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What are some of the practical bits of information about the Mount Rogers hang?
1. How far of a hike is it?
2. Difficulty level?
3. Hiking time from car to camp?
4. Security in parking area? Should we not leave anything to be stolen?
5. Anecdotal Mount Rogers experiences?
6. Things you liked most/least about previous hangs there?
7. How spread out is the hanging area?
8. Any shortage of trees to hang from if arriving late?
Etc., Thanks, Mule
The trip from the car to the shelter is about a mile of easy trail and a stream to rockhop. There are plenty of trees however it is spread out, so everyone will be able to hang, but not together. I think I remember the firewood being picked clean around the shelter but a lot of people help and get quits a bit of wood. Watchout for HOI's saw, it is sharp. I'm pretty sure your car is fine as long as you lock it and don't have valuable out in plain view. Even if you didn't, I bet it is safe. I enjoyed a chair last year but I got cold from not moving around much. I wish I had gone for a dayhike. People make extra trip to the car for food and more gear. If Griz starts trying to figure out how many trees there are per acre and the amout of rain that is need to sustain a forest and the size each raindrop must be...run, run very fast.
slowhike
01-10-2009, 20:47
Dutch pretty much has it covered. Here's a more detailed description of the drive & hike in...
I will lay out some basic info on getting to wise shelter. Check & make sure i have it right.
Hwy 58 in VA. will take you to the entrance to Greyson Highlands State Park. http://www.dcr.state.va.us/parks/graysonh.htm
When you drive into the park, it's all up hill & for a good ways.
1st you will come to the check-in booth which will be un-attended this time of year.
there's a fee for overnight parking & you'll find envelopes there to put your cash or check in. It has a tear-off to put on your mirror or dash w/ a number that matches the number on your payment envelope.
This just lets the rangers know that you paid the parking fee for that vehicle. You don't have to put the info about arrival/departure date, & destination if you don't want.
I'll call to confirm the amount & if it's required this time of year, but I believe the cost is $3.00 per vehicle, per day.
That means $6 for a one night stay & $9 for a two night stay (per vehicle).
As you continue up the park road you will pass the entrance to the picnic area on the right. A little ways farther, you will turn into the paved road leading to the camp ground. These are easy to see because of the normal, brown park signs.
As soon as you turn onto the campground road, you will see the gravel parking area for overnight backpacking on the left, but unless you plan to hike in by a longer route, keep going on the camp ground road.
As you begin to enter the campground, you will see a small building (divided by a breezeway) on the right, w/ a sign that says "Country Store".
Strait across, on the left, is the parking area that will get you closest to Wise Shelter.
Last time I was there, they had a port-a-john in that little parking area, but I don't know if they leave those out all year or not.
At the back-side of the parking lot, you'll see a wide, gated, multi-use trail (like a forest service road) that you'll follow by foot.
There are a couple trails that go off of that trail, but the main trail is obvious & you just stay on that.
you will cross a creek that is not deep but just wide enough that it could make it a challenge to keep your feet dry... depends on the water flow & if there is snow or ice on the rocks.
Please be careful. A person could get wet or hurt on the icy rocks if they don't take their time. If by chance someone were to get their feet/legs wet, you wont be all that far from the shelter. Keep following the trail directions to the shelter & let others know that you need to get dry. Unless your the 1st in camp, there will likely be a fire going.
As you approaching a 2nd sizable creek down the trail in front of you, there will be a fence with a style (crooked horse proof, walk through gate). If there is snow on the gground & you're not the 1st in, there will be tracks.
Just go through the style/gate & up hill, about a 3 or 5 minute walk, & you will come to the AT. If you are following the tracks of the others, the shelter will be just up the hill, to your left when you get to the trail.
The whole walk took me about 40 minutes.
I changed my original post to include the short cut that HOI told us about.
Let me know of any other changes that need to be made.
Dutch and Slowhike, thank you for the excellent information. Another question might be: What are the bathroom facilities if any near the shelter?
What about a water source and purification...what's best in your opinion. Mule
There is a nice steam close to the shelter, but you can pack in the little water you will need. It looks good enough for aqua mira and a filter would be fine of course. There is a privy 40 yards from the shelter. The heater was broken last year.
slowhike
01-10-2009, 21:17
What are some of the practical bits of information about the Mount Rogers hang?
1. How far of a hike is it?
2. Difficulty level?
3. Hiking time from car to camp?
4. Security in parking area? Should we not leave anything to be stolen?
5. Anecdotal Mount Rogers experiences?
6. Things you liked most/least about previous hangs there?
7. How spread out is the hanging area?
8. Any shortage of trees to hang from if arriving late?
Etc., Thanks, Mule
I'll re-check the overnight parking fees & amend the above post so people can have the right amount of one dollar bills.
Hiking sticks, even if it's one you pick up or borrow from one of your fellow hikers would be a good idea in snow & ice, especially for the creek crossing.
I would put anything left in the car out of site, but I suspect that you're just about as likely to see a Ranger as anyone else riding around up there in the winter.
Cold weather & other difficulties seam to discourage most crooks<G>
I may(?) do a day hike this year, but I enjoy just sitting/standing around talking & listening to other hammockers that I don't usually see.
No shortage of trees.
Anecdotal... you made me look that one up<G>. Mt Rogers Recreational Area is different in some ways from most of the mountains in the South East, partly because of it's open, bald, ridgelines.
The USFS helps maintain the balds w/ controlled burns & the grazing of two herds of wild ponies (introduced in the 1950s I believe), & by allowing a couple farmers to "free range" their cattle in the milder months.