Revenge ON The Roaring Plains

“The boys and I arrived at Red Creek Campground on Dolly Sods at about 6:00PM in light rain.
We took our time driving to WVa since the weather sucked.
The sun got us up Saturday morning and we dried the tent and repacked.

From the end of FR #70 we walked up the pipeline to the south and over the Eastern Continental Divide.
About a half mile down the other side we turned into the woods and worked our way to the Canyon Rim Trail.

The weather was about perfect....mostly sunny with light wind and temperature in the fifties.

Though it was my fourth trip on the Rim Trail the bastard thing tried to lose us in a few places.

It was about a five mile walk from the car up the pipeline and out along the Rim to a site on the edge of the plateau.
This site is just over 4,600 feet with a good look at Haystack Knob 1.5-2 miles across the void of Long Run Canyon.
The creek(Long Run) is about 2,000 feet below the edge and the canyon is about four miles long.

Visibility was nearly unlimited.
We could see mountains everywhere 30-40 miles away.

Sunday we slept late and ate before setting out for Haystack Knob.
On the way we ran all over the open saddle of Roaring Plains enjoying the perfect weather.....merrily, merrily........

The day ran out on us and about a mile short of Haystack Knob we stopped and snacked before turning around.
It was a good decision as we got back to our camp about a half hour before dark.

Sunday night/Monday morning was totally clear with a 1/3 moon on the bottom and a zillion stars.

The sun came up over the mountians to a cloudless sky Monday morning.
We packed our stuff and scampered about three miles back to the car and away we went.

The kids took some photos.
I'll see what I can do.

Some of y'all know me and, well, I ain't no Pennsy......(photos)”

“Hey Tom! I'm glad that you had good weather this time around. It was a beautiful weekend all over the WVa highlands.

There was a stretch of spruce forest in Cranberry (North-South Trail)that was blown down. Probably a tornado. Creeks were running full and lots of soggy trail.”

“Wet and Wild!

Cranberry.......nice!”

“coolness. glad the weather worked for you this trip.”

“Tom,

where did you guys camp after hiking the canyon's rim trail and before attempting haystack knob? I've always thought about hiking that route(from the rim trail over to haystack knob), but I've never found water anywhere along the canyon's rim trail, after you get out to the rim. I've always turned around on the roaring plains trail and headed back toward the pipeline. I've talked to others who've hiked the trail and the water is seems to be the big issue to overcome if you want to hike haystack knob. Let me know if you've found some.

Thanks”

“You can thank me for the sunny weather and clear views. I did not go to West-By-God (and smile when you say it) Virginia this past weekend. I leave Friday for the WVHC Fall Review, so there will be no clear skies this weekend. You picked the right weekend Tom.”

“While water is not plentiful, it can be had. There is a small spring that runs across the Roaring Plains Trail at one point well above the pipeline. I understand there is also water near the RPT-Flatrock Run Trail, just below where the FRT heads off the ridge. I have not been out to Haystack yet, but I suspect there may be water along the old railroad grade below Porte Crayon.

There is a small boggy area where you can get water on the way up to Porte Crayon. It is just off the north side of the ridge below a saddle. It's not a large bog, but it would be hard to miss.”

“Haystack Knob topozone map

Have you thought about hitting Thunderstruck Rock?”

“Sounds like a great weekend TT. I'm glad the weather cooperated for you this time. Did you stop by the Purple Fiddle again?”

“I love sleeping late on Sundays! Nice report TT, I finally got over here to check it out. we had great weather too. Always nice when you get a chance to hike with the mini-me's (How many TomT can this earth take???)

I gotta get down to the Sods and I know If missed a bunch of trips (You and Geo). Please redeem me and let's get another trip planned!

YA FREAK!!!!

*

_”

“Sounds like a great trip TomT!

Bobo, I only met one of TomTs mini mes, but H-man was VERY quiet - quite unlike his daddy-O.
=D”

“Hey Tom, Was you picking up my vibes? I was hiking right next door in the Otter Creek Wilderness this weekend. I've had an itch to go there since we all hiked Roring Plains the first time. Finally made it back and the Otter Creek is one of the most beautiful trout/mountain streams I've ever seen. Shavers mountain kicks butt going up and coming down. I almost slipped after a stream crossing and flung my boot into the air tring to catch myself, it landed in the water and took off down stream like a little motor boat. The same rocks I was so carfully crossing a few minutes earlier, I was now leaping and crashing through to save that boot. I couldn't be 6 miles from the car in the wilderness with one boot-NO WAY- I got it that is for sure!”

“Tom T Thanks for the report and by the way was nice meetin you as well as JO! Nother day Nother trail. Its a big woods! Yo bear!”

“avagardo,

when the canyon rim trail joins the roaring plains trail, turn left. as you go out across the bald area there is a sign post where the flat rock run trail and the roaring plains trail meet. i believe the unmarked trail that leaves from this same point is the trail to haystack knob. anyways, if you take the flat rock run trail from this point there is a water source before you get to the tree line (within 1/8 mile?) that dribbles along the trail. there was plenty in it when we were there last year. it is not far at all from where haystack knob trail leaves from roaring plains trail. beirtree spoke of a couple that are in route to haystack knob. i have never been out towards haystack knob so i don't know.”

“avagardo, did you ever go out to saint marys?


baume 66”

“Sounds like a nice trip! When Dare and I were down there a few months ago, we weren't so lucky with the weather. It rained the whole weekend, but it was still an awesome area to explore. It is easy to lose the trail in certain rocky places, where the cairns that mark the trail are nearly impossible to distinguish. It makes it more interesting at times. :o)”

“avagadro, we camped two nights at the place where the Rim Trail meets the Roaring Plains Trail.

Ghoulbeet, thanks for staying home!

There is a very good water source on the way to Haystack Knob.
It is a bonafide creek draining Porte Crayon and feeding Long Run(south fork?).
This creek is about a mile from the junction of RP Trail and Flat Rock Run Trail out on the open saddle of RP.

AmyG, did you and Dare do the Rim Trail at RP?”

“Sounds like a fantastic weekend Tom!

'out along the Rim to a site on the edge of the plateau.
This site is just over 4,600 feet with a good look at Haystack Knob 1.5-2 miles across the void of Long Run Canyon.
The creek(Long Run) is about 2,000 feet below the edge and the canyon is about four miles long.'

Is that the site that we were trying to get to when I got bit by the snake? Or is it where you, G00SE and I ate lunch?

That remains the nicest trail I've ever hiked.”

“TT...who went with ya?”

“Jo, H-man and Mark

"This creek is about a mile from the junction of RP Trail and Flat Rock Run Trail out on the open saddle of RP."
This could be misleading.
The trail junction is on the open saddle.
The creek is about a mile from that place on the way to Haystack.”

“skullz, the site is at the point where we emerged from the Rim Trail.

The RP Trail is about 100 feet from the edge here.

We got to the RP Trail just as darkness was falling and ran head-on into other members of our party as we scurried west to find them......they wuz lookin' for us too.”

“Ah yes, that view would have been so much nicer for us if it hadn't been so freakin dark. It sounds great.

Glad you had such a nice trip!”

“Monday morning there was not a cloud in the world.

From that edge it was like watchin' the sun rise over the Atlantic.”

“Wow.







I've never seen the sun rise over the Atlantic, but I've seen the sun set over the Pacific. Nice.”

“never say never, skullz!

BOO!”

“Otter Creek is a real gem!

Its a dang jungle in places.

The leaves along the creek were probably still up and in good color.

Both sides of the creek drainage are some kinda rugged.”

“Hey guys, thanks for the info on water. Sorry for the belated response, but I've been pretty busy lately. I may have to head over toward haystack knob next time I'm up in the Mon.

Baume, I didn't make it up to St. Mary's the weekend of the hurricane...my electricity was out. My argument was that we were basically camping anyway (cooking our food on whisperlite, etc), so we should go to St. Mary's. My wife, on the other hand thought we should stay home in case the power came back on. That plus I couldn't get in touch with the other folks who were planning on going added up to a cancelled trip. We did manage to save most of our food from spoiling (mostly by eating it). I'm hoping to get up that way sometime soon, or perhaps to Laurel Fork SMA in highland county.”

“If you are headed anywhere in the Monongahela NF, lemme know.”

“the laurel fork area is really nice. hoi and i hiked up there one weekend. every trail follows a creek i think and head down to the laurel fork. we didn't see anyone that weekend. real pretty area with tons of options for loops of all lengths.”