Soapstone Trail & Pierce Mill

I made a wonderful discovery the other day: My apartment sits right beside a trail access into Rock Creek Park here in DC. Rock Creek Park is a large urban forested park that runs North to South in DC's Northwest Quadrant. I live right beside a lesser known access trail: The Soapstone Valley Trail. A 30 minute walk takes you down wooded trail, out of the dense metro area, and into the quiet valley, beside the gurgling unnamed stream that flows into Rock Creek.

The further you go, the stronger the stream gets. Eventually you need to rock-hop across the stream a couple of times. You will be trekking down the path, and it will simply end in the stream with no apparent access up or out of the area. That's your cue to start looking around for the access on the other side, then connect the dots across the rocks to get there. Sure, it's not adventurous as holding a line and shimmying across a water outflow coming down a volcano, but it's better than the squares of green you get in the heart of the city.

Once you work your way through the valley, you are awkwardly spit out on the road. There are no marked crossings, but the other paths are a short walk away. The next step is the much busier Western Ridge Trail, which leads you down the... Western Ridge of Rock Creek. It's only another half a mile until you hit Pierce Mill, the last historical mill on Rock Creek.

The mill itself.

There is an entire park complete with picnic tables, grills, and historical signs around the mill itself. Keep in mind, this is all run by the National Park Service, so it's bound to have the good stuff for the public.

A decorative dam. I guess to make it look pretty?

From Pierce Mill you can continue on the trail towards the National Zoo. This portion of the trail does follow the main road (Beach Road) through the park, so it is not nearly as interesting or peaceful as the Soapstone Trail, but it is paved, and provides separate access from the traffic, which in DC is a godsend. There is a a portion where the trail crosses Rock Creek, and flips so that you are no longer with traffic. I got a snapshot of the creek from Bluff Bridge:

I ended my journey in Woodley Park where I took the bus back up Connecticut to my apartment. One thing I didn't quite comprehend in my travels is that I was winding down into a valley, and that there was going to be a climb back up to the main drag (Connecticut Ave.) Coming back to Woodley Park, I got some great shots of the two massive bridges that tower over the creek and connect NW to the core:

Calvert Street Bridge

Connecticut Avenue Bridge

The walk up the hill to the Metro stop & neighborhood was extremely steep, and as an ironic addition to the mix, there was an "exercise" parkour course halfway up the hill. Not really appealing after walking 3 miles on a muggy day (although there were people running their way through!)

One thing that I missed the most about the East Coast is it's forests and their smells. Especially the Southeastern Appalachian forests. I know that DC is right on the border of the North & South, and is not in the mountains, but the forests are definitely the same. On a muggy day the trees emanate a freshness unlike any other place I have been. The birds calling and the twigs snapping with the local rodents. The closeness of the canopy, and the earthy smell coming from each step you take. It's something I lived with everyday for four years of my life at Warren Wilson, and it's something that I am glad to have back on demand right outside my doorstep.

Metro or No Metro?

I've been in Washington DC for about a week now. My new job is awesome, the city is crazy and stately, and I've been walking and taking transit everywhere. I can't help but love my life right now.

But it's times like these that make me feel weary. I"m enjoying it, yes, but I shouldn't be enjoying it this much should I? It's almost like things are too good. It's the uncanny valley of emotion.

Now I know I shouldn't be doubting my experiences, but my guttural feeling is that something in the background is going on, and I'm not quite privy to it. But I feel as though that's a healthy attitude to have wherever you go, and with whatever you do. To be self critical and reflective is to ensure you stay on track.

Being in such a large metro (with basic high-rises, and no skyscrapers) may be giving me this feeling. I mean, the tallest building in town is the Washington Monument after all. DC doesn't necessarily "feel" like a large metro. All buildings are capped, and you can see much of the sky. It's not like you are holed in by the megalithic glass structures of New York City or Chicago. Yet the population of the metro area is over 6 million people. Where do they fit all of the workers who come into the city? I know D.C.'s footprint is larger than other urban centers, but when you have skyscrapers in New York that hold thousands of people, how can 12 story buildings compare? Especially when lots of DC itself is single family homes and neighborhoods.

Then I have to remember, the statistical area (and service via regional transit) stretches all the way 70 miles into Martinsburg West Virginia. I can literally take an outbound transit train into the same state that touches my homestate of Ohio. That's how large this area is. (And it extends far into Northern Virginia as well.)

This metro region is strange, and it's amazing how far it stretches. But for now, I'm staying in the District, eager to discover all the places there are to see around the city.

An evening on 17th

Metro Center Station, with it's iconic architecture of overlapping tunnels.

A Washingtonian Still

Well here I am. I have officially transitioned from West Coast to East Coast. Three hours ahead, and 2800 miles apart. It's amazing to think of all the places I've seen.

And now I am in the nation's capitol. My first impressions are stately. Buildings do not exceed 130 feet, making for one of the lowest skylines in America. Clearly dominated by the monuments and the parks. Greenery is everywhere, pedestrians are everywhere, and life is everywhere. The city pulsates with the ebs and flows of morning and evening rush. Vehicles, security, trains and all.

I work on the 7th floor of a lavish office building. All the amenities are modern, clean, and crisp. My apartment is older, but still functional and a great place to live. The neighborhood is green, friendly, and ridiculously urban and gentrified. I don't know quite how to feel about that, possibly more on that later.

I am so amazingly privileged. I have a family that loves and supports me, friends who do the same, and a killer sense of adventure to lead me to new places. Once again in my life I feel as if though I'm awake, and I am really enjoying the past, present, and moment. I feel like me again, and I am so grateful for that.

Lafayette and the White House

This blog will archive my six months in the nations capitol. My goal is to experience all I can while I live here, and to make in roads to future places and areas where I may want to work. I'm putting the fact that I am only here until November out of my mind for now. I feel at capacity again, and that my life is once again on track for greatness and experience.