Fifty Hikes at 50: #26 - A Great Hike with Tim

Happy 4th of July! What a great weekend to enjoy a hot Summer Holiday! Fireworks, friends, family, food and fun!

After all of the festivities, today turned out to be a perfect day to wrap up the weekend with a beautiful 6.5 mile hike - and a chance to work off the burgers, bratwursts and beers.

My son Tim joined me today, so I wanted today to be a great hike; not straight up a mountain, not a more isolated locale, rather, a place to get out and enjoy the weather and take in some great views. We decided on Difficult Run to the Potomac River, then up River Trail to Great Falls. This hike offers a perfect balance of distance, difficulty, sun and shade, so was just perfect for a day like today.

Difficult Run is a great place to start for a fun day! Hop out on the rocks, check out some of the wildlife you're likely to see. Enjoy the peacefulness and the sound of rushing water, all as you move along closer to confluence with the Potomac.

Difficult Run

Black Vulture at Difficult Run

Once at the Potomac, Ridge Trail takes you through some beautiful forest until you meet up with River Trail and the excellent views of the river.

Potomac River - Mather Gorge

Rock Climbing along the River

A broad-headed Skink checking us out at an overlook point

Turtle swimming in the river

A lot of people were out having fun today, hiking, rock climbing, rafting and kayaking. One set of kayakers were practicing their skills righting themselves once flipped. Part of it seemed to be a way to cool off!

It seems every time we come to the Great Falls area, a rescue action occurs. The below response seemed to be as a result of a fall on the rocks.

River Rescue response to injury on Billy Goat Trail

Response to injury on trail

The best part was covering the miles with Tim. We talked of future hikes we'd like to do. It was a great day, hiking at our own pace, enjoying the day together. We made it to the Falls. It was our destination, but the journey was what made our trip great.