VMO: North Massanutten Loop, 72-mile CW Loop
- March 21 · 6:00 PM
Get a serious jump start to your spring with this traditional DC UL epic. It's a rite of passage around here, but I've never done it myself, so it's time to knock it out.
Here's how it will work. We'll meet up at 6pm at Vienna and roll to the Signal Knob parking lot near Front Royal. We'll get as many miles in Friday as we possibly can before crashing. Then Saturday morning, we'll wake up and commence three days of serious walking, averaging just over 20 miles a day. When all's said and done, our splits might look like 6-22-22-22, but there'll will probably be some variations due to campsite issues. Yes, you'd need Monday off.
By the time you're done, you'll have walked the entirety of the North Massanutten Loop!
Obviously, this will be a demanding test of your backpacking skills. It is for veteran members only. Part of the reason why I am announcing it so early is so that, if this is a thing you want to do, you can start preparing. If you have your eyes on a big, demanding trip in 2013 (Sweden, anyone?), this would be a great training hike that will let you know where you stand coming out of the winter.
Group size is limited to ten. I'll fill in the details as the date approaches (there are water and campsite issues we will have to discuss and plan for), get a map up, and a trail description.
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Evan K. McCarthy
You guys (and gals) rock. I am infinitely jealous not to have been out there with you. The Massanutten loop has a really, really special place in my heart. And it's a great spring tradition. I think I should plan on flying back next year!
March 25
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Daniel
Don't worry, Evan, your trail "legend" lived on...it's like a cross between Chuck Norris, Teddy Roosevelt, and Bear Grylls. Fond memories of you abounded. Thanks for starting this tradition!
March 25
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MikeVW
Congratulations, everyone! I'm glad I was able to do half of the trail before my back gave out, but tackling any part of the Massanuttens takes some real grit. I know I'll be heading back to finish the trail sooner rather than later!
March 25
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Daniel
Hiking 20+ miles on a couple Pop Tarts is better than I could ever do *without* a bad back! You did admirably, Mike.
March 25
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Brian
What a difference the weather can make - turning a trail that was my worst backpacking experience into something that was fun and rewarding. Just don't ever expect me to get out on this thing if the forecast calls for temps much above 70*! It was a blast hiking with everyone!
March 25
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Carrie Graff
One of the most fun trails I've ever hiked. Can't wait to go back and do the North/South version. Why weren't Dan, Brian, Max, or Andrew awarded the (2) status?
March 25
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Michael Martin
Nine set out. One bowed out after a "half Massanutten." Two bowed out after about a "two thirds Massanutten." All hiked well and hard and bowed out with the proverbial grace-under-pressure. Six finished (Max, Bryan, Andrew, Shelby, Dan, and myself). Trip report coming now.
March 25
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Shelby Peterson
I like the hallucination reference, I agree. This was such an incredible weekend. In hindsight, I think I liked cowboy camping the best! It was a fantastic group and very well planned, thank you Michael! I hope to see all of you out again soon! Today we can still eat as much as we want right?! I know one more McDonald's I can try for a Shamrock Shake :) Cheers Everyone!!
March 25
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Michael Martin
Yes, I'm a bit at the, "Was that all just a hallucinaton?" phase myself. Just tucked into a 2,000 calories breakfast. Great trip, everyone! I'll write the trip report now.
March 25
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Jen
Call me Ishmael. As always, a good weekend with great hikers on a challenging trail. Congrats to all who finished!
March 25
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Michael Martin
All right, wish us luck! We're out of here in a few. See everyone except Andrew and Max at Vienna at 6pm, then everyone at the trailhead, 7:30pm. Going to be a bit windy up there tonight.
March 21
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Evan K. McCarthy
I will be with you all in spirit! Hiking the Massanutten in one go has made my last three springs special. Enjoy it as much as I did. It's a special trail.
March 18
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Michael Martin
A quick note on the water situation. Thursday night, we'll be camping at the Little Crease Shelter, which has water, and Friday, as we near the southern end of the trail, there are a number of reliable sources. We may end up camping by one of them. Saturday morning, we'll need to start tanked up, as the western half of the trail is quite dry. Hopefully, the unreliable sources will have water in them (the mountains shouldn't be that dry now); if they do not, we will detour to the reliable spring at Edinburg Gap and tank up there. That should get us through to Passage Creek on Sunday. So Saturday will definitely be the water crux for the trip. Since several of us walked Assateague (28 miles in about 24 hours) with 4-5L, I think that capacity is about right. Please adjust based on your own understanding of your water needs.
March 20
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Michael Martin
The Big Meadows webcam (http://www.nps.gov/sh...
) shows the snow that is on the ground up there right now. Of course, Big Meadows is quite a bit higher than the Massanuttens, so I guess we'll see very little in the way of snow along our route. A little melting snow means H2O!March 20
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Michael Martin
Also, the more I study the map, the western line of the trail, as you walk from Edinburgh to Woodstock Gap, is bound on the east by Peters Mill Run. Though it is listed as "unreliable," it's going to have water in it this time of the year. We could get off the MT and get water there, if we needed.
March 20
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MikeVW
Having to bow out of this one hurts almost as much as my back does at the moment, but barring an 11th hour miracle, I'll have to sit this one out :(.
@Jen--I'll drop by the metro still to get you the bivy before you all head out. Good luck!March 20
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Michael Martin
Hey everyone:
http://www.accuweather.com/en/u...
We'll be keeping our eyes on the weather the next few days, but right now it looks fairly good, if cool. There could be a little snow underfoot.
Brian, Shelby, Dan, and Holger ... You guys all need rides to the trailhead?
MM
March 17
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Jen
For those in D.C., I'm leaving the Dupont area around 4:30 p.m. to get to Vienna by 6 p.m. Let me know you want to hitch a ride, and I can send you my work address. Either way, I'll also be at Vienna so can give a ride to those planning to take the Metro there.
March 19
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Daniel
Hi Jen, I can take the Metro to Vienna. If you have room, I'll take you up on your offer for a ride. Thanks.
March 19
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MikeVW
So after the gear swap yesterday, I decided to explore the food component, as I always have some left at the end of the trail. I know that each person has their own individual requirements, but my initial spreadsheet has me carrying 5 pounds of food (2900/2900/1700 for a total of 7500 calories) for Fri/Sat/Sun. Does that seem reasonable? High/Low? I figure that a big meal before hitting the trail will eliminate the necessity of eating too much on Thurs, and the reward of a pub on Sunday should also mitigate my needs somewhat. It's not like I can't hike hungry, but food on the trail does make me happy :).
March 17
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Jen
I'm certainly guilty of not eating enough while hiking, which often is made worse by the fact that I go from zero to hungry in a matter of seconds. (And then there's the mental barrier of needing to have a back-up meal in case of an emergency.) So I usually have extra at the end of the trip. In recent trips, I've been trying to be more conscious of making sure I have enough calories for the day and then spreading them out. It's worked out to me having about 1.5 pounds per day, but it's something that I am still trying to fine-tune.
March 18
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Brian
I'm usually around the 2# mark for food per day, but I consistently have little to no food at the end of a trip except for the 2 or so extra energy bars I carry just in case the last day goes a little longer than planned. It pretty much runs around 7-9 ounces for each meal and around 4 oz. of snacks for each of the AM and PM hiking stretches. One hip belt pocket is dedicated to snacks so I can eat about every 1.5 hour or so while on the move. if I'm doing gorp or the like, I measure it out into daily sized amounts rather than taking one big bag. My total also varies a little with the weather, as when it's cooler I'll carry around 400-500 more calories per day (mostly for dinner) to stay warm in camp and while sleeping
March 18
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Michael Martin
Just an FYI that I'm mulling over doing this CW. The splits line up a little more evenly (8.8-19.5-21.5-21.3). We'd be walking a bit later on Thursday night, but the moon is fairly bright. Might be pleasant. Also, we'd have the Signal Knob views in the daylight. Thoughts? http://files.meetup.com/1502009...
March 13
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Carolyn Gernand
Don't worry - it is not much different than the rest of the trail - it is just very rocky from the Knob itself to the end, which seems more noticeable on tired feet. Going CW up to the Knob, you will have the tower access road climb, which is long-ish but easy underfoot. From the Knob to the end, there is a rocky ridge followed by a rocky descent, but there are very good switchbacks that make the downhill grade itself very comfortable. It is a great hike in either direction. It is my favorite trail, and I would have signed up if I did not have prior commitments that weekend.
March 16
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Michael Martin
Just to clarify. This remains a Thursday-Sunday trip. The notes on the PDF are Evan's from previous trips. They don't really pertain to what we're doing. I'm still mulling over CW versus CCW.
March 13
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Michael Martin
@ Anyone who's paying attention. Yes, I'm granting exceptions to Travis and Shelby, two members who've not yet had a chance to do a 20-mile day with us. Shelby is an Ironman triathlete, and Travis is a sub-3h marathoner. I've hiked and backpacked with both. :) They're both up to the challenge.
March 12
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Max Nemeth
Signal knob parking area gps coordinates: 38.93537, -78.31953; the larger parking area past a small parking lot.
March 11
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Michael Martin
With such a short drive from Vienna, we really should be good to start hiking at 7:30pm ... http://goo.gl/maps/Wy...
...March 12
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Michael Martin
Hey everyone, since people are asking, here is how I'm thinking we'll do this loop.
Thursday night, we'll walk in from the Signal Knob parking lot about 5.7 miles and camp at the intersection of the Tuscarora Trail, where there should be water. The next morning, we'll have out biggest day, walking south to where the trail passes Edinburgh Gap Road, which is mile 29.7. We'll cram our tents into the available spots. Saturday we'll walk until about 50.2 where there is a flat ridge line we can camp along. Sunday, we'll hike the remaining miles to the cars.
So, the splits should look like 5.7-24-20.5-20.9. We'll be camping dry Friday and Saturday nights, so you'll definitely need plenty of capacity (4-5 liters). However, I do not believe the March water situation should be too desperate (we should be able to fill up a few miles before camp). I'll be able to scout a few things the weekend of 3/15-3/17, so I'll know more then.
Thoughts?
February 28
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Michael Martin
Making our lives much easier, Evan has provided his notes for the CCW variant. Consider these the reference notes for this trip:
https://docs.google.com/file/d/0...
This *will not* be a casual trip. Everyone should be looking over this material as the date draws near.
February 25
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Michael Martin
Hmmm ... We are just one month away from this trip, if you can believe that. I admit I am excited. Looking at the campsite and water situation right now ...
http://www.sunrisesunset.com/ca...
February 21
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Michael Martin
But, Max, you could do 3/21-3/24, Thursday night-Sunday night? Carrie, if you could, please try to get that Friday off. If we could do the trip with the Friday off, then I think everyone could go--that would be my preference. If it's a problem, we'll have to re-evaluate. I did start this trip with those dates to be friendly to teachers' spring breaks. We won't change weekends (I'll be doing another trip the following weekend, anyway.)
December 17
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Michael Martin
If I couldn't change the dates, could you come out Friday night and hike the remainder of the trail with us? You wouldn't get the entire trail, but it would still be fun.
February 8
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Carrie Graff
This is right before my spring break so I have the Monday off already...but not Friday. I'll have to see what I can do (If I am allowed to join the trip) if the dates are changed.
December 17
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Michael Martin
@ Carrie ... I'd love for you to join us. I'll approve you for the trip, with the same provision I gave Shelby ... so long as you backpack a 20-mile day with me or another organizer before this trip.
December 17
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Michael Martin
@ Carrie ... Note that you're now fully confirmed for this trip after the past weekend's trip.
January 22
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Michael Martin
So it seems that at least Carrie can only do the weekend 3/22-3/25, not 3/21-3/24. Max, is there no chance you could move your CWS day to Monday? We could also do the following weekend, 3/28-3/31 ... Would I lose anyone if I did that?
December 17
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Max Nemeth
Michael, my day off is the 15th, and I can't change which days I take off. I have the 29th off, but will most likely be going home for Easter. I might have a vacation day I could take, but I have very little margin for Sweden, so I'm saving them for an emergency for now, but can let you know when the trip gets sooner and we nail down the Sweden dates if I can take one of the days off.
December 17
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MikeVW
I think the following weekend is tougher with Easter on the 31st this year. I might still be able to do it either way, but think the first weekend is easier overall. Also, I was looking at Evan's old trail guide for the clockwise circuit; it seems that 15 miles between reliable water refills is the norm rather than the exception. Does this sound off to you?
December 17
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John Callahan
@Michael - I think that would be fine, no conflicts at this point. I would just need an approximate arrival time at the trail head on the front end since I will be leaving from Exton, PA. It's about 3:20 drive time without much traffic.
December 13
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Michael Martin
Tha won't be hard to arrange. Logistically, this trip is much more straightforward than the Delaware Water Gap.
December 13
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Michael Martin
@ John ... Are you okay with a Thursday night-Sunday schedule for this? 3/21-3/24.
December 13
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Joffrey Peters
Hmm... this sounds like something I ought to do. Some gear upgrades would be in order to reduce my pack weight, though!
December 13
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Michael Martin
OK, so Doug, Shelby, Jen, and Brian, could you guys all take the Friday off (3/22) instead of the Monday? If so, we'll do that and I'll alter the dates.
December 12
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Michael Martin
We just need to hear from Shelby then and we can change the date. I suspect she'll be fine. We talk to her tomorrow night.
December 13
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Mark
Damn Michael! You scheduled "Evan's Death March" the weekend of my wife's birthday. I'll be keeping an eye out for another one or a change in date for this one....
December 11
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MikeVW
@Max, Michael M: I could potentially take the 22nd off for this one; my one concern is making sure I have enough personal time for other trips later in the season (schools can be funny about taking days off before holidays). As long as the switch doesn't cause us to lose some of the other commits for this trip, then I think it should be fine.
December 12
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Michael Martin
@Shelby ... You are approved to do this trip, contingent upon your backpacking a 20-mile day this spring (with me or another organizer). We can chat about schedules.
December 12
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Michael Martin
Just to clarify, I'm going to leave everyone on the waiting list till I iron out a few things on the site. You'll all be good to go, though.
December 11
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Douglas
No longer considering training for the Kungsleden, so giving up my spot on this hike.
December 11
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Shelby Peterson
This sounds amazing, but I would need a training schedule... Ha, I don't think my long runs and cross-training would cut it, but I would absolutely love to do something like this!
December 11
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Michael Martin
I tend to think that your triathlon training will translate as a good base. You'll need to make sure that you do a 20-mile day with me before March, but it's definitely within your range. I'm going to leave everyone on the waiting list for awhile till I settle some things down with the site, but you should consider yourself as first in line. We can chat about it this weekend, too!
December 11
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Shelby Peterson
If there is space and I do not have to travel for work I would LOVE to attend this trip! Ha, but I should I see how this weekend goes first. And likely another one in between!
December 11
9 attended
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Carrie Graff
Veteran Member (Booty-Less), Assistant Organizer
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Andrew
Veteran Member (2) (Hang Glider), Assistant Organizer
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Max Nemeth
Veteran Member (2) (Yeti), Assistant Organizer
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Brian
Veteran Member (2) (B~~~), Assistant Organizer
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MikeVW
Veteran Member (2) (MikeDC), Assistant Organizer
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Jen
Veteran Member (Shuttle), Assistant Organizer
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Daniel
Veteran Member (2) (Casserole)
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Shelby Peterson
Veteran Member (2) (Shamrock)
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