Adventuring LGBTQ+ Outdoors Club

Summer is the time to escape the city's oppressive heat and be on the water! Fletcher’s Cove is a hidden gem—close enough to downtown to be accessible, but far enough outside of the city to see birds, fish, and other wildlife.

Join Adventuring for a short river paddle in (single/double) kayaks on flat water with no rapids. This trip should be suitable for kayakers of all ability levels. Our trip will involve exploring the river for 1.5 to 2 hours. We will paddle upstream to observe the scenery towards the Chain Bridge before turning around for a leisurely downstream paddle back to the boat rental area. Bring a snack or light lunch to enjoy with your fellow paddlers afterwards as there are scenic picnic tables along the river near the boathouse.

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 Foggy Bottom Metro Station. We will gather just behind the Foggy Bottom Metro at 24th / I (Eye) Street NW. at 9:00 am, with carpool departure promptly at 9:15 am.

For those who would rather arrive via personal vehicle or use a rideshare service, but be sure to leave early enough that your driver has time to correct for getting lost, as the driveway to Fletcher’s Cove often confuses first-time visitors. (4940 Canal Rd NW). We'll gather in the LOWER PARKING LOT (through the narrow tunnel under the canal).

We expect to be in the boats by 10:00 am so be sure to join us before then. Also, note that cellular service can sometimes be spotty in this location.

Rental Details and Cost:
The cost will total to ~$59 per person ($54.00 for the rental and $5.00 for the standard Adventuring Trip Fee.) All participants will be responsible for obtaining their own rental of a single or double kayak. Stand Up Paddleboards are also available to rent. We will be able to accommodate 15 participants on this trip. Walk-up rental availability is possible, but does not guarantee a rental on the day of our trip.

All rentals include a life jacket, which you must wear properly at all times while on the water. All participants will need to complete the Fletcher’s Cove Boathouse Float Plan Agreement prior to getting on the water. It would speed up the process considerably if you fill the form out online prior to arrival.

This hike was originally supposed to happen on the Fourth of July, continuing an Adventuring tradition started by the late, great Damon Miller. However, it was postponed because of the excessive heat that day. Let's hope that the First of August will provide better conditions for us.

This will be an easy round-trip stroll of about five miles, starting and ending at the historic Great Falls Tavern on the C&O Canal. Shortly after our start downstream, we will detour off the Canal towpath across Bear and Olmstead Islands to the Falls Overlook, where we can savor its ever-fabulous view of Great Falls. Retracing our steps to the towpath, we will pass several locks and the impressive Widewater Basin. Our turnaround point near Old Anglers Inn just beyond Widewater features nearby restroom facilities.

Our return leg will be on the Berma Road atop the Washington Conduit that carries Potomac River water down to the Georgetown Reservoir. Once we're finished our hike back at the Tavern, we'll head over to the nearby picnic grounds to enjoy our lunches. Those who are still thirsty after our bully summer endeavor may consider adjourning to Old Anglers Inn, which conveniently opens at noon on Saturdays, for refreshments.

Bring plenty of beverages, lunch and/or snacks, sunscreen, bug spray and the $5 Adventuring trip fee; carpool passengers from Tenleytown Metro should also give their drivers $5, plus a share of the Park Admission Fee in case the entrance stations are staffed. (Bring a National Parks Pass if you have one; it will get your entire carload in for free.)

Those needing rides and those able to offer rides will form our carpool at the Tenleytown Metro Station in front of the Panera at Wisconsin Avenue and Albemarle Street at 9 a.m. Carpool participants will rendezvous at the Great Falls Tavern with those driving directly to the Park at 9:45 a.m. The Tavern's address is 11710 MacArthur Boulevard, Potomac, MD 20854. We should finish by 1 p.m.

disclaimer: the text above must have come from AI; I had nothing to do with it, although I can't quibble with any of it-- RH

Explore these two jewels of the Pacific Northwest

RSVP Prerequisites
(1) At the time of RSVP, participants must have already completed at least four Adventuring events (hikes and/or social gatherings) in the past year

(2) Must be fit enough for moderately strenuous hiking (our hikes could range up to 6-8 miles, with up to 2,000 feet of elevation gain)

(3) A $200 deposit will be required to secure your spot on the trip

Trip Details

Let's escape the worst of our summer heat and head to the opposite end of the country to spend a week exploring these two beautiful national parks, which are in the far corner of the Pacific Northwest.

We'll be hiking an amazing variety of terrain-- up forested canyons to tall waterfalls, across subalpine meadows of wildflowers past glacier-capped mountains, walking through cathedral-like old-growth rainforest, soaking in hot springs and hiking out to dramatic ocean beaches.

We’ll all stay in a big house together, sharing the cooking and kitchen duty, and riding to our hikes each day in the group cars. We’ll be spending three nights in Ashford, WA (for Mt. Rainier) and two nights each in Port Angeles and Forks, WA (for Olympic). Couples will have their own rooms. Singles will have their own beds, which may be in shared rooms or the living room.

Participants will share equally in the cost of the lodging, the rental cars and gas, the shared groceries and beverages, and any other group costs. Estimated at $1,300-1,600 each, all-in, for the week, plus participants will be responsible for their own travel costs to Seattle and back.

Limited to 7-9 participants (depends on how many additional couples sign up).

In my continuing effort to revive interest in bicycling in Adventuring I offer a second relaxed bike ride of 17.4 miles beginning and ending at Pentagon City Metro station in Arlington. By "relaxed" I mean our pace will be leisurely so this ride will be especially suitable for those of you who haven't ridden your bike in a while. All are welcome, however.