Wincopin Trails & Hysteria Brewery

August 21, 2021August 21, 2021hikesandhopsblog Leave a comment

Columbia, MD

This is a great local park that J and I used to do at least once a week when we lived in the area. It’s surprisingly woodsy for being right in the middle of the Columbia suburbs and has trails for all levels. There are a lot of breweries nearby that you could pair with this hike but we went with one of our old standbys: Hysteria Brewing! Hysteria always makes really really good beer and has a fun indoor space. Let’s check it out!

THE HIKE: Wincopin Trails

Length: Variable (up to ~6 miles)
Elevation Gain: 335ft
Difficulty: Easy
Time: Variable
Trail use: Hiking, biking, leashed pets
Parking: Medium sized parking lot, overflow on street
H&H: 4/5

*J showing off some of the quarry ruins*

Wincopin Trails are located off Vollmerhausen Road in the greater Columbia area and are managed by the Howard County Parks & Rec. There’s a medium-sized parking lot but it does fill up quickly since this is a pretty popular spot! You can also park along the road or in the middle school lot up the road. Just be aware this will add an extra 0.5 mile on either end of your hike and there’s a rather steep hill.

There’s a few different trail combos that you can do here. Check the trailhead map before you get started! For some reason this map isn’t anywhere online and only a few of the trails show up on AllTrails. Wincopin trails are built along the site of an old quarry. Much of the trails around Savage run along old mills and quarries which make for interesting ruins. At the Wincopin Trails there are old bridge supports that now make for great lookout spots over the river. All of the trails in this system are clearly blazed and there are directional signposts throughout. The Red trail leads from the parking lot and then branches off into others. The Blue and Green trails go along the river while the Red takes you along the ridge overlooking the river. There are some steep inclines that keep the trail interesting. I’ve done this trail multiple times in tennis shoes so hiking boots aren’t a necessity. This trail is popular so if you want to get away, take the less trod White trail that wanders through the woods overlooking the Middle Patuxent River. It’s a fairly easy hike but with little inclines that keep you on your toes.

This is a great hike to see birds, butterflies, and mushrooms! We always see tons of mushrooms here which J loves. I really like this trail because you can come for a quick walk or stay for a fairly long hike. If you were to do all of the trails including the white out and back, it would likely be about 6 miles. This is also a great one to bring the kiddos on! My only complaint about this park is that in certain areas you can really hear the highway sounds from I-95 which kinda shatters the whole woodsy experience.

*The water was a little cold when we went in March!*

THE BEER: Hysteria Brewing Company

Address: 9570 Berger Rd suite j, Columbia, MD 21046
Distance from Trail Head: 3.4 miles, 8 mins
Website: https://www.hysteriabrewing.com/
Food?: Bullhead Pit Beef in the very next suite!
H&H Rating: 5/5

There are a ton of breweries in Columbia so you could easily turn your post-hike into a brew tour or just pick one of your favorites. Hysteria was one of the first breweries we went to when we moved to Maryland and it has stayed at the top of our list! They have a huge wrap around bar with tons of seating and lots of tables and chairs too. And keep an eye out for their furry mascot painted on the walls! They also have some tables in the back with some pub games like corn hole and bucket toss. New for Covid, they’ve also set up some tables and chairs outside in the parking lot. Because they don’t have their own kitchen, dogs are more than welcome and you’ll usually see lots of four-legged friends. If you’re feeling hungry, Hysteria has a great partnership with Bullhead Pit Beef right next store! Or you can always bring your own.

Okay onto the beer. Hysteria makes my favorite Maryland beer. Like ever. You may have heard of it. It’s a little thing called Trash Panda. Even if you’re not into the Hazy IPA fad, you should really try this one because it’s Ah-mazing! And I might be a little biased because once a year they do “Trash Panda Day” and make at least ten different varieties of their headliner beer and it always falls on my birthday. It’s fate! Hysteria also makes some other really good beers and frequently collaborates with other Maryland breweries. I love me a good collab! Last time we went, we got a really nice crisp lager that really hit the spot after a sweaty hike. J went for the black IPA which is a style that I’m still unsure about but this one was pretty good! I love that Hysteria always has something new and interesting on tap while keeping a few favorites around. You can also find Hysteria beer in stores around Maryland!

Hysteria will always be a favorite for us! We need to check out their new taproom in Pasadena soon!

Our Beer:

Be Kind, Please Rewind – Lager – 5%
Ultimate Dreamy Teamy – Black IPA – 7.5%
Trash Panda – NEIPA – 7.2% → Probably my favorite Maryland beer!

SUM UP:

Wincopin trails are managed by Howard County Parks & Rec and are located near Columbia. They are open for hiking, biking, and leashed pets. There’s no fee but the parking lot usually fills up. The trails are nice and woodsy with some interesting architectural ruins and rocky inclines. There are several different trails that can be combined to make a longer hike. Nearby is Hysteria Brewery which allows dogs and has a partnership with the takeout restaurant next door if you’d like food. They make excellent beer and have an eclectic design inside. This is a great option for a weekday hike or if you don’t have a ton of time on the weekend!

Jug Bay Wetlands & Calvert Brewing Company

August 9, 2021May 25, 2024hikesandhopsblog Leave a comment

Upper Marlboro, MD

*As of March 2024, Calvert Brewing Co has permanently closed*

I have been so excited to share this hike & brew! Jug Bay is one of my favorite places in Maryland and this time was so special because we got to introduce it to my parents! We saw so much wildlife at Jug Bay and had some truly delicious beers at Calvert Brewing. I could do this combo every weekend! Let’s go!

THE HIKE: Jug Bay Wetlands Sanctuary

Length: 5.0 miles
Elevation Gain: 250ft
Difficulty: Easy
Time: 2 hours
Trail use: Hiking Only (No Pets)
Parking: Large parking lot, $6 per car
H&H: 5/5

Jug Bay Wetlands Sanctuary is located along the Patuxent River and is operated by the Anne Arundel Department of Recreation and Parks. It’s so much more than just a park with tons of educational events and conservation efforts happening all the time. Before you head out, check to see what events are happening, there might be something to interest you! There’s a lot of parking at the Main Entrance but please remember to stop in the visitor’s center and pay the entrance fee. It’s only $6 per car and it goes to a great cause.

We’ve done several different trail combos at Juy Bay but no matter where we trek, we always have to go on the boardwalk overlooking the river wetlands and we also have to visit Mark’s Pond along the Upper RR Bed Trail. It’s a small pond that is just teeming with life! We sat here for over an hour, barely talking, as we watched the animals of the pond. We were completely fascinated especially by the frogs who were in the throws of mating season, singing out their calls loudly and fighting off their competition. There were turtles lined up on logs in the sun watching the entire ordeal. To be honest, we didn’t end up getting much hiking in because we couldn’t tear ourselves away from this pond!

On a different trip, J and I did the full park loop from the visitor’s center down to the pier, about 5 miles. It’s mostly flat so it makes for a nice easy hike. Watch out for bugs though! It’s close to the water so they can get brutal. Most of the hikes in Jug Bay are easy which makes them great for the whole family. Every time we’ve gone, we’ve seen hikers and outdoor enthusiasts of all ages! If you’d really like to get a good workout, try adding on a few extra trails. But don’t forget to stop and enjoy the park around you! This place really is all about the fantastic ecosystem!

In case you can’t tell, I really love Jug Bay Wetlands and I know I’ll be back soon! If this hike is close to you, consider getting a membership so every visit is free for a year.

THE BEER: Calvert Brewing Company

Address: 15850 Commerce Ct, Upper Marlboro, MD 20774
Distance from Trail Head: 9.6 miles, 20 mins
Website: https://www.calvertbrewingcompany.com/
Food?: Food Trucks (Some weekends)
H&H Rating: 5/5

We’ve been going to Calvert Brewing Company after Jug Bay since we first moved to Maryland. Calvert has such a friendly atmosphere and we always end up chatting with someone new. Recently, they set up tents and adirondack chairs in the parking lot and it’s been the best spot to relax with a brew. The inside is also huge so you’ll always find a spot to relax.

*We appreciate art and nature on this blog*

Since we had family with us this time around, we were able to sample quite a few of Calvert’s offerings. My favorite this time actually surprised me, the Watermelon Pucker! It was the perfect summer beer and was so refreshing after being outside. My dad is a big fan of NEIPA and he really liked the Single Hop: Sultana. We’re both really interested in single hop series that allow you to isolate the taste of a single hop variety. J has been finding a new love for saisons so he went with the Battle of the Beltway which was a collab with Peabody Heights up in Baltimore. Finally, my mom likes light beers so she went with the Indigo Luna, a refreshing wheat beer. After lots of chatting and snacking, we got one final glass to share, the incredibly thick Milkshake Smoothie Sour. This was really tasty but I’m so glad I didn’t get a full pour. I think it would have been delicious as a slushie though!

We really love Calvert Brewing and we can’t wait to come back! We also really like their Route 4 IPA and the Excellent Adventure IPA which you can find in store around Maryland!

Our Beer:

Indigo Luna – Wheat Beer – 5.2%
Battle of the Beltway – Saison – 5.2%
Single Hop: Sultana – NEIPA – 6.7%
Watermelon Pucker – Sour – 5%
Strawberry Pineapple Milkshake Smoothie – Sour – 5%

SUM UP: Jug Bay is a large wetland park maintained by the county that offers miles of hiking and educational activities that are suitable for all ages. The park is teeming with wildlife so keep your camera ready. There is a $6 entrance fee and the park is only open to hikers (sorry, leave your pets at home). There are wooded trails and boardwalks over the marshlands. About 20 mins away is Calvert Brewing Company which is at the end of a business park. They make a wide variety of beers and the atmosphere is always laid back and friendly. Don’t be surprised if you find yourself chatting with someone new!

Beer Byte – August

August 4, 2021August 6, 2021hikesandhopsblog Leave a comment

MALT: The Backbone of Beer

*Barley is one of the main grains used in beermaking*

So we’ve already talked about hops, let’s get to the next main ingredient in beer: MALT! Okay so we need to clear something up first. Malt is actually a verb and a process but in the brew world it’s generally understood as the grain used in beer. It’s better to understand malt as “grain that has been malted”

What is malt? – Malt is one of the four main ingredients of beer (the other are hops, water, and yeast). It refers to the roasted grain in a beer recipe

What is it for? – Malt adds flavor, sweetness, and color to beer. It’s what adds carbs to beer, giving it the classic “liquid bread” nickname.

*A maltster raking grains to dry out before kilning*

What is the malting process? – Let’s keep it simple. First, grain is picked and allowed to dry. Water is then added so the kernels sprout. Then heat is added to stop germination and finish drying out the grain. The temperature and time used in the roasting process creates different malt. This whole process allows for the starches in the grain kernels to begin to convert to sugar but stops them before they can grow into new plants. This sugar is key to the brewing process since it’s what the yeast will feed on! (Spoiler alert: yeast is my next Beer Byte!)

What type of grains are malted? – Most brewers use malted barley in their brews. Wheat or rye are also common but barley is definitely the king. But any grain can undergo this process. Over 90% of malted grains processed around the world end up in beer! Some beer are even made with unmalted grains

Beermaking Term: Grain bill refers to all the grains used in a specific beer recipe

Is malt used for anything else? – There are plenty of other things that use malt! Whiskey also uses malt (think a blended vs a single malt scotch). Malted grains can also be used in baking, either as the ground up grain or as an extract that takes the form of a sweet syrup. Malt is also found in treats like malted milk balls, malted milkshakes and Ovaltine. Malts are more common than I thought!

Are there different kinds of malt? – Just like hops, there’s a huge variety in the types of malt used in brewing. The type of malt used is really determined by the type of beer one is making. The majority of the malts used in a recipe are called base malts which make up 60-100% of the grain bill. But their flavor can vary wildly based on type of grain used, where its grown, and how it is malted. These base malts also effect the color of the beer! Pale Malt is the most commonly used variety which gives the resulting beer a nice golden color. Malt that is roasted (kilned) for longer are darker and are used in dark beers like stouts. Some of these darker grains are called specialty malts and are used in lesser quantities than base malts. The biggest difference between base and specialty malts is that base malts must undergo the mashing process to add fermentable sugars to the beer. Specialty malts add color, aroma, and flavor and only need to be steeped in hot water to add their deliciousness to the beer. Science!

What about non-barley beers? – until the early 2000s, beer needed to have at least 25% barley to be considered a beer. But with increasing interest in gluten-free beer, that definition has changed to include any cereal grains. Now, brewers make beer using sorghum, millet, buckwheat, corn, rice and more! In fact, some breweries are completely gluten-free! I’ve personally been to Aurochs Brewery a completely gluten-free brewery in Pittsburgh and had the Session IPA made with millet and quinoa. Fascinating, right?

*All of these beers have a different grain bill that gives them all unique colors and flavors!*

I’m already learning so much about beer! I can’t wait to dive into yeast next month! Cheers!

Resources:

Rachel Carson Conservation Park & Elder Pine Brewing and Blending Co

August 1, 2021August 1, 2021hikesandhopsblog Leave a comment

Brookeville, MD

This is not a drill! Brewery only 0.2 miles from the trailhead. I repeat, 0.2 MILES! Yup this is what beer hiking dreams are made of! Rachel Carson Greenway is a delightful little park in the Brookeville area that has fields, forests, and streams! But the best part is that Elder Pine Brewery is just around the corner. In fact, you can see it through the trees! We should start a petition for extending the trail into their parking lot! Plus if you’re feeling really frisky, Waredeca Brewing is only 1.3 miles away and Brookeville Beer farm is only 4 miles! Truly a beer lover’s mecca. So let’s get to it!

THE HIKE: Rachel Carson Conservation Park

Length: 4.1 miles
Elevation Gain: 314ft
Difficulty: Easy
Time: 1.5 hours
Trail use: Hiking, biking, dogs
Parking: Large parking lot, no fee
H&H: 3/5

The Rachel Carson Conservation Park is managed by Montgomery County Parks and features over 6 miles of trails! It’s popular with hikers and horseriders alike, although most times I’ve been there, it’s very quiet and peaceful. There’s plenty of parking and the trails all start in a meadow that has beautiful wildflowers in the spring. Be warned though, the sun in this open meadow can be brutal so bring a hat! It was incredibly hot and humid the day that J and I came so we knew it would be a short hike day. We decided to follow the Rachel Carson Greenway trail which runs the perimeter of the park, then took the Scarlet Tanager trail back to the meadow. There are a few other trails in the park that you can take too if you’d take a different route.

We liked this hike because it ran along a river which offered plenty of chances for scrambling over rocks if that’s your thing. J prefers to stay on land and be my photographer. This hike also had some cool rock formations. I’m always surprised to see such huge rocks in the woods so far away from any mountains. We also found plenty of ripe wineberries, delicious!

Despite the pretty views, parts of this trail were pretty overgrown. There was one trail that we had to turn around because the stream crossing was too deep and there were no stepping stones. It was also pretty muddy and incredibly buggy. I wish we had waited until later in the year to do this hike! This is just a reminder to bring plenty of water when hiking in the summer!

THE BEER: Elder Pine Brewing and Blending Co.

Address: 4200 Sundown Rd, Gaithersburg, MD 20882
Distance from Trail Head: 0.2 miles, 1 min
Website: https://www.elderpine.com/
Food?: Food Trucks
H&H Rating: 5/5

We hadn’t been to Elder Pine since they first opened in 2019 so it was really good to be back. This place has really expanded and opened up tons of outdoor seating. There’s a really cool section of the pine forest that’s decked out with string lights and seating. Unfortunately, this was all full when we got there so we sat on the patio. Easier access to the bar! Elder Pine always puts out some solid beers. This time we were feeling something more light (did I mention it was SUPER) hot out?? To start out we tried two of their pilsners. The Ameno was an italian style pilsner that was super grainy but very refreshing. The 10 Plato Pivo was a Czech style pilsner which was cold fermented and made with a yeast from the Czech Republic. It was incredibly crisp and went down very easily. It was really neat to compare the flavors of these two pilsners; so similar but with slightly different tastes that made a huge difference.

Overall, Elder Pine was a great time! They had plenty of seating and everyone was so friendly. They also had a great food truck serving up some delicious BBQ. Honestly, we were having such a nice time sitting on the patio that we completely forgot to look at the inside taproom. Guess we gotta go back soon.

Our Beer:

Veritable Villein – Saison – 6%
Every Villein Is Lemons – Saison – 6%
Anti-Hot – NEIPA – 6.6%
Ameno – Italian Style Pilsner – 5%
10 Plato Pivo – Czech Style Pilsner – 4%

SUM UP:

Rachel Carson Conservation Park is a quiet park in Brookeville that’s open to hikers, leashed dogs, and horse riders. There are over 6 miles of trails including wooded and field trails. It can get buggy so be prepared. Just around the corner is Elder Pine Brewery which makes incredible beers and has a delightfully woodsy vibe. See if you can get a spot in an Adirondack chair under the pine trees!

Nature Nugget – July 28

July 28, 2021hikesandhopsblog 4 Comments

If a tree falls in the forest…should it stay there?

We’ve all seen fallen trees in the woods. Whether it’s from a bad storm or just the end of a tree’s life, eventually a tree will die. If you’re like me, you’ve noticed that in some state parks and forests, when a tree falls it’s just left there. Coming from a world of manicured lawns where anything unsightly is removed, this always felt wrong to me. Shouldn’t they remove the log? Can’t it be used for something?

In today’s Nature Nugget, I want to talk about how dead and decaying trees actually form an important part of a forest’s ecosystem. Although the tree has died, its part in the story is just beginning! But first some terminology: a dead tree that has fallen is a log. A dead tree that is still standing is a snag.

*Fallen tree that was cut to remove from trail*

What do dead and decaying trees provide?

Roosting spot for birds such as woodpeckers

Main home for bugs like ants, beetles, wasps and bees. Dead logs are also prime homes for larger critters like salamanders, frogs, and even snakes. Some scientists estimate that dead wood provides food and homes for more than 40% of forest wildlife species!

Form the bottom of the food chain for detritivores (organisms that feed on dead material) like fungi and bacteria which are then consumed by other animals

Prevents erosion by reducing stormwater runoff. Logs in running water also prevent bank erosion, as well as trap sediment so that it doesn’t flow any further along.

Replenishes nutrients in the soil. Research has shown that trees are the main source of organic material in soil!

Plays an important role in forest regeneration. Not only does a fallen tree open up the canopy and make room for new trees, they also can become an extremely fertile growing medium for seeds and seedlings that have gathered there.

In ponds and streams, downed trees serve as sunning spots for turtles, fishing perches for birds, and even nests for fish.

I think it’s pretty clear that dead tree are essential to the forest ecosystem! Now some people might be wondering about dead hazards and that’s a good point! Dead trees, especially snags can be seen as a fire hazard. And with wildfires constantly in the news, it’s definitely something to be concerned about! But remember, some wildfires are natural and can even be good for the ecosystem. There are certain species of plant that even need fire in order to germinate! However, if you have a dead tree on your property, you should get it removed. Dead wood is still a fire hazard and also a falling hazard especially near homes and people. Leave the dead wood to the forest!

Dead and decaying trees form an important part of a forest’s ecosystem. That’s why they are often left on the forest floor in parks. It doesn’t mean that the park isn’t well taken care – quite the opposite actually! Next time you pass a decaying tree, just think of all the life that could be starting a new inside of it.