Hello friends! As late fall fades into winter, there’s no better time to get out there and do some beginner backpacking. Join me and Lucy as we soak in the last autumnal vibes at none other than ELLIOT’S KNOB next weekend. Elliot’s Knob is a 4-mile, mostly uphill hike to a super cool fire tower!! Picture yourself drinking hot chocolate …
The leaves are turning! The breeze is blowing! There’s a chill in the air! Whatever could you do with these perfect conditions except go on a totally rad, beginner-friendly backpacking trip to Bear Church Rock?? Join me and Loreley as we embark on a casual 8.4-mile out-and-back with a little more than 2k ft of elevation gain. Depending on our …
Backpacking yay! The trip is intermediate but if the milage looks doable you should sign up. We will accommodate paces and this is a first for me too. Alltrails: https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/virginia/virginias-triple-crown-loop General plan: https://intothebackcountryguides.com/trail-guides/virginias-triple-crown-loop-backpacking-guide?srsltid=AfmBOorq4_o4iRPl2UoMvxrrDoPFHMldxaX9LWtor-4c_lO1KScQpwDB SCHEDULE 11/14 Friday 1:30 am – Driver(s) starts picking up people 3:30pm – Arrive at McAfee Knob Parking 3:30-before sunset- Hike ~5 miles and set up camp …
So I have been getting this itch…to go backpacking, and maybe you have been feeling the same way 👀. But alas, I have not been free for any of the recent ODC backpacking trips. But then I remembered…I have free will and can lead my own backpacking trip! And you can totally join me, BUT disclaimer this is my first …
“Bolivia’s Andean region is one of the world’s great trekking destinations. Largely undiscovered by foreign hikers, it offers some of the most unspoilt and captivating routes in the Andes … Bolivia is a country blessed with stunning mountain scenery, remote wilderness areas, and a thriving indigenous culture. It is often referred to as the ‘Tibet of the Americas’, due to …
So you want to backpack? You want to see more than ONE DAY’S worth of nature? You want to enjoy waking up next to the trail? Cooking delicious food in the wilderness? PERFECT! I’m going to teach you! And after learning, we’re going to cook a backpacking meal together YAY FREE FOOD. Just bring yourself and some curiosity. I will …
OK I have plans the weekend of fall break but not on Monday or Tuesday so I decided I wanted to lead a quick little backpacking trip before we all have to get back to classes The plan is a one-night backpacking trip around Grayson Highlands in Southwest Virginia, the highest mountains in VA, which also happen to have wild …
If your favorite way to spend a saturday night is sleeping out under the stars, I have a trip for you! We’ll be doing a 12 mile loop over two days, with 2,329 ft of elevation gain. It’s a fair amount of miles and the first section is mostly up hill, so experience with longer or more challenging dayhikes may …
CALLING ALL GREMLINS WHO LOVE BOOKS! This is an idea I’m STOKED about. We are going to read Into the Wild by John Krakauer (on our own), hike the Cedar Run and Whiteoak Canyon loop, stopping in the middle to set up camp, and discuss the book over communal dinner, and hanging out before sleep. This hike has some of …
Have you ever thought about hiking the Appalachian trail? Well have I got great news for you! I’m going to attempt to finish the Virginia section this school year and I want you to join!! As of now I have hiked about 75 miles of the 544 in the Virginia section of the trail, and this trip will add another …
CALLING ALL NEW MEMBERS! Hello friends. Let me tell you a story. Once upon a time (one year ago), Afton Moon Hessian and I, Pietro Michele Ciliberto, were first years. The world was large and scary and I couldn’t find my classes. You know what I could find though, without fail? The ODC adventures page. And it was on this …
Let’s go exploring for my FIRST backpacking trip of my FOURTH year. It’s gonna be a big one. This is a beginner trip, but Elliot’s Knob is a roughly 8.5 mile out-and-back trail with 2,000+ feet of elevation gain, so it is definitely not the easiest hike. We will take breaks but make sure you are prepared! There’s a super …
I am writing this well before finals with the knowledge that they WILL be painful and I WILL get through them (and so will you). That being said, I also have the foresight to know that the first thing I am going to want to do when they’re over is touch grass, sleep outside, and romp around in the wilderness. …
When I was but a wide-eyed first year, I led a Grayson Highlands backpacking trip, and despite it being mid April it dumped 6 inches of snow on us. Side note: an elaborate backcountry-burrito dinner kept us warm so we’ve got a high bar for backcountry chef skills. And complaints aside, Jill kept joining me for very questionable trips (see: …
let’s go backpacking in the rain on Friday! It will not stop us. I want to practice making backcountry bread. I want to camp by a river. I’m also hoping to incorporate some nature connection activities! This will not be super physically strenuous, but it’s a good time to hone skills like setting up tarps, backcountry cooking, and keeping your …
Come on a mini backpacking trip in Shenandoah this weekend! It’s a 3 mile out and back in the southern corner of the park (so not too far from Grounds!) There’s some awesome views and it’s not a challenging route so it’s pretty beginner backpacking trip! (It looks like it may be cold and rainy this weekend, and if so …
Picture yourself moseying along a trail in the Virginia mountains at sunset. You’re surrounded by spring flowers and balmy air and oh also WILD PONIES. (and cows too.) this magical dream landscape is none other than GRAYSON HIGHLANDS and this is where you could be next weekend!!!! nathaniel & i plan to do a beginner loop at a slowish pace …
What’s up y’all, I’m back to lead another PATC Cabin backpacking trip. Sadly my beloved Jones Mountain cabin is closed for renovations so I’ve been forced to close up shop and move somewhere else. I’ve decided to try out Range View cabin also in Shenandoah; I figured seeing as I’ll be applying to live on the Range on April 1 …
Looming midterms? Other various obligations? ✨Escape them all by running away into the woods✨! Shocking as it may be with this winter weather, spring is a mere month away 😱 Come celebrate with us by spending a weekend backpacking!! 3 ridges is a 13 mile loop along the AT with some fantastic scenery. It’s a pretty strenuous hike, but INCREDIBLY …
Learn about all that NOLS has to offer YOU, a UVA student, an Outdoors Club member, someone hankering to learn new skills and grow their leadership. NOLS stands for the National Outdoor Leadership school and they run courses over the summer and even semester-long ones. They do backpacking, climbing, rafting, skiing, kayaking, sailing and mountaineering all over the place (Alaska, …
Bears are real…right? I’m pretty sure they are. Anyway, when we go backpacking, we must protect the bears from our food and smellables so they don’t get habituated. One of the ways to do this is a bear hang. There’s the PCT bear hang, the critter hang, the two-tree bear hang, and even the bearritto. We’ll talk through and experiment …
Hello prospective potatopackers! This is take two after my last House Mountain trip had to be canceled… this time, join me and Loreley on an adventure like no other. There will be trees. There will be rocks. And most importantly, there. will. be. mashed potatoes. That’s right, for dinner I will have vegan, gluten free, instant mashed potatoes for all!!! …
If your favorite way to spend a friday night is sleeping out under the stars come backpacking with us in Shenandoah! We’ll be doing a 9 mile loop over two days which includes the beautiful Blackrock Summit. It’s a steep trail in places with long uphills, and a fair amount of miles, but we can definitely go at a slower …
Look, I’m not saying you’re going to find the love of your life on this trip. But I’m not NOT saying you’re going to meet the love of your life. Might as well join the trip to find out. This is an lgbtq affinity trip, meant to create a safe space for our lgbtq club members! Here’s the plan: Meet …
hello yall! Join me as I embark to Blackrock Gap/Trayfoot mountain trail for a short overnight backpacking trip. it’s a 9.5 ish mile hike with one overnight. We will hike 6 miles the first day, and 3 miles the second day! At night, we will also brew and enjoy some hot chocolate, so please Bring Your Own Cup (BYOC), or …
ONE MORE backpacking trip coming atCHA. But it’s on Friday. Also, I’m pretty flexible with the departure time. Basically, I just want to get outside and sleep outside. That’s the dream. Anyone is welcome on this trip and please reach out with questions. My number is listed at the bottom. Hike details: river crossing! wilderness! peaks! all trails says it’s …
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Wow! I am in my last semester at UVA, and, as such, this is the 3rd and final (and most brutal. and most spectacular.) installment of my spring break backpacking extravaganza (I wasn’t going to post one this year… here we are). We will start at the iconic Nantahala Outdoor Center (“the NOC”) and traverse the length of the Great …
Have you been CRAVING the cold air? All I want to do is sleep outside!!! So let’s do it. This Saturday night, I am going to go camp off skyline drive and YOU should come with me! I want this to be a fun introduction to backpacking, or a really chill time for the experts. Here’s the plan: 3:30 pm …
Who’s Elliott? And *what* exactly are we climbing? Great questions! We’ll find out together when we climb Elliott’s Knob. What I do know for sure is that we’ll be hiking 10ish miles (4.6 a day) and gaining over 2000 feet of elevation to reach the top, where there’s (allegedly) a 40-ft fire tower with a panoramic view of the Shenandoah. …
Hi all! Join me for a quick overnight getaway to the highest point in West Virginia! The new moon is next Wednesday so it should still be pretty dark out there and I’m hoping for some nice stargazing conditions. The hike itself is about 5 miles there and 5 back so it’ll be a pretty relaxed beginner backpacking opportunity — …
It’s chilly outside so let’s stay inside and LEARN about all the cool things we can do when it’s warmer! Come join me this Tuesday in the basement of New Cabell Hall (CAB 036) for an ol’ fashioned slide presentation and demonstration and elucidation. This would be a lovely compliment to a beginner backpacking trip and will provide you with …
Ski bums, dirtbag climbers, river rats, and trail blazers: this is what you’ve been waiting for all semester. Behold, the most EPIC, only ONCE-in-a-trip-around-the-sun GNAR JOURNEY. We’re awakening from our East Coast slumber, overstuffing cars with loose bagels, and migrating to the ultimate desert mecca: MOAB, UTAH. It’s time to venture into bottomless canyons, conquer slickrock playgrounds, and become one …
Hi yall!! Looking to get one last trip in before heading home? We have the perfect one for you! Join us for an overnight backpacking trip to three ridges! Here, we will hike half of the 13.6 miles loop, camp out overnight, finish the rest in the morning, before heading back to cville. Schedule: Saturday: ~8 miles 11am: Leave from …
After the next three of days of exam hell, I really can’t wait to take a break from everything, and what better way to do that than some light backpacking! And since it’s the weekend before Thanksgiving break, it’s gonna be Thanksgiving themed – which means we’re gonna be bringing as much of a Thanksgiving dinner to enjoy in the …
Please, please, please join Charlotte and I on this short n’ sweet backpacking trip this Saturday. The plan is to hike up Crabtree falls to the Priest, camp there and then hike back down in the AM! Either way it’s about 8 miles total with a good amount of elevation gain (it will leave quite an impression, 2,400 feet to …
I love Halloweekend as much as the next guy, but I love the woods too. I’m hoping to rassle up a band of adventurers who want to go backpacking Saturday afternoon to Sunday midday. The plan is to hike up Crabtree Falls to the Priest or do it as a point-to-point if we can get 2 cars and enough people. …
Late-October, Virginia’s scenic canopy of late fall, cool mountain breezes to counteract the horrid midday heat, eating some gourmet jet-boil pasta while watching the vibrant sun dip slowly behind our beautiful Virginia mountains from a little fire tower nestled atop Elliot Knob. If you imagine this to be your ideal Friday night after a long week of being in the …
Late-October, Virginia’s scenic canopy of late fall, cool mountain breezes to counteract the horrid midday heat, eating some gourmet jet-boil pasta while watching the vibrant sun dip slowly behind our beautiful Virginia mountains from a little fire tower nestled atop Elliot Knob. If you imagine this to be your ideal Friday night after a long week of being in the …
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Hey y’all! I’m… exhausted. And my weekends have been soooo booked lately (and will be for the foreseeable future), but I have some new gear I want to try out (before my next free weekend, which is in December ),,,: Solution: the world’s shortest backpacking trip. We’ll only be hiking 2 miles in/out to Maupin Field Shelter on the AT, …
Pack your bags for the perfect fall break getaway—let’s explore Dolly Sods together! 🍂 Join me for a three-day backpacking adventure in Dolly Sods, West Virginia! From the stunning arctic tundra-like landscapes to the high plateaus and stunted red spruce trees, this place promises incredible beauty. I’ve heard amazing things from friends, and I can’t wait for us to explore …
Helloooo outdoorslings! Ben has returned from the magical mystical land of acadia to lead ONE MORE sibling duo dolly sods backpacking trip!!! We were moseying through dolly sods this summer and stumbled upon yet ANOTHER magical mystical CLIFFTOP CAMPSITE that overlooks Canaan Valley and is gorgeous!! And we realized we could COMBINE this campsite cowboy camping c-experience with the first …
Well, on this week’s installment of my biweekly hiking trips, I’m trying to do something a little bit more ambitious. The plan is to backpack a ~16 mile loop at Spruce Knob, West Virginia, which is the highest point in WV. Along the way there’s also a 50 year old plane crash and a couple cool waterfalls. I have a …
I wanted to lead a backpacking trip this weekend so I found a route. Should be totally doable for beginners (as long as you are comfortable with about 12 miles and 2500ft incline over two days). Anyway here is an itinerary that will probably not be followed super closely but it is good to kind of have a plan. https://www.hikingupward.com/GWNF/BrownsHollow/ …
Hellllo outdoorslings! Did you miss out on beach this summer? or are you experiencing beach withdrawal? or do you want to learn how to backpack… AT BEACH??? If so, join sophie & evelyn as we gander down to False Cape next weekend for beach backpacking!! Come soak in the ocean and salt air and sand with us!! also, NO EXPERIENCE …
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This isn’t just any backpacking trip. This is a testament to our creative forces, the magical creatures that live in the woods, and all things natural beauty. That’s right – a fairy house building x backpacking collaboration, where we enjoy nature while also building homes for our friendly fairy neighbors along the way. To join this trip, you must believe …
CALLING ALL NEW MEMBERS! Join Ed and Bex on an epic New Member Beginner Backpacking trip filled with group games, happy hiking, and a little swim mayhaps. Our hike is approx 10 miles total. Waitlist priority to those who attend the FIRST ODC PARTY on Friday! (Jk jk … unless) Here’s the alltrails link to check out the trail: https://www.alltrails.com/explore/trail/us/virginia/riprap-trail?mobileMap=false&ref=sidebar-static-map …
Hello my fellow outdoor friends!! I hope everyone’s first week of classes went well (and more importantly that no one was swamped with too much homework this early in the semester). This weekend Nathan and I will be leading a beginner backpacking trip down to Mt. Pleasant. This trip is designed for people who have never been backpacking before and …
It’s TIME for the first backpacking workshop of the year! YEEHAW Take advantage of this magnificent opportunity to discover the ✨art of backpacking✨. This Tuesday we’ll learn all about backpacking gear and skills in this specially made workshop for NEW MEMBERS and BEGINNERS. After this workshop you will know the basics of … – packing a backpack – setting up …
Hey folks! Come backpack to celebrate the beginning of the school year. We will be hiking the iconic three ridges loop (roughly 13-14 miles and 4k ft of elevation) over two days and camping at the Harper’s Creek Shelter/nearby campsites. I listed this as intermediate because I do tend to walk at a clip but will happily wait up for …
Lets go romp around False Cape State Park! It’ll be super chill (4-5 miles each way with a sum total of 43 feet elevation gain) so mostly we’ll be just be swimming in the Atlantic or lounging on the beach. Timeline: Monday: 10:00 – Depart from Echols 13:30 – Arrive at False Cape 15:30 – Arrive at campsite and spend …