Shenandoah Breeze

What's up Next...

2012-02-17T07:43:00.001-08:00

After 19 years of requests, we are offering our first women only (and girls, too!) class. Long ago, I started teaching at Hood College in Frederick, MD when it was a single sex school... when the school became co-ed, I soon realized that learning occurs very differently when outdoor-oriented adventure classes include males. Often, women will choose to opt out, not because of lack of interest, but because of the way males behave in those environments...
So for all you women and girls out there, this class is for YOU!
Introduction to Outdoor Survival. Learn how to be comfortable in the woods and mountains... confident in your ability to navigate, acquire water, get warm, build a shelter, signal for help, and especially, build a fire, when everything is wet, including your matches...
After preparing a minimalist survival kit, We'll head to the untracked mountainsides.. It is NOT like on TV! It's better!
The class is scheduled for Saturday, April 7, and we've opened up a few more spots..join us!

COME OUT AND LEARN AND PLAY! NO EXCUSES!

THIS is the time to sharpen your skills in climbing or fire building or map and compass for the true warm weather season! Scroll down to see the specific dates on Google calendar.. (our calendar is being updated DAILY. Have patience and check back often!)

On the weekend of March 3 and 4, we're please to be offering our annual Wilderness First Aid weekend. We have been proud to partner with both the Trail House and SOLO to provide the region's best wilderness first aid training for the past 12 years... and this year will be no exception. If this is training you have always wanted, or needed, or if your skills (and card) have expired call us today (the Trail House - 301.694.8448) The price when registering thru the Trail House is still $195... the same as it was 5 years ago! (as of 17 Feb there are only a few spots left!)

Knots and Anchor Construction classes - learn the techniques that will allow you to climb, safely and guide-free! Our first weekend clinics start in March!!!

Also, sign up now for Adventure Rock Climbing and Rappelling- (Maybe the best adventure we offer outside of summer!) These trips go thru the winter into April... every day by reservation.

Basic Fieldcraft for First Reponders- During the cooler seasons, we train first responders in mountain rescue skills. We are first responders. . and we also teach Fieldcraft from backpacking to navigation to survival..Wilderness Skills. This class is a logical extension of what we do.. and incredibly valuable for any and all first responders who may find themselves working in an outdoor setting. Classes are scheduled monthly, and can be offered by request. (Contact the office for details)
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Destination Trips- available every day by reservation... stunning waterfalls and amazing ice formations! See why Southern Living says we're the best!!!

Intro to Outdoor Survival / Map and Compass- Land Navigation.. classes designed for individual preparedness in the mountains.. by request or see schedule

Ice Breaker Canoe trips...breathtaking! (this winter, no ice! offered by request)

Of course, ANY day you have free, there are great guided adventures to be had! Call us!!!

Our staff is always available to assist you on any and all of your Blue Ridge adventures and adventure planning.. for more information on any of our activities, see our website, call us (tf) 866.455.8672 or e-mail us at: adventure@teamlinkinc.com

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If you're thinking about a weekend program for your family or group, you need to let us know sooner rather than later..midweek dates are usually much more available.. however a 2-week advance registration is still recommended. Check the calendar at the bottom of the page for a complete listing of "open registration" opportunities. Spring, Summer and even Fall 2012 registrations are already well underway!

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We are proud to have been selected by Southern Living as The Best in the South for our summer cascading, canyoneering and waterfall programs! See the link here!
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This is a very interesting read..

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"Remember what Bilbo used to say: It's a dangerous business, Frodo, going out your door. You step onto the road, and if you don't keep your feet, there's no knowing where you might be swept off to." (J.R.R. Tolkien)

The way home...

2011-11-11T19:27:00.000-08:00

My father dropped out of high school, at age 17, to join the Navy so he could fight the war in the Pacific... as a young signalman, on board a 100ft long amphibious landing craft he saw some of the most intense battles in history... and never once spoke of them.. Yes, he spoke of typhoons with massive waves, the beauty of the mountains of the Philippines and of the antics that only an 18 yr old with a "they-were-expendable" attitude can have on liberty...
But of war.. he never spoke.
Eventually, he went to college and moved into the Blue Ridge mountains, a place of immense, yet simple beauty. And that is where he and my mother established our home.

Had I ever considered to thank him on Veterans Day, as seems to be the fashion today, I'm pretty sure it would have made him uncomfortable.. It's just what he and the other members of the Greatest Generation did... they sacrificed their youth, willingly and gladly even, for nothing less than world freedom... How can you EVER thank someone enough for that???

My brothers and I (and our brother-in-law) are all veterans... in fact, between the four of us, we spent more than 68 years in either an active or active/reserve status...

For me, going in the Navy didn't take a whole lot of thought.. it's just what I did. I was an English major with dim job prospects (lifeguarding /coaching swimming in the summer and teaching skiing in the winter.. the dirt bag life.)
Besides, I had all the time in the world. "A four year commitment?? that's nothing!"

In the Navy, I worked with some of the most amazing people I have ever known... from all backgrounds, and am intensely proud to have them as friends..
Though there are years and miles between where we make our homes, there remains a closeness that that is not easily described nor understood...it is very similar to what my birth brothers and I have - a bond born of experiences, shared.

Everyone has their reasons for joining: sense of duty, honor, tradition, legacy. For others it's a ticket out... a chance to "see the world" ... a job. For me, it's just what I did. Not a lot of thought applied. I'm not sure why. But surely, no thanks were expected... none are needed. I was the one thankful.

It never occurred to me to thank my Dad for his service... and you know, it never occurred to me that anyone should ever thank me for mine... and I'm sure all of my brothers feel pretty much the same... In fact, when someone thanks me on Veterans Day, I almost have to ask, "for what?"

My generation was shoe-horned between the ends of both Viet Nam and the Cold War and the beginnings of the Global War on Terror -a period of recovery in which we were trying to find our way, and our national identity, again. It was a time of diverse military actions from Desert One, Lebanon and Grenada thru the Persian Gulf, Operation Desert Storm, Somalia, the Balkans...

For the past ten years we've been a country solidly at war - no more short term crises. Today's generation of veterans are so like my Dad's generation... there are no maybes when you sign... and young people still choose to join...

So, today, at 11.11am (on 11-11-11) I ran 11 miles across the mountains. Veterans Day, Armistice Day....a day to put down arms... I ran because I don't like the feeling of being thanked for doing something that I gained so much from... I ran to honor my brothers, all of them. I ran to honor my father, and his brothers.

I ran all the way home.

.. and I ran mostly, just to keep the faith with those who are still on their journey ..... home.

Come with us and let's go climbing!

2011-10-06T12:16:00.000-07:00

There are so many discount coupon offers out there.. we decided to cut out the middle man and offer our own..

Last month we tested the waters of offering a really nice deal..We only offered it on Facebook to those who "like us" on FB.. Well it's been a huge success!
We've decided to take it off the pages of Facebook and extend the offer through 15 December!

So here's the deal.. if you have "liked us" on our Shenandoah Mountain Guides Facebook page you qualify! If you have not "liked us".. do so, and you qualify!
Then you and 3 of your friends can score a day of guided group rock climbing for only $50 each! (normally more than $100 each!)... AND, it'll be just you and your friends!
(not with my neighbor Bob's Aunt Hester from Phoenix who just happened to be in town and was looking for something to do..)

E-mail us (andy@shenandoahmountainguides.org) to set up your day and finish your registration! Isn't that easy?

High value information...
If you have a special day in mind... I'd encourage you to sign up quickly as the good days are going to go very fast. This is an unbelievable deal that can only happen once every .. heck we've NEVER offered anything like this .. in all of our 20 years!

End of Summer...

2011-08-29T18:39:00.001-07:00

While the end of Summer and the beginning of Fall are upon us, the flowers and the scenery just get richer..
These are some images from the last few weeks..

The old farms and homesites in Shenandoah are particularly rich with floral and fruiting remnants that persist, and are particularly well suited and resilient to mountain life

..looking westward to the Alleghenies.

Late August shades of blue.

..next stop, Fall!

Climbing...

2011-07-19T19:10:00.000-07:00

All of our staff, both current and alumni from the past 20 years all still enjoy their own personal adventuring... Many get together for trips of a very high level as the friendships, skills and love of adventure span the generations.
Summertime, between helping visitors from around the world have a great time here in our mountains, you will often find us either just returning from a great trip or preparing for one.

The thing that sets us apart however is the dedication to gaining absolute knowledge of a destination, and the effort put toward the mastery of the beta... so that we may then savor the maximal experience.
In a few weeks, a team of SMG staff , former staff and friends will be traveling to Zermatt to climb the Citade- er, uh, the Matterhorn. True to form, one of our top guides has been spending breaks on the trail preparing himself for this epic climb...

Beta is beta... and this beta won a Newberry Award!

Embrace Adventure..

2011-06-09T18:37:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite sayings is "Embrace life!" and all the things it throws at you..
Well, life is also an adventure, a magnificent adventure... therefore , well you get it.. embrace adventure! and all that goes with it.

There are no guarantees. There is no script. You can never be quite certain what you'll see, what the weather will be, where you'll go or what may happen.
And you have to learn to simply let go of your ordered life and give in to the adventure of it all! Embrace it fully!

And when you do, things will never look quite the same.. your perspective will no longer that of one who only has predictable outcomes waiting for them.. instead you will eagerly look forward to the possibilities that may be!

That simple thought gives me goosebumps.

This spring we have been helping folks from across the country learn to embrace adventure..

From Kansas school boys tackling a favorite climb..

To local middle schoolers exploring their home waters by canoe.. using kick nets to find out about the health of their rivers...
What will they discover? a healthy stream? a dying stream?
Who knows... it's an adventure.. but whatever they discover, you can bet they won't forget it!

.. and a couple from Michigan.. who had only climbed on plastic indoor walls..
To climb real rock (the only kind we know)
on a real mountain... and maybe make it and maybe not..

The adventure and the scenery, and their smiles, speak for themselves.

.. and then there are those adventures of the senses... ahh spring!

Foraging..

2011-05-18T09:58:00.000-07:00

As I write this, the lowlands and valleys are cloud-free... yet the mountainside is under an endless cloud bank offering non-stop drizzle and showers... gloomy yes, but intensifying the green to the point of dazzling. Ocasionally, when the clouds shift a bit, getting un-stuck from the mountaintop, the sun shines in sideways bringing with it a light so full of life it is both startling and breathtaking.

The rivers have been (blessedly) bank-full for 6 weeks.. and the garden is, largely, an unplanted patch of mud and weeds... I reassure myself that since there was just snow a week ago (even though it was 2000 ft higher up!) that there is still time for planting.

One of the great thrills of mountain life, (wow, where do I start??) for me, anyway, is growing my own food... Something I learned as a boy, and began on my own as soon as I had the room. (yes, even in the Navy, living in California, I grew tomatoes and potatoes in my 1'X3 ' patch of "soil")
Something even more fundamental than growing your own, however is foraging... and in a year of unending spring showers and cool to cold temperatures.. foraging is the best game in town.

And I'm not talking about survival food.. I'm talking about delicacies from the wild. Right outside the back door. From dandelion greens, fiddleheads and poke, to morels and wild asparagus.. Natures bounty, free for the responsible (read: sustainable) taking.

How very sweet it is.

Homeground.. spring appears, barely.

2011-04-05T08:05:00.000-07:00

Within an area that ranges from the rocky rolling ridges of MD and southern PA, to the steep highlands and river valleys of West Virginia's Potomac Highlands to the soaring peaks of the VA Blue Ridge and Alleghenies.. is our homeground. We know these mountains like we know ourselves.
While traveling the other day, I was struck not just by the breathtaking beauty of the day but also by this amazing powerful feeling of HOME .. deep home..
The defining emotion or the power of the experience was not just the scenery however.. it was rather the time-bending realization that the same views of mountains and valleys in which I make my living today.. are the same views of mountains that my father enjoyed and lured him and my mother to the small town in which I grew up..
They are the same views that my grandfather enjoyed... and his father before him (the ones that called him to leave his Army duty for crop planting during the Civil War), and his father... and finally his father, and grandfather, before him after coming to this country in the mid 1700s from Germany (as some of the first settlers in an area of the Shenandoah Valley known as Fort Valley, VA...)

The realization that the mountain passes, river crossings and many of the roads are the same as they were 250 years ago, is one of virtual time travel... and leaves my stomach feeling as though I've just driven over a quick hump in the road.. kind of weightless.

To work here, sharing these ageless hills and mountains, rocks and rivers with others, and to know them so intimately, their secret places, their histories... far beyond what is written..( those family stories passed down from generation to generation) .. the things that make them so much more than special... is not only a gift and a blessing, but it is an incredible privilege.

To drink from the same spring that my great grandfather once drank from (in the 1800s), and to recognize the timelessness of that refreshment is to (almost) touch on the concept of eternity.

The spring's rain and snows have boosted the aquifers to the point where they burst through the earths rocky surface bringing the streams to brimful.. rushing on their journey to flatter lands

First Aid, Survival and Adventure Climbing

2011-03-24T17:34:00.000-07:00

As has become pretty much a tradition, we celebrate the month of March (and the soon-to-follow, end of winter) with our Wilderness First Aid Weekend... and this year, for the first time in a good while, we had no snow on the ground! Co-sponsored with our friends, The Trail House, and taught by the fantastic instructors from SOLO in Conway, NH, the class always exceeds everyone's expectations... in fact it blows them away!

Here, instructor Ken, on the left, is demonstrating an improvised splint on our friend, a summer fun instructor from Adventure Links. (Despite the similar name... They are totally unrelated to Teamlink / Shenandoah Mountain Guides. They are an urban youth recreation provider serving a large youth market in Northern VA and DC. We are happy to be able to provide them with professional training for their staff.)

We have also been really excited about helping develop some of the "survival skills" for some of the middle school students in the area schools.. both practically, and metaphorically. Learning to prioritize your needs while constantly maintaining a keen sense of situational awareness is a life lesson for all.

Building a fire, as a team, without matches and with wet materials... it requires, planning, preparation, good communication skills, leadership, followership, sacrifice, patience, self confidence and tenacity. Not bad traits for anyone to have.

Starting our Spring climbing season in the middle of late Winter has been a real treat, especially with our newly launched adventure climbing program... The opportunity to climb on BIG rocks far off the beaten track is like nothing you've ever experienced! Incredibly AWESOME.

There is NOTHING like 200 ft of air between your feet and the ground to make you feel really alive!

An all new year! 2011

2011-02-19T16:23:00.000-08:00

First, let's go ahead and get this out of the way... in the January 2011 edition of Southern Living, we were recognized as the Best of the South for our summer adventure programs, particularly our waterfall hikes and cascading /canyoneering trips... a distinct honor from a great magazine! And of course along with that honor the reservation system has been pretty busy! Between that honor and the early arrival of springtime temperatures, we have been multitasking like crazy.. emailing, answering phones, getting in as much XC skiing as possible, tapping the maples, making syrup and of course, trying to launch our 2011 Activity Schedule.. Although it is still not fully completed and the website needs a bit of tweaking, I thought I'd get this post up as soon as I could...

WHAT'S NEW .. Well first of all we've launched a campaign that everyone needs to know about... 10% of the gross of all paid programming we do this spring thru April will go to defray the expenses of youth programming during Summer 2011. Historically, (though we don't advertise this) we work with hundreds of young people during the spring, summer and fall who come from very "challenging" backgrounds .. It may be a household where a parent(s) is incarcerated, or the family is homeless, or the children have been removed due to abusive conditions, or wanton substance abuse, or combinations of the above.. We have done this for more than 15 years with whatever funding may be available to us, and we make up the rest out of pocket.. normally 50% or more. We take these kids climbing, backpacking, canoeing, tubing... basically allowing them to have a week or two out of the year, in which it's OK just to be a kid, to play, and have wholesome, structured fun with no worries about food, shelter or anything else, (use your imagination). We provide a camper: staff ratio of 2:1....

This year, virtually ALL funding has been cut from these important child development programs, which means we face a challenge. It would be easy for us to just say no... But working with these children is too much of a mission, a calling for us. So we are committing to providing these programs, and absorbing all of the costs ourselves.
But to do this, we need to raise, at a minimum, $5,000, for which we provide a dollar to dollar match. That's where you can help. Enroll in one of our programs NOW and you can be assured that 10% of the gross, (basically any profit +5%) will be going to our youth programming...

Have yourself a ball, and know some young person will, too ... Thanks to you!

"Healthy Hiking" /Backpacking... There is no better way to lose weight, and to see awesome sights than mountain hiking. The low impact activity in fresh, clean air in a landscape of sparkling waters and crystal clear mountaintops is the perfect way to shed lots of unwanted weight. Coordinated by one of our staff (who is a collegiate fitness instructor during the winter), these can be configured as day-hikes or backpacking trips* (* the recommended option) of one to four days in length. (with before and after weigh-ins) We provide all needed gear ..
Call the office for more information 866.455.8672..

Adventure Climbing... (previously listed as Old Rag Guided Climbing) This is a Spring and Fall adventure that is truly special... climbing the rocky flanks of Old Rag (and other significant peaks) as the average tourist will never see or dare... straight up! ropes, climbing shoes and helmets are required! (and provided!)

Boiling Sap

2011-02-19T16:13:00.000-08:00

Maybe the most sure -fire harbinger of spring is the realization that the maples are breaking dormancy in preparation for budding.. the sap is running!

Now, being basically a southern boy, I always looked for spring in different ways: pruning apple trees, listening for peepers, paddling streams (normally too low to paddle most of the year) fresh with spring-rain and snow melt.. increased talk of planting 'taters and onions, being out without a gazillion layers of clothing ...

All those things are still big parts of my life, and I look forward to each and every one of those events... they happen like clockwork, every year.. at least in the way I've chosen to live my life.

But as we all grew and spread to different parts of the country, my brothers and sister adopted many of the practices of their new surroundings.

One of my brothers moved north... WAAY north.... and make no mistake, it's definitely not the south!

Many of the customs and traditions of being close to the land are very solid and natural.. good stewardship of the land is a strong northern ethic. But one of the things he naturally began was tapping his grove of Sugar Maples to make syrup... "huh? he's doing what?" which was my first reaction about 20 years ago....

But the magnificent Christmas gifts of homemade syrup made their presence known and we looked forward to them every year... and every year hence.

As I grew older and closer to the earth, the idea of making syrup, a thousands -of-years-old skill, started to look like the most natural and logical thing to do... and last year, I fumbled around and managed to produce enough sap for abut a cup of questionable-quality , but sweet, syrup... which I might add, was immediately devoured.

This year, I have been determined to step up my game just a bit.

Now my brother, he's gone all high tech... with his trees tapped and piped straight into his corn-crib-converted-into-a boiling-room...

I am not nearly as sophisticated...

Sap runs on its own time.

When I was a child, in my imagination, I used to view springtime sap boiling as something that must be an exciting time... I mean it's directly associated with all those sources of childhood excitement.. a wood fire, a barn, SNOW, and sweet stuff to eat... what's not to be excited about???

Even as an "adult" I have still been known to view gathering and boiling sap as a time of great anticipation and lots of doings...

Reality, however, is very different... it is much more mellow, more balanced, more in-tune with earthy doings. I have come to realize that , as with gathering sap, there is little I can do can make it boil down faster... natural laws are in charge. The best thing I can do is find a good book and settle in to feed the fire , and maybe, when no one is looking, catch a nap...

.. and it just may be that this is what it means to live in sync with the world... accepting the zen-like concept of everything in its time.. rest when it's time to rest, (re)store energy for the time of growing, and in turn, work when the time is right to work.

... and to be content to let sap run... and, in it's time, to let sap boil.

It sure is sweet...

The hardest time of year..

2011-02-03T13:21:00.000-08:00

Our administrative office is located, appropriately, on the side of a mountain... which provides an amazing environment in which to work, unless, that is, you have to work, indoors... then, it's a bit problematic.
And the reason it's a problem is that some of the most challenging single track in the East is 1/2 mile out the back door... and some of the best backcountry and nordic skiing east of the Allegheny Front is located, well, it starts when the back door closes...
and for those in-between seasons when the snow is too crunchy or thin or the trails too muddy and soft.. then, there is the most amazing mountain trail running..

I guess none of that really sounds like too much of a problem... unless you have indoor work that MUST be done.. like the final planning for 2011, or executing a marketing plan, or revising course and class syllabus for the start of the 2011 teaching season, or acquiring 2011 permits, or finalizing trip planning, regardless of how amazing the trip.

So today, I was close to finishing some major admin-weenie jobs.. when I happened to look out thru one of the office windows... at the deep blue sky, a foot of hard-pack, crusty snow, 26 degrees. .. hmm, can't ride, can't ski... maybe I should pack up my work and head into a coffee shop or library in town... I definitely won't be distracted there.

Thirty minutes later, there I was: daypack on, poles in hand, running shoes with gaiters, slogging up 1,500 ft. for what will be the most exhilarating 3.5 mile descent I've ever made without skis..
Two hours later, my one hour respite has now evolved into 2.5 hours, as one run was not enough.. (is it ever??) Nordic Mountain Running... perhaps the worlds greatest sport.

Yes, my work remains. It'll be there tomorrow. It'll be there next week.. Heck, at this rate, it may be there in JULY!
But Nordic Mountain Running may only be there for another few weeks (months, if I'm lucky)

This is the hardest job in a tough season... but, please, shed no tears.. I'll survive somehow.

Geminids and snowflakes..

2010-12-14T04:39:00.000-08:00

Each is unique... cold, flashes of brilliance.

I find myself wandering up the leafless mountainside, wrapped in the dark of winters night. I'm hoping for a break in the cloud cover and snow showers. The Geminids are always my favorite.. they fill the air with as many as 100 shooting stars per hour! That's a lot of wishes!

It's a bit after 3.00am... what am I thinking??

There is a new dusting of snow swirling around my feet as I pick my way around the rocks, my headlamp all the brighter by the ice-filled air's reflection.
The wind is sturdy.. the temperature before leaving the house was a bit south of 12.. and still heading down .
The anticipation grows as I think back to all the past meteor showers..so many!
.. being all snuggled down in sleeping bags with my family all around, keeping our field of vision as broad as possible to not miss a single flash; driving down a mountain road and pulling off to the side so as to view the show without driving off a cliff; night hiking in a high meadow in West Virginia with folks who had NEVER seen a shooting star (!)
... and then sitting on a bluff above Maine tidewater with friends, watching the always- good, Perseids..

In a really good meteor shower, there comes a point where, after a few good wishes you run out of things to wish for, really!... unconsciously then, I start counting my blessings.
Tonight, though, I'm alone and the sky is a cottony-black and filled with drifting and blowing snow.. an extended shower? or the real deal?

Regardless, I'll have to find satisfaction in my memories and in the streaking white snow.. I think I'll head back and kick up the fire.

A Shameless Plug.. the PERFECT Gift!

2010-12-09T05:33:00.000-08:00

For 18 years as an "official business", (but in reality, for several lifetimes) the staff here at Teamlink /Shenandoah Mountain Guides, has been having fun in the mountains.
And not just having fun, but perfecting the methods to have fun in unforgettable ways that truly celebrate life fully lived in the mountains...
and most especially, how we can share that adventure experience with others.

Mellow wildflower hikes,

Climbing the mountainsides in search of old communities and waterfalls,

Scaling the shear granite cliffs of Old Rag,

Slipping, sliding and rappelling our way down the area's more notable mountain streams and canyons,

Backpacking - immersed in high mountains, clear streams and nights under the stars...

It's all just so good.

This year for the holidays, instead of another "thing" that will be soon discarded or forgotten or broken, consider giving an experience in mountain adventure...

GUARANTEED to last a lifetime!

Call us or e-mail us about a GIFT OF ADVENTURE... 866.455.8672
or..adventure@teamlinkinc.com / mtnjedi@gmail.com

.. waiting for our turn with the snow ..

2010-11-07T16:48:00.000-08:00

While out in the Potomac Highlands, just to our west, the snow is falling and beginning to fill in all the up-slope nooks and crannies, here in the Blue Ridge we're still enjoying cold, but dry, late Fall conditions... being in the snow shadow of the Alleghenies.
Which means that it is still fantastic weather for getting out and about in the mountains! With late color splashes that can only be imagined in a very psychedelic dream... we are continuing to enjoy climbing, hiking and backpacking.

.. and with the Appalachian Trail just out our backdoor, it gives us a particularly good classroom for backpacking.

This past weekend we held a class on backpacking and at the same time taught and certified three new Leave No Trace (LNT) Trainers!

Gone???? or Just starting???

2010-10-29T06:16:00.000-07:00

When the nights are full on events of wind roaring down the mountain, whirling snowflakes and leaves in tow, you just somehow know that the dawn will not bring thoughts of swimming in a mountain pool... well, not the first thought anyway... For the moment you're quite content to be snuggled under the quilts with the comforting crackle of a fire in the stove.

But for me, it does mean the best season for exploring the mountains is here! The views are more expansive (sans leaves), all the critters that give you good reason not to poke around carelessly way off trail are in their hibernaculae, and the spring water is particularly sweet and cool!

Long trail runs, hikes to remote summits, backpacking through the remaining kaleidoscopic colors will all lead, in time, to snow filled hollows, backcountry skiing, the unforgettable sting of wind-whipped ice pellets on a bare cheek and the amazing sculpted frozen chandeliers on Shenandoah's many waterfalls.

The DREAMING...

So... where did summer go?

2010-10-07T18:57:00.000-07:00

..just like that, it got too cool for mountain swimming, the days too short for epic backcountry hikes... and the nights, well they just got perfect for sleeping... with the windows thrown wide open! Man, I live for Fall in the mountains! (and winter ... and spring.... and summer!)

Often, in Shenandoah this time of year, we see a lot of leaf-peepers... who actually enjoy viewing the world from behind the windshield of an automobile.. we just scratch our heads and don't even try to figure out why..

Especially when this time of year is unforgettably perfect for outdoor adventuring.. crystal blue skies, frosty evenings, warm, golden days.

We've had a lot of climbers and hikers.. and with the recent rains, we've even had paddlers! (Most often you'll find our current postings on either the Shenandoah Mountain Guides blog or the Shenandoah Mountain Guides Face Book page... )
This is also the time we move back into our "classroom mode" teaching groups from universities and colleges, developing the professional skills of other outdoor - based organizations, and developing and training good stewards (of all ages) of our amazing natural resources.

For the past 4 years, we have had the distinct honor of being a key (and founding) organization and partner with the National Park service in the development of the Old Rag Mountain Steward program.. making a real and lasting change in the visitor experience on Old Rag mountain in VA.

So, more often than not, we're not around the office.. but that doesn't mean we don't want to hear from you.. leave a message.. send an e-mail... come see us! Your world will never look the same!

.. and you'll wonder why you waited so long...

United Nations... Shenandoah Style

2010-08-22T12:00:00.000-07:00

With representatives from Chile, Puerto Rico, Belgium, Netherlands, Germany, France, Israel, Poland, Lithuania, India,South Africa, Japan, Saudi Arabia, the U.K., Spain (and about 15 other nations) seeing the best of Shenandoah with us this year, we cannot help but note the universal appeal and reaction to a back country swimmin' hole on a hot day...
.. kids, adults, rich, poor, yellow, black, white, brown... it just doesn't matter.
It's ALL good.

Perhaps if the UN were to re-locate to our neck of the woods we'd make a lot of progress toward world peace, social and environmental justice and mutual respect.

hmmmmm...

Summer Reading

2010-08-10T18:51:00.000-07:00

I have an 18 hour turn around and a few moments for some summer reading...
Both Southern Living (their 5th article on us) and Blue Ridge Outdoors (the latest of several articles) provided very nice articles on some of our activities ..
check 'em out!

Flying thru summer..

2010-07-27T18:37:00.000-07:00

When the full of summer hits, it quickly becomes an all-hands evolution. ..and this summer has been especially full. Since mid-May there have only been a few hours when anyone was in the office, much less had the opportunity to update this blog... Guiding, teaching, providing adventure programs for camps, working with the young people we regularly serve, adult groups... together, it has been full.. and now we have a bit of a lull before the end of summer crunch... So, in the interest of updating you on our activities.. here is a collection of images... (more can be found on our Shenandoah Mountain Guides Facebook page)

For some of the folks we work with, never having seen a mountain sunset has them trying to find ways to grasp the whole idea... such a big event, yet small enough to hold in two hands... and in a memory forever.

Settling into the summertime pace..

2010-05-25T09:35:00.000-07:00

Ready or not our summer season is upon us! ... and all that goes with that! mountain hikes! secret swimming holes.. deep blue sky, cool breezes, windswept summits, sun-warmed rocks... the perfect antidote to a snowy and cold winter!

Something (kind of) new for this year is the opportunity to join us for float trips on Maryland's Monocacy River. A "State Scenic River", the Monocacy is visible at a few road crossings, but quickly leaves civilization behind... Its banks are full of wildflowers and the air is full of birds!

As the FaceBook (The Monocacy River Canoeing Company) page says: "Specializing in low impact, gentle adventures in canoeing and floating, for families and groups on the Monocacy (Scenic) River"

An afternoon on the river is a perfect outlet for a group of friends wanting to socialize while floating on a summer afternoon.. It's ideal for a family, young or old who don't want to deal with hustle and bustle, but instead want to enjoy nature and each other on their own time..

Wild and high to mild and wet.. Visit us this summer! You, and your family and friends will be very glad you did!

"That time of year"

2010-05-04T20:05:00.000-07:00

The transition is always killer.. when we shift from winter to full bore summer programming. It comes on like a tidal wave and there is no slowing it down..
One minute we're enjoying the last of the snow and the next we're frantically running from garden to river to rocks to trail ... shake and repeat. Courses and classes fill, overfill, get canceled, get rescheduled and get added.
It's also the time when we fall behind in our blog-keeping. Something has to go...

Most recently we returned from helping teach the National Park Service's Eastern High Angle Technical Rescue class in the Blue Ridge of North Carolina... and have been guiding hiking and climbing nonstop since returning... (For those of you with Facebook access, we are keeping a full profile under Shenandoah Mountain Guides)

Winter's End Game

2010-03-14T17:44:00.000-07:00

When I was growing up in rural Rappahannock County VA in the 1970's, there was very little to do beyond farm work, skiing, climbing, hiking and canoeing. High school sports were limited to basketball and baseball. In 1970, my 8th grade year, (high school was grades 8-12) two new teachers from some far away place introduced two new sports: cross country and track.
As it turned out, those were perfect sports for a school with lots of hilly farm fields and a bunch of "hollow boys" (as in, from up in the hollows) and notably, no track.

In the first five years of Rappahannock County cross country, the school not only won the state championship every year, they won it with a perfect score of 15 (the first five runners were all from RCHS). And if that weren't enough, the "trackless track team" was district and regional champs and state runners up.

Many of the members of those early teams were lucky enough to go on to be intercollegiate competitors... several of us continued to run many years past college. .. even to today.

In the 40 years since that first year, I've often reflected on what it was that made those years, those teams, so special.. indeed, remarkable. Of course, the biggest part is pure heart. Those teams were nothing but heart. But there was more.
The pure joy of running thru the mountains regardless the weather.. the camaraderie.. the innocence of not ever knowing failure (or at least not acknowledging it)... and on those long runs, the realization that if you were hurting, so was everyone else... and that the one who could deal with the most discomfort would win.
.. and more often than not the one in front got great refreshment from a fresh mountain wind on his face and the first drink of ice cold spring water...
The magic of those 5 years has never been forgotten.

Over the years since, there have been many occasions and challenges where quitting would end the discomfort of the moment... but that would be breaking the faith with my teammates from all those years ago... and in my heart I'd never savor the fresh mountain breeze the same.

This year has been a very long winter in a tough economy. We have seen several of our good friends and business partners close their doors... a real loss to the community... and here we are, entering our 18th season.

Our snowbanks are quickly eroding in the warm rains, the 2010 guiding season is upon us, and we've just finished boiling maple sap for the year...
And not so coincidentally I think, that sweet treat, also, only comes at the end of winter..

Yes, I think it's almost Spring!

Mountainbike Mecca - Nordic Nirvana

2010-03-04T18:31:00.000-08:00

Normally this blog is all about the land around Shenandoah National Park.. a region of spectacular high mountains and waterfalls.. and our spiritual home..
But I want to take you to another very special spot a little to the north... a place that few know about... and most can't believe exists.

In north central Maryland lies a low range of mountains, a branch of the northern Blue Ridge, known as the Catoctins.. famous mostly for being the home of Camp David, the presidential retreat. In fact,"mountains" may be stretching it a bit.. they are more like a rolling 2200' plateau. The entire region is laced and crisscrossed by trout streams, old trails and roads, forests and mountaintop meadows... the majority of which is public land, but unlike Shenandoah, open to the public for recreation, from hunting and fishing to mountainbiking, rock climbing and skiing... and not just a few, but miles upon miles upon miles of single track, trail and roadgrades.. particularly the areas known as the Frederick Watershed and Gambrill State Park..

During mountain biking seasons, it is the norm to find cars from no less than 5 states.. all coming to test the rocky and steep singletrack..

Winter however is the best kept secret... high enough to catch and hold snow.. and accessible enough to, well, access... "the Watershed" is an amazing winter playground... and with a local population that is predominately focused on urban pleasures and pursuits.. a recreational "nord" can be assured of pretty much having the whole place to him/herself. Despite the lack of snow in the lowlands to the East... the Catoctins are virtual islands in the sky (ok, that may be stretching it a bit!) .. In every year, sufficient snow can be found for cross country skiing.

It's always been amazing to me that folks will drive to WV, Garrett Co, or SWPA for snowplay, when it's right in their backyards... for free. What's even more amazing to me, is that the vast majority of the residents of Frederick County are ignorant of the recreation to be had out their backdoor..."Ski??? hike??? bike???? no thanks... can someone point me to the mall?"

"Pay the man..."

2010-03-01T14:56:00.000-08:00

Everything worthwhile, it seems, comes with a price.. For many folks that may be an admission ticket, or maintaining the "right" social status or driving the "right" kind of car or wearing the "right" clothes... for some it's just talking the "right" talk..
Often if you try to find adventure on those terms.. you will meet with rejection and disappointment.

In our world,frequently the admission comes in the form of a tough approach... a steep brushy mountain, deep and steep snow, a long flatwater paddle... icy, cold, windy and wet conditions.... the admission price paid for great adventure. But once that admission price is paid... then all we have to do is enjoy the perfection of the experience.

We used to have t-shirts that read :"If it's not hard to do, it's hardly worth doing".. my how true that is..
Earn your turns..(one of my favorite sayings) Today I went out for a short ski... but the higher I got, the better the snow got.. by the time I topped out the snow was PERFECTO... which made for sweet turns on the descent.. which took me about a dozen runs before I was sated...

But it's close to spring, which means the snow will not be here much longer.. we're on borrowed time. But it also means that the door is opening on a big wide world of mountain fun...

If you're looking for really good adventure this year, call us... it'll be so good, the admission will soon be forgotten!

A snowy backcountry weekend..

2010-02-21T20:03:00.000-08:00

It just doesn't get a whole lot better... deep snow, bright sun, cold nights, cool days, big mountains...
Great times to learn how to enjoy, REALLY enjoy the pleasures of being in the deep Blue Ridge backcountry.

A new feather on the Thunderbird..

2010-01-07T20:13:00.001-08:00

With real winter in place for a while, we took the opportunity to take advantage of conditions. Chad

and Jeremy put up a bunch of first ascents on amazing ice, hours of shinny were played, and a lot of preparations were being made for a tremendous 2010 season..

Snowbound solstice..

2009-12-21T17:30:00.000-08:00

Every year, more so than New Years Day, I mark the solstice... My life is ruled by the sun. And this year is no exception... you can choose to fight the darkness, but I live for the light. .. and just like being snowbound.. much of how you live is by choice. So we're really not snowbound, technically, here on the mountain. In fact we're anything but.
It 's a great way out of unwanted commitments however.. "Oh, you know, there is just so much snow, I really can't make it, safely..." Everything is forgivable once you use the "s" word... (Especially if you do and teach dangerous things for a living..)

So world, I'm snowbound. I'm not out skiing with my buddy Jeff.. (or Drew, Jake or Josh, or Clyde or...).. doing laps around his mountaintop meadow. I'm not tubing down icy chutes into the nighttime darkness... the only light being a weak, distant lantern and the winter' s waning crescent moon.
..and I'm definitely not spending time on the trails out my backdoor, regardless of where they lead... there's just too much snow, and cold, and who knows what... it's just not "safe".

..and so I fight the darkness, too. Another log on the fire, a moonlit hike down the snow-filled road..around the turns and down, with the air full of snow-smells and woodsmoke, and then I sit and dream of the long hours of springtime and basking on sundrenched rocks.. so far from where we are...

Slop Running..

2009-12-10T11:54:00.000-08:00

Early season, mid season, late season... in the mid Atlantic mountains, all of these are candidates for finding good slop for running..
Cold nights, warm days, and less than 10" of snow (new snow, old snow, any old snow).. make for cushioned footfalls, hidden rocks and holes, slippery takeoffs and turns, and wet, wild and sometimes muddy adventures at speed, spiraling up and down, over and under..
Plus, the mid thirty-degree range is an almost perfect running temperature and humidity level.. Change up your running game.. you'll be glad.
There's nothing like it!

Sometimes, I take for granted the treat it is to live on a mountainside.
With an arctic air mass inbound, I decided to take advantage of the above described running conditions...and at 1.30pm, at 1100 ft elevation, the temperature right at 32, I started on my "up the mountain over and back again" run... From the (relative) calm but shady SE (leeward)side of the ridge.. all was right with the world.
2.15 pm I was topping out at somewhere around2,400 ft the temperature was now in the low 20s.. and the slop was gone and in it's place was crusty styrofoam, and where there was no snow, the surface layer of leaves and mud was a frozen, slippery laminate... waiting for my careless footfall. Crossing to the NW side of the ridge, the full force gale winds of the approaching front were brutal... the sweat was freezing on my hat and on my sunglasses...
2.55pm returning to the start, temperature now in the mid twenties... and it feels so good.

Assymetry

2009-12-01T06:47:00.000-08:00

So, today is the first of December...wow!!! November '09 has come and gone in a seeming flash.
Our guiding season has been busy with people realizing the beauty and wonder of the outdoors in the "off-season" (reality?? there never really is an off season.. perception vs reality)...
And with the longer nights, sitting by a fire it's also when we have the time to do a bit of reflection on our business... and where we are.. and all the variables that are beyond our control and knowing... and the things that just don't make sense....
* * *
Here is a secret (?!)...some of the best times of the year for being in the mountains is during the short daylight months November thru March... The mountains are all yours, a private playground.. and the beauty and the views are truly extraordinary.

But with most folks only thinking "warm weather=mountain fun", the phones and e-mails have been crazy... people competing for the limited days to hike, climb, paddle, explore etc.. all after 1 May 2010... Already, the summer months of Jun-Aug are nearing capacity...
* * *
In September, I was contacted by my friend Jedd Ferris of Blue Ridge Outdoors magazine... He wanted my opinion on new gear.. all the latest and greatest and "best of"... (In fact, in a sidebar in the November edition, I was identified as a "Gear Expert".) Wow... those of you who know me know 2 things...
1- We have a LOT of good gear; and, 2. None of it is the latest and greatest hi tech weenie stuff.. (ok, some of it is)
Our / MY focus and philosophy has always been that the best gear you can have is stored in your cranial vault.
Gear expert.. a new resume item.
* * *
So, going back to my Luddite roots, when you really don't like cell phones, or computers, or e-mails...what do you do??
They are a reality of doing business in this age. You suck it up, swallow your pride... and subscribe for service
Along with those business "necessities", so are the social networking tools of Facebook and Twitter.

I always promised my kids I'd never have a Facebook account. Just like I said I'd never have a cell phone (in 1993) or e-mail (in 1996)... I lied.

We are working to build a Facebook presence for Shenandoah Mountain Guides... and in the Spring, an accompanying Twitter account...
The thing is, like all that we do, if we're going to do this we want to do it well... and "it takes a village" (I'm gonna get sick)

Become a fan of Shenandoah Mountain Guides on Facebook.. It will be a way to keep up to date with what's going on, a way you can contribute your own images from trips and classes, learn about short notice activities and some great bargains...

There, I said it.
.. time to put another log on the fire.

Fire on the mountain..

2009-10-27T08:48:00.001-07:00

Even though this picture is several weeks old, and we are now past peak color, if you know where to look, in some of the more protected spots in Shenandoah, the remaining Fall colors combined with the plentiful ground water provide breath-taking scenery for another few weeks!
Monday, 26 October, Chad was featured on FOX 5 out of Washington DC, talking about just this topic!

October.... in September

2009-09-29T20:03:00.001-07:00

... or "What I did on Vacation"

So when you climb, hike, bike, paddle, camp, swim, explore, run, rappel ... etc. for a living, just what do you do for vacation down time? That was my dilemma. Having been on the go 7 days a week since early April, I found myself needing a break...
Of the three adventure activities (that I love) that I consider relaxing and vacation- worthy, two of them require cold, snowy / icy weather.. and the third required something I did not possess... a fast sea kayak.

What better way to accomplish two goals at once than a boat-building class with the Wooden Boat School?? (specifically a CLC sea kayak)

Something I've had in mind for years.. finally done...
so what's in store for future years' vacations? Expeditions... by boat... stay tuned....

..and while the boat is still not finished, it is getting closer by the day.. 30 minutes here, an hour there. Maybe by Thanksgiving we'll be ready for a maiden voyage..

all the buzz...

2009-09-18T17:56:00.001-07:00

We had time this week for a few "re"s..
We rehearsed an Adventure Race program we' re doing for a regional middle school, we re-visited our favorite bee tree (as in wild honey) here on the left. It's still going strong for more than four years now.. it's nice to see the wild hive returning ..and I had the chance to catch up on some reading and re-reading.
That was particularly rejuvenating...

One of the periodicals TL/SMG subscribes to is ORION... In the December 2008 editorial, "From the Editors" (Page 1) is a discussion of current political atmosphere in the country..

"Meanwhile, in a quiet corner of Olympic National Park, rains will fall onto the lichen-covered trees of that teeming ecosystem. A beaver will reinforce its lodge on Lake Umbagog in northern New England in preparation for the oncoming winter. And uncounted Americans will gaze into the star-filled skies and reflect upon the order of the cosmos.
Which of these realities is more real? The voices coming from the television? Or the trees and heavens and stars and the rhythms that have carried them through history? Which matters more?
It is neither newsworthy nor particularly insightful to observe that Americans live in an Orwellian world where language is twisted, culture is co-opted and many of us, to put it bluntly, are duped- duped in part by the unremitting Potemkin world of television and radio, newspapers and magazines, blogs and websites. But the reality of the natural world and the intelligence manifest in it- the world that lies behind the false-front constructions thrown up by political posturing, greed-driven economics, and self-centered gratification- is a profound truth. Beyond being the source of our sustenance and a wellspring of inspiration, the natural world today serves a new function: it is a baseline of honesty at a time when we desperately need honesty."
Amen.
I was glad to see the bees back and at work.... making honey for the tough times ahead.

slip slidin' away.... with an occasional jump

2009-09-05T07:02:00.000-07:00

..so with only one way in.. and only one way out, and much of that being on rope, Chad's first safety brief of the day begins...

and just like that, summer starts to wind down into Fall..

But it is ever so sweet while it's still with us!

MirZuk FITVENTURES meets the mountain..

2009-09-04T20:05:00.000-07:00

What happens when you gather folks from NY to FL who are interested in active vacations?
When you gather on our home turf of Shenandoah National Park..
You all have a ball!
..climbing, hiking, paddling, swimming... and that is all just in 3 days!
see their site mirzukfitventures

Outdoor Leadership

2009-08-31T19:34:00.000-07:00

A hot August day, a group of adventurous, prospective outdoor leaders, a plethora of problematic scenarios and a mountainside bushwhack traverse...
We're having some fun now!
One of the true joys of our work is when we teach our Outdoor Leadership classes. To have the opportunity to go into the mountains with experienced hikers, climbers, backpackers and educators and have open exchanges of ideas, techniques, methodologies and philosophies is a welcome bit of refreshment.

Typically, participants in our classes are those who will be responsible for leading others, regardless the experience level, when they go into the mountains. University outing club leaders, outdoor educators, prospective employees of other guide services and schools... all come to us for the highest level of professional training and certification available.

The SMG staff consists of master educators and national-level "certifiers" for outdoor adventure skills... we work hand in hand with several national assets whose focus is mountain safety and rescue. In other words, when we are not teaching Outdoor Leadership, we are doing it.

Of course, on a hot August afternoon, not everything is sweaty and deer tick infested... here we have a class taking a refreshing break at the ole' swimming hole..
ok, correction, not everything is sweaty.

.... and along the way towards gaining certification as Leave No Trace (LNT) Trainers, it's always a great demonstration to build and enjoy an LNT mound fire... a very low impact technique when done correctly.

Late Summer Blues..

2009-08-24T12:15:00.000-07:00

..the end of the wildflowers and the early signs of maples changing in the high country let us know that autumn is nearer than we think..

the late morning darkness, followed by the mist in the hollows and valley

But with all changes, there is sweetness if you take the time to look and have the inclination to embrace the good.

By the numbers..

2009-07-12T11:39:00.000-07:00

1,24, 2, 4, 14, 2:15, 5, 6, 07, 08, 09, 18, 45, 43.5, 73127 ?

1- goal for the group: complete the four-state challenge (variously known as the quad-state challenge and the Maryland Challenge) with the goal being to hike in four states along the Appalachian Trail in a day.

24- the maximum number of hours allowed for the challenge

2- the number of staff who accompanied the trip, also the number of shoes totally destroyed

4- the number of states to be stepped in during the course of the day and the number of boy scouts participating

14- the age of the youngest scout participant

52- the age of the oldest hiker

2:15 - as in A.M... the time in the morning we started in Pennsylvania, by headlight.

5- originally to be the number of minutes of rest between each 1 hour of hiking.

6- the average number of bananas consumed by each participant

07- the month of the event

08- the day of the event

09- the year of the event

18 the number of whole hours required to complete the hike

45 the number of additional minutes

43.5- the total number of miles hiked!

73127- the average number of steps hiked by each participant

unmeasurable, bordering on infinity- the distance from the top of Weverton Cliffs to Harpers Ferry WV

Southbound at 0600

Troop 194, Flemington NJ, from Camp Rock Enon's world class High Adventure program

Heading Home..

2009-05-25T19:25:00.000-07:00

through the mountains, after a long Memorial day weekend in and on the mountains..

Chock full of adventure

2009-05-11T10:40:00.000-07:00

(and pollen...)

The past 7 days have been just plumb full of adventure... our scheduled whitewater trip was flooded out due to the monsoon rains of of the central Appalachians/Blue Ridge... so we went southeast to the tidewater regions, paddling and camping ... in the mud.... a great week of discovery!
Cap that with a climb-a-palooza on Saturday and a weekend on Old Rag working with and training the Old Rag Mountain Stewards, and... whew!
Instead of a lot of words.. here are a bunch of pics!

About to pop!

2009-05-04T19:35:00.000-07:00

With all the spring rain.. the Blue Ridge is right on the verge of exploding! The next few weeks should be uproarious with wildflowers.. the trillium are nearing peak at the lower elevations and even Pink Lady Slipper has been noticed.. we've picked a fair number of merkles, and bluets are lining every rocky trail. NOW is the time to come visit Shenandoah, park your car, and take a hike that will take your breath away!

.. a long forgotten and disused Blue Ridge spring... still flows at more than 50 gallons per minute

Slow is smooth...

2009-04-29T08:50:00.000-07:00

Last week, (18-24 April) Chad, Jeremy and I were honored to be asked to help teach the EHART (Eastern High Angle Rescue Training) class for the National Park Service and other federal agencies in North Carolina's Blue Ridge Parkway (near Linville Gorge). The high elevations, the long days, the SNOW(!), the awesome group of professionals, with whom we were working.. and the chance to do dangerous things in high places was all a balm to our collective souls.
There is nothing like rappelling late into the night, in a cold, 50+ mph wind off of a mile-high swinging bridge...to be followed by a headlight-lit rock climb... no this is not recreation... it's training. (though I can see how it can be confused for fun!)

..the bottom line is it is all about learning, and teaching others, how to save the lives of those who have gotten themselves into untenable situations in the mountains.
As members of the training cadre, we took, and take a great deal of satisfaction in knowing that the skills we were teaching will someday make a key difference in some unknown person's quality of life.

.. and smooth is fast..

..therefore, Slow is Fast!

Work Weekends..

2009-04-06T21:28:00.000-07:00

First, take a spring weekend... earth, bursting with fresh rain..
Kick it off with a Friday afternoon whitewater canoeing class.

Add in a Saturday filled with a mountainside introduction to outdoor, 4-season survival.

End with a brilliantly sunny, Sunday rock climbing class...

and you just gotta love it!

It's the things you don't see...

2009-03-27T06:02:00.000-07:00

Many times over the years, we've been approached with comments to the effect of "you all make "it" (outdoor mountain adventure) look so effortless.."
..and in fairness, I suppose by the time a long-scheduled adventure occurs, it does look pretty effortless.
But what is not seen by our guests are the countless hours we spend in preparation for any given trip.
This spring, we have a 3-day whitewater canoe camping trip scheduled with a group of local students. It is through a very scenic and culturally rich area in our 4-state region (PA, MD, VA, WV)
We've run this trip countless times through the years, but this year we will be using a new river access point.

To prepare ourselves fully for this trip, so that our guests may have the "full experience," some of the steps we have taken, (beyond food, gear and logistic planning) include:

-Prepare a full geologic profile of the area so that the encountered geologic feature can be explained;
-Prepare a comprehensive document of climate factors, along with native and invasive flora and fauna discussions;
-Prepare a historical guide to the trip covering what is known from prehistoric studies through modern times, addressing land use, human migration, conflict and settlement.. and challenges for the future;
-Complete a preliminary site survey which focused on river access points,shuttle routes, water levels, and "cool" places of interest. (while much of this is available on the internet and in river guidebooks.. our experience has shown us that NOTHING replaces eyes on our objective...

-And we still have to conduct a complete pre-trip site survey from the water... we want no surprises that may compromise safety or the enjoyment of the trip for our guests; and of course,
-lastly, we are preparing alternative, contingency plans, just in the event that at the last moment, the trip we had planned becomes inaccessible or unsafe due to high or low water..

Here we note a key river gauge that will be a critical factor in our late spring trip planning.
That's a lot of work for a 3-day trip (about 12 days worth of planning)... but so worth it.. it makes our work effortless!

Wilderness First Aid.

2009-03-11T09:38:00.000-07:00

Last weekend's class was, as usual, amazing!
Backcountry emergency care is a skill important for all levels of outdoors enthusiasts.. not just the professionals.
This year's class included medical doctors, bicycle trekking guides, summer camp staffers, outdoor educators, scout and youth group leaders, and a great American who has given close to the fullest measure...

Part of the day's activity included the construction of a hypothermia wrap.. a "burrito," in addition to usual fractures, deformities and other trauma and medical emergencies..

.. a burrito of this type is also a critical cold weather survival skill.

TA DA!! a warm and cozy, controlled environment!

SharpTop

2009-03-03T07:45:00.000-08:00

(The content for this blog was sent from Drew.. a college student and ski patroller at Wintergreen, and SMG guide (summer). With the recent dump of snow (finally!)he had the opportunity to achieve a personal goal.. the pictures speak for themselves..EPIC!)

From Drew:
"Going into this year I had only one goal: ski up and down Sharp Top. Whether it had been done or not before does not matter because as of 12:30 on March 2nd, Sharp Top has been skied (up and down)."

To see all of Drew's photos, click here

Human-powered flight.

2009-02-04T12:15:00.000-08:00

Flying through forest and field..
The possibilities of this flight are endless...
shhh.. shhh.. whispers the snow as I jet thru the trees, throwing snowflake contrails..
Kick, glide, kick and glide... thirty feet with every stride.
The power is amazing.. roaring thru woods, silently.. It makes me giddy.. even now.
The trailside bushes blur past, yet each one, each rock, each log, is etched on my consciousness.
I breathe deeply .. a complete breathe.. it singes the depths of my lungs, making me ever more alive, focused, in the moment. ..and taking me ever higher.
Light gear on lighter snow..further and further from the day below.

and all of a sudden... GIANTS

2009-01-24T18:54:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, I was honored to be part of a planning session for the 150th anniversary of the Civil War for the Heart of the Civil War Heritage Area... (the region encompassing south central PA, central MD, eastern WV and northwestern VA..)
It was a fine gathering...many friends and associates that I've come to know and respect over the years.. resource managers and planners, historians and educators.
..All are stewards of this precious cultural and natural resource.. this mountain-valley-river filled region.
The other common thread was the "fire" within...because even though the actual physical age of the participants ran the scale from 20s thru 70s.. each person's commitment to the task at hand was absolutely ageless. The call to stewardship burns bright within each.

My seating partner was my good friend Mike Dudash,(River and Trail Outfitters) a longtime river guide, paddler, teacher, environmental educator and steward of not just the Shenandoah River, but all of Earth's waters.
Mike has been living his calling, and the life he loves, for as long as I've known him, which is close to 25 years now... it was great to see him (not working) and to catch up on life and what's going on.

* * *

And, again today, I had the chance to visit with another long-time friend, Arthur Kearns, (owner of Mountain Trails in Winchester and the Gendarme and Seneca Rocks Climbing School, in Seneca Rocks WV).. we had the chance to shoot the breeze on all sorts of things from our feelings about Corridor H to news of mutual acquaintances... from his new parking lot to Boy Scouts buying good outdoor gear.

So tonight, as I sat beside the fire, watching the flames, I kept reflecting on the past 36 hours and all those people I had seen and spent time with..

My thinking came round to focus on a group of friends and peers in this business (outdoor ed/adventure/guiding) who are absolutely ageless, amazing.. Mike and ACK, Clyde Hicks (of the Trail House),Chipper Chase (White Grass) Lester Zook (Wild Guyde), Steve Bair (NPS-Shenandoah) Dave Griffin (attorney.. but a great guy) and I just tried to connect the dots..

They are each CERTIFIED fire breathers... they don't just believe in their calling.. rather, they BELIEVE IN THEIR CALLING.. and if you know them, you know this is true.. they draw so much energy from what they do that it spins off in the untold amounts of pure exuberance for life. Joy in action. Their work is "play" in the eyes of others.

They are owners of few things but stewards of all things.. of life... lived passionately and fully.

They are all locals.. if not by birth, by choice.
.. and amongst the outdoor community of the region, they are known or known of, by virtually all..

I tried to recollect the mental images of each in turn.. maybe it was the glass of wild grape wine.. maybe it was the fire, but they all started to blur and blend. All I could think of were the common denominators ("short, tall, skinny, stout, thinning hair, weathered skin, wrinkles around the eyes from incessant grinning and squinting in the sun..")

It's hard to get past the sparkle in the eye, (a hint of the soul within).. and no one really gets past the energy.. (I think that people who are following their calling soon lose their physical appearance... all you really see and feel... all that really matters is the energy in their soul.)

so... the point of this ramble?
The thing is this.. to see these people is nothing remarkable.. just folks... but to know them, and the work they do and have done in these mountains is nothing short of feeling like you're in the company of giants..

Changing for the good... Inauguration Day 2009

2009-01-20T12:20:00.000-08:00

Yes.. it's finally colder.. and snow has found its way back into our world. And while some of us are out poking around on the magnificent ice of WV (see the Blue Ridger blog link on the left) others are up exploring the Blue Ridge crest, and still others, like me, are content to let their bodies heal while enjoying the deep freeze January pleasures of wild ice and frozen streams and yes, a wee bit of back country skiing in what over the past several years has come to be very fleeting occurrence... snow in the mid Atlantic mountains.

For the first time in 5 years we had sub zero temperatures at the SMG office.. Our frozen spring-fed stream assured us that indeed, the mercury had tanked ... and thru mid February (at least) it promises to be more of the same... (to explain that last comment to those of you who may not understand... springwater is usually much warmer than you might think. It generally comes to the surface very near the ambient temperature of the subsurface groundwater.. about 54 degrees.)

With lots of cold weather activities, we also relish the warm times of sitting around the woodstove and fireplace.. It leads us to focus all the more on the adventures we'll have when everyone else comes out of hibernation.

Our website has been really revised, and my gosh, we're even accepting online payments... While we will never relinquish our proud Luddite heritage.. (it took us 10 years to get e-mail) even this is changing a bit.. and yes, hopefully for the good.

Jake models his new "ice axe."

This orange-red flash beneath the ice is actually koi, a large gold fish someone released in a fire pond high up in Maryland's Catoctin Mountains.

Change.. it does a body good!

Recipe for (guaranteed) Wonder and Awe

2009-01-03T20:13:00.000-08:00

(This recipe has been passed down in my family through the ages... it's just as good now as it was 1,000 years ago.)

Wonder and Awe

Ingredients:
- 1 scheduled meteor shower or comet (see the calendar at the bottom of this page)
- 1 clear night, no haze or cloud cover
- 1 early setting or late rising moon
- 1 meadow, field, clearing or yard away from night lights or ambient light pollution
- 1 (or more, as needed) large tarp or blanket
- 1 or more people with appropriately rated sleeping bags or quilts(must be willing to endure lumpy ground)

Procedure:
1. After checking the calendar, gather all ingredients and proceed to the meadow, field, clearing or yard.
2. Turn off all technological forms of interference.. block them from your mind.
3. Spread tarp or blanket(s) on ground.
4. If the ground is level, arrange the people like spokes on a wheel, heads toward the hub. Alternately if the meadow is sloping, arrange like sardines, side-by-side, with heads uphill. (If the night air is cool-to-cold, tightly packed sardines is a more appropriate method.)
5. Maintain a broad viewing horizon with a broad focus.
6. Relax, be filled with wonder and awe.
7. Drink it in deeply and enjoy.

Traditions.

2009-01-02T15:35:00.000-08:00

2009! Hopefully to be a year of great change!
While some worry about world peace and the economic doldrums we chose to make the most of the first day of the New Year. First there were family gatherings, feasting and celebrations of epic proportions... then there were the traditional hikes up into the mountains..

Of course, when some of the older cousins are also SMG guides there are bound to be some extreme celebrations..
Air temperature : 22... water temperature : 32.1... fun factor: 10 of 10!

To be followed this week by a pilgrimage to Northern New England in search of climbable ice and skiable snow...

..and along those lines, this cheerful thought (not!) from Accuweather's Henry Margusity: "as far as winter weather, thanks to global warming, Atlanta is the new Miami, Charlotte is the new Atlanta, Richmond is the new Charlotte, DC is the new Richmond, Philadelphia the new DC.. and so it goes." (sic)

Holidays on ice...

2008-12-24T08:22:00.001-08:00

Seasons Greetings!

and a quick New Years Eve 2008 edit...
I'm usually out on the mountainside for the sunrise.. hiking, running, yoga/stretching, cutting wood... time in the quiet to gather my thoughts for the day ahead..
I've become a big believer in signs... all Fall we had the most incredible red sunrises (red sky in morning...).. and then of course the abundance of wild grapes and cones (results? the abundance of 2008 wild grape wine and (remember?) how harsh November was!)

This morning was a bit different.. maybe it was the fresh wind howling over the ridge, the snow showers or just the light coming a wee bit earlier. I'm not sure what it was that felt.. just DIFFERENT somehow.

It may have been hearing from my good friend Walter Lema (from St Martin de los Andes, Patagonia Synapsis-Patagonia) last night. His words reminded me that following your heart and your calling, brings true satisfaction and peace to your soul.

It may have been sitting in the chair made by my sons (Creekside Adirondack Chairs) my Christmas gift made from recycled skis.. that very well may be the most comfortable chair I've ever sat upon.

It may have been the promise of so many good times to come.. a thought fresh in my mind from almost finishing the new format for the 2009 calendar (at the bottom of this blog)

.. and it just may have been looking forward to tonight's bonfire with family and friends..

Whatever it is, 2008 is almost history.. and the promise of 2009 is powerful.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Fire and Ice..

2008-12-10T10:33:00.000-08:00

..sun, wind and rock.

Into the crucible, go these elements of winter adventures.

As the natural world slows for a rest, we gear up for the sort of adventures that can only be had in this time of year..

Many of you* will be receiving, shortly, an e-newsletter about some of our upcoming activities... some of the information will be found here on this blog, other will be found in early January on our website.
Adventures, adventure learning and the wild world of the mountains and rivers in the Blue Ridge, Potomac Highlands and Alleghenies ...all make for an enriched life, well lived.
.. the sort of life many hesitate to embrace, but love it once they do.... This year come to the source. Join us and bring your friends and loved ones .. on the rocks and waters and paths of our home range..

* if you would like to be added to our limited e-mailing please send a note to Andy at adventure@teamlinkinc.com

**As a special offer to those who follow our blog, sign up for any of our guided adventure programs between now and 25 December and receive a 10% discount for you and your group.. good for any time in 2009 .. mention coupon code "SB1208"

Now What???

2008-11-22T17:39:00.000-08:00

You're out for a late fall hike.... you kind of know where you wanted to go, rather, where you meant to go, but now it's getting dark, definitely cooling off, and spitting snow. You're not sure, but you're pretty sure that you're just getting deeper and deeper in the woods...Now what??

Well if you go through one of our classes, you'll know that situational awareness in combination with being prepared for whatever may come is the key to turning a bad situation into something that closely resembles fun... Why just survive when you can learn to thrive??

This weekend, while most of the SMG staff (meaning all but me) were out either making tracks in WV's four feet of new snow (!!) or putting up the first lines on this years Blue Ridge ice, or both. The rest of us, (namely, me) stayed behind to teach a new course.

Intro to Outdoor Survival (IOS), is a course that hits the highpoints of our 3-day BOSS course..without the sleeping-out component. It's also a course we designed at the request of our partners, Excitations and Discovery Channel.. (look for it in the Discovery Christmas Catalog, Experiential Gifts, or directly from Excitations) Drawn directly from our very in-depth BOSS class, IOS covers the basics of what it takes to survive, (including building a personal survival kit), water, shelter, signaling and fire. It also includes a healthy dose of navigation and (constant) focus on situational awareness . (IOS is only available thru Excitations /Discovery. You cannot register directly thru us.)

A perfect class for the weekend hiker, the occasional car-camper or the aspiring backpacker... It's designed to give the student a solid grasp of the skills and knowledge that can make the difference between a fun day in the mountains or agony.. or maybe even between life or death.

This weekend we had students from Philadelphia, Northern VA and MD.... and I think all would agree, it was a very powerful and empowering, and fun, class.
AWESOME!

An Acute Sense of Place.

2008-11-20T11:46:00.001-08:00

Tilting into winter.. and working in the mountains, and on the mountains.. is to know that life and love cannot be easily distinguished from the other.
I'm always stunned by the profound realization of how full of life these mountains really are (and always have been). . or is it love?
The weak autumn sun slipping over the next ridge should diminish the view and bring forth a monochrome landscape. Yet these mountains, the very trees, fight the fight. Even as their days are numbered they are full of energy and life and light.
Amen

Falling Backward

2008-10-30T18:08:00.000-07:00

The intention is to keep this blog current.. so much for intentions. Normally as the summer crowds wane, so does the demand for our services... until this year. Between long days in the Blue Ridge, our work with a multitude of schools, companies and organizations, the Old Rag Mountain Steward program... our days are complete.

So with our website woefully out of date, gear needing cleaning, repair and stowage for the winter.. so much "real work" that needs to be done, we do what is most obvious..
We stay out as much as possible.. putting off the inevitable for some rainy / snowy day when no other activity can be justified... (Who am I kidding?)
Yesterday, we were up on the spine of Shenandoah with elements of DC city government... for those folks, it was definitely not business as usual! Beyond the 25 degree temperature difference, there was also SNOW... but just a dusting.... and a very good sign for us and our friends.. there was lots of roadside ice and a clear snotsicle off the old mans nose...

(the wonderfully miraculous thing about this time of year is the amount of contrast... just 3 ridges over into WV... within eyesight of mountaintops.. our good friend Chip Chase at Whitegrass was celebrating with a foot of new snow!.. Game on!)

Our college classes (Shepherd and Hood) canoeing and climbing are complete.. both wrapped up with spectacular field trips into the dazzling color...

And as Autumn wraps our world in still deeper shadows and the occasional chilly flurry. It all just keeps getting better and better!

Late summer sun always sets too soon.

2008-09-16T13:09:00.000-07:00

This post is only about 3 weeks late.. which is pretty good, considering. This time of year is always very special. Just as the farmers and orchardists wrap up their growing season, we at Teamlink and Shenandoah Mountain Guides wrap up our robust summer programming.
No sooner does it wind down than we begin putting the schedule together for 2009.. and that's where we are now..

September's Washingtonian Magazine ran Bill and Mary Burnham's article on guided hiking in Shenandoah National Park.. The Overall Run waterfall described in the article is currently just a trickle.. but if you scroll down thru these posts, you can see what it looked like when the authors did the hike.

Our GWU Outdoor Leadership class had the chance to check out Overall up close and personal as we had another incredible mountain experience with these leaders of the TRAiLS program.

This is also the time of year when we try to wrap all of our rained out and re-scheduled programs be it climbing or paddling..
trying to take advantage of the late summer sun,
Only to find out just how weak it is as the evening comes earlier and earlier

.. of course the end of summer brings about the departure of our summer interns and staff. As they go back to school. We wish them the best on their learning adventures. We also look forward to hearing how they have been able to enrich their respective school's outdoor adventures.

As a last note, two of our summer staff, I'm particularly proud of are Drew and Jake. Besides being great climbers, paddlers and skiers, they are also pretty darn good collegiate athletes in soccer (at Lynchburg College in VA) and football(at McDaniel College in MD) respectively. The picture at left shows Jake after being invited to practice his kicking with Baltimore Ravens kicker Matt Stover...wow.

Oh, they are also my sons...

SMG guide, Chad ... Action Photographer!

2008-09-16T13:01:00.000-07:00

yes indeed folks, this is Chad in action! on Old Rag, with a frat from VT... Action photography is not for mere mortals.. don't try this at home.

Southern Living...

2008-07-23T08:07:00.000-07:00

To all of you who have found your way to this blog as a result of the Southern Living article of August 08...Welcome!

This is an occasional blog kept by me, Andy Nichols, the director of Programs for both Teamlink and Shenandoah Mountain Guides. It reflects on some of the stuff we're doing, have done and are looking forward to doing.

On the left side margin you'll see a few links to other blogs, Blue Ridger, kept by Jesse VonFange, a friend and fellow native Rappahannock Countian (he has AWESOME imagery), Shenandoah Mountain Guides, maintained by Chad, one of our full time guides (another native R.C.), Teamlink, which is VERY occasional and addresses the corporate and school part of our programming. There are also links to two websites: of course one is ours, Teamlink/SMG, and the other is to a kindred spirit, Whitegrass... also living and working immersed in the mountains and all they bring. (on our website there is a more comprehensive list of links to partners, friends and associates... working with them makes us who we are)

As I write this, we're in the heart of our summer.. which means we have staff all over the place, except in the office. We're working in (eastern) WV, (western) MD, (northwestern)VA and (southwestern)PA.. in the mountains and on the rivers.. wherever, you can bet we're having a pretty good time.

To contact us you can try our office phone, or better, try e-mail through our website.

We're looking forward to hearing from you.

Pondering the wonders of Red Creek

2008-07-21T18:25:00.000-07:00

A trip to that corner of our high country world brought out the "ahhs " and "oohs".. and then
we got down to serious jumpin' and swimmin'..

Unbearably Busy

2008-07-16T19:31:00.001-07:00

As it should be this time of year.. our days start about 0500 and end sometime just before midnight. (Time spent on) the rocks and ridges of the Potomac Highlands, on (and in) the highland creeks and rivers, and in the waterfalls of our local Blue Ridge .. is a mighty nice place to punch the clock.. and you should see the corner office!
Will write more when the dust settles a bit... until then well, we'll see you in the hills!
We'll have a ton of imagery to upload as well!

BTW... and FWIW... (cool abbrevs huh?.. next thing I'll be texting.. oh yeah, for that I need a cell phone with reception..)
Jeremy is on a month long break for a backpack tour of Iceland.. and Chad and some of our other friends are out in Washington doing a self guided ascent of Rainier...
Who needs all that when I have fresh huckleberries from.. places... near the "office" ??

In the heat of the summer..

2008-06-13T12:15:00.000-07:00

From our nice cool spring into the maw of the inferno in the snap of a finger... what's ever happened to transitions?

It's been a busy season for the folks at Shenandoah Mountain Guides and Teamlink.. a lot of end of school activities, a lot of time spent up in them thar hills...
From graduations (Congratulations Jake!) and all of the end-of-school-year activities and hoopla, to tromping all over the Blue Ridge.. to floating anything with water... This life is kind of like one big party.. and it just doesn't get much better!

Our guided adventure programs have been nothing less than amazing.... even on the micro scale... even for us! This is just another (one of many) upturned trees in a damp cove around the 2500 ft level on one of our local hills..
...until you look closer. Hundreds of tiny toadstools. (click on the image for the full effect.)

Besides our guiding, the Old Rag Mountain Steward program, a pilot program we are spearheading in conjunction with Shenandoah National Park, has proven to be significantly challenging. After three weekends of being on the mountain, we've experienced winter, spring and summer, encountered thousands of visitors, some ready for the conditions, many not quite as ready as they wished. We've assisted hundreds, helped locate numerous (misplaced people) and responded to several ("almost" medical emergencies.)

When the day is done, we're like whipped puppies.. ready and able to sleep in a second.

Stewardship by its very nature is born out of love and respect.. This mountain, Old Rag, which towered over me and sheltered me in my childhood, tempted me out to climb and explore during and after class (in high school) occupied many weekends and summer afternoons (in college), and filled my sleepless nights when I was light years distant (in the Navy)... This is a mountain to which I owe so much.
If all I can do is be a good steward to her, and help keep those who venture out on her flanks and summit rocks safe... than I will feel I have at least attempted to repay my debt.

Dung beetles. They lay their eggs in dung. Roll the dung into little balls, then roll those dung balls to wherever dung beetles roll their dung balls to... Go to the SMG blog to see the result of Chad's photographic efforts... below
For the next two Saturday evenings, we'll be doing our summer solstice hikes deep into the meadow at Big Meadows in SNP.. come on out and join us as we hike into the night, then watch the stars come out as the summer haze sinks into the valley.. Let your senses go wild.. taste the rich afterglow of the sun as she sinks thru the distant West Virginia ridges, breathe in the spruce- fir and wildflower aroma of a high elevation glade, wrap yourself in the summer chill, under a blanket of stars, listen as the dew forms on the grasses and sedges of the meadow floor, to a background symphony of barred owls, and watch as two by two, the meadow border fills with eyes... "we won't be gone long, you come too"

All next week, we'll be out on the river.. really...come go with us.

Like a fox on the run..

2008-05-17T18:16:00.001-07:00

All the way from Milano, Italy! a bachelor party like no other.. wine "growers" and business men.. childhood buddies. Hiking and toasting each other on our beautiful Blue Ridge.. In this cold wet spring, we are very thankful for the mountain huts along some of the backcountry ridges. A hut, a little hot cocoa, and all is right with the world.

We all had the opportunity to head out on some of our favorite trails last week. (You'll have to visit Chad's blog as well - the SMG blog) Chad was down in Roanoke getting his certification as an LNT Master Educator.. while we got to spend some major good times in the highlands

Two weeks ago we kicked off the first of the Old Rag Mountain Steward weekends.. and it was a c-c-cold weekend indeed! howling winds, spitting rain(?) I swear it was sleet! It made Old Rag resemble Mt Washington more than a lesser Blue Ridge peak...The summit temps were a solid 20 degrees cooler than the base.. It's always interesting to see folks arrive at the summit in tank tops and shorts, when the temperature is in the high 30s... not counting the wind chill. At the same time we shivered here.. our good friends at White Grass WV were getting a late spring snow.. you gotta love mountains!!

Folks from the lower piedmont, tidewater and northern VA/DC/ metro MD head to the mountains with great enthusiasm, but arrive at the summit with the same shocked expression.. "It wasn't this cold in Fredericksburg" must have been overheard 25 times. Wingtips, heels, umbrellas, briefcases... "Folks this is a NATIONAL park.. not a municipal park!"
The clouds and icy squalls kept blowing in.. bumping into, the mountain before lifting up and over.. leaving little "wind eddy" clouds spiraling on the back side.

We're preparing ourselves for another amazing spring weekend in a few days.. Memorial Day weekend. We will again be on Old Rag... being good stewards to our favorite playground.

'Taters, Merkles, Creekin', Jacks, 'Falls and Trillium.. It's Springtime in Shenandoah!

2008-04-28T17:37:00.000-07:00

It's said that spring comes to the Blue Ridge at the rate of 100 feet per day...
But that isn't the only marker of spring.. for as the mountains green, so do our lives' activities mark the season's arrival.. in work, in play... in celebration... climbing, paddling, hiking... chasing that 100 ft per day... (and when we catch it, we put in in our pocket for next winter's fireside)

Potatoes cut and planted, the harvest distant, but already in sight.. the spring's cool rains and sun's warmth bring out a variety of eminently edible mushrooms known as morels from the forest floor.. ("merkles" as they're pronounced locally, perhaps from "miracle" in the local dialect) Sprouting from nothing.. free for the taking, and easy on the taste buds.

A day, or two or three is never wasted when spent hunting miracles.

And not only do the rains bring forth merkles from the forest duff, but they also swell the local creeks and bring out the year's crop of white water boaters from Hood College.. testing their newly acquired skills, and stretching the limits of what is within their abilities.. and not ceasing to be amazed.

Overall Falls, the icy playground of our winter afternoons, now mercurial, is breathtaking as it leaps off the mountain in full flight..filling the air with white noise and mist.. plunging headlong into the valley below.

Waterfalls and wildflowers, wildflowers and waterfalls.. the ying and yang of springtime in Shenandoah.

Our scheduled weekly hikes (Thursdays) and climbs (Wednesdays) in Shenandoah National Park have started... and life for us and our guests just doesn't get a whole lot sweeter!

On a recent warm day we were joined by Bill and Mary Burnham, noted travel writers and guidebook authors.. as they journeyed with us into higher and less visited regions of Shenandoah. The uphill labors were well rewarded. Our day was measured not by mileage or even by elapsed time, but by the procession of the green into the heights as we passed through the seasons, from the emerald lowlands, back into winter grays of the heights.

(someone please queue Copeland's "Fanfare for the Common Man")

Invasive Species in Full Bloom

2008-04-13T07:48:00.000-07:00

Ahh! Spring is in the air! The ice is melting, the snow is gone, and the air is filled with the songs of birds! Everywhere the earth is awakening to a new year of growth! The warm spring sun draws us to the mountains like moths to a flame, like bees to nectar, like flies to ... whatever flies eat.

Wildflowers abound.. the native species are breathtaking the way they can cling , grow and thrive in unbelievably thin soils and harsh conditions. Amongst the most beautiful displays of wildflowers however, is an intruder, an invader...
Disturbingly there is a marked increase in the occurrence of this nasty invasive species... the dreaded white variety* of the blooming tipi.

Escaped from domestication, where it has thrived throughout the past century, this invasive is increasingly perennial and widespread in nature. Determined to do some research, I discovered the following:

Common Name: Tipi Blossom (Usedum bumwadicus)
domesticated paper family (Charminscottangelsoftcottonelle)

Description: This rootless, stemless, leafless flower has white to brown tinged petals of varying shapes and sizes, from tight clusters to broad and patchy displays of petals. It contains no chlorophyll. Newer blossoms may have a distinct "fresh " fragrance (the fragrance diminishes quickly over time).
Despite many opportunities for pollination by insect,winged and crawling, it produces no obvious fruit.
Height:New blossoms to 6". Older blossoms generally less than 1 "

Flowering: Year round (with fewer new blossoms in mid winter)

Habitat: Generally found throughout the eastern woodlands, particularly on public recreation lands. More common at trailheads and within 20 feet of established hiking trails and fire roads. Mostly behind rocks and large trees.. but has been noted increasingly in plain view in the middle of pedestrian access ways, on windswept mountain summits, and at stream-side access points and water sources.

Range: Maine to Georgia, not restricted by elevation or climate.

Comments: The lifespan of the flowers of this species can vary widely.. with the the chlorinated varieties lasting upwards of two years(!) Those planted underground or of the "non-chlorinated variety" usually last around one year. While most mature humans find the display of this flower repugnant, others may find this flower strangely attractive. Feel free to pick this flower for re-potting at home.. (caution: the delicate fragrance may not be pleasing to all)
The reproduction and spread of this plant remains a mystery as it appears to be sterile.
Considered by most to be the easiest invasive species to control, it requires little more than forethought and planning.

This year, please do your part to wipe out this species.

(for more information on the control of this species refer to http://www.lnt.org or contact SMG http://shenandoahmountainguides.org for more information

* the brown variety should NOT be picked!

ADVENTURE!!

2008-03-21T18:22:00.000-07:00

As featured in National Geographic Adventure magazine for the month of April, our 2008 guided hiking/climbing season officially kicked off today (March 21) with a guided father-daughter hike up and over Old Rag Mountain.This may be the earliest start of our spring guiding season, ever...

Found on page 38 of the magazine, in the "Instant Adventure", East section, you can read all about our guided hiking on Old Rag Mountain in Shenandoah National Park. A memorable hike regardless of your experience or age, ORM is always refreshing, and leaves you full of wonder and awe.

The article refers to the "50,000 hikers" who start out on the trail to the summit every year..what was left unsaid in the article was that unfortunately, many of those who start out, are ill prepared and insufficiently experienced to complete the circuit or even summit. A long, dry, exposed hike that often requires the use of your hands as well as your feet, the hike climbs up into a granite-filled summit region that is always windy (often howling and harsh) and much cooler than the surrounding valleys and hollows. It can be an intimidating hike for the inexperienced.. but unforgettable, too!(file picture from August 2007)

Old Rag is home to a unique plant community, found only on the occasional mountain top and rock outcrop, and rarely outside of the Northeastern US and Canadian mountains several hundred miles to the north. We'll have more about Old Rag as the season progresses, as we are doing some exciting, cutting edge work in conjunction with the National Park Service. For now, however, we are happy in the knowledge that not a week will go by between now and November that we won't have the opportunity to make this amazing climb/hike. You ought to grab your hiking stuff, (especially your camera!) and join us..

(also, see Chad's Shenandoah Mountain Guides blog)

Be Prepared

2008-03-11T11:01:00.000-07:00

.. our mantra.

Early spring.. guiding season right around the corner.. that's when our refresher training cycle kicks into full swing. Training for our staff includes not only interagency training (rangers of the National Park System, military rescue/SOF teams and other emergency service providers) but also a tremendous amount of personal professional development. To even QUALIFY for summer internship application, a person must show a high level of personal motivation to prepare the most important tool in the outdoors... their BRAIN. This past weekend, we completed our annual wilderness first aid training weekend.

Students included PhDs, scout leaders, former professional athletes, survival instructors, trip leaders, climbers, alpinists, students... and our staff, including several of our 2008 crop of interns.

So, be prepared... as an outdoor professional, guide, instructor, practitioner, you owe it to your loved ones, to your guests, your students and to your clients... but mostly you owe it to yourself.

"that others may live"

2008-02-28T07:58:00.000-08:00

..or so goes the motto of some of the search and rescue (SAR) and mountain rescue teams we work and train with.... Sometimes, I think it should read "THAT WE MAY PLAY!" .. based on the enthusiastic zeal with which the SMG staff approaches "training" opportunities.
This past Tuesday sucked... and it sucked really good, bordering on GREAT! The conditions were full on, late winter-early spring melt down.. temps about 32-38, intermittent downpours of rain, slippery rocks, melting snow, ice and mud. What more could you ask for from a training day?
We were out with the Shenandoah National Park technical high angle rescue team getting in some late season ice work.. oh and did I mention that the day was really wet and cold? It was.
The goal for the day was to do some advance planning for rescues in difficult access areas that receive an increasing amount of winter use... and to do a little ice climbing training for the team.

We all had a ball! Well, at least the SMG side of the group anyway... I think most of the rest of the team found the day "memorable".. (except for maybe Alan... who, even though he has a "real" job in the Park, probably ought to be named an honorary member of the SMG team.)

The ice was rapidly eroding and delaminating. Of course for the first time ice climbers in the group, you could hardly ask for better conditions with which to get acquainted with the sport!

The first ledge was only about 20 feet off the deck, but the spray made that first 20 feet the longest, coldest shower you'd ever want to take. That's only my opinion.

At the end of the day, as the park roads were getting closed for the ice and snow that was forecast, we had a chance to remind ourselves that working at the higher elevations, even in the mid-Atlantic, beats the the lowlands... and that we'd take a windburned face and chapped hands any day over cube-life.

Where am I?? Where are you??

2008-02-11T08:15:00.000-08:00

This morning started out at 4 above zero.. just the way we like our February mornings!
And I dare not say it, but there is s-n-o-w in the forecast. YES!!!
Well, let me clarify, in keeping with this year, there is also rain and freezing rain in the forecast.. but if I ignore those maybe they won't happen... come on snow!

This week we start our midweek class series with the popular Land Navigation course...Being the luddites that we are, we think there is a real elegance in being able to use a map and compass to navigate our way into, thru and out of the backcountry.
To know, with confidence, where you are, where you want to go, and how you're going to get there.. well, it's a very powerful feeling. Navigation is a 1,000 year old art that can never fully be replaced by GPS technology.
The day begins with compass / map theory and practical application and ends on a trail-less, roadless mountainside... but you will know exactly where you are and how you got there, and most importantly, how to get back! The cutoff for registration is Tuesday 12 Feb at noon!

Oh, and there are still seats in March's Wilderness First Aid weekend, so if you have not signed up the time is now! call the Trail House for more information 301.694.8448

Early February

2008-01-31T12:05:00.000-08:00

Well, we've been in the throes of a full blown melt down.. tough way to get through winter. The cycles this year really stink: cold for a week, a wee bit of snow then comes the warmth and rain. Repeat.
Climbable ice has been in tight supply this season, and snow? What's that? As we watch what little we've had melt and run off in torrents, it's easy to start thinking spring creekin' thoughts. Housekeeping, gear repair and answering the phone calls and emails for this summer's group reservations is keeping us pretty busy. Oh yeah, and then there are the phone calls from Chad, who is on a winter sabbatical out west.. backcountry skiing in 30 " of new one day, climbing some remote 200m ice the next.. a rough life indeed. (And just for the record Chad, trail running and biking are a very poor second.. especially since it's February.)

So what else is going on? We're busy preparing for our annual Wilderness First Aid Weekend

coming up March 8-9. If you are interested call us soon as the seats are going fast.

This will be the ninth year we've partnered with SOLO and the Trail House to bring this program to our corner of the world.

... and then our early spring schedule is on us with lots of paddling, guiding, teaching, hiking, and of course, climbing.

Thankfully before all of our January snow left us we were able to hold a small "pulk-making"workshop... a pulk is simply a sled that you pull behind you when skiing or snowshoeing. A pulk is an ideal way to carry anything you would normally wear on your back or for small children who want to go along but may not be up for the slog. Easy to control, A pulk allowed me to start taking my kids with me at very tender ages.