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Burleith Hiking Group |
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- Purpose
- The Burleith Hiking Group is consists
of Burleith Citizens Association (BCA) members interested in hiking.
Activities may include
choosing one of the many hiking venues in Washington, DC or in nearby Maryland and Virginia.
- To Join
- Send an email with name, address, email address and phone to
Ross Schipper indicating your interest in the group.
- For More Information, Contact the Group Organizer
- Status
- The group has decided to meet at least once every two weeks on a Saturday (or possibly a Friday). For now we
will plan hikes that are approximately 4 to 5 miles long, with an occasional longer hike depending on group member interest.
- The Burleith Hiking Group welcomes new members. BCA members are always welcome to join us on one
of our hikes, just let Ross (s526@erols.com) know so we don't start without you.
- The next hike will take place on May 27 (Memorial Day). The hike will be in the Manassas National Battlefield Park.
The 5.4 mile loop will touch key points in the Civil War battle of First Manassas (1861). We will meet at 9:00 AM at 3600 T Street on the day
of the hike for the 40 minute drive to the Park's Visitor Center. The hike itself should talke 4-5 hours allowing time to visit the historic
places along the hike. We will bring lunches and eat along the route. We should be back in Burleith before 3:30 PM, although should the
participants wish to stay longer we could watch the 45-minute film at the Visitor Center and even have a short ranger guided tour describing The
battle of First Manassas. If you plan to come, just email Ross (s526@erols.com) so we don't leave without you.
- Past Hikes
- Hike Nr. 17 On Sunday, April 21, 5 members of the Burleith Hiking Group
took a 3.6 mile loop hike through the National Arboretum. This was a repeat of Hike Nr. 2 taken
a year ago on April 14, 2012. We began the hike at 9:30 am and we back to the starting point at
12:30 pm. The azaleas put on a nice show, even though they had not yet reached their peak.
- Hike Nr. 16 On Saturday, April 6, 4 members of the Burleith Hiking Group
took a 5.5 mile modified loop through Cosca Regional Park, a
delightful nature preserve tucked away in suburban Maryland just southeast of Washington. This
hike is Hike No. 21 in the book 60 HIKES WITHIN 60 MILES (2nd Edition) by Paul Elliott.
- Hike Nr. 15 On Saturday, March 23, 3 members of the Burleith Hiking
group took a hike in Maryland's Potapsco Valley State Park. We began at the "Swinging Bridge"
and took the Cascade Trail, passing several nice waterfalls along the way. We then went on several
other trails before returning to our starting poing. The hiking began at 2:50 pm and ended at 4:10 pm.
We shared the trail with a mountain bike race, that made the hiking somewhat interesting. This hike is a
Loop 2 of Hike No. 15 from the book Circuit Hikes in Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland and
Pennsylvania (Eighth Edition).
- Hike Nr. 14: On Saturday, March 9, 4 members of the Burleith Hiking
group took an easy-moderate "5.5" mile hike in the Fraser Preserve, a private nature
sanctuary in the northwestern corner of Fairfax County close to the Potomac River. A missed turn
caused the hike to be longer than anticipated - somewhere between 6 and 7 miles, but it was an
easy and very enjoyable hike. The hike began at 2:00 pm and finished at 5:06 pm. We experienced
a lot of wildlife including a serenade from thousands of spring frogs, a great horned owl, two
types of ducks, and a beaver. This hike is Hike No. 31 in the book 60 HIKES WITHIN 60 MILES
(2nd Edition) by Paul Elliott.
- The hike to the Manassas National Battlefield Park that was scheduled for February 23 was cancelled due to rain. This hike
will be rescheduled at a later date. The hike itself would have been a 5.4 mile loop that touches key points in the Civil War battle of First
Manassas (1861).
- Hike Nr. 13: On Saturday, February 9, 6 members of the Burleith Hiking Group met in Burleith at 1:00 PM for a
15 minute drive to a parking lot at Carderock. At 1:30 PM, we began hiking northward on the C&O Canal Tow Path for approximately 1/2
mile until we reached the southern terminus of the Billy Goat Trail (Section B). We followed the Billy Goat Trail until it once again
met the Tow Path, near Old Anglers Inn. Then we walked back along the Tow Path to Carderock and reached the cars at 3:20 PM. The hike
was approximately 4.5 miles long. The picture below shows the group of intrepid hikers as they prepare to conquer one of the several rock
scrambles along this trail:
- Hike Nr. 12: On Saturday, January 26, 4 members of the Burleith Hiking Group met in Burleith at 1:00 PM for a
15 minute drive to the trailhead at Carderock. At 1:30 PM, we began by hiking northward on Section C of the Billy Goat Trail. Unlike
the extremely strenuous Section A, Section C of the Billy Goat Trail was a relatively easy walk, although there were still a few rock
outcroppings. We expected the snow to be a problem, but it had mostly melted from the trail. The only issue was areas where the trail
was muddy and slippery. The winter views of the Potomac River were stunning. We finished this 3.5 mile hike at 3:00 PM.
- Hike Nr. 11: On Saturday, January 12, 7 members of the Burleith Hiking Group met in Burleith at 1:00 PM for a
40 minute drive to the trailhead on MacArthur Blvd. across from Old Anglers Inn. We began our hike at 1:40 PM. The hike took us through
beautiful wooded trails. Along the way we visited the remains of an old gold mine, the Maryland Mine, before arriving at the Tavern at
Great Falls. From there we returned to the trailhead via the C & O Canal tow path, arriving back at our starting point aty 4:45 PM. The
hike was approx. 5.7 miles in length. It was a beautiful (unusually nice) January day, perfect weather for the hike. This hike is a
modified version of Hike No. 16 from the book Circuit Hikes in Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland and Pennsylvania (Eighth Edition).
- Hike Nr. 10: On Saturday, November 10, 2012, three members of the Burleith Hiking Group met in Burleith at 1:00 PM for a 50
minute drive to Riverbend Park in Virginia. They began the 5.3 mile hike at 1:50 PM, finished at 4:05 PM and returned to Burleith at 5:50 PM.
The views of the Potomac River were stunning. Along the way, the group encountered a group of high school students who were studying to be
Master Naturalists. They had removed muck from the bottom of an nearby stream and were sifting through the mud looking for carious "critters".
Apparently, according to one of the volunteer naturalists, the number of species in the mud is an indication of the health of the stream. This
stream had a very high rating. More information about Master Naturalists can be found at this link.
It was a very enjoyable hike and the temperature (approx. 60 degrees F) was perfect for hiking. This hike is part of
Hike No. 32 in the book 60 HIKES WITHIN 60 MILES (2nd Edition) by Paul Elliott.
- Hike Nr. 9: On Saturday, October 27, 2012, four members of the Burleith Hiking Group met in Burleith at 9:00 AM for a 55
minute drive to Comus, MD. They began the 8.1 mile hike around Sugarloaf Mountain at 10:00 AM. Sugarloaf, a vista-rich mountain located in
southern Frederick County, is an outlier of the Blue Ridge and is Washington's nearest mountain. They stopped halfway through the hike to eat lunch
at White Rocks, one of the many wonderful vistas along this loop, where we were joined by over 20 magnificent Turkey Vultures circling overhead.
They took many opportunities to view the fantastic fall colors of leaves along the trail. The hike was completed at 3:25 PM and they returned
to Burleith at 4:20 PM. Most of the hike followed what is known as the Northern Peaks Trail, and this loop hike is
Hike No. 40 in the book 60 HIKES WITHIN 60 MILES (2nd Edition) by Paul Elliott.
- Hike Nr. 8: On Saturday, October 13, 2012, four members of the Burleith Hiking Group took a 5 mile hike in
Rock Creek Park. The hike began at 1:45 pm and ended at 4:30 pm. We began at the home of former Burleith resident, Pat Davies,
in her new house in Forest Hills. From there we took the Soapstone Valley trail downstream to where it intersected with Broad
Branch Road. From here we connected with a 4.5 mile loop hike which was a repeat of Hike Nr. 3 (see below). When
we completed the loop we hiked back up Soapstone Valley trail and finished, where we started, at Pat Davies house. Pat served
hot tea (a Builder's Tea - P G Tips - or Green Tea) accompanied by home made Macaroons, Lemon Biscuits and an Apple Pear Cake. It was a wonderful
end to a lovely hike on a cool fall day. We were accompanied on the hike by Pat's dog, Patrick, the mascot of the Burleith Hiking
group. The central 4.5 mile loop of this hike is Hike No. 10 in the book 60 HIKES WITHIN 60 MILES (2nd Edition) by Paul
Elliott.
- Hike Nr. 7: On Saturday, September 22, 2012, the Burleith Hiking Group took a 4.6 mile stroll through Huntley Meadows Park in
Alexandria, Virginia. The 3-hour hike began at 2 pm and finished shortly after 5 pm. The centerpiece of Huntley Meadows Park is a 500-acre
freshwater marsh, the largest in the greater Washington area. Due to the heat and lack of rain during the summer, the water level in the marsh
was unusually low. Nonetheless, the hike offered a profusion of wildflowers and a number of very interesting wildlife sightings - including a large
snapping turtle sunning itself on a log and a musk rat playfully swimming in the water. This hike is Hike No. 28 in the book 60 HIKES WITHIN 60 MILES
(2nd Edition) by Paul Elliott.
- Hike Nr. 6: On Saturday, June 2, 2012, the Burleith Hiking Group took a 5 mile loop hike. The hike began in Burleith at 9:00 am
at the Green Lot (corner of 37th and Whitehaven), and followed the Whitehaven Trail, Glover-Archbold Trail, Wesley Heights Trail, through a
tunnel under Canal Road to Fletcher's Cove, and C&O Canal Tow Path and ending in Georgetown at 11:00 am. The three members of the Hiking Group that
participated then enjoyed a Taste of Georgetown. This hike is a modification of Hike No. 12 in the book 60 HIKES WITHIN 60 MILES
(2nd Edition) by Paul Elliott.
- Hike Nr. 5: On Saturday, May 26, 2012, the Burleith Hiking Group took a 4.5 mile loop hike in Great Falls Park.
The hike began at 12:55 pm at the Great Falls Park Visitor Center. We finished the hike at 4:00 pm. Parts of the hike were rocky and
steep and it was a hot and muggy day, but the hike afforded beautiful views of Great Falls and Mather Gorge. This hike is part of Hike No. 32 in the book 60 HIKES WITHIN
60 MILES (2nd Edition) by Paul Elliott.
- Hike Nr. 4: On Friday, May 11, 2012, the Burleith Hiking Group took a 4 mile loop hike in Scott's Run Nature Preserve.
The hike began at 1:30 pm at the trailhead off Georgetown Pike. We finished the hike and were back at
the trailhead by 3:45 pm. The hike included beautiful views of the Potomac River (from the Virginia side). Most of the hike was
fairly easy through forested woodland, however there was a section along the Potomac River that was rocky and
somewhat challenging, although there were beautiful views of the river.
This hike is Hike No. 30 in the book 60 HIKES WITHIN 60 MILES (2nd Edition) by Paul Elliott.
- Hike Nr. 3: On Friday, April 27, 2012, the Burleith Hiking Group took a 4.5 mile loop hike in Rock Creek Park's rocky central section.
The hike began at 1:30 pm at the Rock Creek Nature Center, a short 20 minute drive from Burleith. We finished the hike and were back at
the Nature Center by 3:40 pm. We enjoyed beautiful views of boulder filled Rock Creek. The trail was adorned by occasional wild azaleas (Pinksters)
in full bloom. The picturesque Boulder Bridge was a highlight.
This hike is Hike No. 10 in the book 60 HIKES WITHIN 60 MILES (2nd Edition) by Paul Elliott.
- Hike Nr. 2: On Saturday, April 14, 2012, the Hiking Group took a 3.6 mile hike at the National
Arboretum. We drove together from Burleith to the Arboretum, leaving Burleith at 1 pm. We started our hike at 2:15 pm. The weather was perfect and hike was fabulous. Highlights were
azaleas in full bloom, a beautiful path through fern valley and a nice walk along the shore of the Anacostia River. We
completed the 3.6 mile hike at 4:40 pm. The drive back to Burleith was uneventful and took only 40 minutes. We arrived
back at 5:20 pm.
- Hike Nr. 1: For its first activity the Burleith Hiking Group met on Sunday,
April 1, 2012 at 1:30 pm at the Green Lot (Corner of 37th Street and Whitehaven) for a
hike to Battery Kemble Park and back. This 4 mile hike took 2 hours and
followed the Glover Archbold trail, the Wesley Heights trail, and the Battery Kemble trail.
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