County warms up to season of outdoor activity

Adventures abound for thrill-seekers throughout Frederick

Thursday, June 1, 2006

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by Katherine Heerbrandt

Staff Writer

Click here to enlarge this photo

Tom Fedor⁄The Gazette

Jeremy Tooley of Frederick cycles up the C&O Canal towpath near Tuscarora on Friday.

A recent three-day camping, hiking and climbing excursion to the Shenandoah Mountains was a huge hit with Jeris White of Frederick.

White, 53, a self-dubbed ‘‘gear fanatic” wanted an adventure with an experienced guide after he participated in a rock-climbing clinic with Teamlink at the Frederick Watershed. (Note to Redskins fans: White played nine years of pro football, and started as defensive back for the Skins in their 1983 Super Bowl victory.)

The trip whet White’s appetite for even bigger challenges, so he is busy planning his next big adventure. Mount Everest is his ultimate climbing goal, he said, only half joking.

Frederick residents do not have to go all the way to Virginia or Mount Everest to engage in adrenaline-pumping pursuits, but they may want instruction if they are novices.

Local climbing spots include Annapolis Rocks and White Rocks on the Appalachian Trail, and Sugar Loaf Mountain, according to Clyde Hicks, owner of the Trail House, an outdoors store in downtown Frederick.

Gambrill State Park, Catoctin Mountain National Park and the Frederick Watershed have numerous hiking trails with varying degrees of difficulty. The watershed, Hicks said, is also one of the best places in Maryland for mountain biking.

Hicks has climbed, but prefers mountain biking, hiking and kayaking or canoeing.

‘‘We go on the Monocacy River. Talk about a river nobody uses — and they should because it beautiful,” he said. ‘‘One time we put the boats in the water and an eagle swooped down right over our heads. That was way cool.”

Hicks is a fountain of information on where to go for outdoor adventures, but he refuses to answer when people ask where to go caving.

Instead, he tells them to hook up with a caving club, such as the Frederick Grotto or TriState Grotto.

‘‘There are landowner issues and accessibility issues with caving.

‘‘Plus, you really need to know what you’re doing,” he said.

Bryan Snyder is president of the Frederick Grotto. Caving is a group sport, he said, that requires commitment as well as nerve.

Cavers thrive on doing something a bit edgier.

‘‘Everyone can hike, but it takes some nerve to crawl into that little dark hole and just go,” Snyder said.

Cavers are serious about protecting the best caves, but if you gain the trust of experienced cavers, the sky’s the limit, he said.

As with any outdoor activity, whether it is lazy canoe trip down a mellow river, or a scream-inducing rappel 150 feet down the side of a cliff, outdoor ethics is a must.

‘‘There has been a big push in this area, particularly in the past 10 years,” Hicks said. ‘‘We want our kids and their kids and so on to be able to enjoy it like we have.”

The basic principles include: plan ahead for emergencies, travel in small groups, camp on durable surfaces, dispose of waste properly, respect wildlife and be considerate of other visitors.

The camper’s mantra applies: Leave nothing but footprints, take nothing but pictures and kill nothing but time.