travel light, wake early, walk far
When our backpacking club, DCUL, hiked a section of the Appalachian Trail south of the Shenandoah National Park last year, we called our trip: “Whale Watching in the Blue Ridge Mountains.” It was really just a joke, though. Whales rarely hide in the trees of those mountains. We simply riffed off the name of a... Continue Reading →
“You probably won't even get your feet wet,” the Ranger said as he handed us a permit and a bunch of wag bags. “The conditions in Paria Canyon are unusually perfect. The low chance of rain tomorrow has cleared, the temperatures are warming, and the reliable springs are all flowing.” He saved the best for... Continue Reading →
Three backpackers stumbled off the Wild Oak Trail onto the giant mountain top campsite of Hiner Spring. One held a bloody rag to her face as her companions hovered around her with deep concern on their faces. They dropped packs and rushed to the spring. A few moments prior, a windy squall whipped in from... Continue Reading →
Still groggy from awaking after an all night rainfall, I leaned over my freshly packed backpack, strapping my drenched tent onto it. Steve (“Baconator”) approached and we exchanged the same “how did you sleep” small-talk conversation everyone makes each morning of a backpacking trek. He then took out a stiletto knife and suddenly everything went... Continue Reading →
The diner waitress looked sympathetic as she poured the coffee. “Tough night, Sweetie?” she asked Kyle (“Water Dog”). Water Dog sat at a booth sized for eight people but with only one person, Logan, across from him. Seven people followed him into the wilderness in the aftermath of the region’s first major snowfall in two... Continue Reading →
DC UL Backpacking 