Hoping to lead some AWESOME trips this year? Come to our trip leader workshop and learn the ropes!!! We’ll cover a variety of important points about leading trips, including: – How to plan your trips – Tips for making sure adventures run smoothly – What expenses the club will reimburse you for – Benefits of being a trip leader, including …
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Learn to Be a Trip Leader Workshop #1
Hoping to lead some AWESOME trips this year? Come to our trip leader workshop and learn the ropes!!! We’ll cover a variety of important points about leading trips, including: – How to plan your trips – Tips for making sure adventures run smoothly – What expenses the club will reimburse you for – Benefits of being a trip leader, including …
Beat the Heat: Dollys Sods Backpacking with Blueberries and Mushrooms
It’s way too hot this summer, so we’re headed to West Virginia where the temperatures will be 10-20 degrees cooler. The Dolly Sods Wilderness Area is a great place to try out backpacking. The area is relatively flat, so you won’t be stressing to climb mountains with a heavy pack… There is some variation, but it is on the order …
St Mary’s Swimming and Camping
UPDATE: There is a good chance that we will meet up with Roland’s trip on Sunday at St Mary’s (they are changing venue). Have you looked at the weather report? Do you think numbers that high should be test grades and not temperatures? Let’s get out of the heat and chill in a cooled river valley with a waterfall and …
Memorial Day Weekend in West Virginia: Spice Run!
Tried of the usual backpacking trips where we just slog between known campsites on well-marked trails and then head back to the car? Well, this Spice Run trip is the answer. We’ll leave town Friday, May 28th (say 5pm-ish) for the newly designated Spice Run Wilderness Area in West Virginia. The first night, we’ll car camp at Watoga State Park. …
Seaside Playtime
Outdoors style beach week for dirt cheap!?! Want to go to Beach Week? Don’t want to spend loads of money? Saturday May 15th we are going to travel down to Outer Banks. There is a SWEET campground right on the beach. Most of the costs for lodging, food and gas will be covered by the Outdoors Club. Some activities might …
Cheat River Festival!
Whitewater, music, gear, and great folks – could it get any better? Let’s go to the 16th Annual Cheat River Festival! Cheat Fest has been described as “the biggest little river festival in the country”. For more details out the following sites: http://www.americanwhitewater.org/content/Article/view/articleid/30719/display/full/ http://cheat.org/festival Activities: The emphasis of this trip will be to enjoy whitewater.There is plenty of class III-V …
Backpacking at Dolly Sods!
Foxfields Shmoxfields…let’s go backpacking instead! We’re heading to Dolly Sods- an amazingly beautiful wilderness area in the mountains of West Virginia. Check it out: http://potomacappalachian.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=317&Itemid=43 We’ll leave Friday afternoon, drive 3 hours there, grab some dinner and hike the 1-2 miles to the campsite. Saturday, we’ll hike 8-10 miles and camp out. On Sunday we’ll make the 5-6 mile trek …
Brms Discount Night #2
Hello fellow gearheads, Our discount night at Blue Ridge Mountain Sports is coming up fast! Mon April 12th from 8:15-9:15pm you’ll be part of an exclusive 20% sale to Outdoors at UVa members only. **Don’t forget: If you plan on buying gear that you’ll need to get fitted for (e.g. shoes, packs, etc.) you must go in this week prior …
Spring Break Climbing in Dixie
Let’s go climb in the heart of Dixie at Tennessee’s famous spots! Much of the Cumberland Plateau (home also to the Red in KY) is in Tennessee, so the area is blessed with lots and lots of yummy sandstone. The climbing should be similar and of comparable quality to the New, but warmer. This trip is tentatively planned to go …
A Glorious, Gallent, Imposing, and Monumental Adventure to Cumberland Island
This trip is gonna be hopping for sure and you wont want to miss out on this journey of a lifetime. Spring break on an island in the southern reaches of the U.S. its gonna be goodies for sure. This is an awesome chance to hit up some warm weather and beaches without having to sell yourself out on the …
Intermediate Kayaking: Somewhere Fun
It’s raining, it’s pouring, the old man says go kayaking! There’s been a ton of rain today, and its supposed to keep coming down, so we should have plenty of water tomorrow. Not sure what the destination is yet, it depends on what the river gods decide to do with the water levels and who signs up. Options include: Lower …
New River Climbing + Service Day
Looks like it’s going to be another gorgeous weekend at the New River Gorge – 60 degree weather in November! NRAC (New River Association of Climbers) is hosting a service day on Saturday. We’ll meet up with everyone at Burnwood at 8:30am and help re-vegetate Junkyard Wall and Bridge Buttress and haul out the old wooden ladder from Endless. It …
Beginner Backpacking at Ramsey’s Draft
Want to try out backpacking but can’t break free for an entire weekend in Wild, Wonderful West Virginia? Well, this is the trip for you. We’re headed to Ramsey’s Draft which is part of the George Washington National Forest. The hike is described at http://www.hikingupward.com/GWNF/RamseysDraft/ Saturday, we’ll meet up at Bonnycastle Circle and leave at 8am. (Sunset is at 5pm! …
Beginner Backpacking at Dolly Sods, Wv
Come stretch your legs in West Virginia. We will hike in 1-2 miles Friday night, camp out. On Saturday, we’ll hike 8-10 miles to our second campsite near Red Creek. We’ll plan on getting to camp early so that we can make a nice, big fire early since it’ll be dark early and rather cold. Sunday, we’ll pack up, hike …
Overnight Backpacking at Three Ridges
This is a beginner-friendly one-night backpacking trip to Three Ridges in the George Washington National Forest. This hike is supposed to have some fantastic views, so this is a good chance to catch the end of the fall colors! More information is available here: http://www.hikingupward.com/GWNF/ThreeRidges/. Right now the trip is set at 4 people because that’s how many I can …
Brms Discount Night
Hello fellow gearheads, Our discount night at Blue Ridge Mountain Sports is coming up fast! Next Wed Nov 4th from 8:15-9:15pm you’ll be part of an exclusive 20% sale to Outdoors at UVa members only. **Don’t forget: If you plan on buying gear that you’ll need to get fitted for (e.g. shoes, packs, etc.) you must go in this week …
Camping and Kayaking at the Youghiogheny
Let’s head to MD/PA this weekend for some camping and kayaking on the Youghiogheny River. We’ll leave Friday afternoon, returning Saturday evening or Sunday evening (your choice). On Saturday we’ll run the lower Yough, which is class III water. You will need a fairly dependable roll to run this stretch of river, and should have some class II-III kayaking experience …
Bridge Day and the Last Day of Gauley Season
Let’s head to WV this weekend. Saturday we’ll go to Bridge day. One day a year, the largest span bridge in the western hemisphere is closed to traffic so 300 base jumpers can have the thrill of their life (maybe their last thrill) jumping 876 feet into the new river gorge while about 200,000 people stand around and watch, hang …
Old Rag Sunset Hike/Camping Out/Sunrise Hike
Aloha, This Friday night (weather permitting), we are going to hike the beloved Old Rag mountain in the Shenandoah National Forest at sunset. Then we’ll camp out near the base of the mountain (You can camp below 2500 feet) and, if people want, we can hike AGAIN to see the sunrise in the morning! For those of you who haven’t …
Kayaking, Rafting and Camping at the Gauley River
The Gauley River is one of the best stretches of whitewater in the country. Located 3 hours away in West Virginia, the river is “turned on” for approximately 6 weekends each fall when the Summersville dam is realesed. With this trip, you can choose your level of engagement…kayay if you have the experience, raft if you want an adventure, hike …
Another Mt. Pleasant Trip.
Car camping at Mt. Pleasant. What could be better. We will hike up to Mt. Pleasant catch sunset and then night hike down. Setup camp in a huge field and have an awesome night hanging out. Then on Monday we will do a shuttle hike from Crab Tree to the Priest distance is around 8 miles. After this we will …
Aca Collegiate Canoe and Kayak National Championships
The American Canoe (and Kayak) Association is hosting the annual national collegiate kayaking and canoeing championships! We are going to take a team to compete in as many events as possible. The races will take place on a 5 mile stretch of the Rappahannock River near Fredricksburg, VA. The events are Men’s and Women’s one-person kayaking (K1), one-person canoeing (OC1), …
Gauley Fest!
Gauley Fest is the biggest whitewater kayaking festival of the year. Last year pretty much every major kayaking company was there selling and giving stuff away, and about 3000 people, kayakers and groupies alike. Here’s the link to the American Whitewater website about it: http://www.americanwhitewater.org/content/Wiki/aw:events_gauley I’m planning to head down either Thursday evening or Friday and coming back late Sunday. …
Cold Mountain/ Mt. Pleasant Backpacking Trip.
Super awesome two night intermediate/tough beginner backpacking trip. We will hike in 6 miles on Friday to awesome camp site pictures on the Cold Mt. Link. Then we will make a 11ish mile day hike looping Mt. Pleasant and Cold together. We will hopefully do lunch on Mt. Pleasant and then possibly dinner and sunset back at Cold Mt. Meadows …
Whitewater Rafting: Upper/Lower Gauley
Get stoked. (for full disclosure, I stole most of this trip description from Nick Trombetta) This year we have both Monday and Tuesday off for “Reading Days”… make the most of them by rafting the Upper AND Lower Gualey! This is going to be incredible! The Gauley River is located in West Virginia. Here’s what a former officer (Marc) had …
Hiking Big Schloss
I have heard great things about this hike and cannot wait to see what it is really like. It’s a bit of a drive (~2 hours), but will hopefully be worth it. Views are said to rival Old Rag. This shouldn’t be too strenuous of a hike, only steep in the beginning, and it will be up and back, not …
Blackberry Backpacking at Spruce Knob
By significant majority, the winner is blackberries at Spruce Knob! I received a fair amount of interest so let’s give it a shot. This trip is a good beginner backpacking trip. It’s only one night and the first day hike is downhill (no significant climbs) and the second day hike is flat (but with stream crossings). On the way to …
Foraging for Mushrooms and Blueberries at Dolly Sods
Over the past year, I have received several requests for a trip where people would learn to identify wild edible mushrooms (and pick some for dinner). Dolly Sods is a perfect place for wild mushroom hunting, plus blueberries should be getting ripe too. I’ll bring a mushroom book and we’ll learn some common types (aspen scaberstalk, birch bolete etc), they …
Midsummers Camping at Devils Marbleyard!
NOTE: I’ve moved the departure time for this trip back to FRIDAY NIGHT due to weather considerations; the plan is to fit in as much Awesome Stuff ™ on Saturday as possible and, depending on the whims of the skies, camp out again Saturday and leave Sunday, or leave Saturday night so we can start on our Sunday hangovers. (Kidding. …
Backpack to the Beach!
Hello backpackers and beach bums. False cape state park is located in Virginia beach. You can check out all details about the park online. Just google false cape state park and you will find a great description of the park. we will be hiking in about 8 miles in flat ground to get to our campsite pretty much right on …
Eiger Sanction Movie Night
Location is MAD HOUSE at 7pm. Hey folks, Everyone loves Clint Eastwood. You might not know, but he was once the official mascot of the club. In honor of him and his awesome climbing ability, we are watching the Eiger Sanction hat 7PM on Sunday. Its a baller 70’s movie about a mountain climber (Clint) who has to assassinate someone …
Mt.Rogers Back Packing July Fourth Weekend!
Grayson Highlands State Park is located adjacent to Mount Rogers National Recreation Area. The park lies within Jefferson National Forest. The park was established in 1965 and contains a total of 4,822 acres. The park hosts many forests like those present on nearby Mount Rogers, as well as a number of high alpine meadows or balds. These meadows provide excellent …
Ramsey’s Draft Hike with a Camping Option
The plan is to hike the perimeter of the Ramsey’s Draft wilderness area, mostly staying on the ridges, but with one potentially exciting river crossing (bring crocs/sandals!). It will be a 20-mile loop day-hike. We’ll leave from Echols around 3pm on Friday, drive to Ramsey’s Draft and camp close to the trailhead. We’ll start hiking early on Sat morning. If …
Seaside Playtime
Outdoors style beach week for dirt cheap!?! Want to go to Beach Week? Don’t want to spend loads of money? Saturday the 9th we are going to travel down to Outer Banks. There is a SWEET campground right on the beach (i think). either way the beach will be close and beautiful! Most of the costs for lodging, food and …
Cinco De Mayo Crabtree Meadows Camping and Crabtree Falls Hike
Hey guys! So we’ll leave in the afternoon on the 5th and head up to Crabtree Meadows where there are awesome REMOTE campgrounds. Do a little bit of hiking, toss the frisbee, build a big ole campfire and hang out all night. This is car camping so we will not have to carry any gear to the campsite. On the …
Old Rag Sunset Hike/Camping Out/Sunrise Hike
Hey everyone… So this is the trip you have been WAITING for! This Friday night (weather permitting), we are going to hike the beloved Old Rag mountain in the Shenandoah National Forest at sunset. Then we’ll camp out near the base of the mountain (You can camp below 2500 feet) and, if people want, we can hike AGAIN to see …
Var Spring Caving Convention 2009!
It is finally time for Spring VAR caving!!! We will leave Friday night arriving at our campsite that night. We will be exploring 2 caves on Saturday and 1 cave on Sunday with awesome guides. There will be several trips of beginner, intermediate, and advanced caves; so you can choose your level and caves once we arrive Friday night. Besides …
1st Annual Recreational Alleghany Highlands Triathlon
Do you like to run, road bike, and paddle? Perfect! Join me at the Alleghany Highlands Triathalon! This is my first-ever triathalon; I am not an expert trainer, and I am more excited about doing my three favorite sports than winning first place. The main purpose of this trip (for me) is to carpool and camp together, and to HAVE …
Snowshoeing and Winter Camping in West (by God) Virginia
This is an adventure to the Monongahela National Forest in West Virginia. My desire is to do a snowshoeing/backpacking trip into the Dolly Sods Wilderness near Canaan Valley West Virginia. This area is ~3.5hrs from C’ville. We’ll be snowshoeing, backpacking, and camping. You don’t need any snowshoeing experience – it’s easy to learn. But, you should have some backpacking and …
Spring Break on An Island!
No Spring Break plans yet? Going home is (probably) economic but let’s face it, you want to do something wild and outdoorsy. Outdoorsy things like skiing sound great but so dang cold, and you know you want warm. Cancun is warm, but it ain’t cheap junior, and it’s outrageously crowded. So why not do something inexpensive, warm, outdoorsy, and incredible? …
Backpacking in West Virginia
Let’s go! Come out for a relaxing weekend in the woods, and catch the last of the lovely autumn leaves. Good food, good people, and great views to be had! Be aware that it will get very cold at night in the mountains (probably around 30 degrees), but hopefully the weather we’re having now during the day will continue for …
Aca Collegiate Canoe and Kayak National Championships
Weekend of races for college students. Teams will be coming to compete in Kayak and Canoeing races on a 5 mile stretch of the Rappahannock in the whitewaters of the Fall Line. The events are Men’s and Women’s OC1 and K1 and Mixed OC1 for Saturday. Sunday is a relay for teams of 6 with the canoe being the baton. …
Slacklining in the Lawn
Learn how to flyfish. Then come learn how to slackline. Kudos for those who can do both at the same time. I will be there for longer if many of you want to learn how to slackline. The slackline will be set up near the flyfish workshop between the middle of the lawn and the upper lawn. If you have …
Fall Break Backpacking at Dolly Sods Wv
Come out for the long weekend to see some of the best fall foliage in the east! Dolly Sods is in a gorgeous area of West Virginia near Seneca Rocks and Canaan Valley. The colors and landscape are amazing, and you’ll feel as though you’re in a different part of the country entirely! This trip is open to all levels …
Camping and Horseback Riding in Shenandoah Natl Park!
Staying at school for reading days? Take a break from C-ville and come camping and horseback riding in the morning at Shenandoah National Park! Itinerary: Leave from Echols 3:45 PM Sunday Oct 12 Eat dinner and camp out at Big Meadows Campground. Break camp early in the morning to depart on an 8:45 horseback trail ride, lasts one hour. Depending …
Fall Backpacking at Dolly Sods
Alright, time for the (my) third annual backpacking trip to Dolly Sods, WV. A magical early October world of fall colors and beautiful vistas. The last two years’ trips have been spectacular! This trip will leave Friday night from Echols Dorm @ 5:30Pm. We’ll drive the 3 hours to Dolly Sods, grab some dinner and coffee (bring some ca$h) on …
Gauley Fest!
Gauley Fest is the biggest whitewater kayaking festival of the year. Last year pretty much every major kayaking company was there selling and giving stuff away, and about 3000 people, kayakers and groupies alike. Here’s the link to the American Whitewater website about it: http://www.americanwhitewater.org/content/Wiki/aw:events_gauley I’m planning to head down Friday afternoon, leaving around 2, and coming back late Sunday. …
Outdoors Style Beach Week for Free!
Outdoors style beach week for FREE! Want to go to Beach Week? Don’t want to spend loads of money? Gotta see mommy for Mothers Day? Monday the 12th we are going to travel down to Oregon Inlet, NC. This is a SWEET campground right on the beach in the Outer Banks. There is a layer of awesome dunes between us …
Camping, Biking, Hiking, Fishing- Whitetop Laurel
canceled due to lack of drivers and interest of enough people for this weekend…