Making it official and inviting any and all

[angrysparrow]

Hey guys, nostalgia is fun but lets try to keep this focused on the trip plan that MM has suggested.

[MedicineMan]

Thanks Sparrow....and to answer the question, the start point looks like to be Whittleton Campground-----where we hope to overnight on Dec 29 and begin hiking from there.....this because others on this forum seem to have started there so there must be a good reason-car safety?..........Ideally we'd start hiking from one of the parking areas near 205/209 but I don't know if parkins is an issue there for 3 days. Chief Reseacher Roche will soon give us an answer on that
Whittleton Campground is in the Natural Bridge State Park off the Bert T Combs Pkw......and I'm learning this as I go-never been there-would be nice if one of the experts (DOCTARI WHERE ARE YOU) would chime in.....
So the hike if we start at this campground is a 'lollipop' using the Whittleton Branch Trail to the Sheltoweee Trace to D Boon Hut to Rough Trail to Greys Arch to Rough to Sheltowee Trace to Koomer Ridge to Buck to Pinchem Tight, to Sheltowee Trace and back to the campground or our cars at 205/209 where the lollipop part begins.
Look at this map those that may have an interest:
http://www.fs.fed.us/r8/boone/documents/maps/rrg.pdf
You will also see that doing this loop in a clockwise fashion roughly at 'midnight' is the Rush Ridge Trail for greatly shortening the route in case of trouble/weather....another 'shortening' trail is 223/100 which is a shortcut to Pinch-Em Tight.....so there are 3 loops possible of varying lengths. Still at this point I don't know the distance of any of these loops! I can't find a scale or a list but I'm guessing that the longest using Koomer Ridge might be 18 miles?
Remember we are to be toting retro gear and its consequen weight and full on winter gear (maybe not depending on forecast) and the daily miles to be in the 6 mile range....plenty of time for touring along the way.
Suggestions concerning any and all of this greatly appreciated!

[hangnout]

I have this one on my radar. Just have to see how work etc goes as it gets closer. Not sure I will be able to with the retro pack rule.

How about a diy flat frame pack that attaches a modified alice pack to it and a bedroll on the bottom. It has the look and the alice pack alone should get me qualified for retro

I must admit that my wife bought me a Kelty Trekker 4300 frame pack for $5 at a yard sale that the owner said was used heavily on the AT. It needs a little tlc but could be put back in service.

[MedicineMan]

Well that is tentatively good news Hangout. The Kelty will look good against my JansD3 and Roches Tioga...Poof is using an external albeit a new Carson.
If you're coming maybe you can save your daughter some shipping expense?
I've decided to carry the Svea too
Tried to get the Optimus 99R going but there was a flame shooting out between the heat shield and the tank
But there is a forum for that kind of thing:
http://www.spiritburner.com/fusion/index.php?

Separate note, let's hope not for a repeat of 1994
'The lowest recorded temperature was -21°F in 1994. '

[digrat]

Thanks Sparrow....and to answer the question, the start point looks like to be Whittleton Campground-----where we hope to overnight on Dec 29 and begin hiking from there.....this because others on this forum seem to have started there so there must be a good reason-car safety?..........Ideally we'd start hiking from one of the parking areas near 205/209 but I don't know if parkins is an issue there for 3 days. Chief Reseacher Roche will soon give us an answer on that
Whittleton Campground is in the Natural Bridge State Park off the Bert T Combs Pkw......and I'm learning this as I go-never been there-would be nice if one of the experts (DOCTARI WHERE ARE YOU) would chime in.....

There is a fantastic primitive campsite I've used several times, and it's right by 205/209. It's only just a little tricky to find, but not too bad since there are no other trails to confuse:

Get off from the Slade exit and follow hwy 15 to the turnoff for 205/209 and head left.
Halfway to the first designated parking spot there's a sign on the right side of the road stating: No parking. I usually...*ahem*...park there to unload my gear. There's a little trail next to the sign that heads east for a few hundred feet, then opens into two clearings. Dump your gear then drive north about 1/2 mile to the parking lot and trailheads. Or if you pack lighter than I do, just drive right to the parking lot and hike back the 1/2 mile to the sign and follow the trail in.

OR

You could park at Whittleton and hike north on trail 100 about 2 miles to this same campsite I mentioned. Most of this part of the trail is uphill, but especially the last mile or so. When you cross a bridge made of 16' 2x8s bolted together with spacers in between, you're about 1/4 mile from hwy 15. I know that because I carried at least 3 of those 2x8s down there for the Eagle Scout project to build that bridge.

-Digrat

[hangnout]

I think that you will have it before then if the little elf helps out. I will know if I can make it a couple weeks out from the trip. I will start working on fitting the Kelty to get it ready.

[Roche]

There is a fantastic primitive campsite I've used several times, and it's right by 205/209. It's only just a little tricky to find, but not too bad since there are no other trails to confuse:

Get off from the Slade exit and follow hwy 15 to the turnoff for 205/209 and head left.
Halfway to the first designated parking spot there's a sign on the right side of the road stating: No parking. I usually...*ahem*...park there to unload my gear. There's a little trail next to the sign that heads east for a few hundred feet, then opens into two clearings. Dump your gear then drive north about 1/2 mile to the parking lot and trailheads. Or if you pack lighter than I do, just drive right to the parking lot and hike back the 1/2 mile to the sign and follow the trail in.

OR

You could park at Whittleton and hike north on trail 100 about 2 miles to this same campsite I mentioned. Most of this part of the trail is uphill, but especially the last mile or so. When you cross a bridge made of 16' 2x8s bolted together with spacers in between, you're about 1/4 mile from hwy 15. I know that because I carried at least 3 of those 2x8s down there for the Eagle Scout project to build that bridge.

-Digrat

Digrat is THE MAN! Thanks for this intel as well as the classified documents.

[digrat]

I'm seriously considering going, but only if I can get my MAD777 style UQ sewn and stuffed by then. I've got all the material on hand (except the shock cord), it's just the measuring, sewing, seam ripping, remeasuring, resewing, stuffing, and sewing that I need to get done.

I've got an old school external frame pack that I used back in the 80s when I was a Boy Scout. I still use it on 90% of my hikes!

[Crawldaddy]

Where is RHK?? Im thinking KY?

[lostinthewuds]

Separate note, let's hope not for a repeat of 1994
'The lowest recorded temperature was -21°F in 1994. '

YES!! Let's hope not. If that's he weather forecast I may politely bail out. The PLUQ that I'm starting on will be just slightly out if its league if the temps dip that low. Sounding better all the time though.