False Cape State Park is unique among Virginia's state parks in that it's inaccessible except through Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge. You have to bike or walk to get there. Similar to other barrier islands the eastern side faces the ocean and the western side faces the bay. Because Back Bay doesn't have overnight parking,... Continue Reading →
Trip Report: The Ascent of Strickler Knob with Apologies to Robert Service (19 miles)
There are strange things done ’neath Virginia sunBy hikers with frozen hands,The Massanutten trails hold wind and galesAnd more rocks than grains of sand.The ridge winds bite with frosty spiteThough forecasts look sincere—But the wildest tale I’ll ever tellIs the hike we survived this year. I said with cheer, “The fall’s prime here—We’ll hike through... Continue Reading →
Flora of the Fall
Maples of the Mid-Atlantic By Maddie Beaudry Fall is here, and hikers everywhere are looking forward to cooler weather and appreciating the lovely fall colors. All deciduous trees will experience some color change, but the leaves of a lot of our common trees like tulip poplar and hickory will turn shades of yellow and brown... Continue Reading →
Adventures in Southern Shenandoah
I’ve been slowly picking off trails for the Shenandoah 500 and had a decent stretch along the Appalachian Trail (AT) at the top of the southern district that I still needed to cover. The first version of this trip was just the AT, but severe storms prompted me to reschedule it. My original plan had... Continue Reading →
Trip Report: 2024 Four State Challenge (~44 miles)
The 2024 DC UL Four State Challenge was one for the books! A cool and clear fall weekend set the perfect backdrop for a trek across four states (VA, WV, MD, PA) in a single day on the Appalachian Trail. This year, our participants were Austin ("Citrus"), Brian, Steve ("Baconator"), Kyle ("Water Dog"), Aneesh, and... Continue Reading →