Hike for July 7th

[Josh Silverman]

The hike for this coming Tuesday will be in the Patuxent River Jug Bay park.  The address is:

16000 Croom Airport Road
Upper Marlboro, MD

We will be starting from the Visitor Center.  From the Beltway, use the following route:

• Exit 11, Rte. 4 East for 8 miles
• Take the exit for Rte. 301 and go south on for 1.6 miles to Croom Station Road
• Turn left and follow Croom Station Road 1.6 miles to its end at Croom Road (Rte. 382)
• Turn left and proceed for 1.5 miles to Croom Airport Road
• Turn left and continue for 2 miles to the Park entrance
• Proceed 1.7 miles to Visitor Center parking 

The route is a complicated one, involving several turns at various junctions, and it is also new to the group.  For these reasons I am asking that we stay together on this hike.  It consists of the following loops (the numbers correspond to the numbered points on the map):

Purple, counterclockwise — 1, 19, 2

Brown, counterclockwise — 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 10.  At Point 7 we will take an out-and-back on a short spur trail to the overlook, Point 8.

Blue, clockwise — 10, 11, 13, 20

Blue/green connector trail — 20, 21

Green, clockwise — 21, 22, 23, 24, 25

Red, clockwise — 25, 27, 29, 28 (this is not a misprint — Point 29 comes before Point 28 on this route)

Red/blue connector trail — 28, 12, 14

Blue, clockwise — 14, 15

Blue/yellow connector trail — 15, 17

Yellow, clockwise — 17, 18, 17

Blue/yellow connector trail — 17, 15

Blue, clockwise — 15, 9

Blue/brown connector trail — 9, 4

Brown, clockwise — 4, 5, 6, 3

Right at junction back to Purple loop — 3, 2

Bear right to go through museum area back to Visitor Center — 2, 1

The total distance is approximately 17 miles.  I don't have a total elevation gain for this hike, but it should be in the 1000-1500 feet range. 

Temperatures are supposed to moderate over the weekend.  However, if the heat proves to be too intense, there are several bailout points that can be used to shorten the hike.  We will be pausing several times to ensure that everyone is taking sufficient water.

The hike starting time is 8:30. There is no really convenient place to meet for carpooling to this area, but there is plenty of parking available at the Visitor Center.  If anyone needs to contact me, my number is 703-582-3456.

Josh