Ok ODH, After Much thought and consideration I have an idea for a winter hang and it is simple. VERY simple.
I am thinking the weekend of 12-14 February at the Mount Pleasant/Old Hotel/ Henry Lanum loop in the George Washington National Forest. We can do a couple days hiking and hanging on Valentines day weekend.
For those not familiar with Mt Pleasant, It is a spur trail of the AT, above Buena Vista, Va. We can drive to the trail head and there is a good, well used, camping area, with trees, right by the parking area. I have hung there, in the winter. There are some pics on my FB page.
We can "base camp" at the trailhead/parking area and there are two major trails, as well as the nearby AT, which our members can tackle while there. I strongly recommend Mt Pleasant. There are two peaks and it is a moderate day hike with some short strenuous sections and very nice views in the winter.
The plus is, this is not an established "campground" so it is free. It is "backcountry." It is a beautiful area.
The down side. No water on site. Limited parking and I would NOT try to drive, say, a Prius up there. There are several miles of NFS firebreak road to negotiate on the way up. A 4WD is not required, my Dakota makes it and I have done it in a ford Escort but....good luck with that. It is miles from anywhere and I doubt you will have cell coverage....possibly on the "plus side" there.
It should be noted that it can be COLD there in winter. I was caught by surprise there on Thanksgiving weekend last year and ended up with a bit of frost nip after a sudden temperature drop and I used to be an Arctic Paratrooper, in Alaska! The temps can change suddenly on the mountain. Still, if you are prepared....and we shall, of course, have to watch the forecast. February is the middle of winter and I am going to try to have a Plan B." Just in case.
Let me know how many are interested and your thoughts. This is the planning stage ODHers!
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