When I came to DC in January 2011, one of the first hikes to
catch my attention was Duncan Knob, a hike up a scenic rock pile that I’d
noticed on the online calendars of local hiking clubs. I called to sign up
once, but winter weather cancelled the trip. Somehow, it’s taken me three years
to finally make my way up the knob, in January no less, which was kinda cool.
Doubly cool was the fact that it would be Number Fifty in my quest for Sixty Summits
by Groundhog Day.
50. Duncan Knob: For the ascent, I just happened to pick a
fabulous winter-blue day, January 12, with temps in the 40s and no snow
anywhere. Amazingly, I didn’t see a soul coming or going. It felt as if I had
half of Virginia to myself. Bright sun lit up the leafless forest, casting long
shadows into the detritus. A long-ish slog, maybe three miles, led partly along
an old road and creek to a junction where the trail steepened to climb the
ridge. At the top, the white-blazed summit trail broke off to the north and a
steep scramble up talus brought me to the summit. A perfect, stone lunch
counter invited a sandwich break capped by a big hunk of chocolate.Miles (RT): 8.0 miles; elevation gain: 1,500 feet
Cumulative mileage and gain:
230.2 miles / 60,050 feet
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