Wolf Gap, West Virginia

“Thanks, baumee66.

I intend to go off trail from Long Mountain Trail and head for the word "LONG" of "LONG MOUNTAIN".

The contour show 3,000 feet for that southern end of the mountain.

It is a nice ridge run from there and there are places to camp on Long Mountain further up where it gets narrow.”

“There may be water somewhere along the forest road south of Tibbet Knob.

Beyond that there is nothing until crossing Trout Run.

Near the north part of Long Mountain there is a good place to camp where it drops a bit before becoming a rock wall.”

“i turned the map so the orientation has changed. wolf gap is now at the bottom left.”

“Sandstone Spring is reliable and a good place to camp but camping at Big Schloss would be nicer.

The spring is the last water until Wolf Gap.

I hope ya make it Pennski!

The views should be great from the ridge tops with no leaves and the rocky tops are outta sight.”

“Just north of the end of North Mountain is Crack Whip Furnace......an old iron furnace.”

“I have not looked at the maps for the area, but if you get to the ridge west of the ridge where Big Schloss is, you should get great views through the trees of the Corridor H ecological disaster.”

“I haven't had that vantage point in about twenty years, but I've seen some of it from Rt 55 west of the Wardensville Metro Area.”

“Woohoo! I got off work Friday so I'll be a-joining you crazy dudes on this trip.

I got my reservations though about hiking with the baumester again. We've been on 3 trips so far, the 2 cold, wet and wild Mt Rogers trips and the Roaring Plains washout. The odds have to be with us, no?

Are you bringing your ID bivy?”

“10-4 on the bivy. glad you can make it. the weather has to be good sooner or later.”

“I'm might bring my ID Event Uni bivy. We can have a "battle of the ID bivies" contest if we get bored with MarkO and his evil twin Tom T.

I'll be there before 3, perhaps before 2 to do some exploring. I forgot what you're driving? I'll be in a black VW Jetta wagon.”

“expedition. i will prolly be in the area exploring by noonish.”

“now this is a forcast i can live with.”

“well, the forcast changed a bit. if it stays with the showers forecst, i may carry a tent instead of the bivy.”

“Yeah, what's with this weather crap?

There is a spring at Wolf Gap about halfway around the loop and thirty yards outside the driveway .
It is between site # 4 and # 7.
The water is good.....forget the rusty pump.

Fossil,.....I mean, Geo says there are fossils down the road from the gap on the WVa side.”

“The fossils are in a roadcut a quarter of a mile from the campground entrance on the right. It takes some searching to find them, and it will be mostly fragments, but they are there. Look for rust-colored imprints. That is the Martinsburg shale, usually found close to wherever the Tuscarora sandstone crops out.”

“They have a nice crapper there, too!”

“The guys in the seniors in the forest program maintain the campground (as well as the one at Red Creek on the Sods) and do a great job.

At Wolf Gap, when the weather's nice, they gather in the picnic ground once a week for a barbecue lunch.”

“Wolf Gap is lovely in the spring.”

“The weather down there looks ok but up here it's turning to crap. We're supposed to get a storm overnight into tomorrow morning which will make travel a bear.

I'll have to play it by ear as far as when I leave here. If I am not there when you guys are ready to hit the trail, leave without me.

Is Friday night's campsite along that trail to the south or are you bushwhacking? My options could be:
1) Arrive late afternoon or early evening and hike to the campsite.
2) Arrive very early Sat morning and hopefully find your campsite before you leave.”

“Yeah, we're supposed to get 4-8 inches in Philly, so you're probably getting 6-12 up there in Easton.”

“I was hoping to spend Friday night on Long Mountain.

When you leave the Long Mountain trail you go to the right/north to the highest part of the ridge.

Keeping Trout Run valley on your right its an easy bushwack north along the ridge.

I intend to camp in a saddle a couple of miles north.”

“Maybe its more like three or four miles north on Long Mountain to where we'll camp.”

“i don't care where we camp. the weather has turned back into an awesome forcast. i guess that means the weatherperson just doen't know for sure. i'll take the current forcast of sun every day.

you could always leave right now pennsy. i plan on taking the scenic route and getting there sometime between 12 and 3.”

“The forecast for Wardensville, WV, is for rain and snow tonight, clearing tomorrow, rain Saturday night, and windy on Sunday. Wardensville is closer to where you are headed than Woodstock, which is in the Valley to the east. You'll be in higher elevations than the Valley.”

“You are heading north? I guess I have this map upside down. LOL! You're taking the yellow Tibbet Knob trail, up and over Tibbet Knob, then along what looks like a ridge on Devils Hole Mt, to the Long Mountain Trail?? Camping near 3000' where the trail turns to the left?

You said bushwhack though. You are not following the trail? I don't mind night hiking a few miles, in fact it's a lot of fun, but it might be tough to find camp if it's off trail.

I can't leave tonight. I still have a bunch of things to do to prepare for next week's Maine trip.”

“Anywhere on Long Mountain would be nice to camp.

This is no record-breaking distance hike.

We should cover 13-15 miles in all with time to check out Tibbet Knob, the rocks on Long Mountain, Halfmoon Lookout and Big Schloss with lots of lookout spots.

Just as long as Pennski doesn't bring the rain along with him the views should be fairly awesome.”

“Ooooookay..... you wanna read my post again and take a stab at my questions? I think you've been hanging out on the Ithaca thread too long. ;o)

I don't mind heading off alone to look for you guys, but I'd like to at least start off on the right direction. Are the trails I mentioned the way you're heading?

Who knows, if the snow ends early enough, maybe the interstates will be ok for me to make it on time.

In any case, don't worry if you don't see me. I'll have my compass and that map (oh, where the heck is north on that map?) so I'll improvise something if need be.”

“Have a great hike you guys. Kiss the Big Schloss for me. Let me know if the chickadees have returned to the ridge yet. Geo and I had a great trip there last spring.”

“I can't leave tonight. I still have a bunch of things to do to prepare for next week's Maine trip."
Pennsy
03:41:26 PM
03/18/04

I don’t know about the rest of you, but I’m feeling real sorry for the guy.”

“yep, pretty rough to miss a hike for a hike.

i mentioned in my original post the orientation of the map. now that i turned it i don't know which way your looking at it. just kidding.

print it out. look at the words, wolf gap recreation area. hold it so you can read the words perfectly normal from left to right. now follow the grid line just to the left of those words up to where the word trout is that is roughly north. the gridline could also be used, with upward from wolf gap along that line being north.

the trails you mentined are correct, we are taking the tibbet knob trail up to the forest road across devils hole mountain. take the forest road north until it comes to the long mountain trail. take the long mountain trail past the first couple of bends and where you see the word LONG in caital letters to the right of the trail on the flat ridge looking area of the map. that is where the bushwack will start. going up over the flat ridge area and following the ridge line.

drive fast, take chances.”

“and geo, you look at your rotten ole weather forecast all you want, i'm looking at the sunny side.







just kidding, thanks for setting me straight on that. wardensville is showing cooler nights also.”

“drive fast, take chances... heh heh heh. I use those words every day to a certain guy at work. He never listens though.

Thanks for the clear and precise info. No thanks to that other guy. ;o)

Mister Must Hike - neener neener neener.”

“even wardensville is giving us nice weather now. see you guys in the hills.”

“An informant at Lanesville advises they got 3 inches of snow last night. The storm should have passed through Wolf Gap by now. Roads should be clear, since the temps are not critical, but drive carefully. Some of the mountain roads could have slick patches. Remember, elevation makes a difference.

Have a great trip. Looking forward to the trip reports.”

“The roads seem to be ok so I'll be heading out of here before 10. Weather permitting, I'll be there before 3. Woohoo!”

“Pennsy must drive like a banshee.”