Monday, July 9, 2012

My New Smoker- Pork Shoulder #1


Allison and her parents both chipped in and bought me an awesome Weber Smoky Mountain smoker for my birthday.  I picked up my present from the hardware store Thursday afternoon and only made it to Saturday morning before I had to smoke something and try it out.  I had smoked two or three pork butts last year on a cheap smoker that my roommate owned.  Each time I worked hard fine tuning and preparing my rub and mop.  In all three cases, after smoking (and smelling) pork all day, I prematurely pulled the butt at a temperature somewhere between 160-170 degrees F.  Pork is certainly done at this temperature but is not yet tender enough to pull currently.  My previous efforts resulted in 'chopped' pork that was extremely tasty but still left something to be desired.  With my previous lessons in mind, I woke at the very early Saturday morning hour of 6am determined to smoke this shoulder longer.

The picture above shows the start of the process at about quarter after six.  Blurry eyed, I got my charcoal started in the chimney and began rubbing down the shoulder with my homemade rub.  My rub contains brown and white sugars mixed with a number of spices including salt, pepper, chili powder, cumin, etc. and a few secret ingredients.  I am still working on perfecting the rub, although I was very happy with the one on this day. The pork hit the smoker at 6:45 am, and I set the temperature to just over 250 F.  The temperature can be adjusted by controlling the air flow with three vents located on the bottom of the smoker by the coils and by adding more charcoal. Throughout the day, I tried to check the temperature every 15 minutes or so (besides a few short naps early in the morning) and make appropriate adjustments.  I'd say the temperature varied anywhere from 200-325 degrees throughout the day but stayed closer to 250-270 more often than not.  The following three photos were taken at 0, 5, and 8 hours into the smoke. You can clearly see the nice, dark bark that formed on the shoulder due to the rub.


Looking for an ideal internal temperature of 190 degrees, I checked the pork after 12 hours and read 185 F.  Refusing to give in to the searing pain in my stomach, I put the cover back on and waited another half hour.  After 12.5 hours, the meat thermometer effortlessly slid through the meat to the bone and read 190.  The meat on the top of the shoulder was visibly pulling away from the exposed bone- a wonderful sign.  While trying to transfer the shoulder to a baking sheet, a large chuck easily pulled off and landed back on the grate- another wonderful sign.  I let the meat rest inside for a half hour before touching it to let the juices in the meat restabilize.  To begin the picking process I grabbed the end of the bone and gave it a pull.  With no resistance whatsoever, the bone slid all the way through, and out of, the shoulder.  I took two forks and easily pulled the meat apart producing delicious looking pulled pork.


After a long hard day of work, I tasted the best pork barbecue that I have created to date.  Allison said that it might have been the best that she has ever had; although, she is from Long Island so that clearly caries no weight.  Everyone else at the house seemed to enjoy it.  The meat was a delicious mixture of salty, sweet, and smoky.  Despite cooking to 190, which designates pork as well-done, the meat was still extremely moist  and tender due to the high volume of marbleized fat that dissolves into the meat throughout the smoking process.  In addition to the pork, I made a homemade Carolina style vinegar sauce that contained apple cider vinegar, brown sugar, ketchup, hot sauce, black pepper, red pepper flakes, and salt.  This sauce was so tangy and vinegary that I dubbed it 'jet fuel'.  If you love vinegar sauces like I do then you will love it; however, it is not for the faint of heart.  To top everything off, Allison made some coleslaw that she added a little blue cheese to.  I thought this was a great addition, and I couldn't have been happier, or prouder, than the sandwich as a whole.  I loved both the smoker and the finished product.  I think I am going to do a few racks of ribs next; however, I can't wait to make a few adjustments and do the whole pork shoulder thing again.  I leave you with a few notes I have made on smoking below if you care to read.  They are mainly to help me remember for next time.


ONE HUNDRED AND NINETY DEGREES!  This is the magic internal temperature- not one degree above or below.  The meat will remain plenty moist and pull to perfection.

A mop is really not necessary.  I did not use one this time.  If anything I could spray my 'jet fuel' on the pork every time I check it although it is not needed.  The pork was visibly moist on the outside at all times and deliciously moist on the inside upon completion.

I have never messed with a brine and do not plan to.  A brine is meant to add moisture to the meat prior to cooking.  Again, the pork was not in the least bit dry and needs no added moisture.

I think letting the meat rest for at least 30 minutes really helped, and I will continue the practice.

I used only lumped charcoal with added hickory chunks.  Although the lumped coal might add a little flavor, it burns hotter and faster and must be replaced very often.  I think next time I will use briquettes for heat as they burn slower.  I also believe this might help with temperature regulation.  I will simply add a few more hickory chucks for any lost flavor and might even experiment with a mix of wood flavors (I have what I think will be a winner in mind).

I might become obsessed with this hobby. 



Wednesday, June 20, 2012

Portsmouth, Norfolk & VA Beach


With all of the amazing mountains and hiking in Virginia, it is easy to forget that we also have a pretty decent beach not too far away.  Receiving an invitation from a couple of our good friends to spend the weekend in the Tidewater region, Allison and I headed in the opposite direction of our usual adventures- East.  Friday night consisted of exploring all that big town of Portsmouth had to offer.  We got a good beach day in Saturday.  The temperatures were in the mid 70s and it was pretty windy making for a cool day.  Although the water was still too cold to enjoy, we got in plenty of highly competitive games of bocce.  After an afternoon on the beach, our crew of five showered and hopped on the water taxi from Portsmouth over to Norfolk in search of some good seafood.  The picture above was taken from the water taxi which probably explains why it is crooked.  We ended up finding a delicious seafood place called the Big Easy Grill & Oyster Bar.  I ended up sticking to a strictly Oyster diet.  We started with two dozen raw oysters from the James River.  It's hard to beat a fresh, raw oyster.  These were soft and creamy with absolutely no fishy or salty taste.  After the appetizer I feasted on a fried oyster Po' Boy.  Or course, there were also a couple of rounds of oyster shooters to wash everything down.  The remainder of the night was spent exploring the nightlife of both Norfolk and Portsmouth.  Although we were in a slightly different setting, we enjoyed the outdoors with both good friends and food- a reoccurring theme of our summer thus far.  Life is good.

Tuesday, June 12, 2012

Turk Mountain & Wild Wolf Brewing Co.


After an almost full day of work, Alli and I took to the hills last Friday evening for a little hiking and brewery action.  I found the Turk Mountain hike while doing some research and thought it would be perfect for a evening hike at only 2.4 miles round trip.  Turk Mountain is located off of Skyline Drive in Shenandoah National Park about a hour from Charlottesville.  The first half of the mile plus hike to the summit is extremely easy and mostly downhill.  It is a little strange to describe the hike to the summit as downhill.  As to be expected, the downward action eventually stops around the midpoint of the hike, and the ascent to the rocks begins.  The climb is slow and steady as the trail twists and turns around the hills.  As always, the workout level depends on what you want to get out of it.  Alli and I didn't stop for any breaks and kept a pretty quick pace, so we got a decent workout.  The view from the top, pictured above, was great, as is the case with most every hike in the Blue Ridge.  Looking to the North you can follow the ridge and see the many shades of greens and blues as the mountain peaks reach the horizon.  The view to the West reveals the entire Shenandoah Valley and ends with the mountains leading into West Virginia.  Massive boulders line the mountain top and entire Western face of the mountain.  The rocks, right, have a very similar look to those of the hike at Devil's Marble Yard, although that hike actually requires scrambling over the rocks to reach the top.  About a hundred yards down the trail from the summit is another outcropping of rocks, below, that provides a nice view to the South and many more boulders to play on if you are so inclined.  On the way down, we ran across a nice buck whose horns were in felt.  He allowed us to point at him and talk openly from only about 15 yards away, which was pretty shocking to me. Besides the deer, we saw no other living, breathing thing the entire hike, which was also shocking.  It was nice to have the entire trail to ourselves- a very rare treat when hiking these parts.  After spending 15 minutes or so cooling off and enjoying the views up top, we took to our favorite road, Nelson 151, to take care of the hunger and thirst that we had worked up.


Wild Wolf Brewing Company is certainly not new to us.  It is one of our favorite watering holes to stop at when we make our frequent drives through scenic Nelson County; however, we had never eaten dinner there.  Wild Wolf is the newest of the three microbreweries on Route 151 sandwiched between Blue Mountain Brewery and Devil's Backbone Brewery.  Although it does not have quite the view that the other two establishments boast, Wild Wolf started off making quality beer only a few years ago and has been expanding every since.  The brewery quickly grew to a full scale restaurant and its grounds are now being populated by a number of specialty shops including a home brewing hut.  From the grand opening of the restaurant, we had heard from everyone that tried it that the food was delicious, and we took this sunny Friday evening to try it out for ourselves.


After sitting down at one of the many outdoor tables, we quickly got to the first order of business- ordering a water and a beer. Alli went with some type of collaboration ale that was brewed with input from the three master brewers of the breweries mentioned above.  The beer was extremely light and crisp with subtle hints of grapefruit.  I went with my Wild Wolf go-to, the Alpha Ale, which is one of their hoppier beers and what I believe to be their closest to an IPA.  There is nothing better than an ice water (not pictured) and a cold beer after a good mountain hike.  Having satisfied our thirst we turned to an appetizer.  It is a pretty good bet that if a menu has fried oysters on it, we are going to order them.  We actually had the oysters from here before, and they were so delicious we had no problem ordering them again.  The breading on these is extremely light and crispy allowing you to really enjoy the fresh oyster taste.  For dinner Allison and I both kind of stuck with the seafood theme as she ordered the spicy mussels in white wine, and I ordered the jambalaya.  Alli's mussels were soft and succulent, as expected, as she was given plenty of bread to sop up all of the delicious white wine sauce.  My jambalaya consisted of Andouille sausage, chicken, and shrimp served over penne pasta in a creamy tomato sauce.  Besides the three meats, large chunks of fresh tomato and jalapeno filled the sauce adding a nice spice.  The dish was finished with a topping of shredded Parmasean provided by our server.  The extreme richness of the white wine and tomato sauces made both dishes quite decadent.  I would absolutely, 100% re-order everything that we tried.  We will certainly be having dinner at Wild Wolf again, and I suggest you do the same if you ever get the chance.

We started the evening with a beautiful hike through the Blue Ridge with a nice view and ended it with delicious beers and food from a local brewery.  I don't think we could have asked for a better Friday night...and this is why I never want to leave Charlottesville.






Tuesday, May 29, 2012

Memorial Day at Walnut Creek Park


With every trail, creek, lake, river, nook, and cranny of the state swarming with people on an absolutely gorgeous Memorial Day, Allison and I headed to Walnut Creek Park in hopes of finding just a small hint of privacy.  Located about 10 miles south of Charlottesville, this park has long been one of our favorite go-to's for  picnics, leisurely strolls, and an occasional canoe outing.  The park is centered around a large lake, only half of which is pictured above, that can be used for kayaking, canoeing, and fishing.  There is even a small beach area, located around the bend to the right of the picture, and a designated swimming area.  It would have been nice to jump in the water on this very warm day, but, of course, the beach was overtaken with highly energetic, screaming children.  The park also offers miles of hiking/biking trails that circle the lake and a full disk golf course.  Although the park was more crowded than I had ever seen it, it is large enough that we were able to take to the woods and find a little peace and quiet.

After walking around the lake on one of the many trails, we were able to find a decent place to set up our hammocks that we had packed with us.  It was nice and relaxing to sit in our hammocks with a view of the lake while reading our books and enjoying a cold beverage.  It was a little warm but an occasional breeze kept us cool enough to be comfortable.  Unfortunately, we make the crucial mistake of forgetting bug spray and had a constant battle with flies, bees, ants, and a few chiggers.  Aside from the bugs, everything was great, and I don't think we will make that mistake again.  After a couple hours of tree swinging, we packed up and decided to move the party to Alli's deck.

Earlier in the day we made a run to Anderson's in preparation for a grilled feast and picked up a half pound of fresh NC shrimp, a pound of tilapia fillets, a watermelon, a few lemons, a bunch of fresh peaches, a squash, and a zucchini.  After warming the charcoal, we started with an appetizer of shrimp kabobs rubbed with a little olive oil, salt, and pepper.  We then had watermelon three way- sliced cold, grilled, and in a watermelon-mint salad that Alli created.  Our main course consisted of grilled tilapia marinated in a lemon vinaigrette with parsley and grilled vegetables, again, rubbed with olive oil, salt, and pepper.  I think we coat about 90 percent of the stuff we cook with those three simple things, and it turns out great every time.  Everything was tasty as usual, but the shrimp stood out hands down as the best thing we ate.  They were so sweet it was almost like eating candy.  To wash everything down we busted out some white sangria that we had prepared earlier in the day consisting of pinot grigio, Absolute peach, ginger ale, and chopped pieces of peach.  We made quite a large batch, so we invited over some of our good friends to grill with us and help us out with the sangria.  In the end, we spent most of the day enjoying the outdoors and got to do a lot of grilling with friends- what more could we ask for out of a Memorial Day?  Of course, we took special time on this day, as we do everyday, to think about all of the past and current members of our armed forces and to appreciate the sacrifices that they make so that we can enjoy these freedoms!


Friday, May 18, 2012

Humpback Rocks at Sunrise


Humpback Rocks is probably my favorite day hike close to Charlottesville.  It is located just 35 minutes west of C'ville on the Blue Ridge Parkway near Waynesboro.  I do this hike fairly often and have countless pictures from the pinnacle of the rocks.  I have always thought it would be really nice to make it to the top to watch the sun rise and made it my goal to do so before I shared this hike with everyone.  The hike itself is relatively short at three-quarters of a mile each way but fairly strenuous.  There is a relentless, steep incline from the parking lot to the rocks.  Allison and I always try to keep a decent pace without any stops, and it provides a moderately intense, rewarding workout.  The first half of the trail is well maintained and graveled.  The second half requires some scrambling over jagged rocks; however, is still well defined due to heavy travel.  Having checked the night before for good weather and seeing an estimated sun rise of 6:02 am, Allison and I set our alarms for 4 and prepared for an early morning excursion.

We pulled into the parking lot at the trail head right around 5 fueled up on coffee.  The first half of the hike was fairly uneventful.  There was the occasional comments of how we never remember it being as steep and how we should be in better shape.  I think we huffed and puffed a little harder than normal due to a lack of sleep and the caffeine restricting our blood flow.  I was also carrying about a 25lb pack, which I had never had on this hike before.  About three quarters of the way up, we realized that we were on trail that we didn't recognize.  We new we were close to the rocks, and we were still on a trail clearly marked by painted trees.  Everything looks a little different in the dark with the light of flashlights than it does in the day, but we were sure we had never been on this stretch of trail.  While skeptically trudging forward and deciding what to do we came across a sign for the rocks only 800 ft away.  It turns out there are two routes to the rocks.  We had traditionally always approached the east face of the rocks heading up the mountain.  You can also hike all the way around and above the rocks, and then descend down onto them.  There are trails for both, but we did the latter in the dark on this particular morning.  Even with the navigational hiccup, we hit the rocks a full 20 minutes before the light of the sun.

Alli and I got a good 30 seconds of solitude before a few other twosomes ascended the rocks and ruined a perfectly quiet morning.  In all, 4 groups of two people made it to the top to see the sunrise with us being the first.  Unfortunately two of the groups consisted of two girls who felt the constant need to chatter and had no volume control whatsoever.  We also observed the phenomenon that, although there were plenty of great spots to sit and watch the sunrise on these massive rocks, the two groups of talkers sat within a foot or two of us.  This phenomenon can also frequently be observed on seemingly uncrowded beaches when some clueless group inexplicably sets up camp right beside you.  As the fore-mentioned groups scampered the rocks like children looking for their perfect Facebook defaults, Alli and I found watching the fog roll over the hills to be the coolest part of the pre-sun show.  The fog seemed to circle us on the rocks, starting by whipping around the western side of the mountain to our south as pictured above.  The rolling cloud then took a turn east crossing in front of us as we faced north, as pictured below, before dissipating into a small valley.  After 20 minutes of watching the fog and enjoying the thermos of coffee we packed, it was time for the big show.


The sunrise, pictured at the top of the post, was beautiful as expected.  It was nice to see the Virginia country side slowly come to life, starting with the hilltops and slowly making its way into the valleys.  I have experienced many "sunrises" from a tree stand in the middle of the woods but never from a place with such a vantage point.  This hike is perfect for anyone that lives nearby looking for a sunrise hike due to its short length.  I'm sure sunset would also be nice here, but I can only imagine what the crowds would be like.  Most times, the rocks are crawling with people which slightly deters from the natural beauty.  With only 8 people atop, Humpback was as least crowded as I had ever seen it by far, and we took full advantage exploring many of the nooks and crannies of the rocks after the sunrise.

  

Aside from having the claim of being the first couple to the top, we were also the only group to have coffee and cook up a hot meal.  We packed our little burner that runs on white gas and our cooking kit that we used on our West Coast camping adventure last summer.  We brought along a few biscuits that we made the night before and cooked up some hearty, farm-raised scrambled eggs with grilled, marinated pork sirloin from the night before, fresh green onions, and goat cheese- all from the farmer's market.  Our little one pot meal turned out to be delicious, and it was cool to get to cook something so tasty from the top of the mountain.  After breakfast, we took a few more moments to enjoy the beauty of the early morning sun on the surrounding hills.  These were some of the prettiest views of the morning, and I leave you with those pictures below.



Monday, May 7, 2012

Apple Orchard Falls

After a rough week of battling- exams in Alli's case and a stomach virus in mine- we took to the hills for a little R&R.  We packed the car with plans of tent camping all weekend somewhere in the George Washington/Jefferson National Forests in Botetourt County, Virginia.  As it turned out, my uncle and one of his friends were staying Friday night in a little hunting cabin we have access to in the same general area.  The exact location of the cabin is highly secretive and is only distributed on a strict need-to-know basis.  Alli and I decided that Friday night would be a perfect opportunity for her to see what goes on at the cabin and expose her to a little redneck living.  Alli's favorite experience was getting to ride the four wheeler as she had never ridden one before.  I've got a little work ahead of me if I want her to become an avid shooter.  I think she border-line enjoyed shooting a little .22 pistol we had and was fairly accurate with it (it did have a holographic scope).  She was not so crazy about the 9mm, claiming that it scared her, and she didn't even think about picking up the .357sig.  After an afternoon of riding and shooting, we grilled up a little surf 'n' turf of New York strip and fresh Carolina shrimp both coming from Anderson Carriage Food House in Charlottesville.  Although the cabin was available, we were steadfast with our commitment to tent camp and set up right on the little creek that runs beside the cabin.



The next day we packed up and moved and unspecified distance to North Creek Campground.  North Creek is a beautiful little campground that, as the name might suggest, sits right on a trout stream.  After much deliberation, we found what we believed to be the best site being the most secluded and posited right above the creek.  After a quick bite to eat, we headed up the creek to the trail head for the Apple Orchard Falls hike.  I believe there are a number of different ways to approach this hike of varying lengths.  For the particular route we chose, you just keep driving past the campground for a mile or two, until the road ends, where you will find a kiosk with a map and information about the hike.  From this position, it is a 2 mile hike up to the falls and then you turn around and hike back.


The hike itself is very easy and relaxing following close to the creek the entire time.  The beginning of the trail is pretty much flat.  After a half mile or so, the trail begins to climb to the falls although the incline is very slight.  Wooden walkways are provided along the way for creek crossings as pictured above.  The last quarter mile climbing up the falls is a little more uphill, but your work is rewarded with the best views of the hike.  There is no single drop to focus on once you reach the pinnacle.  Instead a series of small, 4-5 foot falls highlight the trip.  I have heard from a friend that this hike is particularly pretty in the winter when half of the falls are flowing and half are frozen over.  At a total of four miles, the distance of this hike is just right so that it does not take up a large portion of your day, but you still feel like you have accomplished something after it is over.  Apple Orchard Falls is perfect for anyone looking for a lazy stroll along a picturesque mountain stream.  It always seems that when we do these hikes, the pictures we take don't do justice to the sights.  The only way to see how beautiful these places truly are is to get out and see them yourself!


Although you can't really tell from the photos, we got rained on the entire hike.  What started out as a light drizzle turned into a downpour at times.  Being a mile or so from the car with no raincoat when it really started coming down, I had no choice but to suck it up and get soaked to the bone.  Allison was a little smarter than I was and had a rain jacket so she fared much better.  Unfortunately, it looked to be a soaking rain that was going to continue well into the evening.  Not wanting to be confined to the tent all day, we decided to pack up camp and head back to Charlottesville after the hike.  It pretty much rained the entire trip back and well into the night so I think we made the right call.  We are still itching to sit around a camp fire under clear skies, so I would imagine we'll have another camping trip in the near future.



Monday, April 23, 2012

Ragged Mountain Natural Area

Well a very busy week has put me slightly behind on a post.  This Virginia boy made his first trip to the storied state of Texas last weekend for the wedding of two good friends from undergraduate studies.  The wedding couldn't have been better, and it was great catching up with old friends.  However, there were no mountains (or much of anything for that matter) surrounding Dallas, and the Blue Ridge was a very welcome site heading back into Virginia.  Last Saturday (4/14) Alli and I wanted to find a moderately long hike somewhere close to Charlottesville.  We had long heard of the Ragged Mountain Natural Area hike, located only 2 miles from the University of Virginia, but never paid it a visit.  As it turns out, the hike was exactly what we were looking for on this particular day.


Ragged Mountain Natural Area provides close to 6.5 miles of hiking trails that are maintained by the Ivy Creek Foundation.  The trails are centered around two lakes which serve as reservoirs for the city of Charlottesville.  The trail head starts at a graveled parking lot located at 1730 Reservoir Rd.  A kiosk is also located in the parking lot providing information, rules, maps, etc. for the area.  Alli and I chose to do the "main trail hike" and the "peninsula loop."  The main trail is a 3.5 mile hike that winds its way around the lower lake, pictured above.  The peninsula loop, as one might expect, breaks from the main trail and is a half mile circle around the shore of a prominent peninsula that juts into the lake.

Heading north out of the parking lot, we started our adventure on the main trail.  The first quarter mile or so of the hike is pretty steep climbing over both log steps and jagged rock formations.  Keeping a pretty good pace, we were able to get our heart rate up over this stretch.  Along the way, we passed the "round top trail" on our right.  From the map, the round top trail is a quarter mile deviation from the main trail that eventually rejoins the main.  The name suggests that this loop may provide a little more up hill action although it was not confirmed.  Shortly after passing the sign for the round top trail, the main trail flattens out considerably.  At this time, the trail begins to approach the shoreline and you can just start to see the lower lake through the trees.  After only a few hundred feet of flat trail, we took a left at the sign for the peninsula loop.  The highlights of this short detour are at the end of the peninsula.  There you find an old stone chimney and corner of an old house foundation of residents long past.  Just past the chimney you can walk out on the shores of the reservoir and get a pretty good look at most of the lower lake.  As you will see from the pictures, the water when we visited was well below the high water mark.  At the time, Charlottesville had not had any rain in weeks and was in desperate need.  Thankfully, it has been raining steadily for over two days now.  It would be interesting to make a quick return trip to the reservoir to see to what extent the rain has helped the water level.  After soaking up a little sun and enjoying the watery view, we continued on the loop eventually rejoining the main trail.


The next couple miles of the main trail twist and turn around the shore line of the lower lake.  The trail is gently rolling with only minor elevation changes allowing you to move as quickly as you would like.  A few stretches of our hike produced views of dried lake bed as the trail snaked around the shallow coves of the lake which had dried up (another indication that we desperately needed some rain).  There is a land bridge at the end of the lake furthest from the parking lot that functions as a dam between the upper and lower lakes.  This large, grassy area would be a perfect place to stop and have a snack or lunch if you had one packed.  There is also a really cool wooden shed located on a large stone pillar that stands about 20 feet over the surface of the upper lake.  We could not figure out what the original function of this building could've been or why it's up on the pillar.  Any guesses?  At the land bridge you have the option to hop on the 2.2 mile "upper lake trail."  We were happy with our original 4 mile plan and continued working our way around the lower lake.


The second part of the hike takes you away from the lake for a while and into the woods.  There is a much steeper elevation change that provides a bit of a hike; however, once you reach the pinnacle, it is all downhill for the last mile or so heading back to the parking lot.  At some point in the waning steps of the main trail Alli and I made a wrong turn and ended up crossing over the concrete dam.  The dam, right, is on the opposite end of the lake than the land bridge and can be viewed for much of the beginning of the hike.  Looking at the map, it does not look like we should've crossed the dam.  We ended up back on the peninsula loop and had to back-track the beginning part of our hike.  I think we ended up adding about a mile to our hike giving us a total of 5- oh well.

I would recommend Ragged Mountain is you are looking for a long, easy, relaxing hike.  The 3.5 mile main loop ensures that you get a lengthy hike in and can be supplemented with the shorter trails as we did.  As I mentioned, there are only a very few steep parts and most of the hike is on a slightly undulating, lakeside trail.  The views are not as great as if you were to get to the mountains, but it is always nice to be on the water.  I am providing the trail map below in case you might want to check it out.  Enjoy!

Ragged Mountain Trails Map