Adrenaline Rush for the Globe Trekkers

Hikes, fun, training and more..

noreply@blogger.com (Deepa Vinodhan) — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 14:42:00 +0000

One of my most recent interests has been hiking and I've been very regular this year and try to hike every other week.

I like to be the chieftain when it comes to finding a decent hiking trail, following the map, packing a hearty meal. I also like to join different hiking groups and hike with new people. I've learned a lot from "veteran hikers", stuff I wouldn't have known by myself; how to identify a poison ivy, hiking essentials (more than just water), how to purify water from the streams, etc.

I went on a fun-filled hike with a friend. If we knew how this hike would be, we would have called it plain daft. I guess it's fun when u're taken by surprise. So we started hiking pretty late, around noon. Now this was in June, when the sun sets around 8:15 PM. We hiked along more than one trail in Catoctin/Cunnigham State Park near Thurmont, MD. We lost track of time and just wanted to finish the entire loop. It ended up being a 13 mile hike. It poured towards the end. Luckily I carried a poncho for the both of us. We saw some frogs along the way. The rain and overcast made it darker and I was a little freaked out and just wanted to find the way to the car. We finished the hike, and felt like we completed a fete at the end of it!

I trained the summer with some local hikes around VA, WV, and MD. I finished off the season with a hike in Washington to the summit of St. Helens. St. Helens is an active volcanic mountain, which has been dormant after a catastrophic eruption around the 1980s. St. Helens sells hiking passes every summer when the mountain is open to hikers. A good friend who had moved to Washington, mentioned about the hike and I signed up with him and a couple other friends. The hike itself is 9 miles round trip. On the way up there is an elevation gain of 4500 ft in 4.5 mile. This itself makes the hike quite strenuous. There are large boulders, ash and snow patches along the way. The east coast didn't have a lot of hikes with a lot of elevation gain. So I trained in the gym, spent more time on the stair master and upper body workouts. I must say, I was in my best shape and felt stronger. I didn't rest the day before the hike. I camped with some friends at a campground near the trail head and slept only for a couple hours. We started hiking early around 5 AM. It took me about 4 hours to get to the summit. I was the first among all my friends to get there. The view of the crater dome was unreal, and I spent a few minutes immersed in the moment, enjoying the view of the Spirit Lake and the crater dome. On the way down, I returned back with my friend. She was scared of heights and this is not a hike for those who fear altitudes as you are above cloud cover after the first mile. We got lost and didn't see anyone for hours. We finally got back on the trail and glissaded down the snow. As the mountain is covered with snow, it's hard to know which way the trail goes. There are wooden poles along the trail, but we were on the other side of the poles and didn't see anyone, as there were huge boulders. We finished the hike in 10 hours. We were all famished but we really enjoyed the hike. This has been my most memorable hike. We enjoyed good Thai food after the hike.

I'm looking forward to more of these hikes. I would love to hike in a different country outside the US and post my experience.

Runnin' runnin', and runnin' runnin', and runnin' runnin', and running runnin'

noreply@blogger.com (Deepa Vinodhan) — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 01:19:00 +0000

I get an adrenaline high after a long run or even after a fast short run. I started training for a marathon this summer ('09). Most of my long runs were on Saturdays and I was almost, always rewarded by good weather.

After going through all the pain and 6 months of training, I finally made it to the finish line. I thoroughly enjoyed every bit of it. There are a lot of beautiful trails which I visited during my weekend runs. Most of them are around DC/MD. Capital Crescent Trail, Mt. Vernon trail, C&O Canal, run around Great Seneca Park, run around Washington DC monuments, Rock Creek trail are a few to name. I also enjoyed my weekday runs and bike rides around my neighborhood in Germantown, MD; along Great Seneca Highway, soccer plex, River Rd. down to Swain's lock on Potomac river, etc.

Running is a great way to explore a new place. I especially enjoyed my run in Statesville, NC where I made a short business trip. I enjoyed my run through the small town and shops. Also enjoyed my run around Atlantic City.

From my personal experience, I have to tell you this; the amount of excitement just before I reached the start line of the Marine Corps Marathon is unmatched by anything I've been through thus far.

So it's that easy; just put on your running shoes, mark a trail on google pedometer, plug-in your ipod and get on the road and explore!

Stand up paddle surfing

noreply@blogger.com (Deepa Vinodhan) — Thu, 07 May 2009 21:03:00 +0000

I was sailing around Inner Harbor, Baltimore when I saw a guy, standing on his surf board and paddling. I wasn't quite sure until I went home and discovered about this sport!
Stand up paddle (SUP) surfing, also known as Hoe he'e nalu in Hawaiian language is an emerging sport. It has an Hawaiian heritage linked to it and began as a way surfing instructors would manage their groups.
As this sport is gaining more popularity you can find local SUP lessons in your locality and also find stores which sell SUP equipment. So all you need is a Stand up paddle boat, a paddle and a wave to surf; probably not if you are a beginner ;) I'd go with the calm water first. I This is definitely going on my "wishlist".

Row the crazy boat!

noreply@blogger.com (Deepa Vinodhan) — Sun, 15 Feb 2009 17:13:00 +0000

Kayaking and canoeing are great activities for those who are fond of water. There is a plethora of water trails all over the US. I found a great resource of water trails in MD here.
There are different styles of kayaking depending on the challenge level you prefer and the type of water body, like; whitewater kayaking in streams or rivers with faster water current, sea kayaking in seas or coastal area, kayaking in lakes or calm water, surf kayaking which is a great adventure sport for those who would enjoy the thrill of wave-surfing on kayaks. This requires specially designed surf kayaks .
For those who take a back bench when it comes to water sports, can also go canoeing. Canoes are safer since they larger and thus there is no/negligible risk of tipping over. Although, it would be difficult to canoe against stronger water currents as they are heavier than kayaks. Canoes are generally meant for 2 or more people.
You can also do a variety of other things on the canoe like camp, have a romantic brunch, etc. I went canoeing around Theodore Roosevelt Island in Washington D.C. and then went along the monuments in D.C. It is a great sight-seeing water trail and you can also park your canoe near Roosevelt Island and enjoy a nice meal or walk along a small trail. Please feel free to post about your canoeing/kayaking experience in the comments section.

Outdoor Ice Skating New York!

noreply@blogger.com (Deepa Vinodhan) — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 00:32:00 +0000

Winter has ended and spring is here. I missed one thing I really wanted to do this winter and that is ice skating.

I came across Rockafeller Ice skating rink and I was amazed by its grandeur. Its right on Rockafeller center, amidst the skyscrapers, in the limelight. The rink is typically open from October and stays open through early April. I went there an evening before Valentine's day and it is, without a doubt, one of the most romantic ice skating rinks. They have packages including engagement packages :) The only downside is that its small and intimate and more expensive as compared to the other ice skating rinks in New York.

Another famous rink is the Wollman rink located in Central Park. Its more affordable and a perfect place for causal skating.
The Bryant park skating rink is another famous location as it offers free admission cost. However, like most winter treats, the ice skating rink at Bryant Park is sadly short-lived. Its open from mid- November to January.

Halloween High Heel Drag Race in DC

noreply@blogger.com (Deepa Vinodhan) — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 03:55:00 +0000

Each year on the Tuesday before Halloween, thousands of spectators head to 17th Street, between P and S Streets near Dupont Circle to enjoy Washington's fabulously raucous High Heel Drag Race. This is one of the most wildest and colorful events in Washington DC that I have ever come across.

Around 7 p.m., more than 100 drag queens, dressed in outrageous halloween costumes like Britney Spears, Condoleezza Rice, the Washington Monument and many more, parade up and down 17th Street. The High Heel Race begins at 9 p.m. and lasts for about 15 minutes.

I wonder how I never knew about this until now. I am definitely going this year to enjoy the show. Have you ever come across this before??

You have got to check this out!

Updates for this year's National Cherry Blossom Festival

noreply@blogger.com (Deepa Vinodhan) — Sat, 29 Mar 2008 17:25:00 +0000

This year's National Cherry Blossom Festival is from March 29- April 13 2008.

Mark your calender for some special events for 2008:

Tidal basin paddle boats: March 29th- April 13th 9 am to 6 pm. Online reservations for 10am to noon
Fireworks: April 5th 8.30 pm to 9 pm near Southwest Waterfront
Parade: April 12th 10 am to noon on Constitution Ave.
Photo Safari- If you have a penchant for photography and don't mind getting up real early and capturing a glimpse of the sun rays filtering through the blossoms, then this one is for you addicts. You will have professional photographer to guide you, but it all comes with a $$ :)

Please add your event summary after a visit in the comments sections

Back to the 17th century -- Colonial Williamsburg

noreply@blogger.com (Deepa Vinodhan) — Sun, 23 Mar 2008 14:44:00 +0000

Colonial Williamsburg is a historic town in Williamsburg, Virginia which preserves the history from the 17th century.
It has the historic buildings from over 200 years back; the Capitol, the Governor's palace, the courthouse, taverns, Parish church, etc. There is a chain of historic buildings and sites on the Duke of Gloucester street which has the Capitol on one end and the ancient College of William and Mary on the other. You will see the local people dressed up in colonial wear who reenact various events from the ancient times like the shaving of the sheep and various such interactive events. They also have colonial Williamsburg costume rentals.
On my visit to Williamsburg, I started searching for street names and then realized that I have to travel 200 years back in time. There is a show called "The story of the Patriot" at the ticketing center which gives a lot of information about the history of America. There are Ghost tours at night!! I wonder how that would have been as I couldn't wait that long. There was a beautiful art museum having various exhibits with guns, furniture, silverware, pictures from ancient times, memories of George Washington and the Rockefeller family.
Its quite a unique experience to go back in time. I am amazed by the way they have maintained everything till date. I'm sure you'll enjoy it too.

Paddy's Day

noreply@blogger.com (Deepa Vinodhan) — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 19:46:00 +0000

St. Patrick's Day is celebrated on March 17th with great zeal by both Irish and non-Irish communities (UK, US, Canada, Australia) around the globe. The feast day of St. Patrick is celebrated in memory of the patron saint of Ireland, Saint Patrick. It is marked by the wearing of green color and shamrock and leprechaun designs. It is celebrated in Ireland with parades, community feasts, mass and charity shows.
Another unique thing about this day is the St. Patrick day parade which takes place is various locations like Montreal, Birmingham, Manchester, Munich. In the US the most famous locations for these parades are New York, Savannah (Georgia), Las Vegas, Seattle, etc. New York parade has become the largest parade in the world.
The Chicago river is dyed green for this festival. Also the Trafalgar Square fountains in Great Britain, where the parade took place was dyed green this year (2008).
After the day long celebrations there are long parties in Irish pubs. I saw a part of this celebration in Virginia Beach, VA in an Irish pub called Murphy's. Everyone was dressed in green and there was good music and drinks served.
So go Green and celebrate the St. Patrick's Day in Irish Style!!

Spring is here-- National Cherry Blossom Festival

noreply@blogger.com (Deepa Vinodhan) — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 03:50:00 +0000

The history of the cherry trees dates to 1912, when First Lady Helen Taft and Viscountess Chinda, wife of the Japanese ambassador, planted the first two of these trees on the north bank of the Tidal Basin in West Potomac river. National Cherry Blossom Festival is celebrated every spring in Washington, DC. Several varieties of Cherry trees grow around the Tidal Basin, at East Potomac Park, and on the Washington Monument Grounds, the most common being the Yoshino variety.
There are a lot of events all through the Festival like Ranger-led bike tours, self-guided tours of the flowering cherry trees, Kite flying competition. There is a Parade of National Cherry blossom festival featuring marching bands, floats, balloons, and other family entertainment.
If you don't mind spending some $$ you can enjoy a perfect evening with fireworks on a cruise along with dinner buffet. A cheaper option would be a paddle boat ride with your love one in the tidal basin.
This year's National Cherry Blossom Festival is from March 29- April 13 2008.

Chillout in Dubai!!??!!

noreply@blogger.com (Deepa Vinodhan) — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 05:31:00 +0000

Chillout, yet another concept turning into a theme restaurant located at Times Square Mall in Dubai.

Everything in here is made of ice; the walls, tables, chairs, cups, glasses and plates; the art on the wall, the sculptures depicting Dubai's skyline, the beaded curtains, the chandelier and the bar.

There is a $17 cover charge which will get you one drink and the rental of a hooded jacket, woolen gloves and insulated shoes. Customers can also spend a few minutes in the Buffer Zone, to adjust themselves before entering the restaurant. Thick sheepskin rugs cover the seats for the diner's comfort and the lighting constantly keeps changing colors as it filters through the ice. Customers can lounge on ice benches, cozy up to an ice bar and drink from, you guessed it, glasses made of ice. It serves a selection of cold sandwiches, salads and a range of beverages and has a maximum capacity of 40-45 visitors.

I'd say its a great place to Chill Out and escape from the searing heat of Dubai.

Shopping Destination, Dubai

noreply@blogger.com (Deepa Vinodhan) — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 02:11:00 +0000

I'm gonna write about one of the best shopping places I've been too. Its not just the variety which made me go over my "Shopping budget", its the uniques and the architectural sense that makes each mall stand out. I would say its like entering casinos in Las Vegas, you feel like your in a different world when you enter Luxor, or Paris or New York New York. Check back for my post on Las Vegas!!

Can you ever visit a tourist destination and start off your trip by visiting shopping malls?? Well that is how my Dubai trip began. The first place I saw in Dubai was Burjuman Mall, one of the world's most luxurious malls. With over 300 stores you'll surely be spoilt for choice. The mall looked like an ocean-liner from the outside.

I also liked the Mall of Emirates. The part I enjoyed the most was Ski Dubai. Read more on Ski Dubai in my previous post. I also enjoyed the time I spent at the "Toy Store" :D

Another mall I visited was Ibn Battuta Mall. It is named after a famous explorer, Ibn Battuta. The mall has cultural and historic values of the different countries, namely, India, China, Egypt, Persia, Tunisia and Andalusia.

Lastly let me introduce Madinat Jumeirah, a part of Madinat Jumeirah Resort which resembles an ancient Arabian citadel and is very pretty. It has a very vibrant and colorful market where you can find very creative and ancient artifacts. I must warn you that the artifacts are very expensive and if you happen to visit Dubai during Dubai shopping festival, you can purchase the same stuff at half the prices from Global Village. You should definitely take the Abra Tour, a very peaceful boat ride along a small watercourse with views of the Jumeirah Beach, Burj Al Arab and the Madinat Jumeirah resort.

There are various souks (an open-air market) around the city like the Gold souk; Gold is a serious business in the middle east, food souk, textile souk and spice souk. Another famous place to visit is Meena Bazaar.

I definitely want to visit Dubai and shop. I have plans to save all my shopping expenditure for the entire year and shop all for once at Dubai. I know how close I'm getting to that :P

Shoot with PaintBall

noreply@blogger.com (Deepa Vinodhan) — Sun, 02 Mar 2008 16:10:00 +0000

Paint Ball, I didn't know what this could possibly mean until the time I heard from some pals who went for a PaintBall Game in MD,US.

Paint Ball is a sport where you form two teams and the team members are given guns and paintball markers. Yes, they shoot each other with a gun and No, it doesn't have bullets, it has liquid-filled, gelatin paintball shot from a gas-powered Paintball marker.
Paintball can take various forms, the most popular are woodsball, which is played in natural setting, scenarios, speedball and it is played in indoor settings also. A game of paintball usually involves two opposing teams seeking to eliminate all of the other team's players or to complete some other objective, such as retrieving a flag or eliminating a specific player. All players should wear a protective mask all through the game.
Paintball definitely hasn't become a mainstream sport. Paintball is a social sport and much of the enjoyment comes from the time between games, swapping stories or simply enjoying the company of your buddies.

If you intend to sit at home and play paintball on your computer then here are some free online games.

So if you feel like paintballing, check the Paintball fields closest to you.

Game time!!

Outdoor Skiiing

noreply@blogger.com (Deepa Vinodhan) — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 15:52:00 +0000

Outdoor Skiing is very thrilling. If you get good at it you can try snowboarding and Para-Skiing.

My first Ski trip was to Liberty Mountains, PA with my friends from Grad School. I felt twice my weight once I got buckled up with my Ski boots and Ski. I felt like a penguin when I was walking. Initially there was a training session for a couple of hours and then I went up the ski lift, without acing how to stop or turn. I had a couple of falls but I totally enjoyed Skiing.

Check the following videos:

Waterborne Snowboarding

Ski Jumping

Para-Skiing

Wuhu!! Only if I could Ski better. I definitely want to try my Ski on waterborne skiing and Para-Skiing.

Flakiness in the flakes (Indoor Skiing, Dubai)

noreply@blogger.com (Deepa Vinodhan) — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 21:43:00 +0000

Flakiness in the flakes with Ice Skiing, Snowboarding and Snow tubing.

Yet another sport which I really wish to master. I went skiing at Liberty Mountains, PA. I also had some indoor Ski experience at Ski Dubai Snow Park. I'll talk about my indoor skiing experience here. Check back for my next post on outdoor skiing, which is definitely more fun; to be out there, skiing down the mountains, with snow ranges surrounding you. The best part is when the sun shines over the snow-clad slope and you ski down the incline. Superb!!

I went to Ski Dubai, one of the unique things I did during my visit to Dubai. Ski Dubai located in Mall of Emirates, Dubai is the world's third largest indoor ski slope, with 22,500 square metres covered with real snow all year round.
Sky Dubai has the world's largest indoor Snow Park and other facilities like Skiing, snowboarding, Toboganning, snow tubing and Ski School which also has a free boot camp.

I enjoyed the snow tubing and another ride, where you come down an icy track on a rubber sledge. Unfortunately the sledge is too short for those who are tall; didn't bother me though. The Skiing part is fun too. It gives you a feel of coming down a 50 degree snowy incline.
Another project at Dubai Sunny Mountain Ski Dome in Dubailand is due to open in 2008. The project consists of a dome within which, there will be all kind of Arctic experiences, ranging from Penguinarium, snow castle, ice-rink, snowfall, sound and light effects, snow maze, and polar bears!!

Showtime!!
Sharapova and Davenport in Ski Dubai

DropZones

noreply@blogger.com (Deepa Vinodhan) — Sun, 24 Feb 2008 23:38:00 +0000

DropZone!!??!!
Ski Diving. This is one activity which will definitely get your adrenaline pumping!!

Tandem Skydiving is the best choice for those who have decided to jump for the first time. You are connected via a harness to an experienced skydiver ("tandem master"). You can experience total exhilaration while freefalling through the fathomless sky at 120mph for roughly 3 mins, as in my case. At most places you can even video-shoot your jump.

How it all works-- A group of skydivers will fly in an aircraft to an altitude of around 13,000 feet, and free-fall for a period of time before activating a parachute to slow the landing down to safe speeds. Once the parachute is opened, you can control your direction and speed with cords that are attached to the parachute, and aim for the landing site.

Skydivers are always looking for something new to do in the air. Another crazy thing people end up doing is Stuff Jump. In these jumps the skydivers jump out with some object. Rubber raft jumps are popular, where the jumpers sit in a rubber raft. At a certain height the jumpers break off from the object and deploy their parachutes, leaving it to crash into the ground at a very high speed.There are some variations in the types of jumps which include Wingsuit flying, Formation skydiving, Skysurfing; in which the skydiver wears a board attached to his or her feet and performs surfing aerobatics during freefall.

There are also options for Indoor skydiving available at various places. It enables you to do all kinds of acrobatics and experience the air hitting your body, all in a vertical tunnel with a huge blower on the floor.

If you take this as a passion and want your name to be in the records, check these SkyDiving records.
DropZone Locator-- Here is a comprehensive database for skiding locations around the globe.

Be Safe and enjoy Skidiving!!

Yosemite National Park, CA adventure

noreply@blogger.com (Deepa Vinodhan) — Sun, 17 Feb 2008 14:59:00 +0000

Yosemite, California! Ahh its a beauty which still simmers inside my mind..
I'll try to keep this post more informative, than personal. Check the comments on my adventure apologue.

The best way to get here is definitely by road.
Once you get there, you have plenty of options for accommodation. Nevertheless, you need to make reservations well in advance if you intent to make your trip during the busy summer months! Among the two most common options of camping and lodging; I would highly recommend Camping. You will totally enjoy sleeping under the stars, in the tent, relishing barbecued hot dogs, potato, corn and beer, sitting around the bonfire!! I totally enjoyed that part!

Now lets get into some action. The best things to do in Yosemite is Hiking, Biking, Rock Climbing , Water Activities (don't miss Rafting here) and Winter Sports. Yosemite is covered with peaks and valleys and a couple of waterfalls. The Half Dome is a Yosemite icon and rises nearly 5000 feet above the Valley. The Half Dome Day Hike is an exciting, arduous hike and the best rated by me. Make sure you have enough time because it could take nearly 10 hours to hike to Half Dome and back. The most unique part of this hike, if you reach the end, is the ascent up the cables. There are many other hikes, like the one along the Glacier Point road, Hikes in Wawona and the Mariposa Grove, Hetch Hetchy and Tuolumne Meadows. If you get here in the winter, which is from Mid- December to March, definitely enjoy the Downhill Skiing and Snowboarding and Ice Skating in the outdoor Ice skating ring.
With all this said I feel like planning a trip to Yosemite again. All Yosemiters please add your comments and additional information!

Check this cool video of Action Adept Yosemite Valley!!

Terrapin Adventure

noreply@blogger.com (Deepa Vinodhan) — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 04:52:00 +0000

Since I come from TerpLand I'm gonna bring my space up to date about activities close to UMD campus.
Here are a few exciting things you can involve yourself in:

>> Watch a movie in the pool http://www.crs.umd.edu/gradstudents/

You can also celebrate the last day of classes by relaxing in a "Floating Theatre" at the Outdoor Aquatic Center.

Movie lovers can also enjoy their movie under the Stars at the La Plata Plaza. Check the CRS website for more information. These events are free for all UM affiliated personnel.

>> You can also register for the adventure trips organized by Campus Recreation Services. This includes various activities from Kayaking to Hiking to Caving!!!
If you had registered for any trip through CRS in the past, please add your comments to this post.

>> I totally enjoy biking through the woods. The UMCP campus is also a great place to bike around, provided its good weather. You can rent a bike from CRS and go on one of the many biking trails. Here are some trail maps.

>> Wall Climbing is yet another thing that you can try for FREE!! It is a 55 foot tall climbing wall, which is one of the tallest on the East Coast.

>> There is a resourceful rental center where you can rent everything you might need for a trip from a tent to a sleeping bag. You can even rent equipment for snowboarding, caving, etc. The rental rates are also pretty cheap. There is a library with maps and books and you can even ask the ORC (Outdoor Recreation Center) staff to help you plan your trip.

Here we go..

noreply@blogger.com (Deepa Vinodhan) — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 04:21:00 +0000

Heyya everyone!! Welcome to my space.
I am a total adventure seeker, I'd love to get on to the top of a mountain and dive from there!!
This is a part of my world where I'll try to bring out the best of high adventure- high action- unique stuff you can find at different places. I'll start with the places I've visited, primarily, United States, Dubai and India. This could include various fun activities including sky diving, scuba diving, theme restaurants, theme parks, dome theaters, night clubs, snorkeling, kayaking; anything that gets my adrenaline pumping will be on my blogspace. So please check back if you get a adrenaline rush too.