Sunrise Stroll on Turk Mountain!

OVERVIEW

with a busy upcoming week, i thought why not reward myself after taking my exams by waking up super early in the morning to go hike a very minor mountain and watch the sun poke its head above the horizon?! if you also want an early morning adventure to look forward to, join me! we will be heading to Turk Mountain, which is about a 45 min drive from UVA, and we’ll hike 2.2 miles round trip to a rocky viewpoint and back. it’s a fairly easy hike with an elevation gain of 690 feet. see more info on the NPS website: https://www.nps.gov/thingstodo/turk-mountain.htm. we’ll be back before 9:30 am in case you have to jet off to class, like me.

the plan:
5:15 am – depart from UVA (depending on numbers and where ppl live, we might be able to do a curbside pick-up situation)
6:00 am – arrive at Turk Mountain parking lot
6:05 am – start hiking
7:00 am ish- enjoy the breathtaking sunrise
8:15 am – return to the trailhead (or sooner depending on pace and vibes)
8:20 am – homeward bound
9:05 am – we’re back! do you thang and enjoy your day with the knowledge that you woke up at the crack of dawn to say a friendly hello to the golden orb in the sky 🙂

what you should bring:
-water bottle
-sturdy shoes
-headlamp or flashlight cause we’ll be starting our hike in the dark (whoop whoop!)
-light jacket or sweatshirt cause it’ll be kinda chilly at the start
-a munchie (ex. granola bar)
-breakfast (optional, if you have a 9:30 am commitment)
-small daypack (optional), or just shove stuff in your pockets

what i’ll bring:
-same as above
-camera
-trail map
-a good attitude at 5 am in the morning ☀️

*note: for the waitlist, i’ll be prioritizing drivers, and you will get reimbursed for this trip! also, i’ll be monitoring the weather for that morning, but prepare to go no matter what.