Hiking Big Schloss with the Guys

We hiked Big Schloss today. One of the best summit hikes in the Shenandoah Valley. The views from the top stretch across the George Washington National Forest and into West Virginia. It's one of those places where the Valley opens up and you can see for miles.

For the guys in our program, getting out on a trail is more than exercise. It's a different kind of quiet. Most of them have spent years in chaos. Sirens, arguments, courtrooms, withdrawal. A hike like this is the opposite of all that. Just your feet on the ground, your lungs working, and the kind of silence that lets you actually think.

Recovery is about building a new life, and part of that is discovering what you actually enjoy when the substances are gone. Some guys find out they love being outdoors. Some guys find out they hate it. Either way, they're learning something about themselves that addiction never gave them the chance to learn.

Big Schloss sits on the border of Shenandoah County and Hardy County, West Virginia, about 45 minutes west of our campus in Mount Jackson. If you're in the area, it's worth the drive.

To hear more stories about life after addiction, check out the Rebuilding Life After Addiction podcast. If you or someone you love needs addiction help in the Shenandoah Valley, visit our Get Help page.