Raven Rocks

I have no photos of this hike that Casey and I did in June and not really much to say for it.  That's not to say that it wasn't a good hike.  In fact, for a hike in the Northern Virginia area, it was reminiscent of those hikes surrounding Blacksburg.  As you can see graphically if you check out the hikingupward link to this hike, the trail does not merely ascend to a ridge with views.  Instead, it climbs and then descends and then climbs and then descends, and then finally climbs again.  I can't decide if I appreciate the intermixed ups and downs or if I prefer the more typical "up on the way there - down on the way back" hike.  Regardless, we had a nice time and met a few German folks who are doing a long section hike on the AT.  They commented on how lacking the flora and fauna identification skills seem to be of hikers in the area and then embarrassed us by quizzing us on our history knowledge when they asked if we knew how Washington D.C. got its name.  Born and raised not 30 minutes from the nation's capital, I was ashamed that I hadn't the faintest idea.  I have since looked up the answer and in case you are wondering, the name "Washington" is after George Washington (I could have guessed this much) and "Columbia" is after Christopher Columbus and was an old term used to describe America.  So there you have it - a hike and a history lesson in one.