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 →
Trip Reports & More
Trip Report: “What You Missed . . . Animal House with Bon Jovi” (Mt. Rogers-Grayson Highlands-Iron Mountain Loop, Virginia) (Sept. 1-4, 2023, Labor Day Weekend) (62 miles)
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 →
Trip Report: A Recipe for Disaster (Tuscarora Trail Sections 18-20, Elizabeth Furnace to Waites Run Rd) (August 25-27th, 2023) (40 miles)
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 →
Trip Report: “Beach Party!” Or “Never Ending Trouble.” (Sherando Lake via Mills Creek Trail and Torry Ridge Trail Loop, Virginia) (Aug. 11-13, 2023) (18 Miles)
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 →
Trip Report: A little piece of Maine (Tour de Sods) (July 21-23, 2023) (36 Miles)
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 →