bozeman, Montana

Last week J and I took our first vacation in two years! We spent a week hiking through Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks. While we got some amazing hiking in there aren’t too many breweries nearby, so we had to get our Hikes & Hops on during our weekend after flying into Bozeman. J’s cousins live there and they were so gracious to take us on a beautiful hike and share one of their favorite breweries with us. It was the perfect way to start out our trip!

THE HIKE: Middle Cottonwood Trail (Bridger Mountains)

*Trail map to take Middle Cottonwood to Saddle Peak. Strenuous 9 miles out and back. We only did about 5*

Length: 5 miles
Elevation Gain: ~1000ft
Difficulty: Moderate
Time: 3 hours
Trail use: Hikes, Pets, biking
Parking: Small lot at trailhead with additional pull offs along road
H&H: 5/5

Before this trip, I had never been west of Chicago so I thought the mountains I had seen in Shenandoah and Catoctin National Parks were pretty amazing. Well nothing could have prepared me for the sheer beauty of the Rocky Mountains. Bozeman sits on a vast plain between jutting peaks of mountain ranges. For this particular hike, we trekked out into the Custer Gallatin National Forest which encompasses the Bridger Mountains. While we didn’t trek all the way up to a peak, we did get some amazing views on this trail. We took the Middle Cottonwood trail which can connect up to several other longer treks. We took the trail about halfway up to Saddle Peak and decided to turn around at a wide clearing to make about a 5-mile out and back. If you want to continue on to the peak, it’s a pretty difficult trek with a lot of elevation changes. We decided to save our energy for our week in Yellowstone, especially since we could already see a beautiful vista.

One of my biggest concerns about our trip was adjusting to the elevation. We currently live at about 30ft above sea level so flying into Bozeman (which is about 5,000ft) was quite a difference. I didn’t really feel too much until we took on this hike. I am by no means a fast hiker but I like to think that I’m pretty in shape. Man, did this hike humble me! The steady incline and lighter air definitely had me gasping for air at some points! J’s cousins insisted that we did really well but I think they might have been flattering us. The amazing scenery along the way though made up for the tightness in my chest. This trail rambles along the Middle Cottonwood Creek incorporating some easy stream crossings. My favorite! All along the way we met other friendly hikers and even more friendly dogs. When you live in a place like Bozeman, how could you not want to get out on the trails every chance you get?!

This hike was so different than the kind we usually get to do in Maryland, which made it such a fun challenge. I loved all of the stream crossings and seeing the leaves already starting to change on the trees. It was also so peaceful to rest in the clearing at our turn around spot and see so many different plants and wildflowers. We truly could not have asked for a better introduction to Montana!

THE BEER: Mountains Walking Brewery

Address: 422 Plum Ave, Bozeman, MT 59715
Distance from Trail Head: 10 miles, 22 mins
Website: http://www.mountainswalking.com/
Food?: Full Menu
H&H Rating: 5/5

Guys, Bozeman has SO MANY breweries! It’s really not a big town but it had at least seven different breweries. We let the locals pick the perfect place and they decided on Mountains Walking Brewery in the Brewery Historic District. This was perfect because it also has a full kitchen and all that hiking made us hungry!

I could not believe the amount of beers that MW had on tap. I had barely finished reading the list when the waitress was already asking for my order. The taplist also features beer from founder and lead brewer Gustov Dose’s other brewery concept New Hokkaido Brewery. Having grown up in Taiwan and Japan, Dose creates beer that combines Japanese brewing with modern influences of the craft beer scene in Bozeman. Needless to say, I was very intrigued and got a hazy IPA that was made with rice as one of the main grains. It was delicious and I definitely should have gotten a flight of all the New Hokkaido beers! Ah well, next time.

We had a really great time at Mountains Walking! We had amazing beers, my favorite being the Grazing Clouds, a Hazy IPA made with locally grown oats. We also got some pretty stellar food, including a pizza with goats cheese and beets and Tachos, yup that’s nacho tater tots. Pretty life changing! All in all, I was really impressed with Mountains Walking Brewery and I can see why it’s one of the highest rated breweries in the area.

Our Beer:

Junegrass – American IPA – 6.5%
Grazing Clouds – NEIPA – 7%
Chopping Wood – Festbier – 6%
Yabai Tanuki – NEIPA – 6.5% (New Hokkaido Brewing)

SUM UP: All in all, this was such a great intro to Bozeman and the Rocky Mountain region in general. One of the best things about traveling is getting the insider scoop! We were so lucky to have family in Bozeman who showed us around and took us on such an amazing Hike & Hop. They were amazing hosts and even treated us to a campfire dinner at the stunningly beautiful Fairy Lake. We couldn’t have asked for a better start to our National Park adventure. More to come in the future!