Tag Archives: nature

Whole cloth

Posted on July 10, 2014 by John M

Last weekend turned out to be a busy weekend for hiking. Early in the week I planned a hike in Reston on Saturday, but left Sunday open because the weather forecast predicted a good chance of thunderstorms. It wasn’t until … Continue reading →

Posted in Hiking, Photography | Tagged Belle Haven Marina, Belle Haven Marina Picnic Area, fireworks, Henry David Thoreau, jones point park, Lake Thoreau, nature, outdoors, Potomac River, Reston, Scott's Run, Thoreau, Washington DC | 3 Comments

Expressions

Posted on June 25, 2014 by John M

Given the muggy weather we’ve been having lately, with high humidity and a 40-50% chance of showers always in the forecast, it’s time to start visiting some of the shady trails that follow the many stream beds in Fairfax County. … Continue reading →

Posted in Cats, Hiking, Photography | Tagged Accotink Creek, Ben Brenman Park, dairy godmother, Fairfax County, fairfax county virginia, Holmes Run, lion, Mozambique, nature, outdoors, Smithsonian National Zoological Park, Sugarloaf Mountain, tiger, Washington DC | 1 Comment

Mixed bag

Posted on June 17, 2014 by John M

I haven’t posted in a while because the last four hikes have been a really mixed bag of tricks: 1. A June 7th hike along the Mount Vernon Trail from Fort Hunt Park to River Farm and back was waylaid … Continue reading →

Posted in Cats, Hiking, Photography | Tagged Billy Goat Trail, C&O Canal, Fort Hunt, Mount Vernon Trail, nature, outdoors, Potomac River, River Farm, Riverside Park, Smithsonian National Zoological Park | 5 Comments

Sugarloaf – a photo hike

Posted on May 31, 2014 by John M

Here is a series of photos presenting views seen along the trail during a hike at Sugarloaf Mountain, Maryland, on May 30, 2014. Sugarloaf Mountain is a relatively low (1,282-foot) mountain located at 7901 Comus Road, Dickerson MD 20842. It … Continue reading →

Posted in Hiking, Photography | Tagged Inc., nature, outdoors, Stronghold, Sugarloaf Mountain, West View parking area, White Rocks, wildlife | 10 Comments

Blue sky, mountain meadow

Posted on May 19, 2014 by John M

Finally managed to get the hiking group up onto the Appalachian Trail last weekend, and what a wonderful visit! Sky Meadows State Park is only about an hour’s drive from the I-495 Capital Beltway, which makes it what I think … Continue reading →

Posted in Hiking, Photography | Tagged Alexandria Walking & Hiking Group, Appalachian Trail, Battle of First Manassas, Bluebird, Delaplane, Goldfinch, Indigo Bunting, Mosby's Rangers, nature, outdoors, Piedmont Station, Sky Meadows, Sky Meadows State Park | 8 Comments

Swimmingly

Posted on April 29, 2014 by John M

Yesterday I drove up to Washington DC for a walk in the U.S. National Arboretum to take a peek at how this year’s azaleas are coming along. My conclusion is, swimmingly! Swimmingly in both a figurative and a literal sense … Continue reading →

Posted in Hiking, Photography | Tagged Arboretum, azaleas, Mount Hamilton, nature, outdoors, U.S. National Arboretum | 7 Comments

Ups and Downs

Posted on April 23, 2014 by John M

Last Saturday I had a trip planned to the Shenandoah National Park (SNP), a repeat of the combined hikes at Dark Hollow Falls and Hawksbill we did last June. Since this was to be the first trip to SNP in 2014, … Continue reading →

Posted in Hiking, History, Photography | Tagged Civil War, Fraser Preserve, Great Falls National Park, nature, outdoors, Potomac Heritage Trail, Potomac River, Rowser's Ford, Scotts Run Nature Preserve, Seneca Park, Shenandoah Mountains, Shenandoah National Park | 2 Comments

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 →

Posted in Hiking | Tagged Hawksbill Mountain, Mount Kilimanjaro, Mount Shasta, nature, outdoors, Shenandoah Mountains, Shenandoah National Park | 1 Comment

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 →

Posted in Hiking, Photography | Tagged Arboretum, azaleas, Great Falls National Park, nature, outdoors, Potomac Heritage Trail, Potomac River, Riverbend Park, Virginia bluebells, Witch Hazel Bluff | 2 Comments

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 →

Posted in Hiking, Photography | Tagged Alexandria Walking & Hiking Group, Dyke Marsh, fairfax county virginia, Great Falls, Huntley Meadows, nature, outdoors, Potomac Heritage Trail, Potomac River, quantitative easing, Riverbend Park, Washington DC, wetland restoration project, wildlife | Comments Off