Author Archives: John M

Walking, hiking, and pole-vaulting

Posted on March 24, 2014 by John M

You know, I’ve been active with a local walking group since 2009, started organizing events for the group a couple years ago, and finally took over the group (i.e., paying the bills) last Fall. Over time, the group redefined itself into … Continue reading →

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Now that’s more like it!

Posted on March 22, 2014 by John M

This morning we went for a hike in Riverbend Park, on the south bank of the Potomac River in Northern Virginia. Our stated intent was to see if any Virginia bluebells had popped up, but also just to enjoy one of the … Continue reading →

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Morning on the marsh

Posted on March 16, 2014 by John M

Saturday was taken up with hikes in a couple of nearby wetland areas, Huntley Meadows and Dyke Marsh. The goal of both visits was to check out the wildlife, so we didn’t set much of a demanding pace. With over 1,500 … Continue reading →

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Why I don’t have a green thumb

Posted on March 13, 2014 by John M

I never seem to be able to do much with my back yard. It’s shady, being adjacent to a vacant, wooded lot that thankfully cannot be developed, and underneath the thin topsoil is marine clay interspersed with stones the size of … Continue reading →

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Disappointment

Posted on March 10, 2014 by John M

I’m kind of disappointed with the past weekend’s hikes. Plans almost always fall short of expectations during execution, and these were no exception. You just can’t make chicken salad out of chicken sh*t, as this fellow I used to work … Continue reading →

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Meetup

Posted on March 5, 2014 by John M

In the last post I commented about how Meetup, the online resource for finding and meeting others to do fun things together, had been under a denial of service attack since last Thursday. I’m not sure what motivated the clowns* who … Continue reading →

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Wonderland

Posted on March 3, 2014 by John M

As the weeks go by, the “wonder” part of “winter wonderland” seems to be wondering just how much longer before winter eases its grip on us. Not just yet, anyway. Last weekend we went on a 6-mile hike along the Billy Goat … Continue reading →

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Delayed Awakening

Posted on February 27, 2014 by John M

Last weekend I finally managed to do a hike across the Potomac from Jones Point, in Alexandria, Virginia, across Wilson Bridge to The Awakening statue in National Harbor, Maryland. I originally planned the 6.4-mile hike for February 15th, and hoped to schedule a subsequent hike … Continue reading →

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Persistence

Posted on February 13, 2014 by John M

Persistence is the word that comes to mind when looking back over the past couple of weekends’ hikes: the persistence of  a cold Winter, as it drags through February and probably at least halfway through March, and the persistence of the … Continue reading →

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Across the Potomac

Posted on January 26, 2014 by John M

Winter is a great time of year to do urban hikes. Not only is it easier to find spots for warm-up breaks during the hike, but there’s a better chance the roads and sidewalks will be cleared in an urban … Continue reading →

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