Tonight at Elizabeth Furnace S.P., then into the backcountry up and across Signal Knob, down the valley to camp (9 mi) then out the next day (6 mi) and on to Spelunkers in Front Royal for hand formed hamburgers and fresh cut fries, the highlight of the trip for the boys. (and adults, probably).
I did Signal Knob last weekend as a day hike. Have fun!
As far as outdoor stores, I really like the REI in Fairfax, though as others have noted, it is on the small side compared to some of their other locations. I visited one in Denver earlier this year that was huge. I also like Eastern Mountain Sports - I do a lot of backpacking and I talked with the folks in their Sterling store who were very helpful. I ended up getting a new Gregory backpack as a Christmas gift that was purchased at that store. For all you Scout folks on here, they're planning on doing a Philmont presentation sometime in April and I think I'm going to be helping with it (I've been several times, including four summers on staff). I'll keep you all posted.
Anyone remember Appalachian Outfitters in Oakton? A great local gear store, but they went out of business several years ago and they tore down the building (actually, the old schoolhouse part of it was moved down Hunter Mill Road) and put up a Chevy Chase Bank. Boo...
