MO: W1 MLK Long Weekend AT "Roller Coaster"
Details
Want to spend three days, and two nights over the MLK long weekend tackling the infamous Virginia Appalachian Trail "Roller Coaster" in cold weather? Days one and three will be relatively easy, to give us time to car shuttle. Day two, however, will feature 3550 feet of climbing over 15 miles. Grit your teeth on the climbs and scream all the way down the descents. Nobody will judge you. Just don't close your eyes.
Itinerary:
Saturday, January 13:
-- Meet at Vienna Metro NORTH parking lot at 9:00. Leave at 9:15.
-- Drive about 50 minutes to VA Route 7 Snickerville Gap AT parking. (GPS coordinates: 39.115500, -77.846700). Drop cars at hike end point.
-- Drive about 35 minutes to Manassas Gap AT Trailhead parking off Tucker's Lane (near RocknRoll Cycling Casuals Store) near Markham, Virginia. (GPS Coordinates: 38.91138, -78.05298).
-- Hike 7.2 miles to Whiskey Hollow Shelter.
Sunday January 14:
-- Hike 15 miles to Sam Moore Shelter.
Monday January 15:
-- Hike 3.5 miles to cars.
-- Reverse the car shuttle.
-- Lunch (or second breakfast) at Tammy's Diner, 2 East Loudon Street, Round Hill, VA.
-- Return to Vienna Metro.
Maps: DCUL'ers have maps -- even on the white-blazed AT.
-- PATC Map 8: AT in NoVa- South Half, Snickers Gap to Chester Gap. https://www.patc.net/ItemDetail?iProductCode=PA150&Category=AD
-- "Active" CalTopo GPX: https://caltopo.com/m/5CQCK
-- The Far Out trail guide app is also useful on the AT.
Winter Weather: Weather in January can be dicey. DCUL winter trip ratings: https://dculbackpacking.com/about/tripranks/. I'll postpone the trip if reports predict dangerously icy roads or significant snow accumulation. The Roller Coaster is tough even in good weather.
Organizational Points:
-- We need drivers to set up the car shuttle. If you've got a car and are willing to help, I would really appreciate it.
-- Riders should plan to pay drivers $0.10/mile which is $15 round-trip from Vienna.
-- While we plan to camp near AT shelters, each participant must have their own tent or other shelter, in case the AT shelters are full or we decide not to use them for other reasons.
-- I’m just a co-participant on this trip, not a guide or an expert. If you sign up and can't come, please let me know and don't ghost. Please keep your RSVP up to date to be polite to anyone on the waitlist.
Dues: Don't forget to pay your annual dues if you haven't yet. If you don't see the current year listed next to your name in your DC UL profile, please pay via PayPal: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/DCULKaran/15 ($10 annual dues plus a $5 suggested donation to City Kids Wilderness Project.)
Liability: More information on the club's COVID-19 policy: https://dculbackpacking.com/about/covid-19-guidelines/.
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