LM: AT Trail Magic (21 mi)

The NOBO AT thru-hikers should be passing through our neck of the woods next month, and it is a DCUL tradition to run a trip where we head out to the AT to do trail magic, DCUL-style, by packing out treats to hand out to the thru-hikers we meet along the way. No thru-hiker expects magic in the middle of the woods, which makes it all the better. The trail provides.

In the past, solid choices for (optional, but strongly encouraged) trail magic have included: beer, soda, fresh fruit, and any unhealthy snack foods you can find (basically anything made by Little Debbies/Hostess, oatmeal cream sandwiches, etc). Adam won bragging rights for the best trail magic on last year's trip when he nearly brought a thru-hiker to tears (of joy) because he packed out cucumbers.

The plan is to meet at the Vienna Metro Station to carpool on Saturday morning, drop cars at Gathland State Park and then have a couple of drivers shuttle us up to Wolfsville Rd. to start our hike. From Wolfsville Rd., we will head SOBO around 14 miles to Dahlgren Backpacker Campground (or, potentially, Rocky Run Shelter), and then roughly 7 miles back to Gathland on Sunday.

Besides making a thru-hiker's day (we might get some 4-Staters!), this trip should have some nice views at Annapolis Rocks and Black Rock Cliffs, as well as the *other* Washington Monument, and we may decide to partake in the (hiker trash) spa-like experience that is the Dahlgren Backpacker Campground.

Splits are a cruisy 14/7 for a total of 21 miles for the weekend - so fill up your packs with trail magic, since any true ultralighter knows that the real point of spending thousands of dollars on ultralight gear is so that you have more room for snacks.

If you are new to DCUL and looking for an LM trip to get started, come join us - I'll set aside a few spots for applicants.

Applicants:

Please send me a gear list when you sign up. Don't worry about needing to have expensive ultralight gear - I just want to make sure that you are bringing the essentials and that you feel comfortable carrying what you are bringing. If you have any questions feel free to send me a message!

DCULers have maps!

1. This section of the AT is covered by PATC Map 5/6
2. If you have the AT guide downloaded on Farout/Guthook that is also acceptable
3. Caltopo: https://caltopo.com/m/T0ABV

The Fine Print

1. As per our carpool policy, riders should plan to pay drivers $0.10/mile.

2. Dues -- Members and above, don't forget to pay your annual dues if you haven't yet. If you don't see the current year listed next to your name in your DC UL profile, please pay via PayPal: https://www.paypal.me/JenniferAdach/15 ($10 annual dues plus a $5 suggested donation to City Kids Wilderness Project.) Applicants do not need to pay dues.

3. More information on the club's COVID-19 policy: https://dculbackpacking.com/about/covid-19-guidelines/.

4. By participating in this or any DCUL activity, you agree and abide by our Liability Waiver (https://dculbackpacking.wordpress.com/about/liability-waiver/) and Terms of Use (https://dculbackpacking.wordpress.com/about/terms-of-use/).