13-mile Rose River Hike

 

It was a cool and sunny to hike in the Shenandoah National Park Dark Hollow Falls from the Bottom then Rose River for 13 miles with 2300 elevation gain. I wore a knee brace to tough out the hike, but I should take a break from hiking to let my right knee heal. We saw a National Park shuttle, and 4 people riding horses this time.

Plus 5 miles weekday runs, I logged in 18 hike/run miles this week.

Wolf trap 2026 summer firework

 Live from wolf trap. " U.S. Marine Band and a fireworks display. Unfortunately, the heavy fog turned the fireworks into northern lights.

14-mile Mount Marshall and Bluff trails

 

Five of us banked on a dry day after 2-day of rain, and we were paid off will a full dry day to hike 14 miles with 2600 feet elevation gain on Mount Marshall and Bluff trails.

Yet the trails have many flooding sessions so our boots were soaks with ground water.

Plus my weekday runs of 6.7 miles, I logged in 20.7 miles this week.

Reston Sunday Farmer’s Market & Art Festival

 Live from Reston Sunday Farmer’s Market at South and Art Festival at the north.

11mile hike in George Washington National Forest

 

I joined 6 hikers to hike in the George Washington National Forest today for 11 miles with 2600 feet elevation gain on Mail post Road and racer camp on the great North Mountain. It was a new trail for me, and everything was perfect except I fell on my left hip then shin.

There was an after-hike birthday party for three hikers in the group whose birthdays are in the coming week.

Plus my 9 miles runs, I logged in 20 hike/run miles this week.

EU Open House & National Zoo

 

Five of us went in DC for the EU Open House, visited 4 embassies and the National Zoo, after walking 8 miles.

We started from embassies of SLOVAKIA/ AUSTRIA, walked 1.5 miles to embassies of CZECH/ HUNGARY. By the time we reached embassies of POLAND/LITHUANIA, the lines were 30-45 minutes long, so we skipped the lines and went to the Zoo.

Last time I visit the Zoo was 2014 for colorful Christmas lights in the zoo. So Amazonia's indoor rainforest, the new giant pandas Bao Li and Qing Bao, the Asian Elephant Trail, and California sea lions, gray seals, beavers, and river otters along the American Trail are new to me. The weather was overcast (not as many people as it could be), yet cool for walking and seeing animals outdoors (otherwise they hide inside).

Plus weekday runs 7 miles and after Zoo run 5 miles, I logged in 20 miles run/walk miles this week.

Sky Meadows state park hike & ky & guitars festival

 

I and two friends started hiking at Sky Meadows state park around 11 am so to catch a sky & guitars festival on site. The weather was sunny and cool (good for hiking) and we did 12.6 miles with 2450 feet elevation gain.

But it was too cold for the festival that we had grill chicken then left after 1 hr of country music before we froze.

Plus my 6.7 miles weekday runs, I logged in 19.3 miles hike/run miles this week. This was nothing compared with my friends did One Day Hike (ODH), organized by the Sierra Club Potomac Region Outings (SCPRO) today. Brian finished 100km in 14 hrs and listed 3rd in 100km group, while Marco finished 50km in about 8 hrs and listed 13th in 50km group.