Almost one week ago exactly, I basked in the satisfaction of discovering the Big Bear Cafe, a small outpost at First and R Street, N.W., a coffee shop that hosts readings on the first Wednesday evening of most months. It sits on the corner of an urban block in a notoriously dangerous part of the city that accommodates the Bloomingdale Farmers Market on Sundays (10 - 2 p.m.) during the months of May through November.
Driving west on Florida Avenue, I rolled my tongue, tasting the espresso, and pictured the young blond woman with whom Jack, my recently separated friend, and I sat. After the smile and after Jack and I sat, she and her friend talked with each other and checked e-mails on their laptops. At 54, those friendly smiles seem few and far between.
Jack and I decided to visit the Big Bear after finishing an urban walk on what the city calls the Columbia Heights Heritage Trail, a loop that begins and ends near the Columbia Heights Metro Station. For me, it was a walk in the rain that reminded me of how much Washington D.C. has changed in the half century since I was born here.
We drove behind the car that was hit. We had a green light. We were lucky; the two people in the car in front of us weren't. Every walk or hike is an adventure, a discovery. This one brought me to the reading at the Big Bear this past Wednesday and reminded me how much more I enjoy hikes in the woods than walks in the city.
Today's sun brings another Sunday. Enjoy!
Sunday, November 8, 2009
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
The C&O Canal Towpath Near Lock 7 Provides A Great Getaway
Pulling on my boots with the promise of a hike, driving away from the house with Bruce Springsteen on the radio, brought only disappointment this past Sunday as I headed downtown to the office instead of a bucolic trail.
I had committed to try to hike or walk at least several miles one day each week-end. But work responsibilities called and mounds of paper greeted me. After over four hours or so of work in the office and several household errands once back in Bethesda, I decided to saver the last few hours of sunlight. I’m glad I did.
The C&O Canal towpath south of Lock 7, Mile 7 provided a great escape. While one could still hear car noise from Canal Road and see other people on the trail, the foliage and Potomac River views provided an exquisite opportunity to get away without being away.
The temperate weather provided optimism that fall would never have to surrender to winter. Fading greens and hard yellows danced on a liquid canvas as their reflection beamed onto and off of the water near Lock 7. The pond nearby brought back memories of ice skating with my children and neighbor’s children years ago when winters still brought heavy snows.
The trailhead is located on MacArthur Boulevard just south of the one-lane bridge near the intersection of Wilson and MacArthur Boulevards. Add this to your list. This portion of the towpath provides an enjoyable walk near home when getting out of town for a longer hike seems infeasible.
I had committed to try to hike or walk at least several miles one day each week-end. But work responsibilities called and mounds of paper greeted me. After over four hours or so of work in the office and several household errands once back in Bethesda, I decided to saver the last few hours of sunlight. I’m glad I did.
The C&O Canal towpath south of Lock 7, Mile 7 provided a great escape. While one could still hear car noise from Canal Road and see other people on the trail, the foliage and Potomac River views provided an exquisite opportunity to get away without being away.
The temperate weather provided optimism that fall would never have to surrender to winter. Fading greens and hard yellows danced on a liquid canvas as their reflection beamed onto and off of the water near Lock 7. The pond nearby brought back memories of ice skating with my children and neighbor’s children years ago when winters still brought heavy snows.
The trailhead is located on MacArthur Boulevard just south of the one-lane bridge near the intersection of Wilson and MacArthur Boulevards. Add this to your list. This portion of the towpath provides an enjoyable walk near home when getting out of town for a longer hike seems infeasible.
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
A Cold Rainy Day Near Whites Ferry
This past Sunday I hiked a small segment of the C&O Canal towpath in the Montgomery County Agricultural Reserve near Whites Ferry, Maryland. The grey overcast sky seemed contagious, making the fall colors appear faded. The cold rainy day inspired indoor activities. As a result, I hiked only the 5 mile repeat trip between milepost 35.5, near Whites Ferry, and milepost 33.
The Canal and towpath that runs alongside it extends 135 miles from Washington D.C. to Cumberland, Maryland. During its major years of operation, primarily the years following the Civil War to the early 1900's, the C&O Canal represented a major trade route and significant employer. Eventually, railroads captured the shipping business on the Canal.
The Whites Ferry area also lies along a Civil War route. In 1862, 35,000 soldiers in General Lee’s Army of the Confederacy crossed the Potomac River 2 miles north of the Whites Ferry trailhead. The invasion occurred after the second Battle of Manassas and before the Battle of Antietam.
At one point on my walk, the brief open view of the slow moving Potomac, a football field wide, its rippling water strong and silent, brought back memories of the Housatonic River in Connecticut near Kent Boys School and the Susquehanna River in Pennsylvania near Bucknell University. On my walk back, the presence on the trail of a large catlike animal the size of a dog scared the daylights out of me.
Aside from the brief river view and the excitement caused by the wildlife, I do not recommend this portion of the C&O Canal trail as a destination hike to anyone who doesn’t live fairly close by since the walk and views are no better than other areas of the Canal. But the presence of wildlife, the serenity of the trail, and the beauty of the Potomac River do make me want to return on a longer, through hike or bike trip up the towpath from Washington D.C. to Harper’s Ferry or beyond.
The drive from Bethesda to the Whites Ferry trailhead takes about 30 minutes from the River Road exit off of the Beltway. Take the exit toward Potomac and continue on River Road. From Potomac, drive 6 miles until Route 190 ends. Turn left to stay on River Road. After 1 mile, take a right onto Partnership Road. After 4 miles, Partnership Road runs into Whites Ferry Road. Take the left. Drive on this road about 9 miles until you see Whites Ferry. Whites Ferry becomes Fisher Avenue for a stretch as you approach and leave Poolesville. The entrance to the towpath is on the left near the canal.
The Canal and towpath that runs alongside it extends 135 miles from Washington D.C. to Cumberland, Maryland. During its major years of operation, primarily the years following the Civil War to the early 1900's, the C&O Canal represented a major trade route and significant employer. Eventually, railroads captured the shipping business on the Canal.
The Whites Ferry area also lies along a Civil War route. In 1862, 35,000 soldiers in General Lee’s Army of the Confederacy crossed the Potomac River 2 miles north of the Whites Ferry trailhead. The invasion occurred after the second Battle of Manassas and before the Battle of Antietam.
At one point on my walk, the brief open view of the slow moving Potomac, a football field wide, its rippling water strong and silent, brought back memories of the Housatonic River in Connecticut near Kent Boys School and the Susquehanna River in Pennsylvania near Bucknell University. On my walk back, the presence on the trail of a large catlike animal the size of a dog scared the daylights out of me.
Aside from the brief river view and the excitement caused by the wildlife, I do not recommend this portion of the C&O Canal trail as a destination hike to anyone who doesn’t live fairly close by since the walk and views are no better than other areas of the Canal. But the presence of wildlife, the serenity of the trail, and the beauty of the Potomac River do make me want to return on a longer, through hike or bike trip up the towpath from Washington D.C. to Harper’s Ferry or beyond.
The drive from Bethesda to the Whites Ferry trailhead takes about 30 minutes from the River Road exit off of the Beltway. Take the exit toward Potomac and continue on River Road. From Potomac, drive 6 miles until Route 190 ends. Turn left to stay on River Road. After 1 mile, take a right onto Partnership Road. After 4 miles, Partnership Road runs into Whites Ferry Road. Take the left. Drive on this road about 9 miles until you see Whites Ferry. Whites Ferry becomes Fisher Avenue for a stretch as you approach and leave Poolesville. The entrance to the towpath is on the left near the canal.
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
A Great Local Hike One Hour From Washington D.C.
This past Sunday I hiked the trails in the Bull Run Mountains State Natural Area Preserve near Haymarket Virginia. The 10 trails wind through densely wooded terrain that includes elevations of 1,300 feet, which is rare in this low lying Piedmont area between the Blue Ridge Mountains and Washington D.C. I recommend these trails to anyone looking for a good half day hike only one hour from Washington D.C.
I discovered the Bull Run Mountains hike through the Internet. One of over 50 local hikes listed on Local Hikes.com, http://www.localhikes.com/, the Bull Run Mountains provide an easily accessible day hike on trails of moderate to easy difficulty in a State-designated natural preserve with diverse vegetation and Civil War history.
According to Websites of the Virginia Outdoor Foundation, http://vofonline.org/, which owns the 2,500 acre preserve, and the Bull Run Mountain Conservancy, www.brmconservancy.org/, which maintains 800 acres, including the trails located on the southern portion of the preserve, the Bull Run Mountains provide an important protective greenbelt that surrounds the densely populated Northern Virginia suburbs.
As I turned onto the beltway, I sipped espresso and tuned in to a Bruce Springsteen Satellite radio station. The drive on Route 66 West takes 45 minutes. Take the Haymarket exit, turn left on Route 15 South and then an immediate right on Route 55 West after crossing the bridge. After 2 miles, turn right on Turner Road, cross Route 66 again, and then turn left onto Beverly Mill Drive. You will see the trailhead on the right near the end of the road.
Once there, I picked up a trail map at the kiosk and selected one of several sturdy walking sticks, which someone had left leaning against the kiosk. I began the hike on the Quarry Trail. At 10 in the morning, I was able to avoid other hikers. The highway sounds receded. The birds chirped as if celebrating my escape. I was surrounded by Halloween oranges and various shades of yellows that mark the entry of another autumn.
The Quarry Trail extends 1.75 miles with moderate elevation and cuts through an area where Union and Confederate soldiers fired rifle shots at each other across Quarry Trench during the battle of Thoroughfare Gap on August 28, 1862. The Confederate victory allowed Lee's army to unite in Manassas. At Marker 8, I headed up Ridge Trail, which is 1.3 miles of moderate to steep incline.
According to the trail map, Ridge Trail ends at the intersection with Ridge Loop Trail at Marker 14. But I found the intersection confusing. In search of the spectacular views that I had read about on various posts, I retraced my steps looking for two extension trails that I had seen on the way up. Thanks to information from a hiker who knew the mountain, I walked back up Ridge Trail but this time I passed Marker 14 on a trail not shown on the map available at the trailhead.
Eventually, less densely populated pine trees replaced the leaved trees on the left side of the rocky trail opening up the blue sky. I stopped at a rocky perch far above the partially forested farmland of the Virginia Piedmont in the distance below. Having walked as far as I wanted, I began my return trip, taking Ridge Loop Trail back to Quarry Trail, walking now with a separated sole of the bottom of one of my Tecnica hiking boots. These trails are a treasure in an overcrowded area near Washington D.C.
I discovered the Bull Run Mountains hike through the Internet. One of over 50 local hikes listed on Local Hikes.com, http://www.localhikes.com/, the Bull Run Mountains provide an easily accessible day hike on trails of moderate to easy difficulty in a State-designated natural preserve with diverse vegetation and Civil War history.
According to Websites of the Virginia Outdoor Foundation, http://vofonline.org/, which owns the 2,500 acre preserve, and the Bull Run Mountain Conservancy, www.brmconservancy.org/, which maintains 800 acres, including the trails located on the southern portion of the preserve, the Bull Run Mountains provide an important protective greenbelt that surrounds the densely populated Northern Virginia suburbs.
As I turned onto the beltway, I sipped espresso and tuned in to a Bruce Springsteen Satellite radio station. The drive on Route 66 West takes 45 minutes. Take the Haymarket exit, turn left on Route 15 South and then an immediate right on Route 55 West after crossing the bridge. After 2 miles, turn right on Turner Road, cross Route 66 again, and then turn left onto Beverly Mill Drive. You will see the trailhead on the right near the end of the road.
Once there, I picked up a trail map at the kiosk and selected one of several sturdy walking sticks, which someone had left leaning against the kiosk. I began the hike on the Quarry Trail. At 10 in the morning, I was able to avoid other hikers. The highway sounds receded. The birds chirped as if celebrating my escape. I was surrounded by Halloween oranges and various shades of yellows that mark the entry of another autumn.
The Quarry Trail extends 1.75 miles with moderate elevation and cuts through an area where Union and Confederate soldiers fired rifle shots at each other across Quarry Trench during the battle of Thoroughfare Gap on August 28, 1862. The Confederate victory allowed Lee's army to unite in Manassas. At Marker 8, I headed up Ridge Trail, which is 1.3 miles of moderate to steep incline.
According to the trail map, Ridge Trail ends at the intersection with Ridge Loop Trail at Marker 14. But I found the intersection confusing. In search of the spectacular views that I had read about on various posts, I retraced my steps looking for two extension trails that I had seen on the way up. Thanks to information from a hiker who knew the mountain, I walked back up Ridge Trail but this time I passed Marker 14 on a trail not shown on the map available at the trailhead.
Eventually, less densely populated pine trees replaced the leaved trees on the left side of the rocky trail opening up the blue sky. I stopped at a rocky perch far above the partially forested farmland of the Virginia Piedmont in the distance below. Having walked as far as I wanted, I began my return trip, taking Ridge Loop Trail back to Quarry Trail, walking now with a separated sole of the bottom of one of my Tecnica hiking boots. These trails are a treasure in an overcrowded area near Washington D.C.
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