You may begin to notice a shift in the location and frequency of my hikes. While I will always be a Hokie, I am no longer able to call Southwest Virginia my primary stomping grounds. You may now call me a proud Hokie-Terp (I don't know if I could've made up a derpier sounding name). And so, with Maryland as my new turf, hopefully you'll be able to follow me as I explore Northern Virginia and Maryland through my time in graduate school. After that, who knows?
Regardless, I finally had the opportunity to hike again! I did this one with Casey on the way from Southwest Virginia to Maryland and while I can't say that I loved it (the waterfalls weren't much more than a drip and it was
crowded with a capital 'C'), it was so refreshing to be able to enjoy some fresh air on a crisp not-quite-summer-not-quite-fall day. The trail was a steady downhill on the way to the falls and a steady uphill on the way back. We passed quite a few small children who had made it to the falls just fine, but were not so keen on walking back up to the parking lot. Casey and I practiced our trail jogging on the way down and slowly plodded our way back up. It was enough of a workout for this newfound city girl to be sore for a few days after! None-the-less, the hike as we did it was short (only 3.2 miles total as an out-and-back to and from the lower falls), so I wouldn't call it more than moderate in terms of difficulty level.
 |
| Casey beside the trail |
 |
| Some people beside the nearly non-existent lower falls |
Very informative site, i must bookmark it, keep posting interesting articles...
ReplyDeleteHiking
Thanks and I'm glad you have found the information helpful!
DeleteWhat is a good hiking/backpacking Backpack?
ReplyDeleteCasten Design
I have an Osprey pack that I like, but I would recommend going to REI or another outdoors store to try on some packs and have one of their employees help you find one that fits well. You should be able to add some weight to the pack while you're at the store to get an idea of how it will feel weighted down. My pack doesn't fit perfectly to be honest (it doesn't sit flush against my shoulders), but it's been good overall. I might be in the minority and perhaps it's only because most of my hikes are day hikes, but I'm not a gear snob. If the gear fits, keeps you comfortable and safe, and let's you enjoy your hike, I consider it a success. I hiked the Grand Canyon in a pair of 8 year old boots and have done overnights in sneakers. Other than general fit, the only thing that I'm pretty particular on is that a pack needs to carry the weight on your hips, not on your shoulders, so if it doesn't have a good way to distribute the weight/keep it off of your shoulders, then it's not good for much other than day hikes.
ReplyDelete