You’ve probably heard of us. They are calling us the “Kennedy Peak Four.” I always hated that tag. To my ears it makes us sound like a boy band, as in: “Now opening for the Backstreet Boys, the Kennedy Peak Four!” However, I cannot deny the national interest in us. Most of what you’ve read... 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 →
Trip Report: “Jonesen for Donkey Kong” (Jones Cabin with a SNP/Rapidan WMA Loop—Staunton River Trail, the “Sag,” the Laurels, Camp Rapidan, and Monkey Head) (January 19-21, 2024) (22 miles—in the snow)
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 →
Snow Coaster! (MO: W1 MLK Long Weekend AT “Roller Coaster”) (January 13-15, 2024) 26 miles
Roller Coaster warning. Credit: John Marier Over the three-day Martin Luther King weekend, eight DCUL backpackers (and one slack-packing dog) tackled the infamous Virginia Appalachian Trail (AT) "Roller Coaster" northbound from Manassas Gap to Snickerville Gap. This section of unrelenting climbs and descents is the area that most gives the AT in Virginia its reputation for "PUDS"... Continue Reading →
Trip Report: Blue Skies and Swirling Winds (LM: White Rocks Cliff) (October 7-8, 2023) 19 miles
Photo Credit Jake Sawyer On October 7-8, 2023, seven DCUL backpackers completed a delightful low-mileage (LM) 19-mile overnight clockwise circuit along the West Virginia-Virginia border, in the Wilson Cove Wildlife Management Area and Great North Mountain region. The literal and figurative highpoint was the view from White Rocks Cliff while the low point was when... Continue Reading →