About us
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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!
When applying to join our group, make sure to fill out our questionnaire fully. We also require that your profile photo is of yourself.
*** Read our liability waiver (https://dculbackpacking.com/about/liability-waiver/) and COVID-19 guidelines here: https://dculbackpacking.com/about/covid-19-guidelines/. ***
Upcoming events
8
MO: Otter Creek Wilderness (31 miles)
Vienna Metro (North Parking Lot), 9490 Virginia Center Blvd, Vienna, VA, USI was not meaning to steal Austin's thunder on this trip (he's heading to Otter Creek in August), but I've also been wanting to check out this area and had been pondering a trip there for the last weekend in June. Come join me! (And full disclosure I haven't been here before so we can explore it together!) Also, just a note that since there's a 21-mile day, you should have already attended at least one DCUL trip before.
We will meet at the Vienna metro at 5 pm Friday to carpool, then head for the Lower Glady Dispersed Campground to spend Friday night and meet up with anyone driving separately. Saturday morning, we'll get an early start to beat the heat and head up the Mylius trail from the campground, gain the ridge and head clockwise around the Otter Creek wilderness area boundary. After reaching Otter Creek, we'll head south following the creek and camp along it.
Sunday we'll get back up on the plateau and follow the boundary south back to the cars. Finally, we'll grab some food in Davis on the way home. I hear there are bogs, marshes and creek crossings, so prepare to get wet. Splits are 0/21/10.
Resources*
- Monongahela NF Map: https://bit.ly/3FOs7wF
- Purple Lizard Map: https://bit.ly/46EUwRB
- CalTopo: https://caltopo.com/m/5BF0P
- Weather: https://bit.ly/490kwbH
- Driving Directions: https://maps.app.goo.gl/QAdy2nh8TYt5TB3M9
*Credit for these goes to Mark/Brightside
Disclaimers
- Liability Waiver: By RSVPing for this trip, you agree to these guidelines and to DCUL's waiver liability terms: https://dculbackpacking.com/about/liability-waiver/
- 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 DC UL profile. Applicants do not need to pay dues for their first trip. To pay your dues via PayPal, use this link: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/Jennifer Adach15 ($10 annual dues plus a $5 suggested donation to City Kids Wilderness Project.)
- Carpool: As per our carpool policy, riders should pay drivers $0.10/mile.
3 attendees
MO: Tour de Sods (~36 miles)
Vienna Metro - North Parking Lot Kiss & Ride, 9490 Virginia Center Boulevard, Vienna, va, USTime to go eat blueberries and such in Dolly Sods. I got Brightside's permission to plagiarize this entire trip, so we're going to run it the same as in recent years. The nature conservancy recently acquired the parcel of land just north of Dolly Sods as well which we can check out on Saturday if anyone is inclined to do some extra miles. This loop features some bushwhacking and lots of mud and rocks, and depending on recent rains the crossing of Red Creek can be very wet – make sure you're up for a tough hike!
We'll meet up at Vienna Metro North Kiss & Ride and drive to the Flatrock Run trailhead (https://bit.ly/3D5Rvwj). We can run a quick shuttle to drop one car at Red Creek trailhead and avoid a 2 mile roadwalk. From the road we'll climb over 2000 vertical feet in 5 miles up Mt Porte Crayon, the fourth highest peak in the state. Be prepared to hike through stinging nettles, and make sure to fill your bottles at the last stream on the way up. Our campsite up on the plateau will be dry.
On Saturday morning we'll hike the entirety of the Canyon Rim Trail, which starts right at our campsite. This trail involves a bit of bushwhacking and talus scrambling, and it probably won't be on your map – occasional stone cairns mark the way. We'll walk along the Allegheny Front, taking in superb views of the valley below, and eventually come to the Dolly Sods Wilderness boundary. A brief gravel roadwalk along FR 19 will lead us to the Rohrbaugh Plains trail. From here we'll make our way north, past Rohrbaugh Cliffs and the confluence of Red Creek and then into the northern meadows of the Sods. At the northwest corner of the wilderness we'll turn south along the Rocky Ridge trail and look for a suitable campsite for the night.
On Sunday we'll hike down Big Stonecoal, take Dunkenbarger to Little Stonecoal, and walk along Red Creek back to the cars.
We'll try our best to get to Davis in time for breakfast at Milo's; but if that doesn't happen we'll grab lunch at Hellbender (which reopened yay!).
Splits: 6/22/8 with little elevation change other than the first big climb
CalTopo: https://caltopo.com/m/QFKMB
Weather: https://forecast.weather.gov/MapClick.php?lat=39.045402328831074&lon=-79.35729671864084&site=all&smap=1
Map: https://www.purplelizard.com/products/dolly-sods-seneca-rocks-map
By RSVPing to this trip or any other DC UL trip, you agree to these guidelines and to DC UL's waiver liability terms (https://www.meetup.com/DC-UL-Backpacking/pages/Liability_Waiver/)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 DC UL profile. Applicants do not need to pay dues for their first trip. 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.)
Carpool: As per our carpool policy, riders should pay drivers $0.10/mile.
12 attendeesMO: Otter Creek Wilderness (31 miles)
Vienna Metro (North Parking Lot), 9490 Virginia Center Blvd, Vienna, VA, USI want to go backpacking this weekend! Stealing this trip description, will update when get closer.
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We will meet at the Vienna metro at 5pm for carpools, and head for the Lower Glady Dispersed Campground to spend Friday night and meet up with anyone driving separate. Saturday morning, we'll get an early start to beat the heat and head up the Mylius trail from the campground, gain the ridge and head clockwise around the Otter Creek wilderness area boundary. After reaching Otter Creek, we'll head south following the creek and camp along it.
Sunday we'll get back up on the plateau and follow the boundary south back to the cars. Finally, we'll grab some food in Davis on the way home. There will be marshes and creek crossings, so prepare to get wet. Splits are 0/21/10.
Resources*
- Monongahela NF Map: https://bit.ly/3FOs7wF
- Purple Lizard Map: https://bit.ly/46EUwRB
- CalTopo: https://caltopo.com/m/5BF0P
- Weather: https://bit.ly/490kwbH
- Driving Directions: https://maps.app.goo.gl/QAdy2nh8TYt5TB3M9
Disclaimers
- Waiver: By RSVPing to this trip or any other DC UL trip, you agree to these guidelines and to DC UL's waiver liability terms (https://dculbackpacking.com/about/liability-waiver/)
- 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 DC UL profile. Applicants do not need to pay dues for their first trip. 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.)
- Carpool: As per our carpool policy, riders should pay drivers $0.10/mile.
- I am a co-participant, not a guide or expert and have no formal training in navigation or first aid. I have been to this area before, but this is my first time on this route and on most of these trails
10 attendees
Past events
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