Breathing exercises don’t only have to stay on the field! A few of our MVs from the clarinet and piccolo sections took to the mountains to elevate their breathing to a new level- over five thousand and four hundred feet, but just less than three hundred feet shy of the highest point in all of the Commonwealth. Here’s a recap of our hike from last month.
One of the many wild ponies we encountered in the Highlands, looking perfect for a Christmas card; Source: Beau Wong
The trek consisted of eight bold adventurers. The sections each had four representatives. Our Pix sent rank captain Audrey Jones, Taelor Ryel, and rookies Brad Vezzetti and Emy Delaporte (me, your writer!). From the Nets were rank captain Dogeun Lee (our fearless leader), MV Blog photographer Beau Wong, Ben Majors, and Aidan Fishenden. Hiking has long been recognized as an incredibly beneficial activity- good for your body, good for your brain, and great for sectional bonding!
In a two car caravan we trundled from campus south two hours towards the Tennessee border on a Sunday morning. The destination was the Massie Gap portion of Grayson Highlands State Park, and the hikers weren’t to be daunted by the temperatures being in the mid-to-low forties and the winds being strong. There were rock scrambles to climb, pictures to take, and wild ponies to encounter!
Aidan posing on a scramble, repping Tech on the hike in his Hokie orange; Source: Beau Wong
Taelor staring off into the distance, a well-documented symptom of hiking fever; Source: Beau Wong
We climbed two scrambles during the hike, giving Beau and Dogeun some great photography opportunities. Lunch was eaten at the top of the second scramble, battling the cold and the gusting winds to a few sandwich mouthfuls and whatever random snacks each of us had brought along.
Showcasing just how awesome this Massie Gap hike was, some of the adventurers share their favorite moments.
Aidan Fishenden: The spot we stopped on for lunch with the rocks forming a wind tunnel was amazing.
Taelor Ryel: The best part about the view for me was all the leaves changing color.
Dogeun mid-photoshoot at the summit of the trip; Source: Beau Wong
Dogeun Lee: Basically the entire hike from the drive to when we got dinner, but it was the lunch with a view for me.
Emy Delaporte: My favorite part was easily the scrambling! That’s my all-time favorite activity.
What a perfect family Pixture; Source: Dogeun Lee
After the hike, we MVs made our way back to Blacksburg. Finding restaurants was a little bit of a fumble but eventually we ended up at Bojangles, empty of all but us, reminiscing on our day and how much we had enjoyed it. All in all, it was a great experience!
So, if you’re looking for a sign- this is it. Get some of your section or even just your band friends in general together, and hit the trail! You won’t regret it; just remember to dress warm.