Adventuring LGBTQ+ Outdoors Club

Distance: 10 miles Elevation gain: 2100 feet Difficulty: Strenuous A little over a 2-hour drive from D.C., the Duncan Knob circuit begins along the Scothorn Gap Trail in Crisman Hollow in the Massanutten Mountains near New Market, VA. After climbing to Peach Orchard Gap, we'll head a short distance to Duncan Knob, where a challenging but doable rock scramble will reward us with exceptional views from its rocky ledges. We'll then hike along the Massanutten Mountain Trail towards Strickler Knob, which we'll reach via a short bushwhack. We'll proceed through Duncan Hollow before going up and over one final ridge back to our cars. We will meet at the trailhead and start our hike at 9:30 a.m., an early start by Adventuring standards. Bring plenty of beverages, lunch, and bug spray. Please note this hike is strenuous and is suitable only for experienced hikers in good aerobic condition. Special procedures due to coronavirus: Adventuring will not organize carpools; we will instead meet at the Duncan Knob trailhead. You are welcome to use the comment section in Meetup to arrange carpools. The group will be limited to 10. Everyone must have a mask, though there are likely to be stretches of the trail where we can keep a 6-foot distance among ourselves and from other hikers and a mask isn’t needed. If you want to join us, an RSVP on Meetup will not guarantee you a place. In addition to that, you must (1) send the $2 trip fee in advance via PayPal ([masked]) and (2) read the release form (http://www.adventuring.org/ReleaseFormV2.2.pdf) and send an email to the same yahoo email address that you approve of its terms. I will then email you directions to where we are meeting. If you have to cancel, I will reimburse your trip fee. Please note that any guests will have to email their acceptance of the release form conditions on their own.

DISTANCE • 5, 6, or 11 miles (your choice!) ELEVATION GAIN • 816, 1112, or 1928 feet (your choice!) NECESSITIES • Light hiking shoes or boots • Plenty of water for hydration (rule of thumb is 1 Liter for every 2 hours) • Lunch and/or snacks • Bug spray • Trekking poles (optional) • Jacket depending on the weather (optional) WHERE TO MEET • Annapolis Rock & Black Rock Cliff Trailhead at 8:30am DETAILS Everyone welcome--New & existing members, slow & fast hikers! Want to tell all your friends and family that you have hiked the Appalachian Trail? Now’s your chance. Just not all of it. In an effort to attract new hikers, and making the hike more accessible and interesting, we will be conducting this hike on South Mountain near Hagerstown, MD a little differently from other hikes. It will be a “choose your own adventure” hike where you can complete the minimum or maximum hike based on which paths you choose. Here’s how it works: HIKE 1: Trailhead to Annapolis Rock (5 miles round-trip, 816 feet elevation gain) If you just want to see Annapolis Rock and the wonderful view it has to offer, follow one of our trip leaders along the AT. There will be some climbing involved in the first quarter of the hike. The climb will be slightly rocky but there are timber steps. After the climb, the rest of the trail is fairly flat and wide until we reach the junction to Annapolis Rock. Going down this path you will see campsites along the sides before reaching our destination. We will then hike back to the trailhead. HIKE 2: Trailhead to Washington Monument (6 miles round-trip, 1112 feet elevation gain) Want to see the original Washington Monument (no, not the one in DC)? Follow one of our trip leaders to this Washington Monument, a rugged stone tower initially erected by the citizens of Boonsboro in 1827 and reconstructed by the CCC in the 1930s. The monument makes an ideal site for spotting migratory birds such as hawks, eagles and falcons. This section of the AT has a gradual incline that could be accessible for casual hikers. We will hike back to the trailhead. HIKE 3: Annapolis Rock & Washington Monument (11 miles round-trip, 1928 feet cumulative elevation gain) After completing either Hike 1 or 2, if you have the energy and/or desire, you have the option of continuing onto to the other hike once you return to the trailhead. AFTERMATH On the way back and weather permitting, we will stop in Fredrick, MD for some refreshments and bites. SPECIAL PROCEDURES DUE TO CORONAVIRUS Adventuring will not organize carpools; we will instead meet at the trailhead. You are welcome to use the comment section in Meetup to arrange carpools. The group will be limited to 30. Everyone must have a mask. RELEASE FORM By clicking the "Attend" button, and by attending this hike, you agree to the terms and conditions on the Adventuring release form [http://www.adventuring.org/release.htm]

We’ll spend the week in Moab, UT, sharing a house and exploring Arches and Canyonlands National Parks, renting a van and traveling to day hikes in the area. We’ll share in the cost of the house, van, group food and beverages, and other trip fees (est. cost $800). Participants will be responsible for their own travel to Moab, which is served by United. A $300 deposit is required to secure your spot. Provide your cellphone number when you RSVP, and I'll contact you to explain how to get your deposit to me. The trip will be limited to eight participants. Moab’s a great basecamp for exploring the unique scenery of Canyon Country. The landscape here is multi-layered, multi-colored sandstone, sculpted by wind and water into astonishing forms: mesas and buttes, towers and spires, fins and arches, domes, canyons and vast vistas. We’ll see some of everything. Vegetation is sparse, but the cottonwoods will be green in the canyon bottoms and the desert wildflowers will be in bloom. We’ll see Pre-Puebloan petroglyph panels and probably some ruins. The hiking will not involve major elevation change but will require some scrambling over sandstone domes, ledges, and cracks. We’ll have a variety of short, medium and long hikes, mostly in the sun, but the temperatures at this time of year should be pleasant. Most hikes will require no more than an hour or two drive from Moab, and the scenery we’ll drive through will be almost as good as the destinations themselves. We’ll spend a couple of days in Arches and a couple of days in Canyonlands. We’ll break up the hiking with a day rafting on the Colorado River. We may go up into the nearby La Sal Mountains, or maybe we’ll just enjoy them as a snow-capped backdrop to the Canyon Country landscape. We’ll cook group meals together or eat out, as the group prefers. Moab has some cool restaurants, so we’ll have some options in that regard. You can either fly into Moab or into Denver or Salt Lake City and arrange your own ground transportation to Moab from there. Participants must have completed at least five previous Adventuring hikes.