Monongahela National Forest, West Virgin ia

“The weekend of the 22nd I will be going to Dolly Sods, WV unless it rains like a $2 whore!

Anyone else gunna be there?

I know there is only like 1 person on here who even knows about the place, but I thought I would ask!”

“ This is sad

http://131.158.19.28/bigmaps/dollysods.jpg

http://www.patc.net/hiking/destinations/dolysods.html

http://webpages.shepherd.edu/SBLY/Dolly_Sods_Backpacking.html

http://webpages.shepherd.edu/SBLY/Dolly_Sods_Camping.html”

“ About Dolly Sods

More info

And finaly ”

“Tarpy -
If you find any of these

while you're out there, toss a few on the fire. They burn real nice.”

“I have yet to see one.”

“I went out near Seneca Rocks one time, I think it's in the Monongahela National Forest. Nice area.

I'd like to hook up with you but I won't be out in the woods for a while.”

“Dolly Sods sounds great, Tarpy. Unfortunately, I won't be backpacking for awhile.”

“Um ok, do you both have tummy aches?”

“No. New baby. Wouldn't be able to leave the wife with two other kids and a newborn - the locks would be changed when I got home.”

“If you look hard enough you can see mortar craters strewn throughout the open areas around the TR553 trail.

Last month I was there. Here's a summary based on the MNF Hiking Guide...if you have the book and can figure it out.

Thurs: IHGNOP Camp1

Fri (morning "dayhike"): PE(west to Harmon Mtn)LOP

Fri (to Camp2): POLKJRJK (no camp from J to R

Sat: KJRN then hiked west side of Red Creek south to FR19 bridge, crossed bridge to get to parking/trailhead.



It rained like a "$2 whore" on Fri night, and spent from ~4am on sitting up on my thermarest waiting for the sun to come up. The ground got saturated and soon I had puddles and a small stream of water running under my tarp.

Wanted to "dayhike" that morning KSQ hike from Q to TR513 to camp, but I camped on the N side of K and the stream turned into a raging torrent. I kew better than to cross it.

Ended up hiking KJRN then to Red Creek, but it was insane. I crossed it without a problem, but after that rain it scary to think about crossing...especially with a dog (Buddur'd never follow me in there)

Ended up hiking the W side of Red Creek. Even though there aren't any marked in the Guide's map, there are lots of awesome campsite. Some pretty hairy hiking though in a few places, some pretty steep hillsides that lead down to a dropoff into Red Creek, specially slippery too.

Had to tightrope walk downed trees to get across the TR513 and 522 streams. Dropped the pack and had to find good trees to cross, and kept thinking "People have died trying this stuff!"

All things considered, it is one of my favorite hikes. Can't say anymore...my fingers are starting to hurt.

Hike the W side of Red Creek, Mr.Tarpy. You'll dig it.”

“Oh yeah...Sat morning I slipped on the rocks and stubbed a big toe pretty hard and hiked ther rest of the trip with an acheing toe. Was glad to see it move, at first I thought I broke it.

It's still sore, and I can't bend it all the way yet.”

“Looks like a neat place Tarpy. Would be possible to lose a leafrat or two there, though. I will be east of you in GW Forest during that timeframe. I'll be (shhhh...car camping) cave touring and hiking. You have fun and don't get lost.”

“Here are my links...

Weather

More Weather

Topo Zone map

Contacts”

“Ahem!...

The Topo Zone”

“No tummy ache here, Tarpy. Pay attention to some of those threads you read and you'd have a clue.”

“The weather forcast looks like rain, but it could change by then. If it looks like rain, I am just going up to the AT in Frederick, MD.”

“Well, Mr.Rat...did ya make it to the Sods?

Did I mention that a huge limb fell from a tree and came down on my tarp 80 (the last time I was there). I was sitting on a rock with my back against the adjacent tree when I heard a crackling and then a sound of something falling. Got out of the way just in time! 8)”

“Tarp Thing-
I'll be drivin' past Dolly Sods on June 22.
I'm taking some of the kids(some of mine and some of their friends) to Bear Heaven Campground.
That's about twenty miles west of Seneca Rocks and down in near Otter Creek Wilderness.
Bear Heaven was built by the CCC in the '30s and is a real groovy place with a $5 honor box.
Next to the campground and picnic area is a "city" of BIG rocks great for scrambling and climbing.

I suppose it was a bear metropolis until the Timber Thieves came along about 100 years ago.
The bastards probably ate the bears.....and the river otters too in Otter Creek!”

“We'll be day hiking in Otter Creek and checkin' out some cool....nay, cold as sh!t....swimmin' holes.”

“Buddur, it's next weekend!

The weather still looks really bad!”

“Get out!”

“I just looked at weather.com and it DOES look like sh!t.
Eeeek!

Couldn't they use some of that rain in Texas?”

“I know, and if you look at the Radar image it's like it's just sitting over Elkins WV, the weather is F'ing with me!”

“Elkins, West Virginia must be some kinda evil nexus this week!

The trails in Otter Creek Wilderness are normally soggy as sh!t.

The swimmin' holes will be ragin' and extra cold!”

“Hey Mr.Rat,

The weather looked like chit for me too, and it turned into a torrential downpour...but I still went...and had a blast! But I ain't a Rat!”

“I gave up cancelling for rain a long time ago. I sat home too many nice weekends that were supposed to suck. Good gear makes all the difference.”

“I'm goin' car campin' up there and GOOD BEER will make all the difference for me.”

“I will just go local if it rains, instead of driving 4 hours to sit in the rain!”

“I just checked weather.com dude!
The forcast has CHANGED!
NOW its "isolated T-storms" for just Thursday and Friday instead of for eight days!!!

Ooooo, maybe I can drag those nasty kids up to the Sods a-backpackin' instead of car campin'.”

“SaTURDay and Sunday are "partly cloudy".

My prayers to my master Satan have been answered!

Oogie Boogie, Hoo Hah, Bow-wow-wow,.......(doin' a little dance here)”

“Tom,

Are you going packin' or car camping?”

“joe-
We'll probably car camp.
There's too much preparation involved in getting a bunch of kids trail ready.

All they need for car campin' is sandals and sneakers and weenies and beer for the old man.”

“Sounds good!”

“I just looked at the weather.com again.
The reports are conflicting.
For Bowden, WVa its lookin' like T-Storms every day but Sunday.
For Davis, WVA its T-Storms on Thursday and Friday only.

Bowden is close to Otter Creek and Elkins.
Davis is close to Dolly Sods with similar elevation.

I haven't checked Beaver Lick, WVa.....
....or Possum Trot either.”

“joe-
Are you in Cockeysville???”

“The weather.com blows!”

“It look like da storm blows!”

“im going to dolly sods thursday night or fri morn never been there but i hiked the north fork mt trail in 99 hope i can find a good loop and a place to park any suggestions”

“That's one of my favorite places!
Park near Red Creek Campground and go west young man on Blackbird Knob Trail.
It is part of a loop of 11 to 12 miles.

Be ready for mud and wet trails and maybe some butt-deep creek crossings depending on recent rains.

On a weekend like this you might run in to a lot of hikers too.”

“Ask Tarp Rat aka Wild Child, he goes up there all the time.”

“The Rat should show his pointy little snout here any time.

What's the latest on the weather up there?”

“I'm not going this weekend, I am going to wait to the weather is totaly clear. I may sound like a wimp, but I am taking some people who don't have all the gear I do, and I want them to have a good time, ya dig!

Sods is one of those place that you just explore. I like parking at the Picnic area, and hiking down to Red Creek via trail #(I can't remember). Their is a great overlook, and then the trail goes down to the river and you can camp their.”

“There!”

“Wimp-butt!

Is that Lion Rock?

Ya startin' high and goin' low?

I like to start low and go high.”

“I'm with Mr.Terrific...park downstream Red Creek at the Laneville campground and hike upstream on the Red Creek Trail. If you want some challenging terrain, hike the west side of Red Creek. Unmarked herd trails, lots of awesome campsites on that side, too. You'll dig it...trust me!”

“sounds good looks like rain but it may miss me anyway thanx alot for the info”

“Cup O soup?”

“Wow!
We got wet on Friday but Saturday and Sunday were nice!

We dicided to go to Roaring Plains instead of the Sods.
There are no wild creeks to cross up there.

The sky was clear Saturday night and the views on Sunday morning were awesome!”

“Were there sufficient water sources...or were they few and far inbetween?

I heard that place is beautiful!”

“Especially in the high flats up there, like the saddle of Roaring Plains, its pretty water-less.
Its boggy though and many creeks are fed by the massive quantity of rain that hits those plateaus.

You can find standing water in the trails when its been rainy or go down off the edge if you know where to look.
Part of the adventure can be finding head waters by way of the topo maps.

It sure is pretty there and considerably higher than the Sods, 4,400 to 4,700 feet.

One of the challenges of a trip there is to find Thunderstruck Rock!
Its a good test of navigation skills!”