Events for Washington Women Outdoors. You can register for events online or through the mail. http://www.washingtonwomenoutdoors.org/images/wwobannericon.jpg http://www.washingtonwomenoutdoors.org Tue, 23 Feb 2010 15:44:51 EST http://www.washingtonwomenoutdoors.org Have you ever wanted to go geocaching? Do you even know what geocaching is? Geocaching is like treasure hunting with a GPS (Global Positioning System). On this trip, you will learn the basics of using a GPS. Using a GPS, we go to specific coordinates. At these coordinates, sometimes there is a question that needs to be answered that can only be answered by visiting that place, sometimes there is a container to find, and sometimes that container is really tiny, making one really search for it. Geocaching combines the fun of walking and exploring new places with the challenge of looking for something. It ranges in difficulty from very easy to extremely challenging. For this trip, we will be doing caches in Huntley Meadows Park in Virginia. If you have a GPS, please bring it; however, you do not need a GPS to do this event. Saturday, February 27, 2010, Alexandria, VA , 9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m., $10 members, $15 non-members. Level: All. No previous experience necessary. This event is suitable for novices. Registration Deadline: Wednesday, February 24, 2010. http://www.washingtonwomenoutdoors.org/specialevents.htm#FebruaryGeocachinginVirginia Come take a leisurely tour of some of Washington's most stately landmarks. See the Lincoln Memorial, the Jefferson Memorial, the Tidal Basin, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Hains Point, the Washington Monument, the Capitol . . . Don't worry -- we'll take our time and enjoy the sights. Sunday, February 28, 2010, Washington, DC , 10:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m., $7 members, $10 non-members. Level: 12.5 miles, Mostly flat city streets. Suitable for novices and beginners. This event is suitable for novices and is Metro accessible. Registration Deadline: Wednesday, February 24, 2010. http://www.washingtonwomenoutdoors.org/Bicycling.htm#FebruaryWashingtonMonumentsBikeRide This hike is named for the geology walk in Prince William Forest National Park. The hike starts on the North Fork of Quantico Creek. Along the trail are markers discussing the geologic history of the area from 57 million years ago through the Jurassic peroid to the present. If you have no interest in geology, it also a very pretty walk along the river. After the geology walk, we will continue the hike along the South Fork of Quantico Creek to finish the loop back to the trailhead. Saturday, March 6, 2010, Triangle, VA Prince William Forest Park, 9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m., $10 members, $15 non-members. Level: 5, 7 miles. Registration Deadline: Wednesday, March 3, 2010. http://www.washingtonwomenoutdoors.org/Hiking.htm#MarchVolcanoandDinosaurDayHike We will meander the scenic Potomac bottomlands, through the McKee-Beshers Wildlife Area (there is a short uphill grade in this section), then explore the remains of Edwards Ferry. The remainder of the ride will be along the historic C&O Canal. We will travel to Whites Ferry to watch the ferry come and go, then return along the canal. From our end-point, we will be able to look over the Potomac to Maddox Island. Hybrid bikes are recommended. Sunday, March 14, 2010, Poolesville, MD , 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m., $7 members, $10 non-members. Level: 18 miles, Suitable for beginners willing to tackle hills, and patient experienced riders. This event is suitable for novices. Registration Deadline: Wednesday, March 10, 2010. http://www.washingtonwomenoutdoors.org/Bicycling.htm#MarchWhitesFerryLoopBikeRide This perennial favorite is a challenging 7-mile hike, with 2200 feet of elevation gain. It features scrambling over and between boulders on the trail, as well as some hand-over-hand climbing. The reward at the top is a 360-degree view of peaks, valleys, and towns. The park charges $8 per person for this hike. Please bring this fee with you on the day of the hike. If the weather is not appropriate for Old Rag, our back-up hike will be White Oak Canyon, another Level 11 hike nearby. Saturday, March 20, 2010, Shenandoah National Park, VA , 8:30 p.m. - 6:00 p.m., $10 members, $15 non-members. Level: 11, 7 miles. This event is Metro accessible. Registration Deadline: Wednesday, March 17, 2010. http://www.washingtonwomenoutdoors.org/Hiking.htm#MarchOldRagDayHike This ride is worth the drive! The trail begins in Cockeysville, north of Baltimore and follows the bed of an abandoned railroad for 20 miles, all the way to York, PA. The railroad operated for 134 years, from 1838 to 1972, and connected Baltimore with York. During the Civil War, Abraham Lincoln rode this way to Gettysburg to deliver his Gettysburg Address. In 1865, after his assassination, the same rails transported his body to Harrisburg. Sunday, March 21, 2010, Cockeysville, MD North of Baltimore, 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m., $10 members, $15 non-members. Level: 40 miles, Fairly level, paved trail. Suitable for in-shape beginners and above. Registration Deadline: Wednesday, March 17, 2010. http://www.washingtonwomenoutdoors.org/Bicycling.htm#MarchNorthCentralRailroadTrailBikeRide This hike through a section of the Hereford Wildlands is probably the most scenic area in the Baltimore Region, with characteristics reminiscent of western Maryland. Here the river flows through a narrow steep-sided valley. The trail can be rugged; the v-shaped gorge has no room for a flood plain. The hike is a figure eight loop and ends at the parking lot. The participant can stop after the first loop. The first loop is about 6.3 miles. The second loop is 3 miles and is rockier than the first loop. Saturday, March 27, 2010, Hereford, MD North of Baltimore, 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m., $10 members, $15 non-members. Level: 6, 9.3 miles. Registration Deadline: Wednesday, March 23, 2010. http://www.washingtonwomenoutdoors.org/Hiking.htm#MarchGunpowderFallsStateParkDayHike Come explore the rural community surrounding Nokesville, VA, which was once the center of a farming community with cattle and dairy farms. In the 1950s it was cut off from passenger trains and remains a rural community today. We will ride over rolling hills and through beautiful scenery. Saturday, April 3, 2010, Nokesville, VA Prince William County, 10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m., $10 members, $15 non-members. Level: 36 miles, Rolling hills. Suitable for intermediate to advanced riders. Registration Deadline: Wednesday, March 21, 2010. http://www.washingtonwomenoutdoors.org/Bicycling.htm#AprilNokesvilleRuralBikeRide