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July 11 - Virginia Hiking Trip
August 1 - Harper’s Ferry Hike
August 15 - White Oak Canyon Waterfalls Hike (Shenandoah National Park)
August 29 - Harper’s Ferry on the Water
September 5 - Shenandoah River Trip

Our meet-up was 11:30, but last week’s crew was a group of very responsible adults— everyone showed up 15 minutes early! After quick intros, we were off to our first stop: Historic Leesburg.

It was clear from the ride over that everyone clicked. By the time we got to Cowbell Kitchen, a cute farm-to-table spot sourcing from local growers, we were well past the icebreaker stage and chatting away over our food.

We spent almost an hour after lunch wandering the historic district, ducking into French boutiques, and poking around mixed 18th-20th century sites. Leesburg is bait for an international crew like ours, a lot of American leaders and foreign policymakers called the town home including, George C. Marshall, author of the Marshall Plan.

Our late-afternoon trail start was a blessing in disguise. We dodged most of the rain and scored cooler, overcast weather instead. We hiked Bear's Den, which ties into the Appalachian Trail but goes way easier on you than Buzzard Hill or Raven Rocks next door: two hours out-and-back, great valley views, and a side quest to the thru-hikers' lodge and campsite.

On the way out we spotted a place called Mom's Apple Pie at Hill High and obviously had to stop for a slice.

We closed out at a local brewery right before last call, and right before a Grateful Dead cover band went on. By the time we rolled back into DC, the group didn't feel like strangers anymore. It felt like a real crew I would love to hike with again.

Come find your hiking crew on our July 11 trip!