VSP Mason Neck

Because this is a park so close to home I brought some guests.  The pictures below were taken by +Megan Gee and we were also joined by +Josephine Gee

I had a blast showing Mom and Megan the in's and out's of Geocaching and the Tail Quest.

At all Virginia State parks the trails are very well labeled.  Its really nice to not have to carry a map around because trails are blazed with colors and intersections are clearly marked well as you can see below.

Also if you find yourself at the park after hours there are numerous visitor centers that have all of the information in one kiosk that is on all day.  You can get maps printed, information on the park and even information on the next park you

Leo wore his pack today.  Even on days that are heavy trails or long length/duration I still need to train him for the times that it will be long or when he will need 3 liters of water.

What did I expect before I left home:
Mason neck is my backyard state park.  I generally expect a shorter hiking day with many changes in scenery depending on the season.  The animals, trees, foliage and trails all feel different depending on the day  and weather and we all know Virginia can through all 4 seasons at you at once. Another hidden gem on the way to Mason Neck is the Pohick bay regional park.  When these parks are working together in this area there are many things to do with your dog.  For example at the end of the summer you can hike the trails at Mason Neck and then take your dog to Pohick Bay for the annual dog swim at the pool.
The park also attracts several other migrating and non-migrating species of birds, including whistling swans and assorted species of duck. Bald eagles also inhabit the area. The park boasts forests consisting of oaks, holly, hickory and other species of trees.

http://www.virginiaoutdoors.com/parks/details/mason-neck-state-park

Weather of the day:








The trip in 140 characters: tweeted later after I wrote it in my journal.

I do believe Leo (my dog) and my Mom are better geocachers than I am.Good thing they are on my team.
— Topher Gee (@WVUGEE) April 28, 2013

Most interesting thing to see:
For the first time on the Trail Quest we found an animal not in the Aves (bird) family.  When we were looking at some interesting posts that we haven't seen before, Megan the guest photographer for the day got very close to stepping on the snake pictured below.  It turns out the sign posts are for areas that need extra conservation and this little ribbon snake was hopping the border.  Would you be able to see him in the top right picture?

Extra items/needs:

• Bring Binoculars.  There are many bird perches, bird blinds, high trees and many areas to see animals in a natural habitat.  If you are a photographer our guest photographer recommends bringing a telephoto lens.

Trails Hiked:

• Meadowview Trail- the newest of the park trails
• Dogue Trail - pronounced like Rouge... yes we looked it up on the trail.
• Bay view Trail - an enjoyable loop trail with a great view of the bay and a bird blind towards the marsh.

VSP Mason Neck Garmin adventure 

Tree-Mendous Fact:
          Boxelder - mature size: 30-60 ft.
The common name comes from the wood's resemblance to that of a box shrub and the resemblance to those of elderberry.

Random Quote: French Soldier: I don't want to talk to you no more, you empty headed animal food trough wiper. I fart in your general direction. Your mother was a hamster and your father smelt of elderberries.

Worst part of the trip:
This trip on a whole was great.  The only bad part of the trip was that we as a group were prepared for the highs for the day rather than the 40 degrees with wind that we saw for most of the morning.  All in all we just put on sweatshirts and jackets and just kept walking.

VSP Caledon

What did I expect before I left home:

The beautiful Visitor Center closes at 5pm

Caledon State Park is situated on 2579 acres of mature forest along the Potomac river. Originally established in 1659, this area was owned and farmed for centuries by the Alexander family. It was donated to the state of Virginia by Mrs. Ann Hopewell Hewitt Smoot in 1974 and now is an important site for conservation. In 1974 Caledon State Park was designated a National Natural Landmark by the Secretary of the Interior because it is one of the best examples of an old, undisturbed, oak-tulip poplar-dominated virgin upland forest in the country. This park offers one of the few areas where bald eagles, a recently endangered bird, can nest peacefully. While enjoying the park please stay within designated open areas on the shoreline. On July 14, 2012 Caledon Natural Area was renamed Caledon State Park - http://www.virginiaoutdoors.com/parks/details/caledon-state-park

Weather of the day:
Mostly Sunny 65/45
The trip in 140 characters:

It was a gorgeous day for a hike thru the woods, marsh, beach, and river. There are so many trails that I will have to come back for more.
— Topher Gee (@WVUGEE) April 3, 2013

Leo thinks he's human

Special needs:
-The park has open parking but you still need to pay.  Bring cash to put in the parking box and use the parking sticker.
-I'll point out why later but you may want to think about dog shoes.  I haven't met a dog yet that likes them but its better than carrying them back.
-The 3.5 mile Boyd's Hole Trail leading to the Potomac River is the most popular of the trails. Because human traffic disturbs the park's summer population of roosting and foraging eagles, this trail is only open from Oct. 1 through March 31.

Most interesting thing to see:
It makes for the longest trip in one direction but you have to see the view from the coast/jones pond.  There are some shots here of Leo but it doesn't come close to the real thing. It really made me feel good to take some extra waste bags and fill them with some of the beach trash.  I left it a little cleaner than when I found it.

Name those tracks

I think he was as surprised as I was

The second best thing was seeing some bird tracks in the soft gravel.  There was some discussion between the rangers and some of us hikers that it was either the Bald eagles from just across the marsh or some visiting Turkey's  The only real difference is the size of the talons.  After the ranger saw my picture it was confirmed Bald Eagle tracks.  I'll take his word for it. *Caledon is known for hosting the largest concentration of Bald Eagles on the East coast.*





Trails Hiked:
I have a great function on my Garmin GPS that will show your complete adventure with tracks, stats and pictures mapped along the way.  I used to use my cell phone but it only lasts about 5 hours and I plan to have longer trips than that.
Use the link below to find this trip.  I'll show pictures here since its the first post with this type of route mapping.

Click the link below

VSP Caledon | Garmin Adventures

• Boyd's Hole Trail - closed in the summer
• Hampstead road Trail
• Potomac Overlook Trail
• Stuart's Wharf
• Jones Pond

Tree-Mendous Fact:
     Willow Oak - mature Size: 50-80 ft.
Produces good acorn crops, making it a valuable and dependable wildlife food source.

Worst part of the trip:

GRAVEL - If you were to only look at the map, this is the most expansive and varied trail hiking area in the northern region.  This however doesn't mean that its comfortable to walk on with doggie paws.  It took me a couple hours to find out that Leo had punctured his left paw.


Pro Tip: Here's how you take selfie's when completely alone!

GoPro Hero3

Treat or Lecture... you choose!