Backpacking

**IMPORTANT -** If you are not 100% committed please do ***not RSVP.*** No shows will be de-propritized for future events. Lets do a 2-night backpacking trip over Memorial Day weekend! The Mount Rogers/Grayson Highlands loop hike is an iconic section of the Appalachian Trail, located in the southwestern hills of Virginia within the Jefferson National Forest. This region is best known for its vast mountain views and alpine peaks with **wild ponies** roaming about. This area is also home to Virginia's highest point, Mount Rogers, sitting at 5,729'. This is a premier east-coast backpacking destination, so don't miss this one. ## **Trail Facts** * **Difficulty Level:** Moderate * **Length:** 21.4 Miles * **Duration:** 3 Days * **Elevation Gain:** 3,898 Feet * **Bear Canisters:** Not Required * **Permits:** None * **Dogs**: Allowed * **Meetup/Carpool:** Vienna Metro South * **Trailhead Parking:** 36.6893579, -81.5320954 * **AllTrails Map**: https://www.alltrails.com/explore/map/mount-rogers-and-appalachian-trail-loop-958adb5?u=i&sh=rak641 **Trail Details:** We will meet at The Vienna Metro station on Saturday morning at 8am and drive to the Mt Rogers Trailhead (off Rt 603). This parking lot is **NOT** the paid lot near Masie Gap, and so can fill up. I'd like to try to get there as early as possible. The drive is about 5 hours. I will drive and am happy to have others carpool with me - but please note, I will have my small black labrador in the back seat. **Day 1** After we park, we will hike about 7 miles to our campsite, diverting once to summit Mt Rogers. There arent any views here, but it's worth the .3 miles to say you've been to the highest point in VA! We will camp on the first night at the scenic tent sites near the Thomas Knob Shelter on the AT. There is water at this site and we may see wild ponies if we're lucky. **Day 2** The second day is about 10.7 miles, which includes spectacular views, unique rock formations and wide open grassy meadows. We will camp near the Old Orchard Shelter. There is a spring with water at this site as well. **Day 3** The third day will be a short 3.5 mile hike from camp back to the cars. Getting to the cars early will mean that we should get back to DC around 4-5pm. On the drive home, I plan to stop at Martin's in downtown Roanoke (413 1st St SW, Roanoke, VA 24011). **Essential Items**: * Tent * Sleeping pad​ * Sleeping bag suitable for expected temperatures​ * Backpack (appropriate for overnight backpacking)​ * Backpacking stove with fuel​ * Pot, cup, dish, and utensils​ * Dehydrated meals​ and snacks * Water bottles or hydration system (capacity for at least 2 liters)​ * Water filter or purification tablets​ * Headlamp with extra batteries​ * Rain gear * Dry bags or pack cover​ * Warm clothing layers (non-cotton) * Trowel for and toiletries for Leave-No-Trace compliance **Optional Items**: * Personal first aid kit​ * Map and compass or GPS device * Power bank or external battery * Trekking poles​ * Camp shoes * Electrolyte supplements​ * Alcohol​ * Books, games, or other enterainment * Gaiters​ * Sunscreen, lip balm, insect repellent​​ **CARPOOL:** Don't forget if you want a ride or are willing to offer a ride – be a friend to the environment, save money, and make friends. **LIABILITY NOTICE:** Please remember that this group operates under the common adventurer model. We are a group of friends and volunteers organizing trips for fun and shared experience. Participants are expected to be familiar with best hiking practices and choose hikes that align with their physical abilities and experience. Organizers and members are not liable for any injuries, loss, or damage to persons or property arising from group activities. By attending this event, you agree to assume all risks associated with the activity.​ For more information on the common adventurer model, please see [Ron Watters' definition](https://www.ronwatters.com/CADefine.htm).​ If you believe you may be lost during the hike, follow the advice of the [US Forest Service](https://www.fs.usda.gov/visit/know-before-you-go/if-you-get-lost). ​ See you on the trail!

Excited to head to Dolly Sods Wilderness in June. As Juneteenth falls on a Friday this year, it's a three-day weekend for some. Planned split is 1/14(+optional 5)/8. Here is the planned route: https://caltopo.com/m/E6C3C1L **NOTE**: I'm doing trail work in Dolly Sods Wilderness (my first [AHS Volunteer Vacation](https://americanhiking.org/volunteer-vacation-trip/american-hiking-legacy-project-dolly-sods-vistas-famous-blackwater-falls-wv/)) Sunday June 14 through Thursday June 18. As I'm going to be off-grid leading up to the trip, co-organizer Aileen will be the point person for carpools, questions, etc. the week before the trip. **Waiver**: By RSVPing to this trip or any other DC UL trip, you agree to these guidelines and to DC UL's waiver liability terms ([https://dculbackpacking.com/about/liability-waiver/](https://dculbackpacking.com/about/liability-waiver/)) COVID-19 policy: [https://dculbackpacking.com/about/covid-19-guidelines/](https://dculbackpacking.com/about/covid-19-guidelines/) **Dues**: Members and above, don't forget to pay your annual dues. You can check 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. To pay your dues via PayPal, use this link: **[https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/JenniferAdach/15](https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/JenniferAdach/15)** ($10 annual dues plus a $5 suggested donation to City Kids Wilderness Project.) **Carpool**: As per our carpool policy, riders should pay drivers $0.10/mile. Expect around $29. \- James \(Biodome\)

Veronica's Spruce Knob trip later in June reminded me that I really want to hike this area, but I'm busy that weekend. Come do a relaxed exploration of Spruce Knob/Seneca Creek with me earlier in June! On Saturday and Sunday, we will cover \~11 miles and \~8 miles respectively, depending on which campsites are available near the falls. Here is our planned route on Caltopo ([https://caltopo.com/m/N970BF1](https://caltopo.com/m/N970BF1)). This is a great trip for "applicants" (meaning that this is your first DCUL trip), so I'll reserve 5 applicant spots out of 10 total spots. Because I'm setting those spots aside, it may look like the trip is already full, but if you're an applicant, join the waitlist and I'll add you from there. If this is your first DCUL trip, please send me a list of your gear. You can learn about membership ranks [here](https://dculbackpacking.com/about/membership/). And no worries if your gear isn't ultralight. This is a low mileage (LM) trip. Read about DCUL's trip ranks [here](https://dculbackpacking.com/about/tripranks/). We'll meet at the Vienna metro (north side parking lot) at 8 am on Saturday and drive to the Spruce Knob Parking Lot ([Directions](https://maps.app.goo.gl/hEs3TR7Ggpvi2Pce9)), arriving around 11:30 or noon and start hiking from there. There are a lot of water features and at least one water crossing that may be deep, so you might want to bring sandals and other things that can get wet. If it's warm, some might go swimming! Saturday evening we'll camp nearish to Seneca Falls, depending on which campsites are available. Sunday we'll pass by the site of a plane crash from the 80s. We'll stop for lunch on the drive home. DCULers have maps! Some options: * Purple Lizard Dolly Sods-Seneca Rocks ([https://www.purplelizard.com/products/dolly-sods-seneca-rocks-map](https://www.purplelizard.com/products/dolly-sods-seneca-rocks-map)) * [https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/stelprdb5433335.pdf](https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/stelprdb5433335.pdf) * Caltopo [https://caltopo.com/m/N970BF1](https://caltopo.com/m/N970BF1) **Waiver**: By RSVPing to this trip or any other DC UL trip, you agree to these guidelines and to DC UL's waiver liability terms ([https://dculbackpacking.com/about/liability-waiver/](https://dculbackpacking.com/about/liability-waiver/)) **Carpool**: As per our carpool policy, riders should pay drivers $0.10/mile. Total driving distance is around 334 miles, so all non-drivers should expect to pay $35 or so to their driver.

I've never done the North Fork Mountain Trail and wanted to do it, but it's a long drive for a 24-mile hike. So, I am combining it with one of my favorite WV hikes: Spruce Knob/Seneca Creek. We will need a car shuttle for the North Fork Mtn Trail, so depending on the number of participants, we will need 2-4 drivers. The plan is to leave Vienna Friday morning at 7:30 am, drive to the northern trailhead (38.98168, -79.23100), leave 1-2 cars there, drive to the southern trailhead (38.71083, -79.40214), start North Fork Mountain Trail hike. We will do about 12.4 miles to the campsite and possible spring (if it's really dry, we can set up a water cache or carry enough for the whole hike). Saturday morning, we will get up early and hike the remainder of North Fork Mtn Trail, drive to southern trailhead and from there to Spruce Knob Parking. Saturday afternoon we will hike down from Spruce Knob to Seneca Creek and camp anywhere along the creek, ideally by the Seneca Falls. Sunday morning, we'll hike up to see the plane crash site from the 70s and then hike back up to Spruce Knob and drive home. Caltopo: [North Fork Mountain - CalTopo](https://caltopo.com/m/QH724F1#) North Fork Mtn Trail: https://myhikes.org/trails/north-fork-mountain-hike Spruce Knob/Seneca Creek: [Backpacking the Spruce Knob/Seneca Creek Loop](https://www.greatamericanhikes.com/post/backpacking-the-spruce-knob-seneca-creek-loop) **Waiver**: By RSVPing to this trip or any other DC UL trip, you agree to these guidelines and to DC UL's waiver liability terms ([https://dculbackpacking.com/about/liability-waiver/](https://dculbackpacking.com/about/liability-waiver/)) COVID-19 policy: [https://dculbackpacking.com/about/covid-19-guidelines/](https://dculbackpacking.com/about/covid-19-guidelines/) **Dues**: Members and above, don't forget to pay your annual dues. You can check 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. To pay your dues via PayPal, use this link: **[https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/JenniferAdach/15](https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/JenniferAdach/15)** ($10 annual dues plus a $5 suggested donation to City Kids Wilderness Project.) **Carpool**: As per our carpool policy, riders should pay drivers $0.10/mile.