Sodsfest 2K5: Dolly Sods Reloaded

“I'll have to bring a new camp chair.”

“LOL yea MarkO ,, Bring that lemonade too,hehe,,,,,,,I'll bring a truck load of wood to the campground.”

“Phantom ! You bringing your new partner? Room mate ? or is it more serious?”

“Roommate for now (we'll have to see how things go ;) )...

As for the new partner, she's still got a few backwoods "issues" to work out, so I don't think she'll make this -- unless of course she wants to (that would change everything).

Anyway, she sounds interested in July's WV car camping trip, but I think you're going to be in Alaska then, no?”

“Hey Phantom if the backwoods issue thing is takin a dump!!!!!!!!!XXXXXXXxx bring her a pottie.”

“Well, not quite, but there's a couple other issues that need to be banged out (has anyone ever heard of anyone getting claustrophobia in a tent?) before we can trek out far and away like this together. I've got to start at the very beginning with her (the very beginning). You know, someone once said, "It's a long way to the top if you want to rock and roll..." That it is.

Looks like I'll be flying solo for the Sods...”

“The first rock and roll for her should never be in a tent, phantom ! Bear style!!!!!”

“DUB !!! Did you know that the Forest Service has renamed all the tails in the sods in 2004? I will send you a web site put together by a member of the Sierra Club that gives maps and detailed info on this change.

Just give me a few minutes to hunt it up.”

“http://home.adelphia.net/~johntrudy/index.html
Hey Dub Check this info out.”

“Hey, Dub... how is this trip looking for next weekend ??”

“The trip pages has the backpacking in two weeks.”

“oh WOW !! Thanks Prosecutor !!
I have been in the wrong time zone all week!! thinking today was the 17th!!! wow... now I can get my stuff I ordered in time for the shindig !!

I guess that's what happens when you are homeless and gainfully unemployed, huh... no watch, no phone, no calendar...... LOL

Also, being stuck in West(ByGod)Virginia with all this free time on my hands !!!”

“Somebody tell me where to get a map. The experience at Lost Cove told me to never leave home without one.”

“A good map to use to get to the area would be a West Virginia Atlas and Gazetteer. Dolly Sods is located north of Seneca Rocks From Seneca Rocks take Rt 28/55 north about 10 miles and turn West/left onto FR 19. That will take you to the top of the mtn. At the top turn right unto FR 75, which will lead to the Red Creek campground. Use the link posted from The Frig above for a more detailed map of the Dolly Sods Area. If you're going to be driving in at night, have a flash light handy to be able to read the nonreadable street signs that the WVDOT uses.”

“I literally just walked in the door from spending two weeks out in Yellowstone. I'll start planning the details out Wednesday.”

“some one please email me as to what Th we are doing and as to where ewe r gonna roundevous?”

“We'll meet at the trailhead or if you're coming early or late meet at a campsite. Route will be up by Friday morning”

“Nevermind, I just posted a route. It's on the trip page. Discuss!”

“What a surprise. The excellent trail map that I got on-line last year has been upgraded, and new names have been added to the trails. Get an upgraded map at:
http://home.adelphia.net/~johntrudy/wholeSods.html

Questions: Is the first night campsite on Bear Rocks Trail for Friday night, June 24, 2005?

Is the second night campsite just west of 1) Left Fork of Red Creek, 2) unlabeled Center Fork of Red Creek, or 3) the unlabeled Right Fork of Red Creek on the map?”

“Darn, I'd love to go on this hike with all of you, for sure? But, I have a NCT trip the same weekend.
Maybe next year? An 8 hour drive is a bit much for a 3 day hike as well, I'd take 3 days off from work for this one and do some further exploring or maybe even some trout or smallmouth fishing?”

“You got it figured out yet ??
What time you think you might get there?”

“Well, it appears everyone will gather at the campground TH night.

I plan to be in Johnson City on Thursday, so I will take a day off Friday and leave there sometime TH afternoon. I figure that I should be at the campground before 10PM.

I think I can find it from the directions. I need to look at the map to find the most direct route from TriCities to Dolly Sods.”

“Dub, Looks like a good hike.
I am a thinkin that I may do a loop trip, to forgo the hassle of car shuttling. So Sunday, I'll backtrack the rocky ridge trail and pick up bobbin grade trail and back to bear rocks trail and return to my vehicle.
Whats your thoughts on this? Jer”

“I am taking the route jerbear sets.”

“Thursday: Sunny, with a high around 85.

Thursday Night: Clear, with a low near 56.

Friday: Sunny, with a high near 88.

Friday Night: Clear, with a low around 54.

Saturday: Sunny, with a high near 94.

Saturday Night: Clear, with a low around 63.

Sunday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 86.

Other than the daytime highs being a bit on the warm side, it's looking like we're in for a treat with the weather. Keep your fingers crossed...”

“Shuttling shouldn't be a problem, I'll have two cars with me at the trailhead. It'll be me +2 guys +2 girls so if you wanna hike out to red creek there shouldn't be a problem getting your car or we could take the other route. I'll leave a car at both trailheads and we can see how we're feeling on Saturday and if we wanna hike further to another campsite that's cool. I'll post a map later today.”

“Petersburg, Wv. is a 937 feet. Temperature decreases about 4 degrees F. for every 1,000 feet of elevation gained. The hiking trails in Dolly Suds are over 3,700. Our temperatures should be 10 degrees cooler than at Petersburg.”

“still don't know if I am going on this one. will be like always a last minute thing. also need to check if I didnt' sign up for another trip...I may have :(”

“Dub thats cool I like the flexibility. I need to git home Sun eve. Thats why I was thinnin of the other route. Campsites can stay the same. Whats the capmsites like, Trees, rocky? Fyi me thanks, jer
Chili- Got map?!LOL”

“jerbear.

I think I have enough directions to find the campground on TH night.

Other than that, I could be screwed.”

“Would someone please post the trip plan?

I feel like a #&%!$ing lost ball in high weeds.”

“Ok, it looks like I will be going up I-81 to US 33 and across to Laneville.

From there, I think I can find the campground and the trailhead.

If I leave Johnson City by 3PM, I should be able to make it by 10PM. Looks like about 250 miles +/- up to US 33 from Bristol and then another 80 to 100 from there to the TH.

I will have a map this time, so hopefully no driving around in circles.”

“Chili, the trip plan is on the trip main page. I'll be putting a map there as well sometime later today when I get home.

Jer, the campsites all over Dolly Sods are pretty nice. They are lightly wooded fields near creeks.”

“Chili36 / I will be leaving Marion Virginia at 4 pm , exit 45 on I 81. If you leave Johnson City at 3pm you should be at marion by 4ish. Maybe I will see you on the road.

I drive a 2004 Black Titan Nissan Truck. If you need a ride I got the room. If Interseted ina ride let me know I can give you my cell #. E mail at refrigeratorkid@wmconnect.com I have been to the sods many times. RT 33 is a good route from I81.
last edited: 6/21/05 5:43:01 PM”

“Hey Jerbear, It will be good to see you again.”

“See y'all at camp friday night...”

“Gemini , You need to do this one. The only plans you have made for other trips are hopeless, this is the trip you want, trust me LOL.”

“I know fridge, I know...
ENS has a buttkicker, but I forgot the dates..ohhh I think 4th of July, so this one would be doable IF $$$$ come in soon dammit!!”

“I know, gas is so expensive these days, even up here in Jersey. And now this 30-mile commute to work isn't exactly helping things.

However, I think I've managed to make enough sacrifices to not have to can this trip, so rock on...”

“Hey frig, good to see ya again. Bring me some sweet goodies and that recipe for the lemon bars!
Chili, chili jer shakes his head. I say map my boy, map!
Dub thanks, I have hiked the area east of the sods, but was socked with fog and had no view.
Looks like I will be a riding with big pappa.
SO thurs night will be at Red creek campground? Not sure if we will make it in Thurs but for sure friday fore noon. What say we meet at the red creek campground Friday am?
Will be good to see all my ole buds and some new ones to meet! Y a hoo we be hikin! Yo Bare!”

“Whoops, looks like the early fridays are going into the first camp, soooooooo!”

“I have a map posted on the trip page...sorry it's so crude but my Photoshop serial number expired so I had to do it in paint!

Directions to the TH are also up there, Trekker John if you'd be so kind to check them over that would be cool. I know that there are two entrances to Dolly Sods, one near Harman, WV, and the other near Seneca Rocks, WV which makes a great Side trip for those coming early on Thursday or Friday.”

“Jerbear/ If prosecutor shows up, He is the one who has the awesome recipes. I use his master blends of trail mixes. I hope he is on this one. He is sort of a legend.”

“Okay ,I'm going. Fridge has talked for weeks about this trip, so I gotta go to meet some of you TTers.”

“Prosecutor's cobbler IS legendary.”

“I will be entering the Sods from the Northern entry at Jordon Run Road off of State Road 28/55.(North of Seneca Rocks) Around noonish. I will place 1" white reflective tabs in groups of 3 along the way. Very easy to see at night. Once you turn onto Jordon Run Road, it is about 4.5 miles to Bear Rocks. Once on the trail, only one reflective tab will be used. I know this doesn't help the folks coming in Thursday night, sorry, but for the Friday and Saturday night arrivals, it should be helpful. I will go on down to Red Creek campground to meet the others down there around noon Friday and work on the shuttle arrangements.


This is what the markers will look like.
last edited: 6/22/05 9:17:59 AM”

“I just scanned my Monongahelia topo road map of the area. Two scans with pretty good resolution. It shows how to get there from the FR-19 Southern entry and FR-75 Northern entry off State Road 28/55.
I can e-mail these to you upon request. That way, you can zoom in and see what is your best choice. I think that once they are posted here, they can't be zoomed. But, you can view them at http://thebackpacker.com/pictures/album/skaf0zc3,2.php to see. Request the larger versions from:
kbsigns@kvinet.com”

“jerbear just called and said he couldn't make it.

I am downgrading my probablility to 50%. I guess I will decide sometime between now and tonight what the plan will be.”

“I should be at Red Creek Campground by 9 pm Thursday. I will move out to the 1st designated camp by 9am hopefully. See you all there.

Trekker John / Thanks for the maps and pics.”

“When I come in Sat afternoon I'll pick up these reflectors unless someone is coming in Sat night. OK? LNT”