I planned this Labor Day Weekend trip as I do any DCUL trip. I appeared for my planning appointment before the DCUL power-brokers at the national headquarters. With my PowerPoint presentation ready, I sat at the end of the 40 foot mahogany conference room table to present my plan. At the head of the table,... Continue Reading →

There are many reasons why people consider August the worst time to go hiking in the Mid-Atlantic: the weather is often 90 degrees plus with humidity, reliable water sources can be bone-dry, and bugs are everywhere. So when I proposed a 32 mile hike on the Tuscarora Trail on a summer weekend, it was already... Continue Reading →

Ah! A low mileage, summertime hike centering around a mountain-steam-fed lake. The perfect hike for a hot August weekend. What could go wrong? Trouble: Rainstorms Eight of us arrived at the trailhead parking area at 9:20 p.m. on Friday night on the Blue Ridge Parkway. The weather forecast was good, but we still worried about... Continue Reading →

It had been a crazy week of work. I just wanted to sit down, relax a little, and get some good food. I sat down at one of my favorite restaurants. "I'll take the lunch special" I said to the waitress. The local news was babbling about some invasive plant species that was causing rash... Continue Reading →

There are some people who delicately peel off adhesive first-aid bandages to minimize pain; some who gingerly wade into the ocean to get used to the temperature before swimming; some who sip and savor Scotch. Then there are DCUL backpackers. We rip off Band-Aids, even from sensitive areas; we jump into the icy ocean without... Continue Reading →