Watch the Perseid Meteor Showers Intro to Backpacking/Camp at Sky Meadows

THIS TRIP IS CROSS POSTED
DON’T DELAY IN BOOKING YOUR CAMPSITE AT SKY MEADOWS STATE PARK THERE ARE LIMITED CAMPSITES AND THEY FILL UP QUICKLY.
This is an easy two-night backpacking trip with a 1-mile hike in to your campsite it is the perfect opportunity for anyone starting off in backpacking to carry their gear in for 1 mile and try it out then back out for 1 mile on Sunday.

Catch the once-a-year Perseid showers at Sky Meadows State Park. Sky Meadows is considered a dark sky park.
We will be enjoying optional day hikes during the day and the Perseid showers at night.
CAMPSITE INFORMATION
The campsites are primitive, and it is about a mile hike in to reach your campsite.
Your camp hosts will be staying at the Buddy Campsite where we will all meet up at on Friday evening at 7pm to do introductions, share a snack and discuss Saturday plans.
You can book your campsite reservations and explore more information about Sky Meadows park at….
https://www.reservevaparks.com/Web/
Each campsite has a bear-proof locker.
Each site has access to the same campground amenities including privy-style bathrooms, a non-potable water source (come prepared to purify the water) and pre-cut firewood for sale. It is “primitive” camping due to the fact that it is an approximate one-mile hike from the designated parking and unloading spot, and the campground has no electricity, flush toilets, or Wi-Fi. However, the campsites do provide some backcountry camping luxuries. Each individual site is equipped with a level 16' x 16' tent pad, picnic table, bear-proof locker, lantern hook and fire pit with a small grate. You will have to plan and prepare to bring everything else you’ll need.
FRIDAY NIGHT SOCIAL
Let’s get together and hang out on Friday night. Because we will be hiking in 1 mile having a potluck would be tricky so let’s just plan on bringing something small to share. We will meet-up at the Buddy Site on Friday at 7pm.
ACTIVITIES
We will be setting up coordinated day hikes for Saturday and Sunday for anyone interested in hiking. Details to come.
Perseid Showers….
The Perseids are one of the brighter meteor showers of the year. They occur every year between July 17 and August 24 and tend to peak around August 9-13.
Dos:
Hide from the Moon: find a spot with tall obstacles (mountains, buildings, trees, etc.) to block the moonlight. This makes the night darker, helping you see more meteors.
Find out the radiant’s position in the skies; the higher it climbs, the more meteors you’ll likely see. The radiant is easy to find with the help of Star Walk 2 and Sky Tonight apps.
Find an open place with a dark sky, away from the city lights: there are ten times fewer meteors visible in the city. An even better option would be to go up in the mountains, where haze and clouds are below the observer.
Give this breathtaking event at least an hour of your time to see as many meteors as possible.
Bring a deck chair or a camp cot to lie on. You can also use a mat, but your head needs to be raised so that the blood doesn’t rush there. Otherwise, you’ll start to feel sleepy very soon.
Don'ts:
Don’t look directly at the radiant, as there will be mostly short meteors.
Don’t look low above the horizon either — there might be haze or clouds.
Don’t make a fire or turn on bright flashlights. The bright light won’t allow your eyes to adapt to the darkness, so you won’t be able to see a significant part of the meteors. Better bring a flashlight with a red light instead — this light is more comfortable at night.
Don’t gaze up for 1 hour straight; make 5–10-minute breaks. This way, you’ll be able to stay focused and give your eyes a rest.

Questions??? Text Mama Mayhem aka Debdeb 804-920-6340