I joined a small group of twelve or so DC area climbers who were taking advantage of the long Memorial Day Weekend to make the more than five-hour drive to the popular New River Gorge in southeastern West Virginia. Some of the group was old faces but most were new to me on this New River Gorge Memorial Day trip. …
Going from a Traditional Hiker to an Ultralight Backpacker
It’s been almost three years since my first backpacking trip out here on the East Coast. I had been living in DC for almost two years with not much exploration of nature beyond the Beltway. Being from the Northwest I had initially kind of (unfairly) dismissed the hiking and backpacking opportunities available here in the Mid-Atlantic. Well, after so much …
Backpacking Duncan and Strickler Knob in Virginia’s Massanutten Mountains
Check out the Duncan and Strickler Knob trip report I put together as a guest post on SectionHiker.com. I’ve been following Philip’s blog for a few years now and it’s an honor to have a post featured on his site. Be sure to click through to read about the Duncan and Strickler Knob trip and definitely follow his blog–it features …
Ed Viesturs on Obsession, Commitment, Fear, and Risk
Having the chance to see Ed Viesturs, one of America’s greatest mountaineers, speak on the theme of risk, obsession, commitment, and fear in the mountains, was one of the most illuminating outdoors talks I’ve ever attended. Here is an idea of what Ed Viesturs had to say and my own reflections on the topic. Maurice Herzog closes his seminal book …
Learn to Lead Course with Seneca Rocks Climbing School
My buddy Sameer and I took a two-day Learn to Lead Course with Seneca Rocks Climbing School this past weekend. We both have done a little bit of leading on some of the easiest routes at Seneca, so we already had some understanding of the fundamentals and basic systems for multi-pitch rock. We wanted to get out there and practice …
Sunburns, Handguns, and Hypothermia: 32 Miles through the Massanuttens
“Don’t be intimidated by my gun, I always carry it. I gotta concealed weapons permit fer it, as well.” “Uhh, okay,” I responded, not even realizing at that point that my fellow shelter companion had a handgun strapped to his waist. My friend Chris and I had just arrived at the Little Crease Shelter in the Massanutten’s not more than …
Climbing Mount Hood in Oregon’s Cascade Mountains
I’m out in Washington State for work right now, and a few weeks back me and a couple climbing acquaintances out of Portland penciled in Easter weekend to make an attempt climbing Mount Hood. Things were looking doubtful for awhile there with all the snow that was dumping throughout the Cascades, the avy conditions, and the general weather pattern, but …
Avalanche! What to Expect During an AIARE Level I Course
I headed back up to New Hampshire for the third time in the past few months, but this time it was for an AIARE Level 1 avalanche safety course. The course was organized and financially supported by the Potomac Mountain Club, our local climbing club in Washington DC. The course appealed to me because this course was to focus more …