14-mile Cedar Run-Hawksbill-WOC Longer Version

 

I took a meetup hike today Cedar Run-Hawksbill-WOC Longer Version for 14 miles with 3600 feet elevation gain. The weather was relatively cool due to overcast and breezy conditions. There were many people came on both trails just for the swimming holes, since the weather forecast was 88 f with humidity.

I haven’t hiked this far for a long time so I was pretty exhausted, so I didn’t have energy to pick wild berries or mushrooms on the trails.

Plus my 6.7 miles weekday runs, I logged in 20.7 hike/run miles this week.

12--mile Trumbo Hollow hike

 

I hiked with a friend on the Appalachian Trail starting from Trumbo Hollow trailhead for 12 miles round trip with 2100 feet elevation gain in 70f. A little humid yet quite pleasant in summer. There was a blackberries section and I ate several handful of blackberries.

I went for my last grocery shopping before my coming 3-month trip to Canada, China,and Taiwan.

Plus my 8 miles weekday runs, I logged 20 hike/run miles this week.

Mozilla Meetup & Flavors of Utah reception

 

I went in DC to attend Mozilla Meetup on anti-competitive online business practices, and then Flavors of Utah reception. On my way between the two venues, I came across an outdoor exhibit of the Girl Scouts Nation's Capital (GSCNC) as a part of its 2026 National Girl Scout Convention.

The list of onsite Utah local food brands included: Aggie Ice Cream, Brookers Ice Cream, Big Daddy Hill BBQ Sauce & Seasoning, Built Bar, Butchers Bunches, CandyCo, Deziria Chocolate, Heber Valley Cheese, Ice Labs Nutrition, Lakanto, Lower Family Foods, Madbrook Donuts, Red Acre Center, Ruby Snap Cookies, San Diablo Churros, Sunshine Buns, SWIG, and Taffy Town.

wildfire smoke from Canada to Washington DC

 

Saturday rain washed off the wildfire smoke from Canada to Washington DC, and Reston air changes from unhealthy to moderate on Sunday. Now Vancouver (46) still has better breathing air reading than Reston (60). Even Taipei (52) is better than Reston. I visited Beijing in 2017 with hazy sky, then in 2024 with clear sky, but it has unhealthy air (128) today. The worst air I ever experienced in 101 countries was New Delhi, India where I coughed nonstop and wore a medical grade face mask, and its air is (451) hazardous today!

I skipped Saturday hike on Dicky Ridge trail (212) because its even worse air, and ran 4.75 miles with a face mask on in Reston (189). I also biked indoor on Saturday. This was probably the worst air I ever had in a USA city since I moved to USA. Plus 6.72 mile weekday runs, I logged in 11.5 miles this week.

Finally, I had time to cook wild mushrooms picked 1-week ago on Dicky Ridge trail as scrambled eggs for Saturday breakfast.

Here were the data from two days ago comparing Vancouver with DC. "Metro Washington D.C. currently has significantly worse air quality than Metro Vancouver due to a severe Canadian wildfire smoke event blanket over the U.S. capital. While Metro Vancouver is enjoying clear conditions with a Low Risk AQHI of 1–2 (US EPA equivalent AQI ~59), Washington D.C. has been plunged into a dangerous Code Purple rating with a real-time US AQI exceeding 230–250. At these severe levels, public health authorities advise everyone to stop outdoor activities and stay indoors."

Two receptions in DC on a hot day

 I went in DC for two receptions: TikTok Happy Hour next to National Sports Park, and ESA Video Game Showcase inside east hall of Union Station.

2026 So Kids SOAR Adaptive Water Sports Clinic + Reatlor Picnic + hiker potluck

 

I had a crazily busy Saturday, starting with full morning volunteering for Annual So Kids SOAR Adaptive Water Sports Clinic @ Pohick Regional Park near Lorton, a realtor client appreciation picnic @ Frying Pan Park in Herndon, then a hikers farewell potluck in Reston.

I worked 4-hr straight at the 1st event by receiving two families: one for tubing the other for water skiing, and then I worked behind the lunch box distribution table to serve everyone. I volunteer for this NGO many years for different kinds of events and served kids with different mental or physical disabilities, but today ran into a challenging case. The participant cannot communicate verbally and only listens to his mother, such that I and the other volunteer had difficulty keeping him wearing the life jacket and holding on to the anchors on the tube. Fortunately, everything turned out ok.

The 2nd event had the most tasty food, so I ate more there, and just chilled out. After a quick shower and a 30-min nap at home, I got to the 2nd half of the potluck. At this point, I am not motivated to talk (which I did a lot today already), so I just sit, ate, and drank cold water slowly.