West Virginia BackPack Trip December 18t h-19th!!!!

“I still might be up for this one. What sort of winter kit we looking at for this trip?”

“Kit? I see you're still holding onto your Britishness Y2.”

“Hello, Gemini!

The parking lot at the ranger station at the Red Creek Trail/Dolly Sods would be good.
That is where we parked in June.

For those who will head out Saturday morning to meet at Haystack:
Take a good look at the map posted above.
The Blue Trail goes from Roaring Plains to Haystack Knob.
From RP it's no more than three miles but you must mind your elevation.
There are some forks in the old rail trails that could take you too high or low.

When you get to Haystack there is a terrific climb to a large grassy area in the saddle just below the rocky western forehead of the knob.

y2, I will be waxing the piss outta my all-leather boots, this place is very wet.
Gaiters too......wet grass.
There are no major creek-crossings.
We will probably get some snow showers on Saturday with high/low of 40/10.

Britishness?
I carry a rucksack, am I therefore a rucksacker?
last edited: 12/10/04 10:40:04 AM”

“Like a liferaft in the ocean.”

“I just got word today that they got about an inch of snow and they might get a few inches more........no more.

The temperature may get down to +10 and it's sure to be windy

I'm bringing my Zero bag!

My Kiva(five-sided pyramid tent)is good in snow and high wind.
I could take on a couple of roomies......huh?”

“I may have to re-think this then dammit. I have only a 15 degree bag. I have another one... so i could double up...but that's gonna be very heavy. damn...”

“I have a zero down bag you could borrow.
It's a regular and it's only been used once or twice.

http://kelty.com/Kelty/index.cfm?fuseaction=SleepingBags.Home

It's the Arete Zero Degree Regular.

It ain't the lightest, but it's like new!

And........I don't have a cold weather/white gas stove.
Earthman, ya wanna share my tent and share your stove too?
last edited: 12/12/04 12:53:45 PM”

“Okay I found it.

It's almost 4 lbs. awwww.... did it keep you warm? I am a cold sleeper...

i wonder, but hey it's better then freezing i guess.

is it pretty compressable? Trying to figure out how much room i have in my pack...

i just don't wanna freeze that's all. I hate freezing and trying to get to sleep.


don't even know why I am asking, because I have no choice but to use yours. Unless i wanna freeze... thanks MarkO
last edited: 12/12/04 3:56:28 PM”

“The bag is too short for me.

You are welcome to use it.

It is fairly compressable and has a nice draft collar.

Yow !!
I gotta pack my schitt!!!”

“thanks MarkO. you pack that early? i pack the day before, shoot the night before! lol”

“yeah, I have a whisper lite. That'll work. What kinda tent do you have?”

“i'll be using my big agnes. Should be okay if windy. Made it through Mt. Rogers winds...”

“I'll pack my zero. Yeah, Marko, we can share a tent. I have a decent zise two man tent and it weighs 7 lbs. If we split it up, that would save on weight and room. I got new trekking poles for this trip! woohoo. We can take my brandnew whisperlite stove and I'll bring my filter too!

I need to go pick up some enertia meals.”

“Gemini, your Big Agnes what?
Pack early?
Well, I talk about packin' early but it's usually the night before.

ENS
I have a Kiva tent.
It is a five-sided pyramid with a single pole.....under five pounds......lots of room for Big Foots.
last edited: 12/13/04 7:09:43 AM”

“that will work!”

“When can you get to Baltimore on Friday?”

“I'm going to try and leave York (I work right off of I-83 south of York) at 4ish. I hope to be there by 5-515”

“I'll e-mail my address.
You can get a map from mapquest.com.

I live about three miles from I-83 & I-695(Baltimore Beltway).”

“My big agnes tent. :)”

“I know Towson Pretty well, I used to live on Goucher Blvd and Putty Hill across from Petsmart.”

“MarkO check out the weather report for Elkins. It's snowing up there! 6 inches to a foot in higher elevations.”

“here's the Petersburg, WV forecast for this weekend. I imagine temps will be 15-20 degrees colder up on the Plains and much windier!

Fri
Dec 17 Partly Cloudy 47°/30° 20 %
Sat
Dec 18 Partly Cloudy 48°/33° 20 %
Sun
Dec 19 Showers 52°/35° 50 %”

“heeheeheeeheee [sorry, can't help myself but laugh insanly] u think i get to see some real snow this weekend? really? REALLY???

heeheeheheeee”

“I can see it already, Gemini will build a snowman in camp.”

“Little Gemini has a BIG AGNES ??

Hmmmmmm......snow......

I'll get the word from my West Virginia connection on Thursday.

We may have to go up Flat Rock Run trail if there's too much snow upstairs.”

“Having a place to park and not having to worry about getting out would be a good thing.”

“heeheeheee!! Mark how else did you think yam, me and em fit into my tent?? I can have a party in there yeah!!!

did someone say snowman? U know it!! If I can, IF there is enough sknow ...I will!!
last edited: 12/13/04 12:29:01 PM”

“I ain't sure what an AGNES is, but apparently she gotta big one. !!
heeheehee!!

My tent is a good party tent.......Kiva

Yes novatrek, parking at the horse farm in Laneville makes for a clean get-away.
Have you been up the Flat Rock Run trail?
last edited: 12/13/04 12:29:55 PM”

“Huh? you don't know big agnes?? wohahhahahahahahah!!!

sorry...still insane from last night.
last edited: 12/13/04 1:07:54 PM”

“Still insane??

I love ya just the way you are ;^P”

“awww, coffee burps...nasty i tell you!

anyway.. heeheehee, just now informed the ol' man that i'll be backpacking this weekend. i think i am in trouble.

I'll see you guys friday right?? I need to check the trip page on this too. Forgot AGAIN who is all going and if we have to bring stuff, like snowshoes... etc...

aha, just looked at the trip page. now it slowly comes back into memory...friday night around 10 or so right?

what was the meeting place again? (i promise i'll print it out this time)

I did print the directions out.
last edited: 12/13/04 1:57:46 PM”

“.....in trouble??

What, again?


Depending on the snow report we will either park in the valley or up high.

Maybe we can meet in the lot where we parked for the Dolly Sods trip in June.

I wasn't going to bring snow shoes.

Bring a white gas stove, it will be too cold for canisters.”

“Yeah, I don't have a white gas stove.......I need someone to bum off.”

“I got you covered markO”

“huh...hey ens...u think you could cook in bulk?
....i don't have a whitegas stove neither :(

yupp that lot is okay i guess...if my car makes it there in the snow.”

“if I don't come I got a stove I can lend you guys if you wanna come through the district on the way there?”

“Thanks y2.”

“my stove'll work.

Hope you can come Ynami2!
last edited: 12/13/04 5:20:50 PM”

“Y2...u not going? whaaaaa!!!! why not?”

“I just got done firing up my whisperlite...my pocketrocket has me spoiled.

i have never been on this side of the sods....should be great.....ive always parked at red creek campground and hiked down from there but never to the plains”

“also if we park at the horse farm will this change the place we camp at on friday?....its not a problem for me just need to know.....i will be getting there about 12noon on friday......”

“well I kinda agreed to take someone out to dinner on Friday night.”

“you could meet us Saturday morning. We won't be camped that far in.”

“no problem Y2...bring her and take her out to dinner there... right in front of your tent... freeze dried food...come on!!”

“lol Gemini. Good idea. If she has fun she's a keeper.”

“yeah... uh huh, that'll work.”

“that's right ENS!! Y2 sort of see it as an TT association.

huh? did i spell that right? hmm...anyway...
you know what i mean.
last edited: 12/13/04 8:52:04 PM”

“I may will buy me a stove before I leave...depends though it my clients pay on time.

The english are normally always pretty prompt. cross my fingers.

MarkO please don't forget your sleeping bag, I can't buy me a new bag yet. :)”

“Gemini, I gotchyer bag!

novatrek, if there isn't too much snow I will park just up the road from where FR 70 meets FR 19 and we'll walk the three miles on FR 70 to the pipeline.
If we're feeling like it, we can go the 2.5 miles on Roaring Plains Trail from the pipeline to the camp where the trail comes close to the edge.......just under the word, "Plains" on the second map.

70http://www.jonathanjessup.com/roaring-plains/roaring-plains-map-medium.jpg

If you go that way maybe you could camp there Friday and we'll meet you in the wee hours.
last edited: 12/14/04 8:18:52 AM”

“Hey guys, thought I would fill you in on the current conditions here in WV. In the lower elevations we had about an inch of snow last night. In the mountains they had 6-9" with a few more possible today. It is supposed to warm up slightly the next few days but I doubt it will be enough to melt much of that snow. Road conditions were decent this morning. Check out this website to get the latest conditions for the major roads/highways.

http://www.wvdot.com/14_roadconditions/14_roadcond.cfm”