NORSA ICE 2016

12-10-2016

The NORSA ICE was back and better than ever to close out the wild ride that was 2016.  Up for the challenge, as always, were Steven L, Tom, Justin, and Dan Marino.  In a major NORSA milestone, Matt White attended his first NORSA ICE since 2003, when a dislike of cold nights and/or paranoia led to a gap of over a decade between winter camping adventures.  Rounding out the team was Steven S, about to move to Colorado and participating in his last NORSA ICE east of the Missouri for the foreseeable future.

The team planned to return to Dolly Sods, but due to a fire ban in the area, they instead set their sights on Table Rock.  Adjacent to Blackwater Falls State Park, this relatively new winter trail for NORSA had been traveled by Steven S in the summer a couple years prior.  Being close to the ski areas in West Virginia made it likely to be a prime and authentic ICE trip.

 The drive included patches of snow as they approached the destination.  Once inside the park, the last mile of the forest road wasn’t plowed so they stopped at a small parking area and hiked in the rest of the way.  At this point it was about noon and the car thermometers read 20 degrees F.

Their plan was to do a loop that covered the trails on day one and would return on a forest road in the morning.  However, they missed the turn onto the Plantation trail.  The next visible turn was onto a trail that was no longer maintained and reached a dead-end in a meadow.  Precious daylight was lost circumnavigating the meadow, bushwacking for a bit, and looking for clues on pieces of lumber.  At last they realized the error and opted to return to the forest road to hike to its terminus with the Table Rock trail.

Fortunately, making up time was no problem, other than a few large mud holes covered in thin ice.  A lost dog with a radio collar was roaming in these parts.  The owner showed up the next day taking his truck through these rugged sections of the road.

Despite the setbacks, they made it to the Table Rock campsite with enough daylight to set up camp and do some quick foraging.  The camp sites were practically on top of the trail and the fire ring was pretty small.  However, they had the area all to themselves, and the Table Rock overlook was certainly magnificent in winter.  Despite the snowy and wet trail conditions, there was a reasonable amount of firewood.  Eventually they were able to warm up around the fire with cold beer and freeze dried or foil wrapped dinners.

The wind and snow from earlier in the day had turned to calm skies by mid-evening.  As the fire waned, both Stevens and Tom enjoyed the stillness at the overlook.  The view was still impressive underneath a nearly full moon.  It was a moving moment for the trio to think of their many NORSA ICE adventures together, all the way back to the notorious Signal Knob-Warren Hospital trip.  Then the moment passed in favor of  yelling puerile phrases into the darkness to hear it echo.

The night temperature was estimated to be in the teens.  Everyone slept well except for Matt, who only had a 30 degree bag.  Despite Matt’s prediction to the contrary, everyone survived and the morning was pleasant, with one last trip to the overlook accompanied by a little cowboy coffee.  After packing up, it was a pretty straightforward hike back down the road.  They even found an extra hatchet on the way.

It was less straightforward to find a spot for lunch in Davis since everything was closed on Sunday.   Despite the uneven availability of burritos, West Virginia delivered another excellent outdoor experience.  A fitting send-off for Steven S after eight NORSA-rific years of camping in the mid-Atlantic.

Bethesda Turkey Chase 10K

Thursday, November 26, 2009 - Nearly 5,000 runners showed up for the 27th annual Bethesda Turkey Chase 10K.  It was a cold and gray Thanksgiving morning, but the rain held off until later in the day.  NORSA representation for this race included Steven L, Matt, Tom, Steven S, and Emily.  Some had picked up packets at City Sports the day before, and some picked them while the first waves were starting the race.   The black long-sleeved shirts were better than your average race shirt, but Matt preferred the purple shirt from the Luray Sprint Triathlon.

The course started by the YMCA Bethesda and went out on Cedar Lane, through the local neighborhood, followed Wisconsin Avenue past Bethesda Naval Hospital to downtown Bethesda, then back on Old Georgetown Road to the finish.  It was a hilly course with a good portion of the Wisconsin leg being uphill.  As in past years, Wisconsin Avenue was not completely closed to traffic for the race and the runners were supposed to squeeze into the far right lane of the road.  Things got a bit congested and many spilled over the cones into the next lane.  The finish was downhill and fast.  So fast that Steven S forgot to turn in his timing chip and had to mail it in.

Steven L led the pack with a fast and furious 48:37, with Steven S close behind.  The rest of the NORSA group put up equally impressive times.  Tom beat his time from the 2007 race, and Matt, Steve L, and brother John beat their times from 2008.   Full race results are available here. 

Steven S partakes in post-race shenanigans.

Due to holiday obligations there was not a NORSA post-race event.  But after this great day of running Team NORSA gives thanks for our friends, our health, and the opportunity to challenge ourselves.

Sky Meadows hiking

Sunday, November 15, 2009 -  With much nicer weather than previous NORSA outings, Matt, Steven S, and Emily decided to check out another Virginia state park at Sky Meadows. Less than an hour from the DC area, the park was recommended by a fellow hiker at Duncan Knob. The park has 12 miles of trails and also connects to the Appalachian Trail.

Starting on the North Ridge Trail, the group explored a couple miles of the AT, stopped for lunch, then returned on the Ambassador Whitehouse and Piedmont Overlook trails. From the portion of the AT that intersects the park, it is a 21 mile hike south to Shenandoah National Park and about 26 miles north to Harper's Ferry. The Sky Meadows trails go through a mix of woods and pastures, with views of the Blue Ridge in the distance. Several groups of hikers and a few runners were out enjoying the warm weather.

The ridge trails were moderately challenging and the connection to the AT offers some options for future hiking trips.  Matt, Steven, and Emily also checked out various items of historical-ness such as the Mount Bleak House and ye olde ice house by the visitor's center.  After the hike they ate at Big Buns - the usual post-hike stuff plus some Jack Johnson tracks.

Duncan Knob Hike

Sunday, October 25, 2009 - A beautiful day with clear skies set the stage for the latest installment of the 2009 NORSA fall hiking series. Hoping to see the fall colors at their peak, Matt and Steven S headed out to Duncan Knob, site of previous NORSA excursions. On the way out they stopped for gas at BP and couldn't help but note the billboard advertisement for body massage. Then they initially missed the the left turn from 211 E onto Crisman Hollow/R 274 (if you see a parking lot on the right for another trail, you've gone too far). The rest of the trip was smooth sailing.

The Duncan Knob hike started with a steep section on the Scothorn Gap trail, then followed a ridge below Middle Mountain to the Gap Creek Trail. In the clearing after the first climb, the NORSA hikers looked for the (memorial?) wooden marker for another Steven from 1974, but could not find it. After a couple of switchbacks on the Gap Creek trail, a white blazed trail from Peach Orchard Gap lead them to Duncan Knob, situated at the southern tip of Catback Mountain. The rock scramble to the top was no problem at all for the tactical pair. They stopped for lunch and were treated to great views - layers of red and yellow to the west, Middle Mountain, Massanutten Mountain, and Strickler Knob to the south, and the Shenandoah River, Luray, and the peaks of Shenandoah National Park to the east.

Returning on the Massanutten Trail, they descended along a ridge surrounded by bright yellow leaves, which Steven's untrained eye identified as birches and tulip trees.

In all it was a great day for hiking, and the fall colors never fail to impress.

Impromptu Emmitsburg!

Though the original plan was to go camping on the Potomac with Tom, rain forced team NORSA to the Stone-Drinking-Fortress in Emmitsburg without Tom. Ordinarily, NORSA goes to Emmitsburg to ski, but this trip provided an interesting change.

The weekend basically consisted of having dinner at the Shamrock and building a big fire in the fireplace. We got a sampler of Sam Adams and decided which flavor was the best. The next day, the weather improved, so we went to breakfast in Thrumont, and hiked the Catoctain Furnace Trial where we discovered mystical ancient ruins. All in all, it was a really fun and norsariffic weekend.

2009 Nation's Triathlon a Great Success!!

A record-setting 8 NORSA members and affiliates competed in the 4^th Annual Nation’s Triathlon. This was the third consecutive appearance by NORSA-mainstays Steven L., and Adam. They were joined by Matt, Leo and Russ, who each finished their second Nations Tri. Newcomers this year included Mike, Brian and Marie.

The Nation’s Triathlon is a Standard Olympic-Distance race. It consists of a 1500 meter (0.93 Mile) Swim, a 40 kilometer (24.85 mile) Bike, and a 10 kilometer (6.21 mile) Run. The Nation’s Triathlon is one of the biggest triathlons around. While 6000 people registered, 3933 actually competed in and finished this year’s race. The attrition is probably due to the fact that the race sells out months before the competition. When race day arrives, many competitors FTA due to scheduling problems they couldn’t foresee months in advance, as well as regular sickness, injury, etc.

Like last year, all competitors had to go to a few events before the race. Packet pickup was at the Washington Hilton on Friday and Saturday. There is no packet pickup on race day because the logistics of distributing 1000’s of packets in the hours before the race would be mind-boggling. Additionally, competitors were required to leave their bikes at the race site the day before the event. This allowed many competitors to take shuttles to the race site from the host hotel.

The weather for this year’s race was perfect: mostly sunny skies with a high of 83 and a low of 63 for the day. The race was started at 7:00AM, so the NORSAites got to compete in that perfect 70-degree range.

This year’s course was modified slightly from the previous year. Competitors swam in the Potomac under the Memorial Bridge. The water this year was a little browner and a little less clear than in previous races. The water temp was about 71 degrees. Most competitors wore wetsuits, most NORSA members did not.

Between events, competitors had to find their bikes in the mega-massive transition area (see photo). Hopefully, they remembered their row number.

The bike took racers into Rock Creek Park, up the Whitehurst Freeway, then out-and-back on Canal Road, the Clara Barton Parkway, and the Cabin John Parkway. This course was heavily shaded (good), but may have been a little narrow for so many competitors.

The run was around Haines Point and the Tidal Basin. As the race expands each year, there seems to be less of an ability to host it on the Mall. There was no Pennsylvania Avenue Finish this time. However, traffic in the city was significantly less affected and racers were able to finish next to the transition area, rather than miles away as in previous years.

Results:

How long is a race of this magnitude supposed to take, you ask? Well, the overall winner finished with a time of 1:55:59. Mayor Adrian Fenty finished with a time of 2:21:18. The last competitors crossed the line around the 5-hour mark.

Everybody on the NORSA-squad finished with these highly respectable times:

This year, Russ again came out on top, with an overall time of 2:33:23. He was followed by Steven L. (2:40:57); Leo (2:50:08); Marie (2:50:15); Matt (2:52:40); Mike (2:54:49); Adam (2:57:41) and Brian (3:08:51). Complete results with splits are available here.

Congratulations to all the NORSA members who competed in this year’s race and thanks to the family and friends who came for support! I hope you all enjoyed this year’s post, which unlike last year's post, contains more than 2 paragraphs, more than 1 picture, and has hyperlinks, results, descriptions and adjectives.

Luray Sprint Triathlon

On Sunday, August 16, veteran NORSA members Matt W., Russ M., Jon S., and Leo W. joined newly minted NORSA members Brian B. and Mike L. to compete in the Luray Sprint Triathlon in Luray, VA. This was a challenging race consisting of a 750 meter swim in Arrowhead Lake, a 16 mile bike through the rolling hills of the Shenandoah Valley, and a 5K run.

Shotgun Fun at Bull Run + Crabs at Quarterdeck

Today, NORSA members visited the Bull Run Shooting Center in Bull Run Regional Park in Centreville, VA. Four new shooters including NORSA members Justin Kahrl, Megan Sands, and Nora Hoffman, and NORSA initiate, Eddie Diaz, enrolled and fulfilled the required new shooters' course at the Park. The course, which typically lasts a couple of hours, covers not only everything from safety and firearm functionality but also how to shoot clays well and even includes some time on the range. After the lecture portion of the class concluded, the NVRPA shooting instructor took the four students to the skeet range to get a little hands on experience with the shotguns.

While the new shooters were in class, returning NORSA Shooting Sports Team veterans Matt White and Tom S joined up with darkhorse ringer Fred Kukelhaus to shoot some rounds of trap together. It was a beautiful for a shootout, with just a few clouds and plenty of sunshine. Fred took the first round in a blowout with a 50% accuracy rating hitting 12 of 25 clays, but really only out of 24 due to a gun jam. Tom took round two with 16 out of 25 after switching back to his old gun that he had to share with Matt since his new Mossberg 500 malfunctioned and needs tools to get fixed. Watch a short clip of Fred taking the final shot of the day below:

Altogether, great fun was had by all, but the fun was by no means over yet ... as the class let out and the trap shooters wrapped up, there was not enough time for an all-comers' shoot because Fred had reserved a table at the Quarterdeck for the whole gang. Forty-two fresh Maryland blue crabs were steamed with copious quantities of Old Bay seasoning and brought to the hungry shooters, along with some frosty pitchers of beer. Not a single crab was left uneaten and everyone needed a good, long shower afterward - a huge success by crab feast standards!

NORSA has not been back to the Bull Run Shooting Center since April of 2008, so stay on top of the NORSA Upcoming Events section as a new trip will be posted soon for late August or sometime in September because there's no reason something as fun as clay-shooting should only be done once a year!

Rockville Rotary Twilight Runfest 8K Recap

On Saturday, July 18th, 2009, many NORSA members ran in the 24th annual Rockville Twilight Runfest in Maryland. Returning NORSA members Matt White, Russ, Leo , Nora, and Tom S joined new and aspiring members Laura, Laurel, Jared, Mike, and Vic. This race brings Laura on board as a full-fledged NORSA member, too. The Twilighter, a race sponsored by the Rockville Rotary Club, has been a race in which NORSA has had solid representation for several years now, and this year was clearly no exception.











Race-day conditions were fair, with the heat dying off a little as the night approached. The official start time was 8:46 PM, and night was creeping in swiftly as the runners left the start line. The course winds through downtown Rockville, its surrounding neighborhoods and schools, and Montgomery College's campus before popping the runners out on to Rockville's main drag of 355. After crossing the finish and removing their timing chips, all runners were invited to head over to the Michelob Ultra beer tent and enjoy four frosty beverages.

Results are available here: http://mcrrc.org/racing/2009/09twilighter.htm

Old Rag Mountain Hike

Sunday, July 19, 2009 - The NORSA summer hiking series is a sampler of local hikes in the Washington, DC area, this year including outings in the Monongahela National Forest, Shenanadoah National Park, Rock Creek Park, Sugarloaf Mountain, and Catoctin Mountain Park. In July the series kicked into full gear as Team NORSA members Matt, Nora, Leo, Laura, Steven S, and Emily headed to Old Rag Mountain in Shenandoah National Park.  Old Rag is a staple hike in the Blue Ridge in northern Virginia.  This moderate, approximately 7 mile loop winds through switchbacks, boulders, and crags to reach a summit of 3291 feet (1003m) and near 360-degree vistas.  The event accidentally, but fortuitously, coincided with one of this summer's fee free weekends in the National Parks.   The mountain was surprisingly not crowded on a clear day during the free weekend.

Although arguably already a NORSA member, this event marks Laura's debut in a NORSA article.  Congratulations, Laura!

The Old Rag features a notorious section of rock scrambling, requiring upper body strength, teamwork, guts, and glory.  Tactical pants are recommended to allow for sliding on one's butt and to avoid scraping one's legs in the tough spots.

Overall the best advice for conquering the mountain was given by another group of hikers; "remember to breathe, it is good for your lungs."

The group made it to the top with only a slight hiccup which required some bushwacking.  Leo's beefy Hawaiian arm allowed the group to make up some time.  No doubt previous NORSA outings on the Billy Goat Trail and Duncan Knob ensured that all were prepared to "rock it out".
 

After enjoying lunch at the summit, the trip down to the parking area was relatively uneventful.  The trip back to DC was more eventful in that it involved a meal at Cracker Barrel.  Many hungry Americans were doing what hungry Americans do best.

Stay tuned for future NORSA summer hiking series action!