Howard County Group - Outings

Outings: Get online directions to our meeting places. And take a look at our photo gallery to see pictures from previous outings. For outings by other groups, see the Maryland Chapter calendar and the Sierra Club Potomac Region Outings (PRO, formerly MWROP). Sat.-Tue. June 13-16: Grayson Highlands Car Camping, VA. Day hikes of 8 to 10 miles each, featuring views across some fantastic balds, wild ponies and beautiful Catawba Rhododendrons. Pre-register with Mike Juskelis, 410-439-4964, mjuskelis@cablespeed.com. Sat. June 27: AT - Keys Gap To Loudoun Heights, WV. Moderate 11 mile out-and-back hike on the Appalachian Trail, with lunch overlooking Harpers Ferry from Split Rocks. Bring lunch and water. Depart at 8:00 from the park & ride just north of I-70 on Rt. 32. Contact John Cougnet, 443-756-6741, jc5342@msn.com. Sat.-Sun. June 27-28: AT Backpack / Rolling Ridge Retreat, VA/WV. Moderate to strenuous 18 miles. Explore some lesser-known trails off this section of the AT to make a partial circuit, using the River Trail to the Shenandoah River, and trails through the Rolling Ridge Retreat community. Contact Betty Steil, 443-745-3041, blsteil@verizon.net. Sat.-Mon. June 27-29: Mount Rogers Backpack, VA. Moderate 21 mile backpack across fantastic open balds surrounded by mountains. Climb the highest peak in VA (5729 feet but no view) and perhaps see some wild ponies. Daily mileage 8/9/4. Pre-register with Mike Juskelis, 410-439-4964, mjuskelis@cablespeed.com. Sun. June 28: Flag Ponds Nature Park. Easy 4 mile hike down to the beach on the Chesapeake Bay, where we will hunt for shark teeth and other fossils eroded from Calvert Cliffs. Bring lunch to eat on the beach. Depart at 8:30 from the west lot of the park & ride on Broken Land Parkway at Rt. 32. Call Ken Clark, 301-725-3306, kenclark7@comcast.net. Fri. July 3: Duncan Knob-Strickler Knob Circuit, Massanutten Mt, VA.Strenuous 9.5 mile hike with two great vistas. Bring your rock scrambling shoes. Depart at 8:00 from the west lot of the park & ride on Broken Land Parkway at Rt. 32. Contact Mike Juskelis, 410-439-4964, mjuskelis@cablespeed.com. Sat. July 4: Gunpowder Falls State Park, Central Area. Moderate 5 or 10 mile hike, starting with a 5 mile circuit in the Wildlands section, followed by an optional 5 mile circuit to Pot Rocks. Bring lunch and water. Depart Columbia at 9:30 from Long Gate Parkway park & ride, off Rt. 100, just east of Rt. 29. Or call to meet at the trailhead. Call Tim Ryan before 9:30 PM, 410-248-2974, timothy_ryan@urscorp.com. Sat. July 11: Splash in the Middle Patuxent, in Columbia. Cool down with a leisurely 2 hour walk in the middle of the river, through the Middle Patuxent Environmental Area. Learn how this area was protected from development when Columbia was formed. Wear old sneakers, and be prepared to get wet. Optional restaurant lunch afterwards, so bring a change of clothes. Meet at 10:00, 0.8 mile south of Rt. 108 on Trotter Road, at the gravel parking lot on the left (east). Call Ken Clark, 301-725-3306, kenclark7@comcast.net. Sat.-Mon. July 11-13: Hammersley Wild Area Backpack, PA. Strenuous backpack 7 miles in to a beautiful base camp area on the Susquehannock Trail System. Day hike to explore this beautiful valley and the seldom used Three Sisters Trail. Some bushwhacking and about 3 miles of forest road walking will be required to close the loop. The backpack out will be the reverse of the first day. Pre-register with Mike Juskelis, 410-439-4964, mjuskelis@cablespeed.com. Sat. July 18: Howard County Butterfly Count. Take part in a region-wide survey, in partnership with the North American Butterfly Association and the Howard County Department of Recreation & Parks. Survey butterflies at sites around Howard County including Centennial Park, Alpha Ridge Park and Font Hill Park. 9am to 2pm. No experience necessary. Bring binoculars, lunch and water. Contact Sue Muller during working hours by 7/16, 410-313-4697, smuller@howardcountymd.gov. Sun. July 19: McKee-Beshers Wildlife Management Area, MD. Easy 8 miles, flat, but could be quite muddy or wet. Observe a variety of bird and animal life, wildflowers, and hopefully expanses of blooming sunflowers. This is a public hunting area, and on Sunday there may be dog training activities. Bring lunch, water, sun protection and insect repellent. Half of this hike is along the C&O canal and part is on dirt roads. Depart at 10:00 from the park & ride at the Clarksville Fire Department on Rt. 108 at Rt. 32. Contact Betty Steil, 443-745-3041, blsteil@verizon.net. Sat. July 25: Annual Dragonfly Count. Find and identify dragonflies at various locations in Howard County, in an effort to learn more about species distribution. 9am to 2pm. No experience necessary. Contact Sue Muller during working hours by 7/23, 410-313-4697, smuller@howardcountymd.gov. Sat.-Tue. July 25-28: Seneca Shadows Car Camping, MNF, VA. This campground is meticulously maintained. Day hikes will include a 10 mile shuttle hike across North Fork Mountain with tons of views and a 10 mile circuit in Dolly Sods North. Optional hike to the top of Seneca Rocks for early arrivals. Pre-register with Mike Juskelis, 410-439-4964, mjuskelis@cablespeed.com. Sun. July 26: Splash in the Middle Patuxent, in Savage Park. Cool down with a leisurely 3 hour walk in the middle of the river, from Murray Hill Road to Savage Park. Discover clams and other wildlife. Wear old sneakers, and be prepared to get wet. Due to hidden slippery rocks in the river, this hike is not appropriate for people with bad ankles/knees/backs. Bring a snack and water, and a change of clothes for an optional restaurant lunch after the hike. Meet at 9:30 at the Savage Park Wincopin Trail parking lot, off Vollmerhausen Road, a quarter mile east of the bridge over I-95. Call Ken Clark, 301-725-3306, kenclark7@comcast.net. Sat.-Mon. Aug. 15-17: Quehanna Wild Area Backpack, PA. Moderate 30 mile backpack using some seldom used hunting roads/trails to close the loop. Some steep ascents and descents with lots of plateau walking in between. There should be lots of blueberries on this trip. Pre-register with Mike Juskelis, 410-439-4964, mjuskelis@cablespeed.com. Sat. Aug. 29: Morgan Run N.E.A., MD. Moderate 7 mile hike through fields and along beautiful Morgan Run. Some nice swimming holes. This is not the Liberty Reservoir / Morgan Run Circuit. Depart at 8:00 from the park & ride just north of I-70 on Rt. 32. Contact Mike Juskelis, 410-439-4964, mjuskelis@cablespeed.com. Sat.-Sun. Sep. 5-6: Neighbor Mt./Knob Mt. Backpack, VA. Strenuous 18 miles. Overnight along Jeremy's Run. Total distance will depend on how far up the Run it takes to find a campsite. Option to return along the Run instead of Knob Mt., group decides. If going up Knob Mt., at least one stream crossing regarding care or shoe change. If up the Run, at least 14 crossings, typically low in summer. Beautiful views from Neighbor Mountain. Jeremy's Run is always lovely. Contact Betty Steil, 443-745-3041, blsteil@verizon.net Sat.-Mon. Sep. 5-7: AT Shuttle Backpack, The Triple Crown of VA. This is a strenuous shuttle with over 3700 feet of elevation gain over 25 miles. Daily mileage 13/8/4. These might change if we find other official campsites between the shelters. Fantastic views at the Dragons Tooth, McAfee Knob and Tinker cliffs with more in between. Pre-register with Mike Juskelis, 410-439-4964, mjuskelis@cablespeed.com. Sat.-Tue. Sep. 19-22: World's End SP Car Camping, PA. Day hikes will be moderate to strenuous. One will be 8 miles in length and the other will be 10-12 miles in length. Views and beautiful streams featured. Pre-register with Mike Juskelis, 410-439-4964, mjuskelis@cablespeed.com. Fri.-Sun. Oct. 2-4: Maryland Chapter Jamboree. Meet many other Sierra Club members at this big gathering in Elks Camp Barrett, Crownsville, MD. Save the date and check back later for details. Sat.-Mon. Oct. 10-12: Chuck Keiper Trail Backpack, PA. 30 mile strenuous hike with steep ascents and descents. Daily mileage 10/10/10 depending on campsite and water availability. Pre-register with Mike Juskelis, 410-439-4964, mjuskelis@cablespeed.com. Sat.-Tue. Oct. 24-27: Douthat State Park Car Camping, VA. Camp in the oldest park in the Old Dominion. Hikes are moderate to strenuous, ranging from 7 to 10 miles. Lots of views. Pre-register with Mike Juskelis, 410-439-4964, mjuskelis@cablespeed.com. The Howard County Sierra Club group does not charge any fee for leading outings, but some outings do require unspecified park entrance fees or rental fees for items such as canoes or inner tubes. Participants on Sierra Club outings must sign a liability waiver. The Club encourages outings participants to carpool to the trailhead, but such travel is at the participants discretion, and risk. Outings normally begin at the trailhead.