To prepare for the upcoming glutenous holiday season, we
burned some calories hiking the strenuous climb up to Maryland Heights
for a wonderful view of Harper's Ferry, WV. The day was cool, and he
plowed through a bit of snow, but the crisp air made the view all the
more magical. We returned to town after hiking about 6.5 miles and
enjoyed snacks and pints at a local pub.
Five Young Sierrans trekked to Annapolis Rocks on the peak
weekend for fall colors. The deep oranges and firey reds of the trees
seen from the vista at Annapolis Rocks were truly breath-taking! AND
- this was the first time in Baltimore Young Sierrans history that not
one of us remembered a camera! But take our word for it, it was a
perfect autumn day
Shel, Kathy, Noy, Lloyd, Sally, and Sarah gathered for
an unusually warm October weekend at the Doyle River
Cabin in Shenandoah National Forest. We hiked 1/3
mile into the cabin which was eqipped with a beautiful
porch, fire place, and comfy bunks. We hiked 8 miles
by several pretty (but dry) waterfalls on Saturday,
before coming back to the cabin for a potluck complete
with Shel's scrumptious vegetarian chili and
delightful guitar performance. Sunday we opted for
shorter hike to a rock outcropping overlooking miles
and miles of mountains, valleys, and the small towns
of Appalachia. Kudos to Shel for organizing a
wonderful weekend!
Six Young Sierrans commemorated our 3-year anniversary
by hiking at Gunpowder State Park on the trail that
served as our first outing in September, 2004. This
time, we added a second trail, extending the hike to
about 6 miles.
Young Sierrans set out on a hot day in July to hike the moderate 4.5 Sweathouse Trail of Gunpowder State Park. On the way back, we jumped into the river to splash around and cool off. We're all pictured here around Noy's car, which may not be with us much longer! (sniff, sniff!)
On Saturday, June 16, seven Young Sierrans rode 26 miles on the NCR (North Central Rail) trail, starting at Monkton Station. We ate lunch 13 miles up the trail at the Mason-Dixon line, and then turned around and rode back to Monkton. Special thanks to Shel for putting this day together (and scouting for it in torrential downpours with Jason!), and also running a successful supervised outing, leading to her official status as a certified Young Sierrans Outing Leader!
May: Jefferson National Forest
On May 11-13, seven Young Sierrans (John, Jason, Sarah, Jessie, Lloyd, Kathy, and Shel) embarked on an adventure in Jefferson National Forest near Blacksburg, VA. We set up camp at The Pines campground on Friday night and enjoyed libations unto the wee hours of the morning. Saturday we hiked 7.5-miles round trip, climbing to McAfee's Knob. Sunday was the 4-mile trek to Dragon's Tooth. These were two of the most photographed spots on the Appalachian Trail. Along both hikes we saw rhododendrun and mountain laurel in peak bloom, as well as two wild orchids—quite the find! Saturday night we enjoyed the grandest of potluck dinners, complete with kabobs, veggie chili, pasta with pesto and roasted red peppers, and s'mores for dessert. See more photos.
April 2: Susquehanna State Park
Eight Young Sierrans hiked in Susquehanna State park and encountered sunshine, deer, turtles and some spectacular spring wildflowers: including trillium, dutchman's breeches and virginia bluebells.
February: Baltimore City Urban Hike
Eleven of us braved the 29-35 degree temperatures to explore Baltimore city's nooks and crannies. We departed from the City Cafe in Mt. Vernon around 10:15 and headed south on Charles Street, stopping at the Washington Monument and Mt. Vernon Square to talk about the history of this neighborhood and the square. On Charles Street we also took note of the Walters Art Museum, First Unitarian Church of Baltimore, and Enoch Pratt Library, stopping at each to discuss their histories. Kathy guided the group to the Inner Harbor where we began the official Baltimore Heritage Walk. Stopping first at the USS Constellation (left photo), then on to 19 more sites including (but not limited to!) the Public Works Museum, USS Torsk (right photo) Flag House, Jewish Museum of Maryland, Friends Meeting House, Shot Tower, Carroll Mansion, City Hall, and the Peale Museum. Along the way we also took in some non-official sites on the Heritage Walk including the Cop Shop (bottom photo with Jessie peeking in) where Baltimore City Police obtain supplies. Oh! And I almost forgot to mention our lovely lunch at Lenny's on Cornbeef Row near Lloyd Street and the Jewish Museum in Jonestown.
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