LM: AT in Southern Shenandoah (17 miles)

I have a 17-ish-mile stretch along the AT in the southern district that I’d like to do for the Shenandoah 500… and the Loft Mountain Wayside opens the first weekend in May. Seems like the perfect combination for a low-mileage trip.

The plan here is straightforward. Meet at Vienna and head to the Loft Mountain Wayside where we will drop our ending cars. Our starting point will be the Smith Roach Gap parking area. From there, we will head south along the AT, passing the Pinefield Hut. There should be a connector trail just past the Pinefield Hut that will bring us to Skyline Drive for a short road walk to the Brown Mountain Trail. We’re on that briefly—we’ll reach an intersection with the Rocky Mountain Run Trail and then take that down to the Big Run Portal Trail. Our campsite is just past that intersection. Probably around 11 miles for the day. Merriment will ensue.

I’ll hold five spots for applicants and prioritize applicants on the waitlist. Group size is capped at 10. As a reminder, applicants need to submit a gear list to be approved for the trip. If you have any questions about what should be in a gear list, send any questions my way.

DCULers have maps! The one for this trip is PATC’s Map 11—SNP South District. The Purple Lizard maps for Shenandoah are also great options.

The Fine Print

• By RSVPing to this trip or any other DC UL trip, you agree to DC UL's liability waiver terms. (https://dculbackpacking.com/about/liability-waiver)
• If you are a member, don't forget to pay your annual $10 dues. You can check to see if you need to pay dues by seeing if the current year is listed next to your name in your DC UL profile. Applicants do not need to pay dues for their first trip with the group. To pay your dues via PayPal, use this link: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/JenniferAdach/15
• All non-drivers should expect to pay $0.10 per mile to their driver, in accordance with the DC UL carpool policy.

Photo Credit: Shenandoah National Park