Bump for interest.
Bump for interest.
Not the guy to ask for Directions.
We just visited yesterday. Plenty of ripe blueberries/huckleberries and blackberries! More to come by the looks of the bushes.
Too bad I'm still 3 weeks out. Late August or September hike in the highlands.
Not the guy to ask for Directions.
We are planning on taking our 5.5 yr old up to see the ponies in the next few weeks and camp overnight for a night or two with him in our hammocks. We're going to do one night at Beartree Rec area to get him used to the concept. Could you suggest anything near Grayson for hammock camping that would be within his range? Our alternate plan is to take him up the Creeper and camp the second night then ride down that day. It's all about getting him out and hammock camping and having fun:>. We just had our first hammock camping weekend this past weekend and are just enchanted. Much more portable then my camping yurt:>.
Absolutely. If you go to Grayson and park at the Massie Gap Parking lot. The trail up to the fence that keeps the ponies in the highlands is less than a mile and easy going. Let him go up see the ponies and then you have some choices. Thomas Knob shelter is about 2 miles South on the AT with trees for hanging near there. Wise Shelter is about 5 miles away and a lot harder trail for a small child. I would suggest actually getting there early in the morning and taking him up to see the ponies. Then go back down to the Massie Gap lot and drive over to the trail head by the country store in the park. You'll see another set of trails, the name slips my mind right now, but that takes a shorter and much easier 1.5 mile hike to Wise shelter. Great place to hang with a good water source within .1 miles of the shelter, and plenty of trees to hang from. My old spot to hang was about 50 feet to the left of the trail that leads up to the shelter, theres a Mountain Laurel thicket with a large clearing in the middle with a couple trees for hanging.
If you have any other questions let me know. Grayson is my home stomping grounds. Once he is older, taking him across the highlands will be a treat for him. There aren't too many open balds like Grayson Highlands in the East.
Not the guy to ask for Directions.
Less than a month away from great hiking weather. I'm thinking a Labor Day weekend hike in Grayson would be good timing. Weather should be in the 70s during the day and low 40s at night.
I'd like to start at the Parking lot right at the fence entry point to the highlands and head up to Thomas Knob shelter area Friday night. Stealth camp up there on the ridge somewhere, and take a quick trip up the summit trail. Saturday head across the highlands via AT or PMT to Wise shelter area, and then Sunday head on back out as I have classes on labor day. Will most likely take the PMT across the highlands, as it goes across the scales, and I haven't been up there in a good while.
For medical reasons I try not to hike alone, so if anyone is interested I'd appreciate the company.
Not the guy to ask for Directions.
I love Grayson Highlands. Haven't hiked there in years. Unfortunately my weekends are full for the forseeable future...
Still looking to do a weekend or overnighter in Grayson or around Damascus. If anyone is interested let me know.
Not the guy to ask for Directions.
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