About us
What is Adventuring?
For a full description, visit us at AdventuringLGBTQ.com
Adventuring is an outdoors club for the LGBTQ+ community in the Washington DC Metro area. We're all about enjoying the outdoors and being physically active in a social setting.
Don't fret about your current fitness level or prior outdoors experience - we welcome everyone. We also coordinate carpools to help you get there economically.
Our trip fee is $5, plus any mileage reimbursement to drivers (if you participate in a carpool). There is no membership fee.
Contact us with any questions at AdventuringLGBTQ@gmail.com. Even better - come to our Spring Social, Fall Social, Summer Picnic, or Winter Party to get to know us better.
Adventuring Contacts
- President: Harris Turk
- Vice President: David Lloyd (dlloyd.hikes@outlook.com)
- Secretary: Karsten Halusa (karsten_halusa@hotmail.com)
- Membership: Anders Olausson (anders.olausson@outlook.com)
- Treasurer: Peter Redding (redding.peter@gmail.com)
- Technology: Bryan Fennell (bryan_fennell@outlook.com)
- At Large: Bill Horten
Upcoming events
11
Return to the Dolly Sods
Carpool drivers and passengers, please arrange your meeting places, and pickup times., Washington, DC, USAfter a ten-year hiatus, Adventuring is returning to the subalpine highlands of West Virginia! This summer, we will explore the Dolly Sods Wilderness and the greater Monongahela National Forest. While this mountainous region is relatively close to home, it is a rare destination for our group—making this outing a special treat. (See photos here.)
### Accommodations & Logistics
- Duration: 8/21/2025 - 8/27/2025
- Basecamp: We have reserved Cairn Ridge, a luxury vacation home in the Old Timberline community, that comfortably accommodates 8-10.
- Location: The house is located directly across the road from the Dolly Sods’ Rocky Ridge Trail, allowing for car-free access to the wilderness.
- Amenities: Features wifi, a fully equipped kitchen, outdoor grill, spacious deck with sunset views, an indoor hot tub, and a sauna.
- Transportation: Carpools will be organized from the Baltimore/Washington region.
- House Rules: No pets and no smoking (homeowner policy).
### Planned Activities
The itinerary is still being finalized, but potential highlights include:
- Day Hikes: Dolly Sods, Seneca Rocks, Blackwater Falls State Park, Swallow Falls State Park, Roaring Plains, plus the MD and WV high points Spruce Knob, and Hoye Crest.
- Difficulty: A mix of easy to strenuous hikes, most moderately strenuous.
- *Special Option*: One night of primitive backcountry camping for those interested.
- Dining: We will pool resources for most meals, featuring cook-outs and Harris’ internationally famous lasagna.
### Cost & Registration
- Estimated Cost: $350 (includes housing, Adventuring fee, and carpool transportation). Meals and incidentals are extra.
- Deposit: A $100 deposit is required to secure your spot. Balance due by June 1st, though appreciated sooner.
- Waitlist Policy: All sign-ups begin on the waitlist. You will be moved to "Going" once your deposit is received.
- Cancellations: If you must back out, please let me know as soon as you become aware that you are not coming.
- Flexibility: You are welcome to stay for less than a week or skip activities, but the base cost remains the same.
### Requirements
- Experience: Participants must have completed at least three previous hikes with Adventuring.
- Agreement: Please click here to review our release form. When you RSVP to an event, you affirm that you have read and agree to the terms of the release.
Questions? Want to help? Please contact the trip leader, Harris, if you would like to help plan the itinerary or lead a specific activity such as a hike, meal or BBQ.
7 attendees
C&O Canal Hike: Nolands Ferry to Point of Rocks--NEW DATE
Forest Glen Metro Station, 2200 Forest Glen Road, Silver Spring, MD, US(Postponed from earlier this month.) We will begin next Sunday's hike along the scenic and historic C&O Canal at Nolands Ferry in lower Frederick County (MD), the turnaround point for last summer's Monocacy Aqueduct hike. As we head upstream, we'll pass Calico Rocks, where the colorful Potomac Marble was quarried for the pillars of the Capitol Rotunda. We'll lunch at the Calico Rocks Hiker-Biker Campsite before arriving at Point of Rocks, where the Potomac River narrows dramatically as it cuts through the Catoctin Mountains. Point of Rocks boasts a magnificent Victorian railway station that is still heavily used by MARC train commuters. We'll then retrace our steps to Nolands Ferry.
Total length of this moderately strenuous round-trip hike along the level Canal towpath will be a bit over 7 miles. Bring plenty of beverages, lunch, bug spray, sunscreen, and $5 for the Adventuring trip fee (cash or Venmo), Carpool passengers will pay their drivers $8. Attendance is limited; please be sure to change your RSVP status to "Not Going" if you sign up and later decide you can't make it.
We'll meet to form our carpool at 9 a.m. next Sunday morning in the Kiss & Ride lot of the Forest Glen Metro Station and should return by dinnertime.
NOTE: Please click here to review our release form. When you RSVP to an event, you affirm that you have read and agree to the terms of the release. Everyone must RSVP on their own behalf.
8 attendees
Kayaking at Fountainhead Park (VA)
Franconia-Springfield Station, 6880 Frontier Drive, Springfield, VA, USSummer is the perfect time to escape the city's heat and venture out on the water. For this boating trip, Adventuring is heading to a new body of water for a paddle around the Occoquan Reservoir.
Fountainhead Regional Park in Fairfax Station, Virginia has several types of watercraft to rent: single/double kayaks or stand-up paddle boards. This kayaking trip is on flat water with no rapids and would be suitable for kayakers of all ability levels. Our trip will involve exploring the reservoir for 1.5 to 2 hours. Bring a snack or light lunch to enjoy with your fellow paddlers afterwards as there are scenic picnic tables within the park.
What to bring:
* Drinking water
* Snacks or lunch
* Sunscreen
* Shoes that can get wet (or watershoes)
* Hat/visor/sunglasses
* Water protection for electronics
* You may want to bring a change of clothes and a towel to leave in the car.Transportation:
We’ll carpool from the Franconia-Springfield Metro Station in the Kiss & Ride lot (lower level of the parking garage) at 9:00 am, with carpool departure promptly at 9:15 am.For those who would prefer to meet us at the park, plan to meet the group at the marina a few minutes prior to 10am. We expect to be in the boats around 10:00 am. Also, note that cellular service may sometimes be spotty in this location.
Rental Details and Cost:
The cost will total to ~$51 per person ($38.00 for the boat rental, $8 for carpool transportation and $5.00 for the standard Adventuring Trip Fee.)
All participants will be responsible for obtaining their own rental of a kayak on the day of the trip at the marina. All rentals include a life jacket, which you must wear properly at all times while on the water.We will be able to accommodate 12 participants on this trip.
Participants should review the terms of the Adventuring release by CLICKING HERE. When you RSVP to an event, you affirm that you have read and agree to the terms of the release.
14 attendees
Wilson Bridge Hike
King Street Metro Station, South Kiosk, Between King Street and Duke Street, Alexandria, va, USWeather permitting, this will be an opportunity to renew one of Adventuring's most time-honored traditions: Our Labor Day hike from Old Town Alexandria across the Wilson Bridge to National Harbor, MD.
Starting from the King Street Metro Station at 11 a.m. on Monday September 7, we'll first stroll down historic Duke Street. We'll eventually switch over to Wilkes Street so we can walk through the historic railroad tunnel to reach the waterfront. Union Street will then guide us towards Jones Point Park. Here we can use the luxurious rest facilities beneath the Wilson Bridge before lunching at the Lighthouse next to the Southern Boundary Marker for the District of Columbia.
After lunch we'll stroll across the Wilson Bridge into Maryland. Once we arrive we can linger at National Harbor for as much or as little as we want before returning. You could take a water taxi back to the Alexandria Waterfront; fares are $15 for adults and $13 for seniors. From the Alexandria Waterfront you can walk up a few blocks to Market Square and take the free King Street Trolley to the Metro. Or you can take Metrobus directly back to the Metro station from National Harbor. The P90 bus leaves from St. George Boulevard & Waterfront Street at 27 and 57 minutes past the hour.
Total length of this easy one-way hike is about 5 miles, with virtually no elevation change. We'll meet at 11 a.m. on Labor Day morning inside the King Street Metro near the buses by the station manager's kiosk. Bring beverages, lunch, bug spray. sunscreen and the $5 trip fee (cash or Venmo).
Please click here to review our release form. When you RSVP to an event, you affirm that you have read and agree to the terms of the release. Everyone must RSVP on their own behalf.
8 attendees
Past events
1420
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