Adventures in the Valley

Confessions of a complacent blogger

2011-02-10T08:00:00.000-08:00

The title pretty much sums it up. I took on this whole blogging thing with every intention of making regular posts. I must confess here and now that I have fallen miserably, inexplicably short. My sincerest apologies to the two or three people who have ever stumbled upon the blog and or had the vaguest interest in my ramblings. Looking at the blog now, it would appear that I had one heck of a summer in 2010 and promptly fell off the earth after the Odyssey 24 hour adventure race. The back log of entries I would like to make is long and a new, exciting season of adventure is upon us. Before I can move forward, I feel the need to look back. So there you have it. Whatever "it" is.........All I can say is Jim Turner, I am NOT. How does he do it?!? I promise the next few entries will be more interesting, with photos and such. Stay tuned.

"Thrive Outside"

Howard the lazy blogger

Race Day - Part Drei

2010-08-06T13:15:00.000-07:00

So, where were we? Oh, that's right..........exhausted and weary! At least we weren't lost. We faced a big decision at checkpoint 4. Trek for 26 miles or get back on the bikes and pedal 15 more miles to the next checkpoint on the "short course". As unappealing as the idea of getting back on the bikes was, humping 26 miles up and down hill, with one team member nursing a sprained ankle, was even less appealing. Begrudgingly, we decided to subject our sore backsides to 15 more miles in the saddle. After a quick meal and rest, we filtered water and headed out for checkpoint 9, following winding back roads. Some time around 4:00 a.m. I began to fear that I might fall asleep while riding my bike and either go burning into the woods, or take out one of my team mates riding near me. Neither would be good or remotely beneficial. We pulled into a church parking lot and made ourselves cozy, right there on the asphalt, using our packs as pillows. By this time in the morning, it actually began to feel a bit chilly, so the asphalt felt great. We managed to sleep for about 45 minutes before getting up and finishing the ride to checkpoint 9. The sleep was very good and very necessary. As we checked in at checkpoint 9, we changed into our regular shoes and pulled the map out to plot our way to the next checkpoints. While we were doing this, we witnessed two of the three teams that would eventually finish officially run into the checkpoint and exit just as quickly, leaving us all feeling just a tad demoralized. It's also probably safe to say that those "Premier Teams" didn't stop and take a 45 minute nap on the course. The morning sky was just beginning to show signs of daylight breaking as we stared at the map and tried to figure out how we were going to bushwhack 10 plus miles to the next two checkpoints by the 7:30 a.m. cutoff for the canoe leg. As we were pondering this dilemma, we noticed another team, who was down to three members after dropping one man in the middle of the night, sitting there. They told us that they had already gone out on foot in search of checkpoint 10, bushwhacked up and down hill, got lost and decided to return to 9, where they threw in the towel. As the four of us stood there with the knowledge that we could find ourselves in the same boat, possibly out of food and water, exhausted beyond belief, and lost in the woods, we made the ego crushing decision to hand in our passport and remove ourselves from the race. Our race was over. As we all stood there, looking at each other for a long while, we finally agreed that our decision was sound and right. None of us are "quitters" by nature. We wouldn't have been there together in the first place, putting our minds and bodies to that sort of test if that were the case. DNF are three letters that none of us are accustomed to seeing on race results. Considering the difficulty of the terrain, the crazy heat and the fact that only three teams of thirty six officially finished, we're actually okay with that. The whole experience only made us better and stronger, and we will no doubt return next year. I will finish this post by saying that I have nothing but respect and admiration for my three fellow team mates. Great job guys! "Thrive Outside"

Race Day - Part Deux

2010-08-05T05:45:00.000-07:00

After Gary read yesterday's post, he reminded me that I had overlooked the fact that our team had to cross a calf-deep stream with our bikes, less than a half mile into the race. The stream crossing was easy and unremarkable, for the most part. The down side to the crossing is the fact that your bike shoes get soaked, increasing the chance of hot spots (blisters), early in a very long race. Fortunately, that never became an issue for us, and that certainly would not be the last time our feet got wet during the hours to come. As we made our way down the ridge with checkpoint 2 in our sights, Gary limping and Steve bleeding, the realization of how difficult this race would be began to sink in for all of us. We paused briefly so I could tape Gary's ankle and clean Steve's shin digger. After picking up checkpoint 2 at 4 p.m., we were off on a winding, single track, downhill descent toward the small town of New Castle. At this point, we had all pretty much depleted our personal water supplies and the creeks near the bottom of the descent were looking very refreshing. A quick stop to filter and refill a couple bottles and we were off for the short trip into town, where we found a small convenience store. We all downed Coca Colas and water, and scarfed down Fig Newtons, Slim Jims and bags of chips. For anyone reading this who may be appalled by our junk food intake, trust me, nutrition goes out the window when your body is burning up calories like that. The sugar in the Coke and salt in the Slim Jims and chips was just what the Doctor ordered for us at that point. We also carried an assortment of Pro Bars, Clif Bars, etc., but the immediate satisfaction from the junk food was pure wind in our proverbial sails. While at the little store, we also purchased 4 gallons of water and topped off our reservoirs and bottles for the long haul to checkpoint 3. Just as we left town, another quick pit stop was in order to repair a flat on Gary's bike. Luckily, that would be the only mechanical issue we would face for the entire race. Once back on the bikes, we began the long grind on secondary and gravel roads toward checkpoint 3. In order to get to 3, we had to pass through checkpoint 4 on the way, finally arriving there around 10:30 p.m. Checkpoint 4 was one of a couple manned checkpoints and the volunteers there advised us to filter water, if we needed it, because it would be a long, tough haul to 3 before turning around and returning before the 2 a.m. cut off. Since we were all still good on water, we headed off toward checkpoint 3, up a steep Jeep trail that climbed relentlessly to the ridge. Of the 4 miles or so up to checkpoint 3, we probably pushed our bikes for 3 1/2 of them. At 12:25 a.m. I punched our passport at checkpoint 3 and we turned around to head back to 4. We arrived back at checkpoint 4 at 1:35 a.m., the last team to make it by the official 2 a.m. cutoff, feeling exhausted and a little weary. Over 12 hours spent on the bike saddle was starting to take it's toll on all of us, and we were eager to transition to the trekking phase of the race, until we realized that we had approximately 26 miles on foot ahead of us, before reaching the transition to the canoes. Decision time. To be continued.......again. "Thrive Outside"

Race Day!

2010-08-04T06:27:00.000-07:00

Okay, so it took me more than a day to get this post up..............My previous post talked about the day and night before the 24 hour adventure race. The morning of the race we were all stirring from our tents around 6:30 a.m. Race packet pick up (where you get the course maps) was scheduled from 8 - 10 a.m. Fortunately, we were on the early end of the packet pick up because the line grew long rapidly. After securing the maps, we headed back to our base camp, plotted our course and made final gear checks. A final race briefing began at 10:30 and lasted over an hour, giving us just a few minutes to assemble our gear and bikes at the start line. The race begins with a mass start and in order to spread the field out some, there was a prologue, which consisted of a two mile trail run. The temperature at noon was already approaching 100 degrees and Ronny Angell (Race Director) warned us all to take the first few hours easy and closely monitor our water intake. To quote Ronny: "You won't win this race in the first six hours, but you can certainly lose it". That comment, along with the "old school" Odyssey course comment, followed by the assertion that less than half the field would even finish the race stuck in my head for the first six hours. The four of us managed to stick near the front third of the pack for the trail run. Considering that there were close to 200 people starting the race (Sprint and 24 hour racers) we felt like we were off to a pretty good start. A couple of times I actually asked Kris to slow down, because we were so close to the front. At one point on the run, Steve shouted out that we only had 23 hours and 45 minutes left! We made our way back to the bikes, mounted up and headed out to checkpoint 1. After a couple miles on back roads, we were climbing steadily up a curvy mountain road, in search of the first checkpoint. The heat was already oppressive and only getting hotter by the minute! I should point out that this race is unsupported, which means you carry all your food and water for the entire race. We all had 200 oz. reservoirs filled with water, in addition to extra bottles on the bike or in our packs. After plotting our course earlier, we realized that we would need to stop and filter water from a stream after passing checkpoint 2, high on a ridge. After bagging checkpoint 1, we were off to track down checkpoint 2. Here is where it starts to get ugly! A fairly easy going ride on an overgrown fire road led us in the right direction, parallel to a ridge that we would eventually have to make our way toward. Another check of the map and we made the decision to start bushwhacking uphill toward the ridge. The grade of the mountain was obnoxious and covered in a tangled mess of undergrowth, making what would prove to be one of the toughest parts of the bike leg. After what seemed like forever, we made it to the overgrown ridge trail, soaked with sweat and legs and shoulders burning. We paused for a few minutes on the ridge to eat, drink and conduct minor bike maintenance before heading off down the ridge, still in search of checkpoint 2. The ridge was an unpleasant mix of semi-riding and pushing our bikes, while getting intimate with thorns, vines, rocks and spoke busting sticks. Somewhere along the ridge I heard Gary scream out in pain. He had just twisted his ankle pretty badly. We were less than three hours into the race. Just a few minutes later, Steve took a dive into the pedal of his bike and picked up a nice, deep gash to his shin. The real fun was about to begin in earnest. To be continued....... "Thrive Outside"

Odyssey One Day Adventure Race

2010-07-28T14:07:00.001-07:00

The race we have been preparing for since early Spring came calling for us this past weekend. The 21st edition of the Odyssey 24 hour adventure race took place in Craig County, near New Castle, Virginia. The exceptionally rugged and unforgiving terrain of Jefferson National Forest was our constant companion and often times, our nemesis. Race director and Adventure Racer extraordinaire, Ronny Angell, described this particular course (which he set up) as "old school" Odyssey. That comment made me cringe a bit because Odyssey has long held a reputation for races that only the most elite and fit of teams could come close to completing. The last few years Odyssey had eased up a little and made the races more "doable". Go figure that we'd pick this one as our inaugural race together and Ronny would decide to go "old school" on us. Of the 36 teams who started the race, 3 finished in 24 hours or less. We were not one of those teams. Since there is so much information to cover about this race, I have decided to make two posts. My second post will cover the actual details of the race. Kris and Steve drove together from Northern Virginia and Gary and myself drove together from Luray. We caught up with them on I-81 and blazed a path together into base camp like a mini caravan, complete with bikes, gear, food, drink and copious amounts of testosterone. Record breaking heat was forecast for race day and the day before (our arrival day) was apparently on the prowl for it's own record. After a quick check in, we were off to set up our micro "tent city" and make final preparations for the next day. Kris broke out the Dutch Oven, cut up various vegetables, added some sirloin and kielbasa and proceeded to serve us up massive helpings of stew worthy of a King! As if that were not cool enough, he followed the meal with a blueberry cobbler that he also made in the Dutch Oven. Needless to say, he secured his place as the "team chef" for all future events. We washed all that gourmet food down with a couple beers and headed off to our tents for a good nights sleep. The sweat soaked details of the actual race will follow tomorrow.
"Thrive Outside"

Adventure Race Gear Shake Down

2010-07-12T09:23:00.000-07:00

Two weeks until team "Appalachian Outdoors Adventures" competes in the Odyssey 24 hour adventure race in south western Virginia. The team consists of Gary Drum, Kristopher Hayne, Steve Lindsey and myself. Because Kris and Steve live and work in northern Virginia, training together on a regular basis has been difficult. The required gear list for the race is fairly extensive and we all realize the importance of making sure we show up prepared. A decision was made for the four of us to meet at our shop and head out to the George Washington National Forest for a night mountain bike ride. In addition to the night ride through rock gardens and across ridges, we would be checking our light systems (mine failed in the end!) and taking note of other items we may or may not want to bring. Our ride began while the sun was still up and we made pretty good time on the Massanutten trail, navigating our way through rocks and crossing the occasional creek. Three miles in the trail intersects with Peach Orchard Gap, where we pushed and carried our bikes a half mile uphill to the Duncan Knob trail. It's safe to say that the "least favorite" part of the ride was the uphill "hike a bike". No pain compares to whacking your shin on your clip-less pedal, while pushing the bike uphill, swatting gnats that are incessantly dive bombing your eyeballs and simultaneously removing thorny vines that reach out and grab at your flesh from the side of the trail. After the "barrel of laughs" we all had climbing up to Duncan Hollow, we made the pleasant side trip up to the top of Duncan Knob, where the breeze rapidly cooled our upper bodies, still clad in sweat soaked jerseys. After removing the wet jerseys and hanging them in various surrounding trees to dry out, we all relaxed on the warm rocks and entertained ourselves with stories that only four guys in the middle of a remote forest, on a mountain top, completely removed from polite company would have or even begin to appreciate. After the sun fell completely behind the distant ridges of West Virginia, we began our rock scramble descent back to the mountain bikes and mounted up. The majority of the ride back out is either flat or downhill, so we made great time through the darkness, bombing downhill at points and ultimately back to our starting point. The best part is that there were no injuries and no major gear malfunctions (other than my bike light). Time seems to be flying by and in less than two weeks we will be spending 24 hours together, testing our bodies, minds and equipment under less than optimal conditions. Nothing makes us happier! "Thrive Outside"

MTB Ride Big Gem Park

2010-06-15T09:48:00.000-07:00

Since Gary and I both had the day off, we decided to give the trails at Big Gem Park in Shenandoah a try. We already had a nice swim and were looking forward to a ride. As we packed up the bikes and headed south from Luray, the rain started.................and only intensified as we continued down the road. Determined to get a ride in, we pressed on. The rain actually stopped by the time we hit Stanley. The first thing we noticed as we entered Big Gem Park was the lack of any signage pointing the way to mountain bike trails. Even after a thorough walk through inspection on foot, no signs or even distinct trail heads were to be found. As we unloaded the bikes from the truck, it began to rain lightly. We proceeded down a freshly cut fire road in search of the trails. Light rain turned into steady rain, which turned into heavy rain. Finally we found a small section of berms, banked turns and log crossing obstacles. As we continued on the fire road, we encountered what looked to be single track trails. At this point the rain was pouring down and the trails were getting very muddy and slick. We both know that it's just poor etiquette to ride on soggy, wet trails because it tends to leave ruts that can be dangerous when they finally dry, so we decided to bag the ride after 20 minutes or so of slogging through mud. Last week we heard a representative from the town of Shenandoah mention that some of the trails were open to mountain biking, but good luck finding them if you decide to go. Another trip to the park will be made when the weather is better and we can spend time exploring. Despite the sogginess and minimal trail time, we still had fun. "Thrive Outside"

First Swim

2010-06-15T05:31:00.001-07:00

Since my business/training partner Gary talked me into competing in the Luray Triathlon (International distance) in August, we decided to start swimming a couple days a week to prepare. Fortunately for us, our chosen training area also happens to be where the competition will take place; Lake Arrowhead. The air temperature was comfortable enough, but the humidity hung in the air like fog. The lake was warmer than the air as we eased into the water and moved away from shore. For as long as I have lived here in the valley, I have never actually been in the lake before. As you enter the water, you immediately feel the rocks under bare foot, followed by ankle deep mud, followed by grass growing from the bottom. The grass seems to grab at you as you make your way to deeper water. We took a couple strands to show post swim. It is my understanding that the town of Luray treats the water prior to the August event in order to reduce the aqua bound, grabby pasture. At this point, I'm not sure which I would prefer.......additional chemicals or grass. One thing is certain; I need to spend a lot more time in the water to prepare for the 1500 meter swim in August. We swam for about a half hour and my shoulders were aching by the end. Now we are off to ride the new mountain bike trails at Big Gem Park in the town of Shenandoah. More on that later. "Thrive Outside"

Massanutten Mountain Bike Ride

2010-06-08T12:48:00.000-07:00

Kris, Juniper (Jelly Dog), Gary and I headed into George Washington National Forest for a mountain bike ride yesterday. The weather could not have been better for a ride/hike in the woods. This was Gary's first taste of "technical", rock garden mountain biking and he came away with the scrapes and bumps to prove it. Let me just say here and now that Gary more than held his own, considering the terrain and relative lack of experience on such rough trails. Our route took us up Gap Creek trail, which almost immediately greets you with plenty of rocks and a steady incline. It was the first section of the trail that Gary had a couple of falls on (see photos for the aftermath). Near the top of the mountain is the Massanutten trail (orange blaze), which connects to the Scothorn Gap trail. We decided to continue to the top for a side trip to Duncan Knob before heading south on the Massanutten trail. The side trip was well worth it and as always the views from Duncan Knob were incredible. Another one of my favorite features of Duncan Knob is the rock scramble near the top. After our short detour, we were bombing back downhill to catch the orange blazed Massanutten trail. This trail was pretty easy going compared to the climb in, with a few muddy spots from recent rain. Before we knew it, we were standing at the intersection with Scothorn Gap, preparing for a rocket ride downhill and back to the start point. First we stopped to take in the view near a pond and drink a beer that the ever resourceful Mr. Hayne was kind enough to bring along! Juniper Jelly Head took time to enjoy the pond too and chase minnows. It is literally all downhill from the pond back to the truck and for the most part we took it easy so Juniper could keep up. All in all it was a great ride and other than a few minor scrapes and scratches, we all made it out unscathed and will live to ride another day. "Thrive Outside"

Wednesday Road Ride - Rileyville Loop

2010-05-25T12:19:00.000-07:00

Ominous looking gray clouds were swirling over head as Gary, Linda and I saddled up and headed out on our favorite short road loop to the little village of Rileyville. I had just spoken with Andy (who was prepping for a night shift) and she told me it was pouring rain in Rileyville (where we live). There were only light drops of rain as the three of us headed north. Sure enough, the roads in Rileyville were soaked and we could tell it had rained quite hard earlier and it was starting to drizzle a little. The light rain actually felt nice and we maintained a good pace for the entire ride. As is the case with trail running, we are all getting stronger on the bike. I always try to catch photos as riders crest the top of the hill on Vaughn Summit road and I managed to get Gary and Linda this time. Side note: I finally figured out how to make images come out properly (not reversed) so this will be the last time backward photos will be posted. We are always looking for new riders and runners to join us! Just check the store web site or our Facebook page for up-coming events. "Thrive Outside"

Sunday Road Ride - SRO & Back

2010-05-25T11:34:00.000-07:00

Gary, Linda, Andy and I hopped aboard our road bikes and headed out to Shenandoah River Outfitters for a quick Sunday evening ride. This is a route that Gary and I rode a little earlier in the season, while the native Redbud trees were in full bloom. No photos were taken on this trip and the ride was fast, fun and most importantly, safe! That's my story and I'm sticking to it. "Thrive Outside"

Saturday Mountain Ride - SRSP 2

2010-05-25T10:41:00.000-07:00

It seems that we just cannot get enough of that park on the river. This morning Gary and I headed out there to explore more of the single track trails. I have been riding a full suspension Cannondale Scalpel this season (which my friend and adventure race team-mate Kris has been letting me demo) I fell in love with this bike the first time I hopped on and it seems to fit me well. This is the first bike I have ridden that has tubeless tires. My buddy Kris has never had a flat on this fine, two wheeled machine. It should also be noted that maintaining proper tire pressure on this bike is VERY important. Why do I bring up these mundane details? Well...............the front tire on the bike was too low. As I rounded a corner, I hit a slight incline and caught a tiny bit of air...........as the front tire made c0ntact with the earth again, it rolled sideways.........and off the rim. A quick rush and release of air was the last thing I heard as I augured into the ground. My ride was over, unceremonious and fast. Without a tube (which is the quick way to fix a tubeless tire flat) you're pretty much in for a walk. Gary did get a slight kick out of my less than graceful dismount.........after he realized I wasn't injured, of course. The ride was short and we got to walk with our bikes for a mile or so. Still not a bad way to start the day in my book. I will also mention that taking the photo of multiple riders is way more difficult while riding single track trails. "Thrive Outside"

Friday Trail Run - Shenandoah River State Park 3

2010-05-25T07:23:00.000-07:00

I guess I should open this entry by apologizing to the two or three people who read this blog for my regrettable slack in making my regular posts. The aforementioned slack has given me a lot to catch up on. Enough groveling. On with the adventure!

By the title you can already tell that we went back to the lovely park on the river...............again. The trails are just plain fun to run on and the views of the river cannot be beat! This time it was just four runners and three happy dogs. Gary, Linda, Andy (who came again straight from a 12 hour night shift!) and I hit the trail with the wonder mutts. The weather was picture perfect and the hour we spent on the rolling shale and clay covered trails flew by. Something else that makes the time slip by so quickly is the fact that we are all getting stronger. The intensity of the run is a nice reflection of everyone's confidence and strength. Truth be told, I would personally rather ride my bike than run............that's probably the case for Linda too. Of the group, it's safe to say that Gary and Andy are the strongest runners (when Bob S. is not present). Andy actually challenged Gary to a race on the Appalachian Trail and they plan to square off some time in mid June. That should be a good one! Andy managed to snap a few photos with her phone this time. "Thrive Outside"

Friday Trail Run - Jeremy's Run - Part Deux

2010-05-07T08:04:00.000-07:00

The conditions for a trail run really don't get any better than what we had this morning. Blue skies and 48 degrees with low humidity as we took on Jeremy's Run for the second time this season. The usual Friday crowd was there, bright and early - Gary, Linda, Andy (who came straight from a 12 hour night shift), Bob and myself. We all missed Val this morning! As always, Athena, Lilly and Martha led the way. The creek crossings this time involved rock hopping as opposed to calf-deep traverses and the trail was clear of downed trees. Along with a few good photos, I managed to capture some video of the last down-hill on the way out. There are some pretty challenging climbs on this trail, but it still remains one of our favorites and I like the fact that the dogs can drink and cool off whenever they need to. Everyone seemed strong this morning and I bet we could have just kept on going, but duty calls and we have a very busy weekend ahead at the shop. Tomorrow is the 6th annual Festival of Spring in downtown Luray. Along with all kinds of great food and craft vendors, live entertainment, a beer garden and wine tasting area, there will be a dog frisbee competition. For the third year Appalachian Air Canines will put on this fun event out at Bulldog field at 1:00 P.M. I plan to enter my dog Lilly again this year and she's already excited! Come on out and see us at the shop, and while you are here, pick up a cup of the best coffee in town! "Thrive Outside"

Wednesday Road Ride - Thornton Gap

2010-05-06T10:32:00.001-07:00

Five brave souls showed up at Ruffner Plaza in Luray Wednesday evening for a road bike ride. They were Gary, Linda, Bob, Andy and myself. Four of the five riders knew our destination (Thornton Gap) - a mere ten miles from the shop. Four of those miles are up-hill to the top of the mountain. Just about the time that we were riding by Brookside restaurant, Andy (unaware of the destination) finally figured out where we were headed. Okay.........so I did intentionally fail to mention the fact that we were in for some climbing. I figured that the burden of that knowledge before the ride would only serve to induce unnecessary worry and perhaps even a little panic. After a few choice words for me (which I won't repeat here) we were all climbing the winding road to the top. It really wasn't so bad. The climbing is steady for a solid four miles, but never really steep and I did manage a few shots from my phone. We all made it to the top in pretty good form and everyone was smiling. Or were those grimaces? After a 40 plus m.p.h. descent and a nice flat stretch back to Luray, four of us (five including CFM) headed out to a great local Mexican restaurant (Rancho Viejo) to celebrate cinco de Mayo. Later in the evening, Andy confessed to me that she would not have thought that she could make it to the top of that climb. She was proud that she did make it..............and I was proud of her too. "Thrive Outside"

Saturday Mountain Ride - SRSP

2010-05-01T11:31:00.000-07:00

This morning Gary and I met two customers (and friends of the shop) at Shenandoah River State Park for a quick mountain bike ride. They had been planning to camp at the park and caught a post Gary put on Facebook about our impending ride. Gary recently purchased a GT Zaskar 29" mountain bike. 29" is the diameter of the wheels on the bike, and I only point this out because for many, many years the standard was 26" (which I still ride). The larger wheel provides less rolling resistance and the ability to cross obstacles (like rocks and downed trees) easier. At least that's the general theory. I am fairly certain that Gary would agree with that theory. Today we primarily stuck to the fast, rolling trail that parallels the river. We did take one side trail that had a pretty nice little climb. Due to time constraints, we had to cut the ride short and head back to prepare to open the shop. Still lots more left for us to explore in the Park, to include the more "technical" single-track trails. "Thrive Outside"

Friday Trail Run - Thornton Gap - AT North

2010-05-01T10:49:00.000-07:00

Friday found me free of any obligations involving hot tub deliveries to West Virginia, so six of us met for an early morning run on the Appalachian Trail. We parked near Thornton Gap and headed north on the AT. This time out we had Gary, Bob, Val, Linda, Andy and me, plus three awesome trail dogs. The weather was ideal when we started and rapidly approaching warm as we finished. From Thornton Gap the trail climbs steadily up to a smooth, fast rolling section, lined and shaded by Pine trees. About two miles in there is a marker pointing the way to Pass Mountain Hut, where we stopped for a quick group photo. Less than a half mile later we were taking a quick break at the Hut, giving the dogs and ourselves some water. On our way into the Hut, we encountered three AT hikers who had apparently spent the night there. A well groomed service road was what we chose as the return route back to Thornton Gap. The road meanders gently downhill for most of the way, so all you have to do is pay attention to your footing and let gravity do all the work. Everyone seemed to enjoy this trail and I would have to personally rate it as one of my favorites. Another fantastic Friday trail run under our belts. "Thrive Outside"

Kennedy Peak Trail Run 23 Apr 10

2010-04-24T07:30:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone. This is Gary writing in the blog this time. Howard could not be with us because he was in West Virginia helping Joe and Cooter deliver a hot tub to a trailer. This morning we had a good crowd for our weekly trail run, six of us! Two new members, Don and Val joined us. Don ran with us last year but this was his first run with us this year. Val joined us for the first time and did very well. She had been training for a half marathon so she was pretty strong, just not used to the varied terrain. Linda and Andy are getting stronger all the time. The weather was a balmy 43 degrees and partly cloudy. The trail to Kennedy Peak is two miles up and two back. The trail is roller coaster with some rocky parts, it is the last half mile that is real sketchy, very rocky. The three guys and dogs went to the top and then caught up with the ladies on the way back. Up at the top of the peak is an observation tower that you can stand on to look out over the valley. Quite a picture! Bob is an animal! Strong and fast! The pace that Don and I were running at was not fast enough for him so he took off and we never saw him again until we arrived at the trail head! As you can see in the pictures most of us were wearing long sleeved t-shirts, a little overdressed because once you get started you warm up real quick. I do have to say though that the Golite shirt I was wearing was very light weight and I was very comfortable the entire run.
All of our runs are easy going, no one gets left behind. Anyone is welcome to run with us, so just check the Appalachian Outdoors Adventures facebook page to find out where we will be running next. In a future blog I will write about the gear we use and run in and what we like and don't like.

Saturday Road Ride - Stanley Loop

2010-04-17T10:56:00.000-07:00

This morning Gary, Linda and I rode another one of our favorite road loops out to Stanley and back. The temperature was pleasant enough, but the wind was vicious! We were pummeled by it for most of the ride out to the turn around point. At least we were lucky enough to have the wind at our backs for a portion of the locally infamous "Ida Stretch." We decided to make a right on Valley Burg Road and climb a nice little hill on the way back to Luray. First there is a short, easy climb followed by a flat section with a slight downhill. After the downhill you round a corner and catch a glimpse of the next climb, which isn't really a killer, but it's enough to get the heart beating and legs burning a little. This is also part of the Luray Triathlon course and it always manages to illicit gasps, wide eyes and a few muffled expletives from the competitors when they round the bend and look up. I snapped a couple of shots of Gary and Linda approaching the top and I am pretty sure they both have smiles on their faces. From the top of Valley Burg back to Luray is mostly downhill and usually pretty fast, but the winds seemed to shift and nail us head on as we pushed the pedals back to town. Even with the strong winds, we love to start the day by touring the beautiful back roads of Page County aboard our bicycles. "Thrive Outside"

Friday Trail Run - Shenandoah River State Park 2

2010-04-17T08:40:00.000-07:00

We enjoyed the trails at Shenandoah River State Park so much the first time we ran them that we decided to go back for more. Joining Gary, Bob and myself this time were Andy and Linda. As always, Athena, Lilly and Martha came along, tails wagging and smiling from ear to ear. Yes........our dogs actually smile, especially when anticipating a run through the woods. Gary decided to put Athena on a leash for this run because of two recent "disappearing" acts she pulled. In her defense, she is half the age of Lilly and Martha and fast as lightning! Hopefully her being forced to run close to us will provide positive results and she will be "off lead" again soon. The up-side to Athena being on the leash the entire time is that we were able to cover more distance (Instead of spending time looking for her). Gary was wearing a pedometer and we logged 3.4 miles in just under 1 hour. Despite this being the first trail run of the season for Andy and Linda, they both held their own and felt good afterward. Extra attention to the trail was required because of deep hoof prints left by recent horse traffic, which happens when equestrians ride on wet, muddy trails. All in all the run was great and we will no doubt continue to explore the trails more this summer. "Thrive Outside"

Monday Mushroom Hike

2010-04-16T10:06:00.000-07:00

This past Monday Andy and I met Gary, Linda and CFM (Cindy from Montana) at Brookside restaurant for breakfast before heading over the mountain to hike the Hazel River trail. Congratulations to C.C. and John (Brookside owners) for being in business for 20 years! Our goal was to hunt for the ever elusive Morel mushroom. We were too late and the conditions were too dry, so not a single one was found. Honestly, we already knew that might be the case before heading into the woods. At the very least, we figured that we would get a good hike in, which we did. The Hazel River was running strong and Gary and I paused several times to scout spots to fish for native Brook Trout. The hike was relatively short (4 miles) and the trail rolls easily along, only requiring us to cross the Hazel once. Athena, Lilly and Martha also made the trip and loved every minute of it, as usual. It's funny to note that while Athena and Lilly love the water and go out of their way to make a splash when and wherever possible, Martha makes every attempt to avoid it, unless she needs a drink. I caught a couple of nice shots of Martha leaping from rock to rock to further illustrate this point. The weather was gorgeous and we all enjoyed a nice walk in the woods. "Thrive Outside"

Saturday Road Ride - SRO Loop

2010-04-10T11:59:00.000-07:00

Another picture perfect day in the Shenandoah Valley. Another great road ride. This morning Gary & I took to the back roads with Shenandoah River Outfitters in our sights. We did pause briefly on Bixler's Ferry bridge to check out the South Fork of the Shenandoah River and snap a photo before continuing on Page Valley road to the Outfitters. (About the photos: For some odd reason, the camera on my phone inverts the images. I'm still trying to fix that, but have had no luck so far). Page Valley Road parallels the river, rolling and winding nicely, offering glimpses of the Massanutten ridge line to the West. Quick note here: During the busy season, this road will have a lot of fast moving traffic on it, making it unsuitable for inexperienced riders. The Redbud trees, Creeping Phlox and Lilacs were our constant companions for the ride, confirming that Spring has indeed sprung! After reaching our turn around point at Shenandoah River Outfitters, we stopped to chat with Nancy Goebel about the impending busy Summer season. SRO is going into their 40th year in business and this season promises to be another great one! As always, it was a great way to start the day. Tomorrow evening we will start up Sunday group rides. These rides are friendly (no one gets dropped) and depart from Ruffner Plaza in Luray at 5:30 P.M. "Thrive Outside"

Friday Trail Run - Shenandoah River State Park

2010-04-09T07:23:00.000-07:00

This lovely morning found us on part of the extensive trail system in Shenandoah River State Park. Some great info on the park is here: http://www.dcr.virginia.gov/state_parks/and.shtml
There were three of us on the run today (six counting our faithful trail dogs). Gary, Bob and myself. Bob is the proud new owner of a Quintana Roo Tri bike that he bought from our shop just yesterday. During the transaction, Gary told Bob about our Friday trail runs and he eagerly accepted the invitation to run this morning. Considering the steady showers we had last night, the trail was in excellent condition. There has been much excavating and building going on within the park during the last year. According to the site listed above, there are 13 miles of trails in the park (6 of which are multi-use) meaning they are open to hiking, biking and horseback riding. Gary and I mountain biked here a couple weeks ago and I think 13 miles is a conservative estimate. While there are a few short but steep climbs, most of the trails roll pleasantly through the woods and along ridges, offering fantastic views of the South Fork of the Shenandoah River. The native Virginia Red Bud and Blue Bells are in full bloom, making the run even more scenic than usual. We are looking forward to further exploration of the trails on foot and bike. Another nice thing about the park is that it is only a 10 minute drive from my house. "Thrive Outside"

Saturday Road Ride - Rileyville Loop

2010-04-03T13:51:00.000-07:00

It's been a busy week for outdoor adventure here at Appalachian Outdoors Adventures. Not only did we start the Friday trail runs, we also started Saturday morning road rides. This morning we chose the "Rileyville Loop." All rides start from our store in downtown Luray and we usually ride 20 to 30 miles, depending upon who shows up. This morning it was only Gary and I. Our wives (and business partners) agreed to open the shop so we could spend more time on the bikes. Thanks again, ladies!
The weather could not have been better as we made our way through the back roads of the county. Mid 50's and lots of sunshine! Perfect! Another nice thing about riding the back roads on the weekend is the lack of traffic. We did get chased by a few dogs, which is completely normal. Most of the dogs seemed more interested in the chase itself rather than a morning snack. I managed to take a few photos during the ride from my phone. What an incredible way to start the day! "Thrive Outside"

Friday Trail Run (Jeremy's Run)

2010-04-02T07:26:00.000-07:00

This morning was the season opener Friday trail run. We chose Jeremy's Run, which is one of our personal favorites. Gary and I unofficially started this fun little ritual last summer. We pick a different trail to run each Friday morning and post it on Appalachian Outdoors Adventures' Facebook page. Consider this another open invitation to any and all who care to join us for a fun run through the woods. As always, dogs are welcome. This morning we had Athena, Lilly and Martha (our ever faithful trail dogs) along for the run. Our access point to the trail is off of Vaughn Summit Road in Rileyville. The trail parallels Jeremy's Run and eventually crosses it several times before intersecting with the Appalachian Trail. It has become routine for us to run in for about a half hour, pause for a quick break and turn around to head back out. The water level is still pretty high from the recent rainfall, so we made a couple calf-deep stream crossings. You can take our word for it that the water is cold. The good news is that once you hit the trail running again, your feet warm right up.........all the while making cool squishy sounds. There are a few nice climbs at the beginning of the trail to get the blood flowing and lungs opened up. It's usually at this point that I am glad I didn't over-dress for the occasion. Standing at the truck before the run with nothing but running shorts, a long sleeve base layer shirt and light vest when the air temperature is 39 degrees causes you to instinctively want to add more layers. A decision you always end up regretting as you start to ascend the rocky trail, inevitably heating up. Overall the trail seemed to be in decent condition, with only a few downed trees that need to be cleaned up. The photos I took were from my phone, so the quality is not the greatest. Next Friday we plan to run the trails in Shenandoah River State Park. Call the shop: 540-743-7400 or email us for directions to the trail head. "Thrive Outside"

Inaugural Post: Strickler Knob

2010-03-30T07:36:00.000-07:00

I chose this early season hike as the topic of my first ever blog post. The plan is to make regular posts here about the various outdoor adventures we take in this magnificent valley we are fortunate enough to reside in. The one and only........ Shenandoah Valley! One of my favorite on air quotes from a great local radio station (WMXH) is: "If you are just visiting the valley, welcome! If you live here, aren't we lucky?" We are indeed lucky to live in such a gorgeous place, surrounded by natural playgrounds. On to the hike.

First of all, a LOT of great, detailed information on this particular hike and many more is located here: http://www.hikingupward.com/GWNF/StricklerKnob/

The skies were mostly gray and the temperature was 38 degrees when we hit the trail Sunday morning. The gate to Chrisman Hollow Rd. was closed, so we had to park at the Massanutten Story Book Trail and walk about 1/2 mile north to the orange blazed Massanutten Trail. In less than a mile, the trail takes a very steep turn downhill! Note: The Waterfall Mtn. trail is still one of the steepest I have been on in the GWNF. We then followed the orange blazes north, paralleling and crossing Big Run a few times. There were three guys from Stafford, Va. camped along the creek. This is a part of the George Washington National Forest that I have hiked, biked and camped in dozens of times over the years. As the Hiking Upward website notes, Strickler Knob is NOT an official trail. Most of the pink/purple blazes have indeed been painted over, but the lack of dense vegetation made the trail easy enough to follow. By the time you get to the very last section of the trail, the rock scrambles become steep and we had to give Athena (Gary's dog) a lift in a few places. Several spots on the trail offer excellent vistas of Page Valley. As I stood atop the summit, the clouds were as thick as soup and promising rain. On a clear day, you can see in all directions. We paused long enough to eat some pasta, drink some coffee and fire up a couple stogies for the walk out. On our way out, we encountered 12 Japanese tourists decked out in rain gear, and planning to head out on the fog shrouded ridge. Gary and I both found it to be cool and interesting that these folks chose a rainy, gray Sunday to hike these trails. Would we go to Japan and hike on a rainy day in the mountains? Most likely. Instead of re-tracing the route we took in, we deviated slightly to avoid climbing up Waterfall Mountain on the trip out. While we did manage to avoid the killer uphill, the overall distance was the same (about 10 miles) . The last half mile back to the car was rain soaked. According to Gary & Linda, Athena slept quite well that night (and part of the next day!)

I'd like to end my first post with a quick shout out to my friend and blog meister, Jim Turner. He has a fantastic blog, www.hawksbillcabin.blogspot.com, which I have been following for a few years now. Something tells me I won't be able to match his diligence and discipline with regard to making regular (usually daily) posts, but I will try to keep them informative and fun.