- 49th Annual One Day HikeNeeds location
The One Day Hike comprises two concurrent, non-competitive hikes of 100 and 50 kilometers that follow the C&O Canal towpath, and end at Bolivar, WV. The 100 km event (100K; 62.1 miles) starts at 3 AM from the Thompson Boat Center parking lot in Georgetown, DC; the 50 km event (50K; 31.1 miles) starts at 10 AM from Whites Ferry, MD. Both hikes proceed along the towpath, crossing the footbridge into Harpers Ferry after mile marker 60. The ODH has been held since 1974.
During the hike, hikers pass through eight support stations, manned by volunteers (see below to volunteer), where they receive food and drink and, if necessary, first aid assistance. While on the trail, they are monitored by volunteer bike patrols. Hikers must arrive at support stations by cut-off times or are required to drop out, and must finish by midnight. ALL HIKERS MUST BE PRE-REGISTERED.
Photo Albums of previous ODH's: 2023, 2022, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011, 2010, 2009
REGISTRATION:
Registration costs $95 and is done on-line starting Wed, Feb 7, 5 pm (5-time finishers may register Sun, Jan 28, 5 pm). Note that registration closes when the 350-hiker limit is attained, which can occur within a few hours. The registration link will be announced via the email list (see below).UPDATES:
For official email updates regarding registration and other information, join the ODH email list by sending a blank email to OneDayHike+Subscribe@Groups.io. You can also follow us on Facebook. For general information, check out www.onedayhike.org.TRAINING HIKES:
The Sierra Club Potomac Region Outings (SCPRO) organizes training hikes in the weeks leading up to the ODH. Although open to all, these hikes are specifically designed to prepare you for the ODH—they become progressively longer, follow routes with relatively easy trails that are generally flat, and hikers walk at their individual paces. Longer training hikes also allow shorter options for 50K trainees. Doing these training hikes, or following a similar regimen on your own, is the best way to improve your chances of completing the ODH.Training hikes will be held from the first Saturday after New Years Day until the Saturday prior to the ODH. They are free, and are held at many venues in or near DC, so it’s a great way to explore this area on foot. Finally, you will get to meet other ODH hikers and learn their, or share your, tips on long-distance hiking. Each training hike's details will be posted on SCPRO's Meetup page each week, as well as announced on the email list.
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED:
About 100 volunteers are required on hike day to help run the ODH. We need reliable, enthusiastic people to man the support stations, patrol the trail on bikes, and to provide first aid—all while encouraging hikers on their way. People with first-aid or medical experience are especially needed as first-aid volunteers. First-time volunteers receive an ODH T-shirt and the eternal gratitude of the hikers. If you are interested in volunteering, please see the following post for volunteers, or contact Mike Darzi (Mike.Darzi@Gmail.com). - Volunteers Needed for the One Day HikeNeeds location
Volunteers are needed for the 49th Annual One Day Hike. The ODH is a fully supported event that requires about 100 volunteers to put on and pull off. Volunteers must be enthusiastic, dependable, and hardy—showing up to work on time, regardless of weather. First-time volunteers get a free ODH T-shirt as a small token of appreciation.
Many volunteers are former ODH'ers paying back some of the help they received, and/or are family and friends of a hiker. If you are a veteran volunteer and want to reprise your role or would like to try something different, or you are an interested newbie, or you just need more information, contact Mike Darzi (Mike.Darzi@Gmail.com) about volunteering.
1) SUPPORT-STATION VOLUNTEERS are needed to man/woman stations that provide food, drink, and assistance to hikers. If you are interested, let us know your preference in terms of time of day and amount of time you are willing to help. The more flexible you are in terms of location and time, the better. Except for the first three stations (through Edwards Ferry), you do not have to stay for a station’s entire period of operation, although that is preferable, and—yes—many volunteers serve at more than one station.
The stations are:
- Old Anglers, 5 to 7:30 am
- Seneca Creek, 7 to 11 am
- Edwards Ferry, 9 am to 2 pm
- Whites Ferry, 10 am to 3:30 pm
- Monocacy, 11 am to 6 pm
- Point of Rocks, 1 pm to 8 pm
- Brunswick, 2:30 to 10 pm
- At Harpers Ferry and Bolivar (5 pm to midnight), where volunteers are also needed to guide hikers along the towns’ route.
If you are willing to take on especially challenging tasks, we need you! Let Mike know.
2) BIKE PATROLLERS are needed to ride their bikes to check on hikers all along the (mostly) unpaved route, providing assistance as needed. Patrollers are needed from about 6:30 am to midnight. Contact Bike-Patrol Coordinator Frank Wodarczyk (FWodarczyk@cox.net) or Mike, if you are interested or for more information.
3) FIRST AIDERS that can administer first aid to hikers as needed at major support stations. If you have first-aid or medical training, we’d love your help. If you are interested, or for more information, contact First-Aid Coordinator Jason Hauf (LJHauf@Gmail.com) or Mike.
Photo Albums of previous ODH's: 2023, 2022, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011, 2010, 2009.
To learn more about the ODH, follow us on Facebook or join our email list by sending a blank message to OneDayHike+Subscribe@Groups.io.
Year in and year out, volunteers are what make the ODH the great event that it is!
- SCOTTISH ADVENTURE TRIP: HIGHLANDS & EDINBURGH - FULLNeeds location
The trip is full. If you would like to be waitlisted, please contact Mike (Mike.Darzi@Gmail.com)
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This trip has two parts:
1. West Highland Way "Glamtrek," Aug 11–20, 2024
2. Walking Exploration of Edinburgh, Aug 20–24, 2024
Part 2 is optional; see "Cost" section below.1. WEST HIGHLAND WAY
Scotland’s first official long-distance hiking route, the West Highland Way will captivate you with stunning scenery, unique to the diverse landscape of the Scottish Highlands. We’ll traverse its full 96 miles over 8 hiking days, from Glasgow to Fort William, staying in comfort at small-village inns, with our luggage transferred separately each day, allowing us to carry only a daypack. The “glamtrek” will take us past scenic lochs (lakes), through majestic glens (valleys) & monadhs (mountain pastures), & around Munros (mountains over 3K’). Everywhere you look, the views are spectacular.Notable sites/sights include the bonnie banks of Loch Lomond, Scotland’s largest lake, in Trossachs National Park; boggy Rannoch Moor; the Devil’s Staircase; Glencoe, site of the 1692 massacre; charming villages; nature reserves; Ben Nevis, the highest peak in the British Isles; & whisky distilleries & tastings. Throughout, we’ll be on the lookout for the distinctive Scottish fauna, especially the regal Red Deer (“monarch of the glen”), the Highland Cow, & the Golden Eagle; & flora, including the common purple heather, & the thistle, the national flower.
2. EDINBURGH (Optional)
Situated on the Firth of Forth estuary off the North Sea, Edinburgh (Ed’-n-bruh or, if tourist, Ed’-n-bur-uh; pop. ~500K) is Scotland’s capital, a major cultural & financial center. Human settlements there can be traced for ~10K years. It retains an old-world charm befitting its long history, including the medieval layout of its Old Town. Cultural attractions include several world-class museums, Edinburgh Castle, the Palace of Holyroodhouse, monuments, cathedrals, & the Royal Yacht Britannia. Its outdoor attractions comprise many gardens & parks, including the Royal Botanic Garden, & Holyrood Park, with Arthur’s Seat, an extinct volcano that dominates the city’s central areas. (Photos.)Our visit will coincide with two major happenings in town that draw attendees from all over the world:
- The Festival Fringe, a grand celebration of arts & culture, with thousands of performances in hundreds of venues, including many that are for free in the streets.
- The Royal Military Tattoo that showcases a series of tattoos, or performances by British and international military bands with lots of bagpipes, followed by fireworks.
Cost
The cost includes lodging at 3-star inns/hotels, entry fees & tickets as specified, transfer from Fort William to Edinburgh, all breakfasts, & four dinners. The cost does not include travel to & from the UK, or insurance.The cost per person for only Part 1 (9 nights), based on double-occupancy, twin-bed rooms, is $1,980; a single supplement is $1,090, as available. The cost per person for Parts 1 & 2 (13 nights) is $3,380, with a single supplement of $1,990, as available.
Leader
Mike Darzi (Mike.Darzi@Gmail.com). Photo highlights of some of Mike's many adventure trips: Channel Islands & Iceland (2023), Hawaii & Rhine Valley (2022), Yosemite (2021), Southwest US & Bulgaria (2019), Dolomites & Alps (2018), Morocco (2017), Hudson Valley (2016), White Mtns & Delaware Water Gap (2015), Acadia (2014), Berkshires & Adirondacks (2013), & Delaware River (2011).More Information
A detailed itinerary, forms, cost & payment details, cancellation policy, & other important information are posted. - PICTURESQUE PROVENCENeeds location
Take the most charming towns and villages of the most charming province, add a lot of hiking and French food, and you have the trip of a lifetime! Seriously. Beautiful Provence is nestled in the southeastern corner of France, between Italy and the Mediterranean Sea. We will explore a mountainous area called Luberon, part of a large nature park on the western side of the province. This area distils the best of Provence in terms of nature, culture, history, and beauty. We will hike from town to town, staying comfortably in inns/small hotels. Our luggage will be transferred separately to each overnight stop, allowing us to carry only daypacks. It's a perfect mix of wilderness and "la bonne vie"! Please see the itinerary for details.
Towns/villages:
L'Isle-sur-la-Sorgue, Fontaine-de-Vaucluse, Cabrières, Gordes, Roussillon, Bonnieux, Sivergues, Lourmarin, and Avignon.Sights:
Plague Wall, Château de Cabrières, Abbaye Notre-Dame de Sénanque, Village des Bories, Sentier des Ocres, Forêt des cèdres, Col du Pointu, Petit Luberon, Grand Luberon, Château de Buoux, Chapelle de Sainte-Marie, Vallon de l'Aigue Brun, Fort de Buoux, Avignon's walled city (World Heritage Site), Palais des Papes, Pont Saint-Bénézet, Parc de Rocher de Doms, and la Basilique Saint-Pierre.Cost
The cost per person, based on double-occupancy, twin-bed rooms, is $2,850. That cost includes 9 nights' lodging at inns/hotels, luggage transfers, entry fees & tickets as specified, transfers to/from Roussillon and to Avignon, all breakfasts, and four dinners. The cost does not include travel to the start, and from the end, of the trip, or insurance.Leader
Mike Darzi (Mike.Darzi@Gmail.com). Photo highlights of some of Mike's many adventure trips: Channel Islands & Iceland (2023), Hawaii & Rhine Valley (2022), Yosemite (2021), Southwest US & Bulgaria (2019), Dolomites & Alps (2018), Morocco (2017), Hudson Valley (2016), White Mtns & Delaware Water Gap (2015), Acadia (2014), Berkshires & Adirondacks (2013), & Delaware River (2011).Participation
Candidates must be experienced hikers, in good physical shape, and have preferably participated on multiday group hiking trips. The total number of participants will be 10–12. To become a participant:- Email me (Mike.Darzi@Gmail.com) to see if spots are available.
- Fill out and submit 3 forms: application, health, and waiver.
- You and I will have a Zoom or phone chat.
- If accepted, a $700 deposit is required to reserve.
- Meetup RSVPs DO NOT imply a trip reservation.
Info:
A detailed itinerary, maps, forms, cost & payment details, cancellation policy, and other important information are posted. Questions? Email Mike.Darzi@Gmail.com.