Saturday, June 2nd, 2012  - 10:30 am to 2:00 pm

The event will showcase some of the rich history that occurred along the Harpers Ferry section of the Appalachian Trail (A.T.)

W E B Du Bois

A moderate 1-mile guided hike will begin at ATC’s Visitor Center and end by following the Appalachian Trail downhill past numerous scenic spots and historic structures. At each historic site, a Harpers Ferry Park ranger will give an interpretive presentation about its significance. Participants will learn about African American history and will be given the rare opportunity to view the inside the Curtis Freewill Baptist Church and other rarely open sites to the public.

At the end of the hike, participants will be have the opportunity to hear a presentation from Marcia Fairweather about her 15-year section-hike of the A.T. Ms. Fairweather is also a board member of the Appalachian Trail Conservancy, the first African-American to serve in this role.

This hike is not recommended for children under 8 years old. Parental supervision required.

Marcia Fairweather

Please RSVP by June 1st

Hike Difficulty: Moderate; the hike is 1 mile long and short sections cover uneven terrain and rocks, as well as steep steps.

EVENT OVERVIEW:

When: Saturday, June 2, 2012 – 10:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

Where: Appalachian Trail Conservancy

799 Washington Street, Harpers Ferry, WV

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS:

10:30 a.m. – Orientation

11:00 a.m. – African American History Hike:

Begin at ATC’s Visitor Center –End in historic Lower Town Harpers Ferry.

1:00 p.m. – Lunch: Lunch will be provided for hike participants

1:30 p.m. – “Marcia’s Appalachian Trail Journey”: After lunch, Marcia Fairweather, who completed a section hike of the entire A.T. in 2008, will show a short video about her experience. Both lunch and the presentation will be held in the Allies for Freedom room on the second floor of the HFNHP’s John Brown Museum in historic Lower Town Harpers Ferry.

Click to download the flyer!

Bryce Canyon National Park, May 2012 with Eva Luna (9 months old). She nursed 1/2 the time during the 7 mile hike.

I just got back from a 7 day road trip that started in Denver CO and ended in Berkeley CA. I spent most of my time in Utah. I went to Arches National Park, Zion National Park, Bryce Canyon National Park, Canyonlands National Park, and Capitol Reef National Park. My favorite was Bryce Canyon. We did the Peek a Boo Trail and it made me cry. But first:

Where are all the damn black folk? I mean, I know it’s Utah, but these are National Parks people! The below video from was filmed at Zion National Park.

Ok, back to the brilliance and beauty of Bryce Canon and nursing for hours while hiking.

When walking the Peek a Boo trail hike, India Arie’s song, “How I know that god is real” kept on circulating through my brain.

Peek a Boo Trail hike is 7 miles. Doesn’t seem like a lot. But add a 20lb baby strapped to your back while carrying 50oz of water in each hand, while going all the way down the canyon then walking all the way back up and you’ve got yourself quite an amazing feat. Oh, and add to that that 20lb baby sucking on you, extracting breast milk 3 hours out of that 6.5 hours it takes to complete that 7 miles because it’s so hot and arid, she is thirsty all the time. I swear, my 9 month old must have sucked out 1000 calories of milk from me per day. She wasn’t used to the high elevation and the arid climate so she was thirsty all the time.

But I loved it. I loved every minute of watching the divine that is Bryce Canyon. I loved the burning of my butt and legs as I went up and down difficult parts of the trail. I loved how my baby girl , when she wasn’t nursing or sleeping, giggled with joy and reached out to touch the rocks, the trees, and my face. At 9 months old, she knew that Bryce Canyon is a very special place.

I notice two significant things during my time in Utah’s National Parks:

(1) Just about everyone I saw commended me for going on a 7 mile hike with a baby strapped to me. I only saw one other family doing this in Bryce Canyon Peek a Boo trail.

(2) There were 2 black people that I saw during my entire 7 day road trip through 5 National Parks in Utah (hence, my video rant).

Okay, so first of all, I am getting the impression that most people think it is impossible to go hiking and or camping with infants and toddlers, without losing your damn mind…and then add that to a 7 day road trip 1/2 across the country with them strapped to the carseats for hours, you’d think that would be a recipe for disaster. But, it’s not. You just have to plan it the right way. My 3 year old and 9 month old loved the trip. They love hiking. My toddler loves camping. My infant doesn’t seem to care where she is as long as she can get her mama milk. I recommend an Ergo carrier. Buy an Ergo cargo pack (for food and diapers) to attach to the carrier for the infant or toddler you want to haul. You can use the Ergo Carrier for a child up to 40lb. It’s light and they can fall asleep with a headrest to cradle their heads. My husband prefers the Deuter hiking system but I think it’s overpriced, heavy, and uncomfortable. The Ergo Carrier can have them on your side, back, or front. Perfect if you are a nursing mama. Deuter can’t do that.

But I have to be up front and say you can’t just do a 7 mile hike like Bryce Canyon, in a hot and high climate, with a baby and water in tow, if you haven’t been working out regularly. Before you embark on something like what I did, practice walking around in an area in your neighborhood that is hilly with your kid strapped on you.

A. Breeze Harper started The Sistah Vegan Project focuses on how plant-based consumptive lifestyle is affected by factors of race, racisms, sexism, heterosexism, classism, and other social injustices within the lives of black females. Breeze Harper is the editor of “Sistah Vegan” (Lantern Books 2010) and a PhD candidate in critical food geographies at UCD.

Over the past four months, she recruited thirteen Outdoor Afro volunteers (“disciples” she likens them to), who share her passion for nature and connecting more people to it. But these folks are not just advocates. They will organize outdoor activities across the country, from day hikes to overnight camping trips.

The Outdoor Afro Leadership Team (OALT) will organize trips on a quarterly basis, but Rue is prepared for the effort to grow beyond that.

Leveraging the Outdoor Afro social media community to recruit volunteers, she said, “I feel blessed to have found a group of like-minded people who can help literally move African Americans into the outdoors in greater numbers than I could alone.” The team represents a wonderfully diverse group from around the country, with a range of interests and expertise.

Introducing the Outdoor Afro Leadership Team! 

• Alisha Pye, a Los Angeles, CA Pilates instructor and mother of two.

• Beky Branagan of North Carolina has an M.S. in Recreation Administration and served as a medic in the US Army Reserve. She volunteers as an Outdoor Skills Facilitator; teaching Girl Scout Leaders about how to take their troops camping.

• Charles Yellowday, a Bronx, NY based social services professional.

• Cliff Sorrell, a SF Bay Area based landscape architect, assistant Scout Master and Cub Scout leader.

• Danielle Lee, a St. Louis, MO scientist and blogger specializing in mammalogy, ecology and animal behavior.

• Karen Bayard, a Salt Lake City, Utah-based college professor and community health educator.

• Karla Frye, a Jefferson City, MO resident who works as manager of urban initiatives for Missouri State Parks. Frye has previously worked as a journalist, a research analyst, and public relations consultant and university professor.

• Melissa Danielle, a New York City resident who promotes healthy lifestyles and wellness through her work as director of Central Brooklyn Wellness.

• Nkrumah Frazier, a Southern Mississippi Biology research technician at the University Of Southern MS and Hattiesburg Green Living Examiner and focused on the latest science and environmental research.

• Reginald Mitchell of Atlanta, GA is an outdoor enthusiast and hike leader for We Love to Hike.

• Sherrita Cole, of Oakland, CA, mom of a toddler, property manager, and hair care blogger

• Viva Yeboah, of Chicago IL, recently embraced outdoor connections through her participation with Girl Trek

• Zoe Polk, a San Francisco, CA resident and human rights attorney.

All regional leaders will be organizing day hikes, casual recreation, camping trips, bicycle rides and other activities on a quarterly basis and in their local regions.

Schedules of upcoming outings will be posted on Outdoor Afro as they become available, and check out the newly-launched Meet-Up groups as well:

SF Bay Area

Atlanta

New York (Brooklyn)

Outdoor Afro thanks REI, the national outdoor retail cooperative, KEEN Shoes, and Camp-California who are sponsoring the OALT with gear and practical support to inform trip ideas and support our success!

Breathtaking views from the summit of Mauna Kea volcano (Photo by Jole Simmons)

The name Hawaii usually conjures images of beautiful beaches, palm trees and thoughts of lounging by a pool, fruity drink in hand. But hiking to a frozen lake at the top of the biggest mountain in the world, which also happens to be a volcano? The thought never entered my mind until I did just that during a recent trip to the big island of Hawaii with my husband Jole.

Before embarking on the trip we did enough research to know there were some amazing hikes on the islands of Hawaii and Oahu, where we planned to visit. We packed our hiking shoes anticipating we would find ourselves in hiking distance of a secluded waterfall only accessible after traversing a tropical rain forest. But instead, our trusty guidebook led us to the seclusion of Lake Wai’au, more than 13,000 feet up Mauna Kea volcano.

On its own Mauna Kea is a sight to behold—it’s the largest mountain in the world, and often has snow at the top in winter. Temperatures can vary wildly between the chilly summit and the coastal towns of Hawaii, less than an hour’s drive away. It’s very possible to hike the volcano in the morning and spend the evening drinking piña coladas on the beach in the afternoon.

Jole and the observatories (Photo by Lesly Simmons)

We only learned about Lake Wai’au thanks to the guidebook we picked up in the airport before we took off from San Francisco, the Rough Guide to Hawaii (highly recommended, it was worth it for the information on the lake trip alone). The frigid lake, set at just about 13,000 ft., comes from a layer of permafrost beneath the summit of the volcano.

Taking the drive up Mauna Kea requires a stop at a visitors center at an elevation of 9,000 feet to adjust to the altitude, which gave us a chance to explore some of the natural terrain of the volcano above the base layer of vog (fog made of volcanic ash from neighboring volcano Kilauea).  After thirty minutes we began our ascent, a bumpy 20-minute drive up mostly unpaved roads through breathtaking vistas that came into view as we rose above the clouds.

The view from the summit of the volcano is like nothing else we’d ever seen—amazing silver and white observatories framed the immediate area around the summit, and in the distance other peaks of the volcano rose up, ringed by fluffy clouds and perfectly blue skies. And we had the entire place to ourselves.

International observatories ring the summit of Mauna Kea volcano (Photo by Jole Simmons)

On the way back down we parked off the main road and started off, scrambling over a rocky patch to reach the clearly defined path between two peaks ahead that lead to the lake. It was quickly clear that this lake was going to be more than the ten minutes the guidebook said, but we went for it. When we reached the first ridge and didn’t see the lake or anything looking like it could be one, we had to reassess our plans. But we decided it made most sense to keep going and see what we would find around the hills ahead.

The author on the shore of Lake Waiau in Hawaii (Photo by Jole Simmons)

Thank God we did, because within about five minutes later, the lake was in sight. We paused for a second to contemplate that fact that here, at the top of an ancient volcano that few people get to visit, we were seeing a secret lake that even fewer people knew existed. My guess is almost none of the dozens of visitors that go up to the summit every day have any idea that this marvel was close by, and I feel so blessed that I was able to see it. It definitely made my poolside cocktails later on that much sweeter!

Lesly Simmons is a social media strategist and traveler in San Francisco. She’s already planning her next trip to Hawaii for more amazing hikes to secluded treasures. 

Last Sunday was one of those perfect fall afternoons in DC:  Bright blue skies, crisp autumn air and amazing colors of yellow, orange and red shimmered in the sunlight. Who wouldn’t want to be outside? Ten families from Jack and Jill, an African American family organization said “sign me up!” and participated on a hike with  Hiking Along in Scott’s Run Nature Preserve along the Potomac River.

Twenty-three energetic kids and their parents hiked two miles underneath old growth trees to learn about the importance of them in their lives and for the Earth. They listened to a story about the seasonal cycle of tress, hammered leaves onto cloth to learn about chlorophyll, did tree back rubbings to reinforce the bark’s essential role of a tree, and played Simon says to learn about the tree life cycle.

Beyond teaching the activities, I enjoyed watching the kids be challenged by the trail, hills and water crossings, but also witness their imagination with logs, sticks, leaves and rocks. The most memorable moment was watching them use team work to carry a large tree limb down the trail. Land managers, here come the next generation of trail builders – energetic and using team work and communication.

Parents are their children’s biggest role model. My passion is helping families share the wonders of nature while hiking. On Sunday, parents and their kids shared memories and tons of smiles because they had fun in nature. The memories are the best but as one parent said to me, “there is one overlooked benefit, my kids went to bed easily.” Amen.

Here is the follow-up from Balanced Rock Foundation’s  Women of Color Backpacking Trip we wrote about last summer – check out all the fun they had!

The 2011 Women of Color Backpacking Trip participants knocked my socks off, and they went straight into the washing machine!  We had a professional videographer and photographer who is also the mother of the two cutest twins I know; an esteemed aerialist; a nearly 50-year-old “Bike Diva” takin’ some just-shipped-her-daughter-off-to-college time; and a smart and practical sister who has become a mother by taking charge of her two young nephews. Plus, there were two instructors with enigmatic pasts…

The  trip for 2011 was incredibly fun and engaging.  The conversations were often so compelling that I had to remind myself that we were on a backpacking trip.  We often discussed how things run back in the default world, and offered reinterpretations of how things could be.  I felt honored to be among these women of color in nature.

As usual, we all worked together to prepare the meals and perform other camp duties.  What was funny was that three of the participants were mothers, and the fourth was self-described as having OCD (obsessive compulsive disorder).  So things got done! We joked that Balanced Rock should start a screening process, so that future trips would run as smoothly!

Our destination was Ostrander Lake in Yosemite National Park.  We spent one night in the Bridalveil Creek campground, which is near our trailhead.  It was a surprise that there was a lightning-started fire nearby, which was controlled, but allowed to burn.  That’s how they do things these days in Yosemite, after years of snuffing out all fires.  It was smoky on the road, and we constantly debated the wisdom of sticking to our itinerary in the days leading up to the trip.  We stuck to it, and it turned out alright.  We did end up wearing bandannas like rogue desperados, but that was just for one day.

We took two days to get to Ostrander Lake, and found a deluxe campsite along the way to set up shop for the night.  There was a lot of laughter and camaraderie along the way, and we found a fine balance between getting to our destination and enjoying the journey.

Once we got to the lake, it was refreshing to dip in, as well as a plentiful source of water to sustain us.  There is a busy campground at the lake, but we opted for a more primitive spot where we could be more secluded.  We were lucky enough to encounter the Ostrander Ski Hut occupied by NPS rangers on a break.  We introduced ourselves and got a tour of the facility.  It is such a great place to ski to during the winter months.

This month, my fiancé Joseph and I rented a log cabin on Mt. Lemmon. We went because we needed a break from this chaos called “life,” and we wanted to relax. With us both working demanding jobs, coupled with me going back to school…and planning a wedding, stress has been knocking on our back door.

We’re both lovers of nature, and live in Arizona that has many outdoor activities to offer, and we enjoy taking advantage of them. I fell in love with Mt. Lemmon the first time Joseph took me in August of this year. Mt. Lemmon’s beauty is one that can’t be described; you just have to go and visit to see why we are now so addicted to it!

What I can say is that our infatuation with this place is partly based on the fact that we seem to experience a spiritual connection to the land — there is this one place in particular called “Inspirational Rock,” which sits 9,000 ft in the air (so it’s a bit of a drive and hike up), and when you reach the apex, you feel as though you have a connection with God.

While on a “spiritual high,” you can also receive a physical high because you will definitely workout your body via hiking the plethora of hills!  It’s also a great area for running and cycling, as many athletes reside on the mountain for training purposes.

Also, the community is very welcoming on Mt. Lemmon. People just love to enjoy nature, relax, and have a good time. Joseph and I will definitely travel to Mt. Lemmon again for another stay. Until then, we’re looking forward to picking apples from an apple orchard in Wilcox, AZ during later this month and our hike through the Grand Canyon after that! Stay tuned for more!

Where were YOU Spotted on Sunday?

And Teresa Baker followed up with a shot of natural beauty in Big Sur, California!

After our visit to the wildlife refuge, we leisurely moved along the scenic road toward the coastal fishing town of Seward that edges Resurrection Bay along the Kenai Peninsula of Alaska. We landed at the Seward Military Resort, a popular yet understated destination for US active duty or retired military personnel and their guests.

The manicured grounds were beautiful, yet sensible. And they have a selection of  yurts, guest rooms, or townhouses from which to choose. Since Mark is a US Army officer, it was an easy selection – and a perfect location for our planned activities. They also had an impressive Fish House I now realize was a key amenity to stage our activities for the next day.

But first, we took a tour by car around Seward then stopped for a bite to eat at Marina Café for some crispy halibut fish and chips. With calories to burn, we headed down the road for a hike to Kenjai Fjords National Park to visit Exit Glacier. It is one of the few places in the area where you can safely witness up close an ancient glacier with Ice Age origins that still re-shapes the landscape, and observe how plant life adapts to the barren rocky land exposed by a glacier’s retreat.

At the park, I appreciated that there were several trails from which to choose, from flat and easy to challenging. We decided on a self-led one-mile gradual climb though a cottonwood forest to a scenic edge of the glacier. On our way back, we chose a different route, where we carefully traversed rocks over a gentle river to access the terminus of the melting ice.

Once we arrived, we stood in front of the vast blue to take it all in and capture the scene in photos. We had already noted interpretive signage that warned visitors not to stand under an overhang of ice, as it can fall without warning, so we were careful!

Up Next: Adventures in Fishing Alaska Waters

“…a hallowed place in San Francisco, modern ruins on the edge of the continent. Crashing waves, labyrinthine structures, wild lilies, cliff-lodged cypress trees reaching towards the ocean, a thundering cave…”

Thanks for sharing Zoe!

Where were YOU spotted on Sunday in the outdoors?