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DC UL Backpacking hosts an average of 80 backpacking events each year, specializing in high-mileage, lightweight backpacking trips throughout the Mid-Atlantic region and beyond. Our membership structure helps backpackers gain or enhance their outdoor skills. In general, our trips are quite challenging but you’ll find a wealth of experienced backpackers who are eager to share advice. Visit our website (www.dculbackpacking.com) to learn more about our group and our membership and trip ranks, and to read our FAQs.
Our goal: To cultivate a community of independent outdoorsmen and women who want nothing more than to have a fulfilling backcountry experience–to wake early, to walk far, and to travel light.
Join us. We look forward to meeting you!
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*** Read our liability waiver (https://dculbackpacking.com/about/liability-waiver/) and COVID-19 guidelines here: https://dculbackpacking.com/about/covid-19-guidelines/. ***
Upcoming events
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VMO: “Pocahontas!” (Allegheny Trail, Sec 3) (~70 Miles)
Vienna Metro (North Parking Lot), 9490 Virginia Center Blvd, Vienna, VA, USHave you ever wanted to really immerse yourself in Pocahontas County, West Virginia? Here is your chance! Last Memorial Day Weekend, DC UL hiked a section of the Allegheny Trail (“ALT”) from Blackwater Falls to Durbin. Let’s knock out the next section this year: Durbin to Sherwood Lake. This section of the trail bisects most of Pocahontas County.
Expect wet feet, regular ascents and descents, 4k feet of daily elevation change over 4 days, big miles, and very remote hiking. You must be in solid “Veteran Member” status for this one. In addition to this being a physically tough trek, it is at times tough to follow navigationally. The reward? When co-workers talk about Pocahontas around the water cooler, you’ll be able to say confidently, “do I know Pocahontas County!"
This section looks much harder than the one we hiked last year—hopefully, it will be just as funny. Here is the trip report from that adventure: https://dculbackpacking.com/2025/05/29/trip-report-this-trail-has-everything-allegheny-trail-section-2-blackwater-falls-sp-to-durbin-west-virginia-may-22-26-2025-73-miles/
(For those of you who missed out on the Blackwater-Durbin section, and who want to someday hike the entire ALT, I’ll redo that section on a future trip).
The Plan
Friday: We’ll carpool at 3:00 p.m. from the Vienna Metro to Trainer, WV to leave a car or two. Then, we’ll drive to Durbin, WV to camp at a campground in town.
Saturday, Sunday, Monday, Tuesday: We’ll hike SB on the ALT with tentative splits of 20, 19, 14, 16 miles. There may be a restaurant opportunity in Cass for Saturday evening. We pass a gas station convenience store on Monday, but it may be closed on Memorial Day. On Tuesday we may go for swim in Sherwood Lake before reversing the shuttle. We’ll have lunch at Station2 restaurant in Durbin before we drive home.
IMPORTANT: YOU NEED TO TAKE A HALF DAY LEAVE ON FRIDAY AND ALL DAY LEAVE ON TUESDAY (I’M ASSUMING YOU ALSO HAVE MEMORIAL DAY OFF).
I set the group size at 5 to make the shuttle work. I can expand it if we get enough drivers, so join the wait list if interested. I’m limiting this trip to Veteran Members.
DC ULers have maps! Everyone should use the FarOut app for this one, with the maps downloaded. The trail is tough to follow and is often rerouted. FarOut is the most accurate line. https://faroutguides.com/allegheny-trail-map/
Here is a Google Maps version: https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=1VRr0rrSWM4sSTA5B_1bHqolLzLfcmzAZ&ll=37.84614715940329%2C-80.22346559843282&z=8
You can buy maps to print here: https://www.hikethealleghenytrail.org/new-page
---------------THE IMPORTANT WARNINGS-------------------
I’m just a co-participant on this trip, not a guide or an expert. I’ve been hiking with DCUL since 2017 but have no special training, such as organizational, medical, or navigational. You are officially on the trip if you both RSVP on Meetup, we engage by email, text, or the app, and you meet me at the trailhead. Otherwise, you are doing your own trip until you make physical contact with me and I recognize you as a co-participant. I’m open to questions.
By RSVPing to this trip or any other DCUL trip, you agree to these guidelines and to DCUL's waiver liability terms (https://dculbackpacking.com/about/liability-waiver/)
COVID-19 policy: https://dculbackpacking.com/about/covid-19-guidelines/
Dues: Members and above, don't forget to pay your annual dues. You can check if you need to pay dues by seeing if the current year is listed next to your name in your DCUL profile. To pay your dues via PayPal, use this link: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/JenniferAdach/15 ($10 annual dues plus a $5 suggested donation to City Kids Wilderness Project.)
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