A "4-blister" Hike

I guess it's possible to get into a hiking rut from doing the same trails with the same people in the same seasons every year. While I've never had that feeling personally _ and I have way too much fun when I'm hiking to think I ever will _ it's good to be proactive by seeking out new groups and new hikes.

For 2010, I'm doing some hikes with a local DC-area group called Wandering Soles. They took part in the New Year's Day hike along the C&O Canal, and this Saturday they will be doing a hike in Catoctin Park and Cunningham Falls State Park in Maryland.

Wandering Soles has a "blister" rating for all of their hikes. "Easy" is less than 2 blisters, "moderate" is 2 to 3.5 blisters, and "difficult" is greater than 3.5 blisters. According to the scale, one blister equals about 5 miles or about 2,500 feet in elevation gain. That's a good way to gauge what you're getting into.

The hike this Saturday is a 4-blister hike _ hitting several of the high points in the parks at a moderate-to-fast pace over 9.5 miles with more than 5,000 feet of elevation gain. The tricky part could be the ice _ we still have remnants of recent snowfalls in these parts _ but the guide tells me she's already plotted an alternative route around dicier parts of the trail, if necessary.

Several people have asked me if the hiking trip to Switzerland I'm offering this summer will feel more like winter hiking in the U.S. because of the elevation of the Alps. Actually, summer in Switzerland is more like fall in the mid-Atlantic U.S., with warm days and cool nights and some rain thrown in. I have seen a snowfall on one July hike near a glacier, but for the most part you're wearing shorts and soaking up sunshine.

You can learn more about the trip by taking a peak at our "Your Questions Answered" page on our Web site: http://myhikingvacations.com/faq.php. Or just go to the main page and start from there. http://myhikingvacations.com.

Regardless of where you decide to hike this year, I hope you do try some new places and meet some new people. That's half the fun!

Happy Hiking,
Joseph

Ear Plugs _ A Requirement for a Hiking Tour?

Today I took part in the 36th annual New Year's Day hike along the C&O Canal in Washington, D.C., an 10-mile leisurely trek sponsored by the Sierra Club and supported by other hiking groups in the area. The weather was good _ compared to the wintry days we've had recently _ and I got to meet a lot of interesting people with interesting hiking stories. A great way to start 2010!

During the hike, the topic turned to problems that one might encounter while taking part in a hiking vacation. I was keenly interested _ mainly because I'll be leading an 11-day hiking tour of Switzerland in July. (Go to http://myhikingvacations.com/ for more information.)

One of the hikers mentioned ear plugs as an essential packing item. She said she's encountered roommates on hiking trips who snored without end _ making it difficult to sleep and sapping the energy needed to go on a hike the next day. I also pointed out that some people need ear plugs to cope with the change in air pressure while flying in an airplane.

It made me think: Should ear plugs be an essential item? Or an optional item? On the packing list page of my Web site (http://myhikingvacations.com/packing.php), I list ear plugs under "Optional Stuff" _ along with items such as binoculars, camera and pocket knife.

Based on my conversation with my fellow hiker, I have changed the entry. I still have ear plugs listed as optional, but I've added a line suggesting why they would be useful.

It just goes to show that, no matter know many hikes you've led, there's always something new to learn. Snoring has never bothered me, and it's never come up in hiking trips I've led with the Boy Scouts and other groups in the past. So, word to the wise: Think about ear plugs if you're a light sleeper or plane-pressure sensitive.

Again, Happy New Year to All,
Joseph

A New Year's Day Hike Along the C&O

You know, hiking's a good New Year's Resolution. It gets down some of the weight we all probably gained during the holidays, and it's much cheaper than joining a gym.

My usual New Year's Day routine for several years has been to take a bike ride, usually to Leesburg, Virginia, where I search for a restaurant that serves black eye peas. (Yes, you are supposed to eat black eye peas on New Year's Day. Everyone knows that tradition, right?)

This year, I plan instead to take part in the 36th annual New Year's Day hike along the C&O Canal, starting in Washington, D.C. It's sponsored by the Sierra Club and looks like a lot of fun. They don't mention black eye peas in the promotional material, but maybe I'll bring my own ...

If you live in the D.C. area and are interested, the hike starts at 9:30 a.m. at Wisconsin Ave. at the canal, south of M St. in Georgetown. It's a 10-mile hike. Go to
http://sierrapotomac.org/events.htm for more information.

January is also when a lot of people settle on a destination for a summer vacation. We're hoping you consider our July hiking trip to Switzerland. We'd love to have you! Check us out at http://myhikingvacations.com/


Happy Hiking Year!
Joseph

Igloo!!! (And, yes, Merry Christmas, while we're at it ...)

I've always wanted to build an igloo. Not just a tiny hole in some snow, but one big enough to sit in and relax while drinking some hot chocolate _ and certainly big enough to throw down a sleeping bag to spend the night. While growing up in North Carolina and later living in London and Virginia, I was always a bit envious of those people up north who got to build snowhuts and big ice sculptures in the front yard every winter.

Well, we finally got a major dumping of the white stuff on Saturday _ 20 inches at our house. It took a while, but I managed to build an igloo that held five people sitting comfortably on an ice bench. We crawled in at night holding a candle. It was sooooooo cool _ in every sense of the word. It doesn't look like much from the outside _ and I probably didn't follow the standard igloo-building procedures _ but I can say I did it.

I was tempted to spend the night inside. In retrospect, I wish I had. My winter sleeping bag would have been a perfect fit.

I had houseguests from North Carolina over the weekend, and they'd never seen so much snow. I still have to walk 50 feet just to get to my car. The ground will definitely stay white through Christmas _ and maybe into the New Year.

I just checked a live webcam in Kandersteg, Switzerland, where I'll be leading a hike next summer. Yep, snow on the ground there, too. And a simple Christmas tree lighting up the dark night.

I'm off to North Carolina to see family for Christmas. My Dad is 97; my Mom is 92. God bless 'em both. I really love this time of year. It's the only time I love to shop _ and that's because I'm thinking about the people I love as I do it.

So, on this beautiful night in Virginia _ as the lights from my outdoor tree twinkle through the window near my keyboard _ I get a romantic twinge as I think about the few people out there in the Internet world who might actually read this little blog. I am so fortunate. I have a happy life, good friends and a great family. How I so wish that feeling for each of you. And for everyone. May your world have lots of love. May this tired old world experience more peace in 2010. If you are alone this Christmas, please accept a cyber-hug from me. I wish I could do more.

Merry Christmas to you all.

Joseph
http://myhikingvacations.com/

Google Hiking Searches ... (key word: underwear?)

"hiking underwear you dont have to wash"

I'm always intrigued to see how people end up visiting my hiking Web site. My wish/hope is that they're looking for the ideal hiking vacation _ particularly in the Swiss Alps _ and therefore have typed something like "hiking vacations Switzerland." Then, of course, they click on http://myhikingvacations.com/, examine the Web site and maybe even sign up.

Ah, but that's too straightforward. We live in a convoluted world. The phrase I typed above _ "hiking underwear you dont have to wash" _ is an actual phrase that someone typed into a Google search that led to a visit to my Web site. I just typed it in myself, and the "What to Pack" page of my Web site came up No. 4 on the results list. How about that!

I'm afraid the searcher might have been disappointed. I'm sure he/she found me because I list underwear on the packing list for the July 2010 hiking trip we're offering to Switzerland. I say nothing about whether the underwear should be washable or not. Hmmm. Maybe I should.

Anyway, for the Web-curious among you, here's a list of some other search strings used to find my Web site. Some make sense; some don't. For instance, I have no clue how "cottage rental va 20194" made the cut.

cost of hiking in alps
cottage rental va 20194
guided hiking in the alps
herndon
hiking
swiss guided hiking
swiss hiking vacation
switzerland vacations hut overnight
what clothes to take on hiking vacation
what to bring when going to the alps
what was your favorite hiking vacation in europe


Anyway, feel free to visit the Web site any way you please. Happy Googling ...

Joseph

C&O Snow Hike _ And Snowcream!!

Here's the first snowman of the year! A little creation I construction this morning on the C&O Canal in Maryland during a 6-mile hike. We knew the weather was going to be dicey _ thus we altered our previous plans to drive to the Blue Ridge and hike at Wildcat Mountain _ but the white stuff came down even quicker than we expected. What a winter wonderland! As they say: "There's no business like snow business."

And, by the way, in case you were wondering: "You don't have to be a star to be in my snow."

And, yes, in the spirit of the season, I believe I was heard singing the classic Christmas song: "Do You Snow What I Snow?"

This snow is great packing snow _ perfect for snowballs, snowmen and snowcream.

Snowcream? Don't tell me you've never eaten snowcream! It's the greatest winter treat ever!

OK, you snowcream novices: Here's the recipe, straight from wonderful More-With-Less Cookbook:

_ 2 1/2 quarts clean snow (Skimming it off a car is best. Obviously, if you live in a high pollution area _ near a factory, for example, you probably don't want to try this.)
_ 1/2 cup milk
_ 1 teaspoon vanilla
_ 1 cup sugar

Mix and eat right away.

I personally like to add sliced banana or a cup of blueberries to make it fruity. My Mom used to stir in an egg, but you should do that only if you're comfortable eating raw eggs.

I guess I should add this disclaimer: Some people say that our air is so polluted everywhere that snowcream isn't safe to eat anymore. I'll only point out this: It happens to be the same air you're inhaling into your lungs a zillion times a day.

One final word of kudos: Because I was on my hike, I was able to defend my title in the annual Skyhaven Court Snowman Competition, awarded to the person who builds the first snowman of the season on my street. I came home to find one in front of my neighbor's house, the one where the two daughters live. Good going, girls!

Happy Hiking,
Joseph
http://myhikingvacations.com/

December Hike to Wildcat Mountain

I love hiking in December. The air is brisk. The trails aren't as crowded. Everyone's in a good mood because Christmas is near. One catch: Make sure to start early _ because it'll be dark by 5.

I'm going to a new place this week: the Wildcat Mountain Natural Area in Farquier County, along the foothills of the Blue Ridge. Someone else picked the hike, so I'm more or less tagging along for this one. It's good not always being the leader _ I get a chance to see how other people handle a group hike and maybe pick up some pointers. Plus, I get to soak in the sights and sounds a bit more while concentrating less on pacing and morale.

We're expecting about 8 people for the hike, 4 adults and 4 kids. I'll let you know how it goes ...

Happy Hiking,
Joseph
http://myhikingvacations.com/