After a day at Smith Mountain Lake, trolling around on a pontoon boat, Crystal, Katie and I joined Katie’s in-laws for a trip down the Shenandoah River.
The river had a relaxed pace with a few sections of rapids to keep the float interesting. We had paddles, but put them to very little use the entire time.
Ian, Joey and I set out for West Virginia on Friday afternoon with pleasant weather in the forecast. Ian, a seasoned XC rider, was trying downhill for the first time during this trip.
Snowshoe is offering a great deal on its season pass this year, so Joey and I ponied up the cash and purchased one each. The season pass includes a "friend pass" so Joey and I gave both days to Ian in exchange for covering the trip's fuel.
After our first day of riding we explored the fire roads around our campsite and stumbled upon a couple of stunning ponds.
The trail crew at Snowshoe was hard at work this spring. They’ve manicured their existing trails and added some trail features as well. In short, we plan on several return visits this season.
After successfully removing Slaughterama's mass appeal during 2011's Knot-a-rama and 2012's Sort-a-rama, we decided that the tenth year of our event was a good time to bring it back full-force. Christian found a great new spot and Zach created a new event - Hungry Hungry Hippos.
The club didn't hype the event much, just sending out a last-minute blast to the teams about when/where to meet. Friday's scavenger hunt went well, with about 8 teams representing. The course covered the entire city and ended at Skateland, where we tallied the winners and skated until gnarly blisters formed.
Saturday kicked off with a ride from Shiplock Park to the official Slaughterama location (not that I'll disclose it). The crowd was smaller than in past years, but perfectly comprised of teams and kids on bikes - no more overflow from VCU and most importantly - no drum circles!
Tessa and I loaded up the Jeep and headed to Roanoke on Friday night. A late arrival meant a late morning the following day, but once we mobilized, we headed to Mill Mountain to ride to the Roanoke Star.
The trail was short, steep, and rocky. In little time we were on top of the mountain, looking out over the Roanoke Valley.
Since nearly losing Tim to exposure during our cold weather camping trip to Spy Rock, our ragtag crew has not officially taken a trip together. This year, however, Jeremy assembled the boys for a trip to his new hometown - Blacksburg, VA.
John and I set out in my Jeep while Ellis drove from Richmond to Charlottesville, where he retrieved Tristan. Our final two members, Andrew and Brian, made the drive from DC.
After a night at Jeremy's house, we studied the Nat'l Geo maps and decided to try to reach the White Rocks Campground within the George Washington National Forest. The drive was snowy and we left vehicles parked at varying "depths" along the way. Brian's Honda met its match early on, so we parked it at Mountain Lake Hotel, the location of Dirty Dancing.
Ellis muscled his Honda through snow, mud, and a few streams before finally succumbing to the elements. His Honda threw in the towel about two miles from the campsite. I continued in my Jeep to the campsite, dropped off Jeremy and John, then returned for the rest of the group. It was a lot of driving, but sliding along the snowy roads was great fun.
Once assembled at the campsite, we set ourselves to the task of building a fire and setting up tents. Jeremy set himself to the task of drinking, and subsequently passed out around 7pm! Luckily, however, Jeremy did begin his famous beef stew before retiring. We tended the stew and promptly devoured it as we sat by the fire.
After the stew, we hiked along the camp road, placing the first footprints in the snow. The next morning we played on dual slack lines before packing up and transporting members to their respective vehicles. One last meal in Blacksburg was our jumping-off point, from which we headed home.
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When I heard the deal that the VCU Outdoor Adventure Program (OAP) had secured for their winter trip, I hurried to sign up. The five day, six night trip included everything, including four days of lift access at Keystone, Breckenridge, Vail, and Beaver Creek.
Conditions weren't phenomenal, but despite the few bare spots the riding was great!
