David O.; Photo credit: Alexander After two years of COVID, and at the dawn of Spring 2022, DCULers were more than ready to go wild—and we did!  Of course, when we go wild, we do it lighter, earlier, and farther. Primal yells, an early morning barefoot crossing through the icy, swift-moving Ramsey’s Draft creek, a... Continue Reading →

Frustration seethed through Alexander (Mr. Woo). The late morning of the day of the Heaven & Hell trip, Adrian, who had previously committed to being a driver for our point-to-point hike, couldn’t use his car as he expected. I commenced the puzzle-like process of reforming carpools and the shuttle plan—a process made complicated by Maryland’s... Continue Reading →

Most DCUL assistant organizers plan DCUL trips a month or so in advance. Some, like Michael M (“Uturn”), will post international trips a year in advance. Last weekend 10 DCULers hiked a Shenandoah National Park trip planned four years ago. Hope, dispointment, and—ultimately—redemption were the mile markers of this journey. I was a new DCULer... Continue Reading →

(AT from Manassas Gap to Snickers’ Gap — 28 miles) (August 13-15, 2021) I was feeling melancholy. Neither my glass of Loire wine, nor some ripe Brie cheese, nor the faint strains of accordion music from the cafe across the plaza soothed me. I read and re-read the RSVP list on Karan and Kylie’s Roaring Plains/Haystack... Continue Reading →

Emerald Pond. Some people—mostly those who have never been to Hawaii—might call this crystal-clear, spring-fed lake on top of Massanutten Mountain prettier than a Hawaiian lagoon at sunset. This was to be the highlight of the Emerald Pond Paradise hike on June 25-27. Five DCULers threw ultralight swimsuits into our packs to seek paradise. We... Continue Reading →