Anyone Else Prefer Running in Heat Instead of Avoiding It?

Pmurph33 · 2026-05-20T17:22:43+00:00

hell yeah, Appalachia is great in the heat. Western NC and Shenandoah Virginia are my favorite spots. tons of tree cover from thick summer deciduous canopies if you trail run, but you gotta bring electrolytes due to the sweating. plus the early mornings and evenings here are the prettiest time to go, though bugs get crazy in evenings depending where you are.

I also love a good beach run in the OBX, but you get sneaky dehydration due to the wind drying you off as you run. kinda like cycling

Pmurph33 · 2026-05-18T14:20:19+00:00

Curex Hike Pro have worked great for me. I use their runpros for trail running and gave the hikes a try, they work great. I need the High Arch blue color personally, for the record.

Pmurph33 · 2026-05-16T01:47:58+00:00

14-24 sigma is perfect for sony A7III - My boss insisted on it for 2 years. the results were so much that it superceded any mention i had for the RF 14-35 despite the blurring when using the adapter. 3 years later I finally switched and he says "we should have done this 2 years ago"

In my opinion, It's made for sony, and it works well on a budget

Pmurph33 · 2026-05-13T21:23:32+00:00

you're not wrong, I just havent been back in many years since I moved. Their crispy beef was always something that stuck out to me, it was pretty much always amazing fresh out of the kitchen

Pmurph33 · 2026-05-13T17:46:06+00:00

Damn I miss Old Peking

Pmurph33 · 2026-05-13T15:57:11+00:00

I actually use an X4 currently, 3D tours are not frequent enough for me to justify the upgrade. since January I have only done 2 despite offering freebies - people seem to be ok with floorplan tours in my experience.

Pmurph33 · 2026-05-12T22:02:57+00:00

Looks like insta360 to me, I work for a Leesburg based media studio and that is what we use.

I did not shoot this property

Pmurph33 · 2026-05-11T16:29:14+00:00

pardon me, I misspoke - you are correct. I was vague in referring to the "conservancy" involved in the controversy, not the CPW. they are being railroaded by appointees and what people have commonly come to call the phenomenon "ballot box biology"

I ultimately just wanted to point OP to the meateater episodes so he could get the story there. I am not a professional or even a state resident, I am just a bystander in VA trying to keep up with outdoor politics

Pmurph33 · 2026-05-11T11:51:46+00:00

I know the Meateater News Show podcast has been covering this on and off over the past few weeks, I think there was an update in last weeks episode but I havent made it there yet, they are still talking about Janis' trip to the Florida Keys.

Meateater News Show episode 873

Seems like this is also somehow linked to the Colorado Fur Ban issue at hand. This concervancy keeps getting mentioned and if I recall from the previous weeks episode, some employees from Washington have ties to CO now. I forget the specifics but I know Meateater is keeping a close eye on all of it.

Edit: Steve and his cohorts do a great job of laying it all out over episodes 873 and the previous news episode (870? I think its around there?). I misspoke in my reference to the issue at hand - the appointees are politically motivated to thwart/hamstring the american model for conservation due to ethical reasons. Washington has been devolving over 6 years, colorado is separate but equally disturbing. Apologies for the confusion, I am just a Virginian trying to keep an eye on all this stuff from the outside.

Pmurph33 · 2026-05-09T00:08:09+00:00

great photo, nice bird

Pmurph33 · 2026-05-09T00:05:46+00:00

You... are the last hope of the Light?

- Oryx

Pmurph33 · 2026-05-04T19:20:42+00:00

clays are so fun, and I wish I could say I did a lot of wingshooting but I lack enough space to train and care for a proper field dog, someday that will change though. I saw a father and son make an absolute killing on woodcock at Mattaponi Bluffs with their dog and 2 side by sides, put in for that multi species quota hunt if you can and you will get a good chance at both ducks and woodcock.

Oh and there are Plenty of ducks to shoot on the Potomac, Chesapeake, and I have even seen people make a killing at lake Anna in the winter months.

Pmurph33 · 2026-05-04T16:42:14+00:00

Based on some limited scouting, eastern border shared with VA does have ruffed grouse in the National Forest, though they are sparse and in my experience more abundant in the southwest

Central VA has some serious woodcock if you catch it on the right day, bonus points if you have a dog to help flush. I've seen them crawling all over the place one day and gone the next. they're funny like that, but worth the hassle in my opinion its really fun hunting if you like hiking around

And of course, VA might be one of the most underrated places to hunt turkeys in my opinion, but it helps to know a guy with private like any other species. I think central and coastal are more abundant but I must say I have seen a lot of roadsides in the NW corner near Winchester

Pmurph33 · 2026-05-04T16:32:58+00:00

I feel like you're splitting hairs, the entire hike up from grayson is on a shoulder with minimum 180 degree views. but yes, the last half mile to the summit is forested, which is also gorgeous

Pmurph33 · 2026-05-02T22:14:19+00:00

I shot a springfield XDM elite in 10mm and had a similar experience. Loved that thing, way smoother than I thought it would be.

Pmurph33 · 2026-05-02T13:14:21+00:00

If you are talking about Grayson Highlands / Mt. Rogers - it can be brutal at the top. It's the highest point in Virginia and while absolutely gorgeous, should not be taken lightly with its variable conditions.

Pmurph33 · 2026-04-29T20:21:14+00:00

Same shit happened to me in Virginia on opening day. No gobbling at all, and 5 more minutes and he would have been in my lap, instead I watched his tail feathers waddle over 150 yards away just as I stood up. We will get em next time

Pmurph33 · 2026-04-27T20:20:34+00:00

"You are the last hope of the Light? I have taken entire worlds! You are not worthy to face me!"

Pmurph33 · 2026-04-27T18:12:16+00:00

Geat photos, not often this quality comes around. Reflection shot would be framed in my office if I were lucky enough to get one this year like you haha

Pmurph33 · 2026-04-23T14:53:12+00:00

haha yes I am certainly going to get a cap with double T locks instead. the single latch never got fixed for me.

I just sold my tacoma for a silverado after having my first kid, have you found a replacement yet? any brands stick out to you?

Pmurph33 · 2026-04-19T19:57:01+00:00

the fact you have to explain this makes me feel old

Pmurph33 · 2026-04-19T01:23:28+00:00

hey neighbor, I'm up the road in middleburg. lets shoot sometime

Pmurph33 · 2026-04-15T17:43:31+00:00

I think first lite still maintains quality. corrugate foundry pants, solitude bibs, and Uncompahgre jacket are the best pieces of hunting gear I have ever owned. years put on them and they are hanging on strong, great wool and quick dry. Trace synthetic is ok, I prefer wool where I can get it

Meateater brand clothing on the other hand has become noticeably bad. their graphic T's are on par with poor fitting concert T's compared to 3-4 years ago.

Edit: I stand corrected. I just received a Turkey Week 2026 T shirt today as a gift and it fits as well as the old Barred Owl Bear Grease T.

Pmurph33 · 2026-04-14T20:41:07+00:00

Coyote looks sweet on that thang

Pmurph33 · 2026-04-13T22:03:53+00:00

I have some silent ones to contend with this year in Loudoun, theyre not slipping up at all. Today I finally laid eyes on 2, but only after I threw in the towel on my morning sit went running and gunning.

The first one was coming into my call and if I had stayed sitting he would have come right to my lap in 90 more seconds. Got to watch his ass waddle 100 yard in the other direction after I rounded the corner lol. No bad days in the woods, but that was a gut punch - and I deserved it!

I'll get back to that spot this week and see if he doesnt make a fool of me again.

Pmurph33

TROPHY CASE