About us
All are welcome! Even the young, old, Virginians, and Washingtonians. Although my goal with this group is to lure out folks in their late 30's to early 50's and help remind them how to have fun outside. So if you're one of those people who has been spending too many Saturdays watching children's soccer games, sneak out and join us sometime soon. We'll even post events further afield in VA, WV, and PA, but the majority of meetups will be in Central Maryland and usually 4-8 miles in length.
This group has only four rules:
- If you sign up, show up. I will ruthlessly boot anyone who is a no-show. It only takes 6 seconds on average to change your RSVP to NO. Don't you want to give your spot to someone in dire need of fun?
- Please read the entire description before signing up for an event. I work hard to post thorough descriptions so people can be informed of both the itinerary AND the expected challenges.
- You are responsible for your own safety. This is just a group of potential new friends walking around the woods, not a professional guide service. Please come prepared with the appropriate gear and provisions to safely make it through the posted itinerary.
- Have fun! No spoilsports allowed.
Many events will be cross-posted with the warmer-season group, Paddle Something. If you've got a kayak, canoe or paddle board - check it out at: https://www.meetup.com/paddle-something/
Upcoming events
2
Wheaton Regional Park and Brookside Gardens - Moderate 4.2 miles
Pine Lake Parking, 2004 Shorefield Rd, Silver Spring, MD, USI know people who lived in the suburbs of Silver Spring for years without stumbling across this hilly gem that features a carousel, an adventure playground and Brookside Gardens. The heat wave should break by Saturday morning, so it should be an excellent time to still see plenty of things in bloom throughout the trip.
We will start at the Pine Lake parking lot on the west side of the park and make a counter-clockwise loop around the inner trails of the park, passing three ponds and most of the garden collections on a roughly 4.2-mile circuit. The terrain varies from mulch to gravel to paved at various points. This is a relatively short trip but there are three moderate hills spaced out along the route. Those might slow us down a bit, though I expect we will be wrapped up by 12:30 unless we are particularly awestruck by the gardens.
We will mostly follow this route from Alltrails which takes us through most of the gardens.
I know there are a number of casual restaurants in Wheaton that people rave about. If anyone has a favorite, I can likely be convinced to grab lunch afterwards.
4 attendees
Whitewater Tubing on the Potomac in Harpers Ferry - $52
water park, 408 Alstadts Hill Rd. Harpers Ferry, WV, Harpers Ferry, WV, USAre you sick of me dragging you on an arduous hike in the blazing heat and not even getting the good payoff of a scenic view because everything is overgrown? Fine. Then come up to Harpers Ferry, plop your butt in a tube and enjoy the majesty of the Potomac River valley, along with some exciting bumps and splashes. I've planned enough river trips so far this year with Paddle Something, so I'm letting the professionals take care of this one. Just give $52 to River Riders in Harpers Ferry and they will handle the rest.
They stick you on a bus, hand you a tube, send you 3 miles down a river, then scoop you back up. The memories will last a lifetime; the bruised butt will be fine by Wednesday.
Please book the White Water Tubing at River Riders in Harper's Ferry, WV for the 11:00 departure. I recommend the standard tube, not the deluxe or the "tracker" duckie, but to each their own. I find the headrest on the deluxe gets in the way if you want to doggie-paddle through the flats. And the paddle that comes with the tracker tube is super crappy and just gets in the way, really.There is a hiccup since we are doing the whitewater trip. Apparently they will not let you book a single person online. For safety reasons, you need a partner. So you've got two options if you're flying solo:
1. Call River Riders at 304-535-2663 and book over the phone, telling them that you are joining Matt Abel/Paddle Something.
2. Post in the comments below that you are seeking a sign-up buddy and then one of you books online for two people.IMPORTANT: You NEED real shoes - no flip-flops or crocs. Trust me on this. You should really also bring a metal or reusable plastic water bottle with a carabiner to hook onto the tube handle. A small dry bag is also a good idea, but not a large one. And as always, you need to WEAR, not just carry your PFD the entire time. Bring your own if you have one, as I presume the rental ones might get musty this late in the season.
And FYI: your butt only gets bruised if you forget to lift it up in the rapid.
2 attendees
Past events
63
Group links
Members
1,214
