Off-Topic

I tell him that all the time.

As an Eagle Scout with both hiking and backpacking merit badges, (did I just out myself as the biggest loser on this board?) from what I read toogs is right. Hiking=day hiking and backpacking=multiday treks where you bring your tent/food

This is claim jumping Tiffles' next thread, "Hey white people, why are you all boy scouts?"

Tiffles trolling, Smiley/Tuugs arguing about something relatively inane that they both don't even care about, GTL and Rt.1 giving their two cents, Titan, keegs, and myself contemplating the mysteries of our growing bodies. I feel like it's 2005.

I'm no expert but live in Oregon and associate with many that are (one is currently in Alaska for the summer). If I asked if anyone wants to go hiking nobody is going to think about filling a pack with a stove and sleeping bag, they're going to decide whether to wear boots or tennis shoes. I dropped 3 friends off for a week in Olympic National Park awhile back and nobody once said they were excited about their hiking trip, if it wasn't backpacking it was camping. To me and pretty much anyone I've ever spoken to about it, backpacking is an activity that includes hiking. Now I'll slowly back out of the room...

Yes, it's still generally good. I've *hiked* into late October the past two years. You'll get more overcast or drizzly days, but it's not cold yet.

Also, the salmon will still be running then. There's some great hikes (Eagle Creek) in the Gorge to catch that as well.

Just got off the Billy Goat Trail. First time I did it heading upriver instead of down which seemed a little harder to me. It was pretty hot today, and it took a lot of effort to make it thru at decent pace. If BGT plus added towpath to make it about 7 miles total pretty much kicks my ass, does that mean I'm hopeless for Old Rag? Always wanted to do it, but iI'm not getting any younger.

BTW--easily a dozen really cute girls on the trail today.

Lots of people who don't hike much do old rag. You'll be sore but fine. If you are doing it with someone in better shape, have them drive you up to the old parking lot if that's allowed. They can't park there but that cuts off a useless paved uphill mile.

Old Rag is intense up, but a nice gentle fire road on the way back down to recover.

Wineries. And we are open to suggestions.

Our fiscal year ends Sept 30 :-(

I would guess we will be there 7-8 days not counting travel days. We will probably spend a day in the city on each end and be out in the countryside the rest. However a couple of fatty boom boom spouses that usually don't come on these trips might attend and skip some of the hiking days, so they would probably love more city tips and weed. wait, what

Here is a link to my buddy's pictures. He is my main hiking partner and takes me to all sorts of really crazy places. The last time we hiked, he surprised me with a bungee jump. It was great.

Just got back from a week of exploring Russell county in far SW Va. It's like the Shenandoah without the people. We hiked to 4 waterfalls, and 3 swimming holes and never ran into anyone.

You see Tiffles,here you don't have the ball sweat of 100 PG county brothers filling your mouth every time you go for a swim like you do at your local pool.