Camp Hoover

I had done hike to Camp Hoover on 12th December 2015. It is located in Virginia State in Shenandoah National Park on Skyline Drive.
Hike Location
Name: Camp Hoover
Distance: 100 miles from Richmond(approx)
Total hiking distance: 7.6 miles.
Altitude: 3200 ft.
Hike Team: Gnaneshwar, Rajesh, Shubham, Sujay, Thiruppathi and me
Hiking Experience: Started around 7:20 am from Honey Tree in two cars(Sujay's and Gnaneshwar's). Halted at Mc Donalds around 7:55 am and had morning coffee. Left for destination around 8:15 am. Reached Milan Gap Parking around 9:40 am. Crossed the skyline drive and started the hike on Appalachian Trial(A.T.) around 9:52 am. It was a bright sunny day today. Very fortunate to have such a wonderful climate in December.

We descended down the hill through a narrow trail. The path is filled with fallen leaves of the large trees which surrounded the trail on either side. Took right onto blue blazed trail from A.T. in 0.4 miles. There was not much shade along the trail as the leaves of the trees have fallen. We have seen a small snake on the trail. We crossed various streams along the path. The trail lead us to the middle of the jungle. There was a  water stream alongside of the trail. Also there were couple of waterfalls We took right on yellow blazed trail and continued hiking. The path was broader and we traversed the hill under hot sun. The steepness of the trail increased gradually. The hike became bit difficult with slope and hot sun showering heat on us.

We hiked further and the slope increased and we reached an altitude of 3200 ft. Have not had much shade along the path. we met few fellow hikers along the way. Soon we reached the highest point of the mountain around 12:45 pm. We had our lunch at the highest point. Had a great experience having lunch on the hill among huge trees and sitting on mud. Again started hike around 1:15 pm. We were at an elevation of 3200 ft and need to reach our parking around 2200 ft. The trail descended down the hill. The path narrowed and surrounded by small trees on both sides and covered with small grass. We descended down the hill with faster pace and reached the parking around 1:58 pm. Started around 2:10 pm from the parking and reached home around 3:50 pm. Had a Wonderful experience after long time. All is Well.

                      

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Red Velvet Cake

Ingredients
1) All Purpose Flour - 2 cups
2) Cocoa Powder - 2 table spoons
3) Condensed Milk - 1 can
4) Baking Powder - 1 tea spoon
5) Baking Soda - 1 tea spoon
6) Unsalted butter - 8 tea spoons or 1 slice
7) Buttermilk - 3 cups
8) Whipped Cream - 1 cup
9) Sweetened Sugar - 1 table spoon
10) Red Food colour - 2 medium spoons
11) Vanilla Extract - 2 tea spoons
12) Corn Starch - 1/4 cup
13) Green Icing Gel - 1 small tube

Procedure
1. Take butter in small pan and heat it until it becomes liquid.
2. Take condensed milk in a bowl, add liquid butter, stir thoroughly and keep it aside.
3. Take all purpose Flour into a bowl, add cocoa powder, add starch, sweetened sugar(1/2 table spoon), baking soda, baking powder to it and mix the ingredients well and ensure there are no lumps.
4. Take buttermilk into another bowl add red food colour to it and miz thoroughly and keep it aside.
5. Add powdered mix(step 3) and buttermilk(step 4) to liquid mix(step 1). Do not add all at once. Follow below method.
6. Add some amount of powdered mix and stir well. Then add bulttermilk mix.
7. Repeat step 6 until all the powdered mix is used.
8. Once all the mixes are mixed and stirred thoroughly add Vanilla extract and again stir well until thick uniform textured liquid is formed.
9. Preheat the Oven for 350 degrees.
10. Take a cake pan and grease it with butter or cooking oil spray. Fill half the cake pan with above liquid and bake it for 25 mins.
11. Take out the cake once baked(insert a toothpick or small sharp thing to check. If the toothpick is clean without any liquid sticking to it, cake is baked). Cool the cake by keeping it in refrigerator for 2 hours.
12. Take Whipped Cream in a bowl, add sweetened sugar to it and mix them well.
13. Once cake is cooled, cut the cake into two halves and apply the Whipped cream(step 12) on one half of the cake and then place the other half to form the full cake.
14. Again apply the cream on top and sides of the cake as well and spread uniformly. Cover the entire cake with the cream.
14. Can decorate the front portion of the cake with any green gel.
15. Red Velvet Cake is Ready.

                           

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Chocolate Cake

Ingredients
1) All Purpose Flour - 1 1/2 cups
2) Cocoa Powder - 1 1/2 cups
3) Condensed Milk - 1 can
4) Baking Powder - 1 tea spoon
5) Baking Soda - 1 tea spoon
6) Unsalted butter - 8 tea spoons or 1 slice
7) Chocolate Fudge - 1/2 cup
8) Whipped Cream - 1/4 cup
9) Sweetened Sugar - 1/2 cup
10) Soda(coke) - 150 ml
11) Vanilla Extract - 2 tea spoons
12) Corn Starch - 1/4 cup

Procedure
1. Take butter in small pan and heat it until it becomes liquid.
2. Take condensed milk in a bowl, add liquid butter, stir thoroughly and keep it aside.
3. Take cocoa powder into a bowl add water to it and prepare a thick viscous chocolate liquid and       keep it aside.
4. Take all purpose Flour in another bowl, add starch, sweetened sugar(1/4 cup), baking soda, baking powder to it and mix the ingredients well and ensure there are no lumps.
5. Add powdered mix(step 4) and liquid cocoa(step 3) to liquid mix(step 1). Do not add all at once. Follow below method.
6. Add some amount of powdered mix and stir well. Then add cocoa mix and add little soda for better stirring.
7. Repeat step 6 until all the powdered mix is used.
8. Once all the mixes are mixed and stirred thoroughly add Vanilla extract and again stir well until thick uniform textured liquid is formed.
9. Preheat the Oven for 350 degrees.
10. Take a cake pan and grease it with butter or cooking oil spray. Fill half the cake pan with above liquid and bake it for 25 mins.
11. Take out the cake once baked(insert a toothpick or small sharp thing to check. If the toothpick is clean without any liquid sticking to it, cake is baked). Cool the cake by keeping it in refrigerator for 2 hours.
12. Take Chocolate Fudge in a bowl, add sweetened sugar to it and mix them well.
13. Once cake is cooled, apply the chocolate cream(step 12) on the cake and spread uniformly. cover the entire cake with the cream.
14. Can decorate the fron portion of the cake with whipped cream.
15. Chocolate Cake is Ready.

                            

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