Hiking a Roller Coaster

A sign meant to strike fear into hearts of weary backpackers

Roller coasters are supposed to make you scream, right? Well, certainly, there have been more than a few hikers on the Appalachian Trail who have wanted to scream when encountering this sign.

The "Roller Coaster" section of the AT run through the northern part of Virginia. Up and down. Up and down. Up and down. A challenging change of pace from the walks along the relatively flat ridges that one encounters on some other parts of the AT.

On Saturday, we hiked a portion of the Roller Coaster with the Capital Hiking Club, based in Washington, D.C. It was 14 miles from Route 50 to Route 7 _ with an elevation gain of more than 4,000 when you add up all the "ups."

It's a great hike, but you need to be prepared with plenty of water and food. The nice reward comes near the end, when you get a spectacular view of the Shenandoah Valley from the overlook near Bear's Den cabin.

It was also a great time of year to be outdoors. The leaves were colorful, and the sun warmed us up quickly. A fabulous day to be in the woods. There are more photos below, plus lots more on the club's website.

The Shenandoah region is one of our destinations for 2014. Take a look and sign up for a hiking trip to Switzerland, Vermont, Nevada or Virginia.

See you on the trails.

Joseph

Gathering place at the Clarke County line

It was a little chilly when we started ...

... but soon the sun took over, and the view from Bear's Den was stunning as usual.