On January 1, I headed out with a couple of family members to McDowell Creek Falls. We hiked a little over two miles, gained 350 feet of elevation, and saw two waterfalls.
Thanks to recent snow, the wooden stairs and overlooks were icy, and caution was required. We had brought two dogs with us, and we ended up carrying them at points. It wasn't so much that they would fall as that they pull.
Lots of folks were out, as it was sunny (but cold) weather.
I felt like I read less in 2021, but it looks like I was just returning to a historical average.
Did a six-mile hike in Black Hill Regional Park, including most of the Hard Rock Trail.
The original plan was to do the entire 17-ish mile Mount Vernon Trail over two days, but we looked at the gale-force winds on day one and said "nah." So we did the northern half of the trail, from Rosslyn to Alexandria's Old Town. Next time, we'll do the rest.
