I'm considering busting out of DC this weekend for a quick two-nighter. Haven't decided on a place yet, but hopefully something less than 3-4 hours south of DC. I can probably leave DC around 3pm Friday and need to be back around dinner time on Sunday.

Anyone wanna come along? Or just suggest a good place in the area?

I would possibly want to come along, but I won't have the car this weekend.

I wish you would have said something sooner, I would need some serious negotiating with management ( the wife ) to get out this weekend.
Last year I did a two nighter on these trails. Lots of good water spots and not quite as crowded as SNP on the weekend. I camped at campsites near Big Scloss and the Gerhart Shelter. But I was on the ground. You could set up a hammock anywhere. Here are some links to where I got most of my info. If you are interested I could send you some of my maps that I made for the trip. You could also just look around on the site the links are on. It is pretty nice.

http://www.hikingupward.com/GWNF/BigSchloss/

http://www.hikingupward.com/GWNF/GerhardShelter/

http://www.hikingupward.com/GWNF/LongMountain/

http://www.hikingupward.com/GWNF/HalfmoonMountain/

That's a great website! Checking it out now...thanks for posting.

i'd sure like to join you but i'll be lucky to get away from work by around 5:00pm fri.
and i haven't checked out other locations in va to know anything about the driving times... from DC or from winston-salem, nc.
if you happen to decide on a place in my general direction, i may be able to hook up w/ you on sat.
but if not, there will be other trips. ...tim

Three Ridges is looking pretty good. It's about 3 hours from you, just south of Charlottesville. It's a 14 mile loop, lots of it on the AT. Rated as strenuous but with great views.

http://www.hikingupward.com/GWNF/ThreeRidges/images/Map.pdf

I'm definitely not set on that, though - if you have somewhere else in mind, I'm all ears. Or eyes, I guess.

we'll touch base tomorrow. i'll check out a couple things.

If I can get picked up I would love to go. I may be able to get a ride from my wife, but I doubt she would be done with work. I am a bit out of shape, IMO, but I would be fine doing a strenuous if you don't mind waiting for me to rest at times.

well, for several reasons (family, stuff that needs to be done, etc), i'll have to skip this weekend.
but looks like it should be a nice weekend. only a 30% chance of rain on fri, highs in the upper 70s, lows around 60°. but that's the forecast hear in W-S, nc.

I wouldn't be able to make it out to three ridges, but don't let that stop you from going there. I will probably just try to find something closer, or maybe I should finally renew my license this weekend.

I'd love to go, but I've depleted my savings of "brownie points" at home and I'm trying to build up enough to perhaps go to Trail Days, or definitely SEHHA in June. Looks like a good trip though.

would LOOOOOOVE to go, but I have to work this weekend. Looks like a good loop. May have to try it soon. BD

I've depleted my savings of "brownie points" at home and I'm trying to build up enough

Remember Patrick, a little jewelery goes a LONG way when it comes to brownie points man.

I wish it were that easy. Unfortunately, jewelry doesn't do chores or raise kids. I hear ya though... ;)

I wish it were that easy. Unfortunately, jewelry doesn't do chores or raise kids. I hear ya though... ;)

Good point my friend. :D

I wish it were that easy. Unfortunately, jewelry doesn't do chores or raise kids. I hear ya though... ;)

I'll second that. It took an act of congress to do the Foothills Trail. The "Commander" is very supportive, but the three kids, house and work often times require much more. BD

Just Jeff - let me know where you will be Saturday evening and I will try to meet you and get in another night in my hammock

I'm considering busting out of DC this weekend for a quick two-nighter.

If your up in DC Jeff and need a quick get away place, go check out Prince William Forest Park http://www.nps.gov/prwi/ . It's just north of Quantico Marine Base on Rt 1 at Dumfries. I camped there last year on a bike trip and I was rather impressed with the place. And they didn't say anything to me about hanging from the trees.

If your up in DC Jeff and need a quick get away place, go check out Prince William Forest Park http://www.nps.gov/prwi/ . It's just north of Quantico Marine Base on Rt 1 at Dumfries. I camped there last year on a bike trip and I was rather impressed with the place. And they didn't say anything to me about hanging from the trees.

I thought about that until I saw this....
"Ropes, clotheslines, tent lines, hammocks and nails are not to be attached to trees or other vegetation."
http://www.nps.gov/prwi/planyourvisit/backcountrycamping.htm

It's close enough to run down for a quick day hike some weekend, though...thanks for pointing it out.

I could come a little further south if it would help anyone make it.

.

I could come a little further south if it would help anyone make it.

you're killin me man:( i would love to be gettin out this weekend, but there's just too much going on for me.
enjoy though... i'll no doubt be thinking about you/yall while i'm workin my hind quarters off:rolleyes:

I thought about that until I saw this....
"Ropes, clotheslines, tent lines, hammocks and nails are not to be attached to trees or other vegetation."
http://www.nps.gov/prwi/planyourvisit/backcountrycamping.htm



They must not have bothered with me because it was in the middle of the week and there was only one other person camping. Well that and I'm right desperate looking after a couple of 80 mile days.
Nice place though. It's like a little piece of the Blue Ridge slid to the east

I'm considering busting out of DC this weekend for a quick two-nighter. Haven't decided on a place yet, but hopefully something less than 3-4 hours south of DC. I can probably leave DC around 3pm Friday and need to be back around dinner time on Sunday.

Anyone wanna come along? Or just suggest a good place in the area?

Much closer is the AT in MD. I haven't hiked on it in many years, but I remember a beautiful overlook called Annapolis Rock. The first Washington Monument is along the trail, as well.
I understand that this area may be overused, but if you are hanging, you can see this nice overlook and hang somewhere else. It's probably less than 2 hours from DC. Just a thought.
http://www.dnr.state.md.us/publiclands/at.html
Best,
Michael

Much closer is the AT in MD. I haven't hiked on it in many years, but I remember a beautiful overlook called Annapolis Rock. The first Washington Monument is along the trail, as well.
I understand that this area may be overused, but if you are hanging, you can see this nice overlook and hang somewhere else. It's probably less than 2 hours from DC. Just a thought.
http://www.dnr.state.md.us/publiclands/at.html
Best,
Michael

Another nice hike is the Maryland Heights Trail. Again, it has been many, many years since I backpacked on it. It is a circuit trail so you wind up back from where you started. As I recall, it took two days or so. You get to it by climbing up Weverton Cliffs down near Harpers Ferry. That was the hike that did my ex-wife in and ended my backpacking until very recently. It was much less used than the AT in MD back then. I remember getting to the top of Weverton last time I was there and saw a hat move. Turned out it was on an 80 year old woman's head. We chatted for awhile and I learned that she was the head of a group called the Wanderbirds and she was clocking the place out for a future hike for this group of senior citizens. You can google it and probably get more info. I remember going into a clearing and seeing hundreds and hundreds of butterflies. Don't remember what month that was since it was so long ago.
Michael

Thanks for the info. I'm going to Three Ridges this time, but I might hit the Maryland trails next time I can take a trip.

Three Ridges was a great trip - sorry I missed you, HOI. I tried to post twice from work but the machine kept locking up. I was actually gonna stay at that shelter until the 22 kids showed up. Heard you made some thru's very happy, though!

All I had was a crappy disposable camera...I'll get pics up when I get them developed.

Three Ridges was a great trip - sorry I missed you, HOI. I tried to post twice from work but the machine kept locking up. I was actually gonna stay at that shelter until the 22 kids showed up. Heard you made some thru's very happy, though!

All I had was a crappy disposable camera...I'll get pics up when I get them developed.

For the most part the big group stayed far enough away that the noise wasn't too bad but I think you made a good decision to keep going especially since you were at Harper's Creek so early. It was good talking with Totally Bogus from Whiteblaze and family that evening.

Yeah - Boagus said all of the noise was coming from you guys!

Friday night those kids were going strong until well after midnight...screaming and giggling...then they broke out the air horn...and that was through 100yds of woods! But after seeing what shape many of them were in on the trail Saturday, I expected them to be pretty quiet that night. :D

At least they were having fun in the woods.

Pics are up - http://www.tothewoods.net/HikingPicturesThreeRidges.html

thanks for the trip report jeff. the pictures weren't bad for a disposable.
i'm going to try & remember to use that page as an example next time i'm taking some of the church folks hiking.
church folks especially ought to be good examples of respecting the land... not throwing down trash & short cutting the trails.
i don't know how many times i've talked to people about that kind of thing. but if we're not careful, we'll get lazy & not do our job as leaders to teach good habits. and when we don't, it's just as much our fault (if not more) than the inexperienced people we take out there. ...tim

Good report. We all should do our part in getting the good word out. It seems as if someone had cut every switchback I came to on the Foothills Trail. Some were very badly eroded. BD

I mentioned the trash to one of the leaders I passed on the trail...he apologized and said he'd talk to them about it when he got to camp. I said, "They're just kids...they'll learn. They just need somebody to teach them." Hopefully they'll remember it for next time.

But like I said - at least they were out in the woods, and most of them appeared to be having fun. Once they're bitten by the bug, they'll realize the importance of the rules so they can enjoy it with their kids in the future.

very nice trip report jeff, it looked like you really had a great time. the pics were very good and i am glad you had great weather!