Defend Our Future Blue Hole Hike!!

OVERVIEW

Hey all you silly geese!

This Friday I’m going to take a trip to the lovely sugar hollow, blue hole hike along with some ambassadors for Defend Our Future at UVA. Defend Our Future at UVA is a program out of the Environmental Defense Fund, and they work to advance climate policy in Congress by meeting with congressional leaders and mobilizing UVA students to do the same. So, on this hike, we’ll talk with them about what environmental policies need to be upheld to protect our local nature– like sugar hollow– and we can ask them any questions we have about the program.

This is a great program that overlaps a lot with all we do here in outdoors club, so if you’re interested in learning more you should come join us! It will also be a lovelyyyyy hike, very beginner friendly, and only 3 miles (1.5 to blue hole and 1.5 back to the car). The blue hole hike is a short hike at Sugar Hollow that leads to a stunning swimming hole and has beautiful crystal clear stream crossings along the way. The water is pretty freezing right now, so I certainly won’t be swimming, but if you’d like to take the arctic plunge you can bring a change of clothes and a towel for a swim.

Also, make sure that you wear SANDALS or be prepared to take your sneakers/boots off for the stream crossings because there aren’t bridges over the streams and the water is cold cold cold so you’re not gonna want it in your sneakers!!! Otherwise, this is a straightforward, super easy hike that anyone can do. So, if you’re interested in learning more about DOF or if you’re craving some stunning mountain stream views come along!

Info about the hike: https://www.hikingproject.com/trail/7088672/blue-hole-out-and-back

The plan is:
Meet at echols at 2:30 pm Friday afternoon
Drive out to Sugar Hollow (about 30 mins drive)
Hike out to blue hole (1.5 miles)
Hang out and take in the scenery!
Head back to the car (1.5 miles back) by 4:30- 5 at the latest
Be back on grounds around 6-ish

What to bring:
Water!
Snackies if you want them
Layers! It’s been getting pretty chilly out but we might get warm on the hike
I REPEAT!!!! Shoes that can get wet in stream crossings (like chacos, tevas, etc.) or shoes that you will take on and off (freezing wet hiking boots and sneakers are no fun)
If you plan on swimming: a change of clothes– something warm and cozy

DRIVERS NEEDED Drivers will receive priority off the waitlist, reimbursement for gas, and a 50% tip!!!
****make sure you fill up your tank before you get to echols if you’re assigned as a driver!