Just two months to go, so I figured I’d recap a few of the highlights:
Food: On Saturday (starting at around Noon or just after) is the “Pot luck dinner” where everyone brings that special food item to share around the campfire. Lat year there was Darby’s wonderful Chili, & Jim’s “Jimbalaya” Plus more food then I can remember 9 months after. All I know is; I ate a LOT! The rest of the time your food is up to you.
Raffle prizes: Every year just after the Potluck dinner, there is a gear Raffle for the attendees. Donations are accepted, preferably something new(ish) & nice. Hammock related items are usually the focus, & cold weather camping gear is always appreciated. Many use newly won quilts, or clothing that night!! DIY stuff is also encouraged. Tickets for the Raffle are $10.00 each & the proceeds go toward: rental of the Group campsite & shelter, rental of a “Porta Privy” from Jobsite Johnny with the leftover funds going to (donated) support Hammock Forums, White Blaze & the ATC. So dig deep for the chance to win big & support a great group of organizations.
Camping: We are at the group campground and amphitheater. During NORMAL times of the year, that would mean we have to stay IN the Group area ONLY! But as we are the only ones here during the winter (“Crazy enough to camp in this weather”) we can pretty much spread out as much as we want to. We have been asked to please stay (camping wise) E of the amphitheater & S of the Road / parking lot. There are AMPLE trees in the area & minimal ground cover to worry about. There is parking for (by my estimation) about 30 cars at the Group Campground, & so far we have never filled those spaces.
ALCOHOL consumption: is not allowed in the park. Sorry! And, the Rangers are INVITED to the potluck. 2 attended in 2011, so drink at your own risk.
Day hikes: There are many trails in the area. A few words of advice if you go on a hike: It is WINTER, and we are in the mountains. That means the weather can change VERY QUICKLY!!! So, take a friend or 3, warm clothing & at least a lunch. An INSULATED water bottle is also important, &/or keep one inside your coat. Cell phone coverage in & around Grayson highlands is spotty at best, so DO NOT COUNT ON YOUR CELL PHONE IN AN EMERGENCY!!
After Event: On Sunday, many go to the Log House Restaurant about a 30 minute drive from the park for Breakfast / Brunch. Go Left out of the Park entrance. This year I plan on calling them on Monday before to warn that we are coming, so if we could get a rough count by then, that would be great!
It will be cold, it may be VERY cold!! It will be windy, it may be VERY windy! It may snow, & it may snow A LOT!!! It may also rain, yes even at below freezing temps!! In those conditions, the rain freezes as soon as it touches almost anything, even you.
If you have ANY questions about cold weather camping, fell free to ask them now or at the hangout. If you have ever wanted to try winter camping but, like me were afraid to try, this is the time to do it: we are in a relatively safe area, with quite a few very experienced Cold Weather hangers so help & advice is readily at hand. I will likely repeat this several times before the actual event, but please remember: IF YOU NEED HELP, ASK SOMEONE!! IF YOU GET TOO COLD AT NIGHT, WAKE SOMEONE UP FOR HELP!! Do NOT “tough it out” Hypothermia is a bad thing!! Also, the cars are close so can be a good place to warm up if you need it, if you rode with someone, be sure to know where they are camped & go ask for the car keys.
Chemical hot packs can make a BIG difference!
You may have heard this phrase used a lot regarding real estate: “Location, Location, Location!” in Winter / Cold Weather camping it is CRITICAL. As mentioned above, “In some locations it got down to –2 degrees.” In other areas, within as little as 50’, it was up to 5 degrees warmer (Even allowing for differences in thermometers, pretty remarkable). Also, orientation of your tarp ACROSS the prevailing wind direction means a warmer night. Generally wind direction is from the West, but there are times when it will seem to be coming from all points of the compass at the same time. Not kidding! As mentioned above, it can get quite windy so be prepared to stake your tarp as much as you can, now is not the time to skimp on ANYTHING!!
As the hangout is at the group camping area, we are close to the park road, which means you can bring extra anything (Food, insulation, etc.) to make life a bit easier. In fact, in 2011 there were 2 Coleman multi burner stoves, which made it nice for fixing some of the larger food items like chili & Jimbalaya. I suspect that some will bring firewood, if you do, please be sure it is not from a quarantined area (Emerald Ash Borer, Balsam Woolly Algid, etc). If you don’t know, find out before you bring possibly contaminated wood to the area. Thank you! For example, I would not be bringing firewood as my area is infested with the Emerald Ash Borer. Another note about fire: No matter how much you paid for which ever piece of gear, if you set it too close to the fire it will melt or burn if it’s made of the correct stuff. With the fire we had in 2011, stuff (like water bottles & shoes) sitting on the wall, 2’ to 3’ from frank fire, melted. Yea, it was a big fire.
Now is not the time to skimp on ANYTHING!!
If it snows, or if it MAY snow: do not stake your tarp all the way to the ground. Leave a gap at least ½ the distance from the ground of the expected snowfall depth. If you do not do this the weight of the snow may well collapse your tarp around you. Leaving this “Gap” will allow the snow to fall off of your tarp. Also bear in mind that snowfall predictions from the weather service are for lowland areas, the snowfall up in Grayson highlands may be 2 – 4 times higher. A snow shovel will help you to dig out if you miss guess the gap.
The above are just "highlights", If in doubt, read the rest of the pointers posted throughout the preceding pages.
If you have always wondered what cold weather camping is all about, whether you are a hanger or a groundling, This is where you can get a good start in a safe way with lots of help nearby.
