I have done this trail so many times so why not do something a little different! Some housekeeping things though: Congratulations to Donna, Paul, and Daniel for completing your first trip with the club and subsequent promotion to member status. Hope to see you all on future DCUL trips! Thank you to fellow AO's Snake... Continue Reading →
Trip Report: “Surviving Man-Eating Fish on the Foothills Trail” (Foothills Trail Thru-Hike, South/North Carolina) (May 24-27, 2024) (77 miles)
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 →
SNP South Trip Report (May 18-19, 2024)
In Ireland, there is a saying "If you don't like the weather, wait 15 minutes". The same applies to Virginia spring weather forecasts. You can never believe what the forecast says until you find out for yourself. This was my first trip as an organizer and the forecast called for rain ... all weekend, all... Continue Reading →
Trip Report: An Exercise in Teamwork (Caledonia State Park) (May 11-12, 2024) (~21 miles)
Me and my way finding I was very excited to be doing Trout Run Valley again (my 6th time doing the loop) but due to trail closures (It was been closed off since October???!!!) I had to reschedule for another LM trip. One of my favorite aspects of Trout Run Valley is its proximity to... Continue Reading →
Trip Report: Members-Only 5-Day South Shenandoah AT 57-Mile Section
April 22-26, 2024 four DCUL backpackers and two hiking dogs covered a delightful 57-mile section of the Appalachian Trail (AT) from the Bearfence Rock scramble south to the Shenandoah National Park (SNP) boundary at Rockfish Gap. We were treated by abundant wildflowers, butterflies, sweeping views, and jovial companionship. The relatively moderate mileage per day allowed... Continue Reading →