Less great to lose to first-time fans Gloria and Ken. In overtime. After the last-second game-winning field goal clanked. Ouch.
Sunday, October 10, 2010
Pack It In
FedEx Field is just a metro ride and a stroll from my front door step, so I knew there were no excuses when the Packers came to town to battle the Redskins. Great to cheer alongside Bargey. We both felt unwelcome enough, strangely enough, to move seats.
Less great to lose to first-time fans Gloria and Ken. In overtime. After the last-second game-winning field goal clanked. Ouch.
Less great to lose to first-time fans Gloria and Ken. In overtime. After the last-second game-winning field goal clanked. Ouch.
Sunday, September 26, 2010
Learning not to bike to places that start with “Mount”
What better gift for my parents’ anniversary than treating them to the same wondrous adventure that they raised me on: biking to the top of high places.
After two days of DC touring, we hopped onto two rented bikes (~$45 each at the local bike rental joint) and my rusty, squeaky early-summer purchase. Biking to Mount Vernon’s a nice little 15 mile adventure south of the city, almost entirely on paved bike trail. We invited Josh, Amy and little Elena, and set off after the morning rain stopped.
An hour in, about halfway, Amy popped a tire. The mini-adventure of getting it fixed was a nice break on the legs. Moving my heavy, inefficient bike was proving more difficult than I’d anticipated. Josh and I celebrated the crest of the hill, right before Mount Vernon, with a short walk – all the better to enjoy the views.
Luckily, the tour of George Washington’s manor was well worth the trek. You can see, with a view like that, why the man was content to give up public life in DC and return to the country. I wouldn’t mind the same someday.
After two days of DC touring, we hopped onto two rented bikes (~$45 each at the local bike rental joint) and my rusty, squeaky early-summer purchase. Biking to Mount Vernon’s a nice little 15 mile adventure south of the city, almost entirely on paved bike trail. We invited Josh, Amy and little Elena, and set off after the morning rain stopped.
An hour in, about halfway, Amy popped a tire. The mini-adventure of getting it fixed was a nice break on the legs. Moving my heavy, inefficient bike was proving more difficult than I’d anticipated. Josh and I celebrated the crest of the hill, right before Mount Vernon, with a short walk – all the better to enjoy the views.
Luckily, the tour of George Washington’s manor was well worth the trek. You can see, with a view like that, why the man was content to give up public life in DC and return to the country. I wouldn’t mind the same someday.
Sunday, September 19, 2010
South Cornerstone Galore
Word Masteress Emily gave me all the invitation I needed. We can go wherever you’d like, she volunteered, anywhere we go in the city will be new to me, so why don’t we tour around the places you’d like to see?
The South Cornerstone.
Whitney, Katie and I picked the North Cornerstone, back in April, as the most accessible/adventurous cornerstone to target first. With three to go, and knowing full well that East will be tricky and West threatens to be not that interesting, I suggested that Emily and I combine a tour of Old Town Alexandria with a second installment of the Cornerstone Chase. The only problem was that I wasn’t even sure that the South Cornerstone even exists anymore, the maps are a bit ambiguous. But the lady was game enough to agree.
The Old Town’s as delightfully bourgeoisie as a couple of young professionals could hope for. Blocks and blocks of old brick rowhouses gentrified into either charming restaurants, pricey shops or pretty nice places to live. At the river’s edge, we turned south, following a bike trail underneath a sketchy freeway bridge. Strange abandoned vans, mystery stinky trashy bags. Just because we were making jokes doesn’t mean that we didn’t pick up our pace.
The trail led to an underutilized, overgrown park. We walked, optimistically, as far as the park would allow. At the far corner, a historic lighthouse of sorts, trending towards dilapidated. A hunch and a hop over a fence. Emily looked confused.
And there she was, easing into the encroaching Potomac, a cornerstone, framed behind a not-often-used peephole in the seawall ten feet in front of the lighthouse. The South Cornerstone, the very first to be laid down in 1791. (Maybe. The authenticity of the present cornerstone is under dispute.)
Check.
The South Cornerstone.
Whitney, Katie and I picked the North Cornerstone, back in April, as the most accessible/adventurous cornerstone to target first. With three to go, and knowing full well that East will be tricky and West threatens to be not that interesting, I suggested that Emily and I combine a tour of Old Town Alexandria with a second installment of the Cornerstone Chase. The only problem was that I wasn’t even sure that the South Cornerstone even exists anymore, the maps are a bit ambiguous. But the lady was game enough to agree.
The Old Town’s as delightfully bourgeoisie as a couple of young professionals could hope for. Blocks and blocks of old brick rowhouses gentrified into either charming restaurants, pricey shops or pretty nice places to live. At the river’s edge, we turned south, following a bike trail underneath a sketchy freeway bridge. Strange abandoned vans, mystery stinky trashy bags. Just because we were making jokes doesn’t mean that we didn’t pick up our pace.
The trail led to an underutilized, overgrown park. We walked, optimistically, as far as the park would allow. At the far corner, a historic lighthouse of sorts, trending towards dilapidated. A hunch and a hop over a fence. Emily looked confused.
And there she was, easing into the encroaching Potomac, a cornerstone, framed behind a not-often-used peephole in the seawall ten feet in front of the lighthouse. The South Cornerstone, the very first to be laid down in 1791. (Maybe. The authenticity of the present cornerstone is under dispute.)
Check.
Monday, September 6, 2010
Three Ridges Aplenty
My "Hiking Virginia" book is dogearred with great Shenandoah and Blue Ridge hikes, but only one trail earns the title of Virginia’s newest wilderness area: Three Ridges and The Priest in the George Washington National Forest. Jon, Libby and I set out to hike the hills on a perfect Labor Day weekend. Libby and I escorted Jon half of the way to training in Georgia, then rode Amtrak back from Charlottesville on the flip side. Hip hip horray for three-day weekends well spent!Two-night loop along Appalachian Trail and Mau-Har Trail
13.8 miles, ~4,000’ elevation gains
Southwest of Lovinston, VA, site of Bargey’s 2006 wedding!
ALPs alumni extravaganza:
L.R. Strait
J.D. Mungen
J.R. Jewett
Day 1
2.5 miles
1,000 ft elevation gain
VA56 trailhead north on AT to Harpers Creek shelter
Stead climb led to nice area with lots of campsites and tent pads, very small creek
Day 2
8.0 miles
2,000 ft elevation gain
Up and across ridgeline, down creek valley to Campbell Falls campsite. Long 3 mile, 2,000 foot gain to start the day. First great view at Chimney Rock. Unfortunately no view from peak of Three Ridges at 3,970’. While there are some campsites in the area, you’d have to haul all your water up the mountain. Hanging Rock (below) at 6.8 miles is as good as it gets.
Nice shelter, outhouse, campsites at Maupin Shelter, would make a decent resting spot instead of Campell Falls. Even smaller creek for water purposes.
Campbell Falls is rugged in and out in both directions. The area's neat, but there's not much room for tents. Two was a squeeze, there wouldn't be room for more than one hiking party...and no good back-up areas around. Swimming hole atop a 20 foot waterfall was a treat! Would be great in hot weather, a bit brisk in early September.
Day 3
3.3 miles to trailhead
1,000 ft elevation gain
Quick uphill, then gentle return to river, parking lot. :-)
Monday, August 23, 2010
Caught in a Wolftrap
One of the best mid-summer DC activities? Wolftrap. An outdoor theatre managed by the National Park Service.
You’ve got your choice, caching a $5 roundtrip shuttle from the far end of the orange line, or a short drive down 267 toward Dulles.
August brought two shows: A Monday night with Counting Crows and Gloria, her sister and Thanksgiving Elli and two weeks later another Monday date complete with Train.
The better show? Train. Not only was Hey Soul Sister – Drops of Jupiter as good a one-two punch as I’ve ever seen in a concert, but you get Meet Virginia as a bonus. They even managed to keep the rain-dropped crowd happy1 While Long December and Mr. Jones were pretty fantastic, Counting Crows deemed it necessary to give too much of their stage time to their rap-aholic friend who wasn’t quite as easy on the ears.
How To: Tickets are reasonable. Gates open at 6:30. For the better shows, you’ve gotta be there ahead of time in order to be one of the first to get through the gate and stake a claim to a good lawn spot. Show up late, and you risk sitting on concrete or a seat at one of the far edges.
You’ve got your choice, caching a $5 roundtrip shuttle from the far end of the orange line, or a short drive down 267 toward Dulles.
August brought two shows: A Monday night with Counting Crows and Gloria, her sister and Thanksgiving Elli and two weeks later another Monday date complete with Train.
The better show? Train. Not only was Hey Soul Sister – Drops of Jupiter as good a one-two punch as I’ve ever seen in a concert, but you get Meet Virginia as a bonus. They even managed to keep the rain-dropped crowd happy1 While Long December and Mr. Jones were pretty fantastic, Counting Crows deemed it necessary to give too much of their stage time to their rap-aholic friend who wasn’t quite as easy on the ears.
How To: Tickets are reasonable. Gates open at 6:30. For the better shows, you’ve gotta be there ahead of time in order to be one of the first to get through the gate and stake a claim to a good lawn spot. Show up late, and you risk sitting on concrete or a seat at one of the far edges.
Friday, August 6, 2010
Legg Mason
Andrew and I treated the quarterfinals of the Legg Mason Tennis Classic as a costumed activity. Surely hob-nobbing amongst the DC tennis-playing elites requires sweater vests, no?
As for the tennis action? Pretty cool to watch. I don't claim to know a whole lottabout tennis, but i think i'd heard one of the four names before, so i suppose that's a good sign. Wikipedia filled in the rest.
Nalbandian (ARG) > Simon (FRA)
3-6, 6-2, 6-3
Cilic (CRO) > Tipsarenic (SRB)
7-6(4), 6-4
Nalbandian went on to win the whole darn thing, the first time he's done that in a while. I figure it was at least half due to my cheering efforts. Viva la argentine.
As for the tennis action? Pretty cool to watch. I don't claim to know a whole lottabout tennis, but i think i'd heard one of the four names before, so i suppose that's a good sign. Wikipedia filled in the rest.Nalbandian (ARG) > Simon (FRA)
3-6, 6-2, 6-3
Cilic (CRO) > Tipsarenic (SRB)
7-6(4), 6-4
Nalbandian went on to win the whole darn thing, the first time he's done that in a while. I figure it was at least half due to my cheering efforts. Viva la argentine.
Sunday, August 1, 2010
how to backpack from DC via public transportation
Appalachian Trail
Out-and-Back South of Harper’s Ferry
July 30 - Aug 1
Harper’s Ferry – David Lesser Shelter/Cooper Spring – Harper’s Ferry
approx 18.8 miles
FRIDAY: Union Station → Harpers Ferry
4:05PM – 5:16PM AMTRAK
4:55PM – 6:16PM MARC
5:40PM – 7:15PM MARC
7:15PM – 8:42PM MARC
SUNDAY: Harpers Ferry → Union Station
11:25AM – 1:10PM AMTRAK
FRIDAY:
After Gloria had to back out of a weekend trip, raced to Union Station, desperate to get outta town. Bought ticket on train, $14. Commuter train stopped at about a dozen little towns along the way, some barely more than crossroads. Pleasant scenery, train wasn’t all that crowded.
Hopped out at Harper’s Ferry with an hour and a half of daylight to spare. Such a cool little spot. No stores seemed open on a Friday evening, don’t count on finding anything there. Followed Shenandoah Street through National Park buildings, rather than hiking Appalachian Trail up the hill into town. Rejoined the trail at 370, crossed Shenandoah River and hiked a mile so up the bluff towering over the river. 1000 foot elevation gain in the first mile after the river. Didn’t make it all the way up before dark, set up tent with headlamp and bivouacing at a quasi-site still inside Harper’s Ferry National Historical Park – no camping allowed – and not quite to the Appalachian Trail N.P. – camping allowed.
SATURDAY:
Crested the bluff after twenty minutes of morning hiking, and crossed into national forest not long after. Largely level terrain once you get to the top, but unfortunately there aren’t any views, at least during summer. Long stretches of leafcovered rockfields. Several nice established camping options (no water, though) in the ~2 mile level stretch between park boundary and powerline cut.
A mile after powerline cut, trail crosses VA7. A pleasant 3 miles south of the highway, a side trail leads to the left (west) toward David Lesser cabin. Complete with nice shelter, covered kitchen, and five camp sites. The real treat’s the spring. Clear and cool, a little hike below the campsites. After filling up (had to boil, don’t have a filter yet...) started the return trip. Crossed VA7 and stopped at the first campsite after the powerline cut.
SUNDAY:
Hiked downhill back to Harper’s Ferry to catch morning train. Made quick time, with ice cream and stroll through the historic district as a reward. AMTRAK train apparently isn’t time-reliable. Train an hour late, but comfortable when on-board. Tried to buy a ticket onboard, but conductor let me off with a “Happy Birthday” and a wave. A few fellow Midwestern hikers suggested a three-day trip, north to south, starting at a commuter bus stop along the train 30 miles south of Harper’s Ferry. Would be a good way to do it.
See also:
Map 7 Appalachian Trail in WV and NOVA
Hiking Virginia (Falcon Guide) p. 318
Out-and-Back South of Harper’s Ferry
July 30 - Aug 1
Harper’s Ferry – David Lesser Shelter/Cooper Spring – Harper’s Ferry
approx 18.8 miles
FRIDAY: Union Station → Harpers Ferry
4:05PM – 5:16PM AMTRAK
4:55PM – 6:16PM MARC
5:40PM – 7:15PM MARC
7:15PM – 8:42PM MARC
SUNDAY: Harpers Ferry → Union Station
11:25AM – 1:10PM AMTRAK
FRIDAY:
After Gloria had to back out of a weekend trip, raced to Union Station, desperate to get outta town. Bought ticket on train, $14. Commuter train stopped at about a dozen little towns along the way, some barely more than crossroads. Pleasant scenery, train wasn’t all that crowded.
Hopped out at Harper’s Ferry with an hour and a half of daylight to spare. Such a cool little spot. No stores seemed open on a Friday evening, don’t count on finding anything there. Followed Shenandoah Street through National Park buildings, rather than hiking Appalachian Trail up the hill into town. Rejoined the trail at 370, crossed Shenandoah River and hiked a mile so up the bluff towering over the river. 1000 foot elevation gain in the first mile after the river. Didn’t make it all the way up before dark, set up tent with headlamp and bivouacing at a quasi-site still inside Harper’s Ferry National Historical Park – no camping allowed – and not quite to the Appalachian Trail N.P. – camping allowed.
SATURDAY:
Crested the bluff after twenty minutes of morning hiking, and crossed into national forest not long after. Largely level terrain once you get to the top, but unfortunately there aren’t any views, at least during summer. Long stretches of leafcovered rockfields. Several nice established camping options (no water, though) in the ~2 mile level stretch between park boundary and powerline cut.
A mile after powerline cut, trail crosses VA7. A pleasant 3 miles south of the highway, a side trail leads to the left (west) toward David Lesser cabin. Complete with nice shelter, covered kitchen, and five camp sites. The real treat’s the spring. Clear and cool, a little hike below the campsites. After filling up (had to boil, don’t have a filter yet...) started the return trip. Crossed VA7 and stopped at the first campsite after the powerline cut.
SUNDAY:
Hiked downhill back to Harper’s Ferry to catch morning train. Made quick time, with ice cream and stroll through the historic district as a reward. AMTRAK train apparently isn’t time-reliable. Train an hour late, but comfortable when on-board. Tried to buy a ticket onboard, but conductor let me off with a “Happy Birthday” and a wave. A few fellow Midwestern hikers suggested a three-day trip, north to south, starting at a commuter bus stop along the train 30 miles south of Harper’s Ferry. Would be a good way to do it.
See also:
Map 7 Appalachian Trail in WV and NOVA
Hiking Virginia (Falcon Guide) p. 318
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