Humpback Rocks Loop (put in your vote for direction)

Hopefully the cold weather will scare some of the crowds away, so let's do Humpback Rocks, which will be put to a vote by those attending as to whether or not we do the hike clockwise or counter-clockwise.

Clockwise will give us a gradual ascent to the top, with a steep mile downhill at the end and counter gets us warmed up quickly, lungs bursting, but happy we aren't freezing, followed by a long gentler descent out.

I have an event I have to skedaddle to later that afternoon on that side of the mountain, but if we get finished quickly enough perhaps we can head to Basic City in Waynesboro afterward.

Difficulty Rating: Moderate; approximately 4.2 miles with roughly 1100 ft elevation gain

What to Bring/Wear: Appropriate footwear for walking/hiking on an at-times rugged trail, water, snacks, trekking poles if you prefer them, layers and layers (and I can't stress this enough: layers), and this time of year I just stow the microspikes in my pack (they don't add much weight -just do it because all the cool kids are doing it, and by cool I mean it's actually really pretty cool to be safe and not need to call emergency services for preventable accidents).

Weather: If the forecast calls for severe weather I will update the group in the comments.

Dog Policy: Pups are allowed. Please keep them leashed for their safety and for the comfort of other hikers.

RSVP: If you find you’re not going to be able to attend, please update your RSVP to “Not Going” as soon as possible. RSVPs close one day prior, so please change your status early if necessary to allow those next on the waitlist adequate time to prepare.