so remember how last week we went from 80 degrees to snow in 24 hours? Well get ready for round 2. If you’ve seen the “12 seasons of virginia” thing it really needs to get updated because we’re now looking at a third winter, with severe storms on monday followed by more cold (temperatures at only 40 degrees) on tuesday. …
basically the title. Ok fine there is a little bit more to it than that. over spring break i realized i haven’t been to shenandoah since last year because of the stupid snow and ice and cold, but now its warm(er) and things are looking up. This friday is friday the 13th which is crazy because it is actually our …
Ladies and gentlemen you’ve seen the weather, we’ve seen the weather, our local clairvoyant Jennifer (J.J.) Wagner Davis has also seen the weather ❄️ Class on monday will be on zoom and everyone knows this is a special kind of torture so skip your last class and join us for a snohill snunset snowvaganza ❄️ the sun will be hopefully …
Hello Hello Hello THE SKY FINALLY CLEARED UP YAY YAY YAY!!! This means we can finally go on the wonderful, the amazing, the long-awaited stargazing trip!!! It may be exam season, but like, do you really want to spend more time locked in the dungeons of Clem? I thought not. Instead of staring at the ceiling, contemplating your life, and …
Enthusiasts of nature, lovers of life, dirtbags, rats, and slugs: this is what you’ve been waiting for all semester. Behold, the most epic, only ONCE in a pretty regularly-timed revolution of the earth around the sun GNAR JOURNEY. We’re awakening from our East Coast hibernation, crawling out of our dens, overstuffing cars with loose bagels, and migrating to the ultimate …
The weather this Sunday is going to be pretty amazing and the skies seem like they are going to be very clear so what better way to spend your Sunday afternoon and evening than hiking, watching the sunset, and stargazing. Join me on a journey to the highest point in Shenandoah national park where we will view breathtaking views of …
Hello, hello! hello? helloooo… The other night, Alex and I decided to have a movie night and watch Despicable Me. Inspired by Gru and his minions, we originally planned on stealing the moon. However, we’ve decided to take it one step further and steal the stars. Help us form the blueprints for our master plan as we gaze into the …
Do you want to feel awesome? On a Tuesday? Join us for an awesome Tuesday evening humpback hike, guaranteed to make you feel a little bit better than everyone on grounds doing homework. The humpback trail is a little less than a mile to the top but it is steep (787 feet of elevation gain) so don’t sleep on it. …
A lot of y’all have been asking me when I’m leading another stargazing trip, but honestly I’ve been waiting for the clouds to clear up. But next Sunday is set to be a perfectly clear night out in Shenandoah, and I’ve heard some great things about the views from Big Meadows. And since this is in SNP, we can bring …
Have you ever seen the Big Dipper? Orion’s Belt? The Milky Way?Most of Virginia’s skies are washed out with light pollution, so it’s hard catch more than a couple dozen stars on a clear night. But this spot in Highland County might be one of the best stargazing spot in hundreds of miles. Nestled in a mountain valley far from …
Have you ever seen the Milky Way? Are you skeptical of its existence? Are there aliens? Well, there’s no better way to answer those questions than to join me on Monday night to go visit the best spot for hundreds of miles in order to see it! Highland county is the least populated county in all of Virginia. It also …
Pink moon at Ohill What a thrill, Come and Chill Bring your friend Bill! Don’t let this terrible poem discourage you from coming. Join us to hike, stargaze, and watch the pink moon (that’s apparently not actually pink) at Ohill. Here’s the brief run down: 8pm – meet by Ohill 8:15ish – frolick around and find a place to set …
The time is nye The sky is clear Raise your eyes And open your ears You are called To a venture true To witness the world From quite the view Come with me This Wednesday Eve To climb ole humpback To feel the night breeze Text me at 484-402 3156 If you have a question And I will answer you. …
Wassup ODCers! We’re back at UVA, which means it’s time again to get away from UVA!!!! “You use a glass mirror to see your face. You use works of art to see your soul.” – George Bernard Shaw (Never heard of this guy but cool quote) So join me at Blackrock Summit where we’ll let the mountains, dusk, sunset, and …
Ooooooo STARS… need I say more? :] SCHEDULE: 8:30pm: Meet at the corner of Echols 9:15pm: Arrive at Humpback and start our hike 10:00pm: Stargaze 10:30pm: Hike back down 11:15pm: Drive back to grounds 12:00am: Part wayzzzzz BRING: – Headlamp/flashlight – Extra layer or blanket in case it’s chilly – Shoes you want to hike in Drivers are needed and …
I (max g) am leading a sunset trip on tuesday so why not also lead a sunrise trip in the same week, this time with a fellow max. Unfortunately I am a bit lazy and need sleep so we will be staying on grounds to see the sunrise. a former kellogg dorm resident told me that the view of the …
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 — …
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 …
Hello creekathoners!! I will be setting up a slackline or two at creekathon for people to try out! I am by no means an expert (I am still working on making it more than a few steps on a slackline) so this will be a very chill time for people to try out slacklining. I will put the lines pretty …
.jpeg){kind=small}
Hey lovely people! I am thinking of doing a trip above ground and in daylight! WHAT THATS CRAZY!! I know I know but I need some form of Vitamin D…. So we are gonna go SUPing at ragged, do some paddleboard yoga, vibe, get some grub and get comfy clothes on, return to ragged to stargaze (hopefully see more than …
What?! Another non-caving trip? What is wrong with me? Well I can’t COMPLETELY escape the underground clutches so I will be having another trip shrouded in darkness…. Lillie and I have realized woah like its fun to do trips ABOVE GROUND too and like who wants to be stuck on grounds all week (If only we realized this 6 months …
Do you like stars? Do you like laying in a hammock? If you answered yes to both of those questions, then I have the trip for you! STARt your week off right with some stargazing. We are going to hike a bit into the trails of OHill, find a nice place to set up some hammocks and watch the stars …
This April (8th), coming to skies in a state near you, watch the sun goddamn disappear in the middle of the day! Want to see every animal freak out and feel the temperature drop ten degrees while watching the Sun’s magnetic field blazes above you for three minutes? Then join us as drive up to — well, we’ll get to …
I decided to do a kinda silly thing this week where I lead a trip every single day! This is day 4, and we’ll be doing a midweek sunset-watching, stargazing hangout at Ragged Reservoir! This is a great way to spend some time getting to know other club members and enjoy being outside! I will be using waitlist randomization for …
Shredders, senders, and aspiring desert sand frolickers, welcome to the last week of fall classes. Your reward: the glorious emergence of the most LEGENDARY, only ONCE an earth revolution, GNAR JOURNEY. We begin preparing now to rise from east coast hibernation and mass migrate to the land of canyons, red rocks, ultimate gritty-ness and cryptobiotic crust: MOAB, UTAH. Approximately 44 …
Howdy Y’all, If you don’t know me, I’m Templeton, ODCs resident astronomer. During the school year, I work up at the Observatory and one of the perks of the job is I get a key and can bring people up whenever I want. Last month I took a trip up to the observatory and we had a great time looking …
Holy crap there are a lot of stargazing trips this week/weekend!!!! We are also hoping to take advantage of the new moon, crisp cold air, and meteor shower peaks at the super epic and awesome Big Meadows. It is one of the best places in Shenandoah to watch the stars, with beautiful (almost) 360 degree views of the sky around …
Stars are pretty cool. I like to look at them. And when better to look at them than in an international dark sky park during a meteor shower??? The Northern Taurids shower is peaking on Monday and with the New Moon and clear sky, the conditions are absolutely perfect. So, it’d be great to cozy up with blankets and warm …
Hey folks! Let’s go stargazing! I have some decent experience with astrophotography and a deep desire to get more ODC people into it! The plan is to drive towards Big Meadows – a pretty excellent spot without light pollution- to marvel at the stars and capture them on camera. It’s going to be a new moon, so there will be …
UPDATE: THIS IS NOW ON SUNDAY NIGHT! And since a lot of people have been put on the waitlist, I’m raising the enrollment cap from 6 to 8. Yo yo yo yo yo! Do you like looking up into the vast nothingness of space, only to realize that YOU are the one that’s actually nothing? Sorry if that sounds a …
Howdy Y’all, If you don’t know me, I’m Templeton, ODCs resident astronomer. During the school year, I work up at the Observatory and one of the perks of the job is I get a key and can bring people up whenever I want. So, after many weeks of looking for an opportunity, we’re finally going to have clear skies on …
Hey y’all, who doesn’t enjoy watching the sunrise? From the end of Long Point trail, we’ll get an amazing view of the east rim of the gorge, the bridge, and the sunrise on Sunday morning. It’s a 3-mile out-and-back hike with an elevation change of about 350 feet, so it should be a relatively straightforward hike and give us plenty …
Before it gets too cold, let’s go stargazing at Big Meadows, one of Virginia’s awesome dark zones located in Shenandoah National Park. If you need some quality time to contemplate life or just need to space out (hah, hope you got that), come join! The Deetz: 7:30 pm – leave from echols 8:45ish – arrive at Big Meadows and commence …
An animal howls off in the distance, the pines whisper to each other, and the smell of fire smoke fills your nostrils as you gaze up into the vast starry sky. To be alone with the world for a moment is all you need and everything you’ve been missing. Let’s go spend some time away from our beloved Cville hustle …
Hi! I want to go to the new to do an overnight trip so we can get the most climbing in on Saturday. Also we will go on a food tour of pies & pints and biscuits. In summary, ALL THE BEST THINGS IN ONE TRIP. Depending on people’s availability we would leave Friday afternoon,get to Summersville, go dip in …
SOOO I (extremely last minute) found out about the Night Sky Festival in Shenandoah… and somehow secured a campsite at Big Meadows (don’t ask me how)… so WHO WANTS TO GO???!! The festival runs from Friday-Sunday and is a series of events/activities going on at various locations in the park. Most of the events are at Big Meadows, and then …
Now you may be thinking, there is a glitch in the system… however I can assure you that this is also a trip to Assateague Island just a few days before because I have wanted to go see the wild horsies and watch the sunrise on the beach whilst I am out in America… and I leave the states to …
If acting on your primal instincts of making fire, cooking meat, running around in the ocean, and chasing crabs sounds like a good time then this trip is for you!!! We are going to Assateague Island National Seashore to camp right on the beach for a few days! This will be a very loosely planned trip, letting our urges decide …
yeah, you read that correctly… BIKEpacking. Not backpacking. All the fun of biking, with all the self-reliance and minimalism of backpacking. And all while taking in so many beautiful views and soaking in the remote scenery of the Appalachian mountains. Over the course of two days, we’re going to ride a ~50 mile loop that circumnavigates and summits Reddish Knob …
When was the last time you had a cookout milkshake? It’s been far too long for me and I’m kinda going through withdrawal. And what better way to complement a delicious shake than staring up at the Milky Way? Come join us on a jovial outing consisting of saturated fats, sugar, and stargazing. The plan is to leave grounds around …
Fingers crossed for no inclement weather this time! Word is Siggy might make an appearance and Max (which one???) might cook steaks so get stoked Come join us for a 1.5 day exploration of Carvin’s Cove plus grilling+camping: Carvin’s Cove is a big trail network near Roanoke, filled with challenging climbs and thrilling descents, from rocky, rooty, technical stretches to …
Howdy y’all. If you haven’t heard of it before, Pisgah National Forest in North Carolina is a pretty sick place! It’s got all the mountain biking, whitewater kayaking, climbing, and hiking your heart could ever desire (and I’m sure some other outdoorsy awesomeness too)! So come with us on a magical journey to this dope area only 6 hours away! …
One of the perks of working at the Observatory is that I can take people up to use it whenever I want, so Rory and I will be driving a group up to look through the main telescope at Jupiter, Mars, and perhaps various other interesting celestial objects if we have time and people are interested. Rory’s car has space …
MOAB, UTAH 2023 We’ve got an extra special gift for all of you this last day of class: without a doubt the most legendary adventure of the year. ALL ABOARD THE GNAR TRAIN May we all blossom from this fake wintry East Coast of ours and emerge as sun children in the soft red sands of the Utah desert. There …
Join us (Annabelle and Ella) as we gaze into the heavens at one of the greatest stargazing spots around, Big Meadows! The plan is to find a nice spot somewhere along the trail (the whole loop is 2.4 miles but we may not hike the whole thing), get nice and cozy, make some hot chocolate and enjoy the view. We …
DO YOU LIKE THE STARS??? Do you know what you’re looking at in the sky at night…. BECAUSE I DON’T! I just enjoy looking at the stars and enjoying the outdoors at night, and this would be the first ever trip we’re leading so I decided why not make it a nice little trip to the lawn and stargaze on …
.png){kind=small}
OVERVIEW Hey hey jammers! Sophia and I are about to skip up a mountain Tuesday night to practice some music under the stars. We’ll be hauling instruments, so the hike will be a bit uphill but very short. Then we can pass tunes around, teach each other a few things, and generally jam out. The plan: 7:15 meet at the …
Want to watch the sunrise over some beautiful Virginia mountains (while maybe being a little chilly)? Here’s your chance! We will hike up to the top of Humpback (～1 mile each way) in the dark, watch the sunrise, probably take some cool pictures, and then head down to be back in time for one more day of classes before the …
You know what time it is. It’s star time. When the sun set last year at NRGE I stood for about an hour with my jaw dropped staring up in disbelief of how much I could see from our campground. I had brought my binoculars and was able to faintly see an entirely different galaxy so needless to say I …
Fuck Cars. I’m doing a trip with no cars for a number of reasons: 1. NO ONE HAS TO DD 2. CLIMATE CHANGE?!?! 3. WE CAN SLEEP OTW 4. TRAINS DON’T HAVE TSA 5. WE CAN WATCH THE HILLS ROLL BY 6. CAN’T GET PULLED OVER FOR RECKLESS TRAIN RIDING 7. CARS DON’T HAVE A COOL WHISTLE 8. Cars can’t …