You can't beat this 9-mile hike for its ease of access and great scenery right here in town. We'll start near Theodore Roosevelt Island (a short walk from the Rosslyn Metro station), follow the Potomac Heritage Trail along the south side of the Potomac, cross the river at Chain Bridge and then take the C&O Canal Towpath to Georgetown. From Georgetown we cross Key Bridge to return to Roosevelt Island. There are some challenging sections of the hike, such as the rock scramble over jagged rocks after Donaldson Run and a few steep ascents and descents, but the second part of the hike on the towpath couldn't be easier. You can read a very detailed description of this hike with photos on pages 4-5 of the PATC's January 2011 newsletter by clicking on the "January 2011" PDF link on this web page: http://www.patc.net/PublicView/Custom/Newsl... . We'll meet in the parking lot for Roosevelt Island at the bottom of the ramp for the pedestrian bridge over the Parkway.  The entrance to the parking lot can only be accessed from the northbound side of the GW Parkway.  The entrance is roughly halfway between the Roosevelt and Key Bridges.  Bring water and a snack or lunch. The only cost will be the usual $2 trip fee. If you're planning to come please contact me by email, [masked]; Meetup RSVP; or phone [masked] so I can tell you the exact meeting place and so that I have a way to contact you in case bad weather requires me to reschedule the trip.