(I can’t fix the formatting for some reason so for a prettier trip description check out this doc: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1bC_fIwu9DgcJPGstAsGOugAxO9xrWd9z0XNXjJ_vETQ/edit?usp=sharing) Hello my friend If you are interested in experiencing intentional living communities but while living your best self-sufficient solar-punk life, you should join us for a day trip to Living Energy Farm! LEF is yet another intentional community in Louisa County …
HELLO ALL tik tok users, “Demon CopperHead” enjoyers, and foxfield avoiders. Join me and Ella on a backpacking/swimming trip to THE DEVIL’S BATHTUB. Devil’s Bathtub is a deep water hole in Scott County Virginia, right near the Tennessee border. Devil’s bathtub has crystal clear, aquamarine colored water, created by algae on the bottom. It is said that the water is …
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This past weekend I crossed my 100 hours in a cave with ODC! To celebrate, I want to start a new tradition known as Caving Extravaganza! This will be one of the most advanced trips of the year not due to difficulty of the caves but we will be caving for around 8 hours! That being said I will be …
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Feeling overwhelmed with schoolwork? Instead, try feeling overwhelmed by the infinite beauty and complexity of the natural world!! Join me on the 3rd installment of my O’Hill walks, where we go at the slowest pace imaginable because we are taking in, discussing, and marveling at every detail of the woods around us. If you’ve ever been on a hike with …
Hello hello! I don’t know about you but I’ve been loving the weather since this weekend, and what’s a better way to start the day than enjoying beautiful weather on top of a mountain?? The plan is to hike up to the top of Humpback (～1 mile each way) in the dark under the Shenandoah Mountains’ beautiful starry sky, watch …
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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 …
HELLO HELLO it is spring and that means it is time to get out under the trees and go find the holes where water collects and cautiously dip ourselves into them – there is no better place to do this than Cedar Run, a hike that includes AllTrails points of interest such as “big pool” and “HUGE pool”. Seriously though, …
….. if you’ve seen the sufferfests before … you know what’s up. The plan: hike 34.5 miles in one “day”. This will take us ~18 hours. We don’t want to cowboy camp bc f*ck that so 3am wakeup it is!!! Come join us on the most (miserable) amazing trip ever. we will be doing the loop counterclockwise and have a …
Now that it’s finally warming up, it’s time for an Upper James paddleboard trip. This trip will be a beginner-level trip. We won’t be paddling anything particularly tough although there are ways to play around and make things more difficult if you are more experienced. You do not necessarily need SUP experience to go on this trip. The only prerequisite …
Hey guys! The weather app (however unreliable it may be) reads 77 degrees on Sunday, which is the perfect excuse to hit the trails instead of the library! Old Rag is a 9.something mile loop that has a 2,3000ft elevation gain, a rock scramble section, and a 360 overlook of the mountains, as well as lots of other cool views. …
Feeling bogged down by modern capitalist society? Is the pressure to conform, get an internship, compete with others, emit CO2, etc. making you feel oh so very sad? Do you wonder if there’s a better way of living for both you AND the planet?? Come join Emi, Ella and Cat as we leave Charlottesville and travel 37 miles east to …
Do you like swimming? Do you like caving? Do you like building sandcastles? Do you wanna reawaken your inner child? It is finally Lockridge time!! And one of our fabulous cavers, Laurel, thought of the immaculate idea of building sandcastles on this little bit of sand in the cave. We will also have some time to explore and go in …
I am finally back to leading actual cave trips! I want to kick off my unification with caving by kvelling in Kee Cave. What is this unique word you might ask? It means to ” to feel or express joy or triumph” which is how caving makes me feel! So come kvell with me at Kee! For the most part …
Hey Everyone!!! We are super excited to get a morning walk in this week over at Saunders Trail! It’s a very easy hike walking on paths and a boardwalk, and near Monticello about 15 minutes from grounds! Round trip we should be gone about 2 hours and its 4.3 miles (2 out and 2 back), but not much incline. Hope …
greetings ragged ratz! we are pleased to inform you that the new amazing fantastic odc trip leader power pair will be leading a paddleboarding trip to ragged on sunday!!!! the weather will be beautiful and the vibes will be crunchy. nate is a VERY experienced paddleboarder (he can do a backflip on a paddleboard) but i am not so people …
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 …
HUMPBACK HOT CHOCOLATE WOOOOOO!!! If anyone is itching to wake up before the sun rises and have a chill morning with some hot chocolate and good vibes, join us for a quick hike to humpback rock Sunday morning! This is the very first trip we are leading, and it is open to all skill levels, so anyone can and should …
Hello wonderful people, Do you have a discussion class this Friday that you don’t feel like going to? Or, do you want a reason to escape studying for your exams? Or, do you have a PASSION for hammocks (we won’t judge)? If so, come join me and Susannah at Ragged to have a hammock party!! Chillin in hammies, an incredible …
Hey lovely people! I will be getting by WFA certification this weekend which means I can’t cave :(. So instead I have been dying to still go underground via the Blue Ridge Tunnel! This is an extremely beginner friendly hike, about 3 miles of flat ground. The tunnel is 4,237 feet long so we will at points be in the …
Hellooooooooooooooo peoples! What better way to close out your semester than by frolicking in the spring west virginia wilderness?? Come join Ben & I for a three-day backpacking extravaganza at Dolly Sods!! This place is Ben’s and my absolute favorite spot to backpack: the landscape resembles the arctic tundra and has incredible mountain views and forests and fields. The spring …
Hello everyone! I was hoping to do a hike this Saturday, specifically a loop around Rapidan Camp. It is about 7.3 miles, and 1354 feet of elevation gain, meaning I would expect somewhat of a strenuous ascent(Moderate Difficulty imo). For those who don’t know, Rapidan Camp is one of the old presidential getaways by President Hoover, one of the Depression …
Hey hey hey is that a new cave I see? It is indeed!!! ODC was able to explore this cave last year with JMU but I missed the trip sooooo I’m gonna go myself! This is a super chill easy cave but since I am solo leading I am reserving a spot for one experienced caver (hence why the trip …
Hey y’all I am back at it again with the double or nothing caving weekends! But I am in the mood for a very chill and relaxing trip. So I decided it was time for our annual Nap in a Cave! This will be the most chill caving trip yet! Have you been wanting to go caving but worried about …
It’s been a looong week and it’s only Tuesday, so I want to go put my hands in some dirt this weekend and I hope you’ll join me! We’ll be headed to volunteer at Morven, UVA’s sustainable garden. We’ll show up, do some work in the garden, and maybe even get to take home a bit of fresh produce! Last …
If you weren’t able to sign up for this trip last weekend, you’re in luck because it got rained out! Soooo we’re going to Morven on Friday (but fr this time) to get our hands dirty and touch some plants!! Morven Kitchen Garden is UVA’s wonderful project in sustainable agriculture and is a wonderful place to spend a Saturday morning …
I had so much fun running last week so let’s do it again!! YAY! Join me for a beginner friendly 6ish mile loop at Ragged mountain reservoir! My pace will likely be 12ish (I learned this last week) – and I will definitely take a walking break or two (or more! I also learned this last week). If we’re feeling …
Hello friends! We are assembling a group of high rollers to conquer not one, not two, but three whole ridges! And we want YOU there! Three Ridges is a cool backpacking circuit that has nice views within an hour of Charlottesville. Those new to backpacking are more than welcome. Hiking experience is valuable as we will rack up some hiking …
Did you know that dandelions are edible (except for the stem) and can be used to make jam, tea, and salads? The dandelions are in bloom, so we will be wandering around grounds looking for dandelions to forage. Because dandelions are a common garden weed, we will be foraging in locations not sprayed with pesticides. NOTE: Dandelions contain a natural …
Hello nitty gritty dirty little freaks, For those who do not know, a wildfire hit Matts Creek, near Big Island, VA back in November. Around 11,000 acres were affected, and as you could imagine, the area has dramatically changed. But in what ways?? Join us on this backpacking adventure of re-entering the area with respect and curiosity to see how …
So like I haven’t been on a backpacking trip since November which is just criminal so that paired with this semester flying by, I’m making things happen. I’m all about finding cool places to hike and backpack and I think I’ve found a good one; Roaring Plains which is actually just below Dolly Sods which if its even half as …
Hey Everyone, This looks like a good hike! Sulphur Spring Trail is a 5.6 mile out-and-back hike in the James River Face Wilderness Area in the national forest. Hike Details: – Alltrails Link: https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/virginia/sulphur-spring-trail?u=i&sh=mugsp7 – Length: 5.6 miles (out and back) – Elevation gain: 1,040 ft WEATHER: It looks like temperatures will be 50-60 degrees when we are hiking, with …
Got no friday classes? Or even better, got friday classes but wanna skip em? Then come w me to my hometown for some chill caving! and afterwards we can wash off in the shenandoah and get burgers n ice cream from a place called Spelunkers. We’re going to front royal caverns, but these “caverns” aren’t what they sound like. This …
Are you itching for an adventure but didn’t want to spend the entire weekend at SPRGE? Well, this hike is the perfect solution. I need an excuse to wake up early, and the sunrise is the best way I could think of. The hike is fairly short (about 1.5 miles), but steep elevation, so be prepared. The plan is to …
Hello fellow creatures of the world!!! Golly do we have some sliceful news for you all today…ODC shall interweave its sweet caressing path with not once, not twice, nar, THRICE with other groups in town — the highly esteemed Lorax Society, good ol’ environmental sciences group Epsilon Eta, and the one n only Cville Parks n Rec!! I’m super excited …
Happy Easter let’s go climb! This is a beginner-friendly climbing trip. We are going to Reeds Creek which is one of our super frequent climbing spots. The drive is under 2 hours, the crag is located in West Virginia. Its a sunny crag so it should be nice. There are lots of high-rated moderates in the 5.7-5.9 range. This is …
ONLY PEOPLE OFF THE WAITLIST FOR SPRGE CARPOOL CAN JOIN THIS HIKE *Look at that adventure for more details if you want to join this AWESOME weekend* Nothing’s better than moving your body after sitting in a car for a few hours, so come join me and start SPRGE off strong with a nice sunset hike/frolic/stroll/saunter🤸♀️🤸♀️🤸♀️This is a short 2.4 …
Hello everyone! I hope you all are doing well, because, Sharks, I have to pitch you something. This gem of a trail is going to be an endurance challenge, but the reward is more than worth it: You get the beautiful, peaceful water along Cedar Run(With swimming holes and a natural water slide, though they will be brrr cold), the …
The early bird gets the worm, but who gets the early bird? If you like watching birds or just want to spend some peaceful time outdoors, join this trip! We will be heading to Ivy Creek to look at some birds and try to ID what they are. Last time, we saw an amazing great blue heron roost with 9+ …
We’re going to go caving at Boarhole cave! This is a big cave with lots of walking passage, some mud slopes, and cool features. I’ve also posted this trip to the Charlottesville Grotto (aka the Charlottesville cave club) so we’ll have some awesome members of the local caving community outside of UVA joining us! If you’re going to SPRGE, you …
It’s been a while since I’ve hiked Humpback Rock, so I’m leading a trip there! This is an easy hike (about 1 mile) that ends with a great view of the Blue Ridge Mountains. ***Priority will be given to drivers*** Itinerary: 5:30 am – arrive at Echols 5:45 am – leave for the trailhead 6:15ish – arrive at the trailhead …
Hellooo all yer lads and lassies! Join us this Saturday for a proper Irish hike!!! Humpback is a classic and THIS TIME you don’t have to get up at the crack of dawn! In addition to watching the sunset, we will be on the hunt for leprechauns. Anyone who finds one on the trail gets their ODC dues reimbursed (*yet …
Hey everyone! With the lovely Spring weather coming in, I thought I’d plan a hike for this Sunday. This hike follows The Dark Hollow Trail and features a couple of stops along the Appalachian Trail as well, and features numerous waterfalls and a super peaceful walk alongside the river(Plus an abandoned mine, but it’s pretty hard to spot now). It’s …
Howdy! Me and Rory have been dying to check out Lowmoor Cave since we heard stories of its massive rooms and built-in parking lot (that’s right, we park INSIDE the cave). This should be a relatively chill cave with wide rooms as part of it used to be a mine, so if you’ve been nervous about doing tight squeezes, this …
My dearest SPRGE rodentia, **PLEASE REFER TO THE SPRGE CLUB EMAIL (sent 2/27) AND READ THIS ENTIRE DESCRIPTION. THEN, FOLLOW THE DIRECTIONS** THE FIRST ANNUAL SPRGE – New ODC Mega Trip! This is NOT an actual SPRGE adventure. This is the CARPOOL for SPRGE. This is how the officers will keep track of drivers and attendees. So make our lives …
Hellooooo fellow creatures of da wild outdoor land!!! Is anyone else listening to the birds chirp outside in the tawny light-blue dawn, or peeping the crocus flowers and basking in the late-morn sun, and feeling spring rapidly approaching?? Does that make anyone else feel simultaneously thrilled and so scared to miss the passing seasons as we clitter clakker away at …
Hey Friends!! I am so so excited for spring break and I thought an awesome sunrise hike to humpback would be the perfect way to start it off! (Also notice the meeting area is the Bodo’s not Echols like usual) The Timeline 5:15 – meet at the Bodos/corner, leave for humpback! 5:45 – arrive, start hiking! 6:45-7 – summit just …
I haven’t been on a sunset hike in way too long so I figured this would be great for my first trip as a trip leader! As a Shenandoah Valley native, I can confirm that this short 1.1 mi hike rivals Humpback for the best sunset spot. I do not have a car, so drivers will get priority off the …
In case you didn’t get to meet odc’s blue-blazed section of the Brown Rocky Mountain trail back in December, you’re in luck because we’re going back to do some maintenance this Saturday!! This will be our second trip out to the section, and we’ll be joined by two experienced trail maintainers who will teach us more about pruning, waterbar clearing, …
Hey hey hey! Have you been seeing caving on trip of the week and are thinking to yourself, “hey that looks hella fun maybe I should give caving a try!” well guess what. Do we have the trip for you! Lillie and I will be taking a group of beginners into the depths of Crossroads! This is a super beginner …
Hey lovely people! So I am utterly obsessed with Lowmoor and would like to go back this weekend! But, I want to explore some new, more tricky areas therefore I will be doing the first ever intermediate trip to Lowmoor! This will also be my very first solo lead trip so I am going to be a little pickier about …