Despite the balmy 80 degree temperature in the woods surrounding Lake Fairfax, the campfire blazed hot and bright. On this 15th Anniversary of DCUL, over 40 DCULers sat riveted on surrounding picnic tables. Evan (“Whiskey-Fairy”) grabbed a microphone to commemorate the founding and history of the most extreme and active backpacking club in the nation.
He recounted the early days when he founded the club on the Meetup app. Meetup is a platform of clubs ranging from people who like going bowling to those of us more interesting people who like waking early, packing light, and hiking far. He originally named the club “DC Overnight Adventures.” But, when he realized the unintended double-entendre of “Meetup” and “Overnight Adventures”—along with the large number of weird, leering dudes signing up for his trips with greasy hair, trim mustaches, and velvet pants, he wisely changed the name to “DCUL”— meaning Washington, D.C. ultra light backpacking.
I don’t remember exactly what he said, but I observed Wassal (“WB”) wipe away a tear as Whiskey-Fairy conjured up his inner Burt Bacharach as he belted out a speech in a manner not even Dionne Warwick could match.
After 15 years I never thought I’d feel this way
And as far as I’m concerned
I’m glad I got the chance to say
That I do believe I love DCUL
And if I should ever go away (to Canada)
Well, then close your eyes
And try to feel the way we do today
And then if you can remember . . .
Choked up, he passed the mic to Michael (“U-turn”) who continued the theme. He mentioned how he took the helm of the club and kept it alive while creating our unique ranking system of Applicant, Member, Veteran Member, and Veteran Plus Member, reducing the likelihood of hikers joining a trip over their head (or anyone showing up in velvet pants and mustaches). He also introduced the concept of “trail names”—nicknames for hikers. His first adoubement was Dan (“Heavy D”). Heavy D got the trail name less for his physical disposition than for the initially ridiculous weight of his backpack. U-turn later regretted this trail name custom when David (“Spider-Man”) embraced the concept well beyond its intended humor. U-turn also plugged his book, the undisputed authority on mid-Atlantic backpacking, AMC’s Best Backpacking in the Mid-Atlantic: A Guide to 30 of the Best Multi-Day Trips from New York to Virginia. He said something like:
Keep smiling, keep shining
Knowing you can always count on me, for sure
That’s what friends are for
From Applicants to Veterans
I’ll be on your side forever more
That’s what friends are for
Then Jen (“Shuttle”) and Karan (“BA”) rushed to support U-Turn. Shuttle had taken over the leadership from U-turn who passed the baton to BA. Just this year he passed it back to Shuttle after his terrific tenure. Together they sang in unison as the other backpackers smiled, waived lit headlamps, locked arms, and sang the chorus:
Keep smiling, keep shining
Knowing you can always count on me, for sure
That’s what friends are for
In lightning, in sunshine
I’ll be on your side forever more
Oh, that’s what friends are for
Whoa oh-oh
That’s when Brian (“B~~~~”) turned the dial up to 11 and led the recounting of prior DCUL adventures from treks across Iceland and Sweden to death marches around Massanutten and across 4 states in 24 hours. Fittingly, he did so to the tune of Kiss’ “Rock and Roll All Night.” Others joined in. Austin, who complained about having neither a trail name nor a starring role in a trip report, got half of his wishes granted. (You’re welcome, Austin!). Click here to read of DCUL’s exploits, big and small. (My personal favorites are “Whale Watching in the Blue Ridge Mountains,” “Doing a Chicago—25 or 6 to 4:00 into a Hurricane,” “I WANNA ROCK! ROCK”, “Now We Know,” and “Hazel Country Amble”). Led by Maddie, and at everyone’s persistent requests, Spider-Man reluctantly read an excerpt from the trip report titled “Feels Like the First Time.”
As the hour got later and the fire lower, hikers began peeling off, letting their Ultra trail runners lead them to their Durston X-Mid tents. (Everyone in DCUL eventually gets the same gear. Our multiple monthly trips are the ultimate equipment proving grounds, and what works, works). It was time for unearned slumber. (There was no mileage or elevation gain on this “social” trip). The cooling weather and gentle breeze made sleeping easy. Abhi (“All Electric”) may or may not have spent the night in the reclined bucket seat of his new Tesla, watching Casablanca as he pulled refreshment from his refrigerator. He fell asleep sighing, “we’ll always have St. Mary’s Wilderness.” Jonathan (“Shenanigans”) alone for the first time in a while dreamed of his fiancée, Kristen. Mark (“Brightside”) prioritized the upgrades he would make to his new, previously-owned truck. Mark (“Snake Jumper”) had to negotiate with his dog, Artemis (“Sarah”), over who got to sleep in the hammock and who had to sleep on the ground below it. As far as we know, no one stepped on Snake Jumper.
Thank you, Whiskey-Fairy, U-turn, Shuttle, and Karan for a great 15 years! Thanks to all the impossibly brave and beautiful DCULers, with their backpacking adventure glow, confidence, and mystery, who make each trip so memorable and fun. Keep smiling, keep shining—that’s what friends are for. Yeah.
David O (“Spider-Man”); Featured Photo Credit: Shane (“Dad Joke”)
DC UL Backpacking 
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