This article may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase through these links, I will earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Thanks!A group of us from DC UL Backpacking decided we needed a change of pace from Virginia backpacking, so we headed north to Pennsylvania so we could hike the Allegheny Front Trail up near State College, …
Backpacking North Fork Mountain (24 miles) and Climbing at Seneca
I finally got out to North Fork Mountain with a small crew from DC UL Backpacking… This one has been on my to-do list for awhile now, since I have seen some cool photos from friends that have done it in the past and just because I always notice it while climbing at Seneca (it is the long ridgeline to …
Climbing at Indian Grave Ridge
About a dozen of us from the Potomac Mountain Club headed out for a day trip to climb at the relatively off-the-beaten path crag known as Indian Grave Ridge. The crag is located about halfway between Luray and Front Royal, Virginia in the Massanuttens and is considerably remote for a day trip—long drive up a dirt road and a 45 …
Seven Days in the North Cascades: Alpine Mountaineering and Technical Leadership 2
I recently met up with Chad Cochran with the American Alpine Institute (AAI) for a shortened, 1:1 version of AAI’s Alpine Mountaineering and Technical Leadership 2 (AMTL2) course. The AMTL course is a 4-part series, with the primary goal of Part 2 to make you a qualified rope team leader on rock and glacier routes. My seven days in the …
Torment-Forbidden Traverse
This past weekend I met up with Kel Rossiter of Adventure Spirit Guides for a two-day run at the classic Torment-Forbidden Traverse (Grade IV, 5.6) in Washington’s Boston Basin. The traverse was an absolutely outstanding route in one of the most spectacular and wild settings I’ve ever seen. The traverse is not particularly difficult climbing but it is long, committing, and features …
Climbing Mount Shuksan Fisher Chimneys: One of the 50 Classic Climbs
I headed up to Mount Shuksan (9,127′) with Doug, a fellow Potomac Mountain Club member, to climb the Mount Shuksan Fisher Chimneys route. Both of us are originally from the Pacific Northwest but now live inside the DC Beltway… I must say it was so great to be back in the Cascades! I’ve had thoughts of Mount Shuksan and hoped …
Backpacking through Bogs and Blueberries: 18 Miles in Dolly Sods North
A crew of seven of us from DC UL Backpacking headed up to Dolly Sods North over the weekend for 18 miles through my favorite area in the Mid-Atlantic. Dolly Sods is truly one of the most amazing places to hike and is one of the most unique and varied ecosystems I’ve encountered—every turn of the trail seemingly changes the …
Melting on Little Devils Stairs and Baking on Buzzard Rocks in Virginia
This past weekend we reached the pinnacle of the DC heatwave with temps soaring to 105 degrees in the city and planes literally melting into the tarmac at the airport… With the oppressively hot weather in the forecast, there was only one thing to do—escape to the nearby Blue Ridge Mountains in search of at least slightly cooler temps. This …