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Let's go backpacking on a barrier island! I have wanted to do this trip since I missed it last year. Wanted to get this on the calendar, I will update with more details soon.

--- below mostly copied from last time---
Assateague Island is a 37-mile long barrier island. It is known for its undeveloped beaches, wild horses, waterfowl, and the Assateague Lighthouse.

This stretch of beach walking is some of the most pristine anywhere, at times veering into an almost meditative quality as you walk along the sand. And, oddly, even though it is essentially flat and a straight line, walking in sand is not exactly easy. You'll find yourself aiming for firm footing, and your feet (and everything else) will be sandy. Best to avoid heavy footwear here. Splits will be 14/14.

Caveat; I've never done this trail before

Trip rank is MO W1. I will keep "W1" for now. Temperatures may be below freezing at times, perhaps down to the teens. You can read more about trip ranks here.

Plan
Note: we'll consider a key swap if there is enough interest.

We'll meet up at a park and ride east of town and then head out to establish the shuttle at Toms Cove [Note: the visitor center at Toms Cover is permanently closed, not sure if you can still park there. looking into it]. Then, it's off to the Maryland side at Assateague. We'll get our permits, park, walk to the beach, turn right, and start walking in a straight line down the beach. We'll do splits of about 14 / 14, camping at either Stateline (on the beach side) or Pope Bay (on the bay side).

I am planning to rent a car unless we get enough volunteer drivers.

Resources
Caltopo TBD (this is 99% walking in a straight line but I'll probably still make one)

Directions: TBD

Past trips:
- https://dculbackpacking.com/2022/03/29/trip-report-hiking-on-the-beach-in-winter-assateague/
- https://www.meetup.com/dc-ul-backpacking/events/304254668/?eventOrigin=group_events_list

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.

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