For this trip, we’ll leave very early on Saturday, drive over to Timberline in West Virginia and take their sky lift up to the Sods. From there, I’d like to get to an overlook several miles to the South. We’ll set up camp near it and check it out around sunset and maybe even again at sunrise! The overlook is …
Announcements
Winter Break Backpacking in Ocala National Forest, Fl
Sooo, classes don’t start until Wednesday, January 19th, let’s go backpacking! Ocala National Forest in Central Florida has about 70 miles of continuous trails that run through a mix of pine and hardwood forests, prairies, lakes, and swamps. The plan is to backpack the the majority of the length of the forest over 6 days. Here is a great resource …
St. Mary’s Fall Break Basecamping
If you’re like me and have a mortal fear of being attacked by wild ponies, then this is the trip for you! With any luck we’ll be attacked by bears instead, but I seriously doubt this will happen 🙁 So, we’re going to the St. Mary’s Wilderness which is about an hour south of here on the Blue Ridge Parkway …
Fall Break Backpacking: Mt. Rogers.
Mount Rogers is the highest point in the Virginia. I’ve been assured by many people that there is no view at the marker for the tippy-top, but that there are wide open fields and vistas around the area. Also, there are wild ponies. Who want to be your friend. Seriously… So that’s the selling points, wild horsies and views; now …
Linville Gorge Loop
Time for a long weekend adventure in the “Grand Canyon of the East” We will leave after dinner on Thurday (around 7), drive halfway, crash at my family’s place about three hours down the road, then wake up bright and early & drive the remaining 2.5 hours to the trailhead. From the trailhead just outside of Marion, NC we will …
Roaring Plains Backpacking
We will be leaving for Roaring Plains aka Dolly Sods South at 8:45AM sharp Saturday morning. We will drive approximately 3 hrs to the trail head. Upon arrival we will eat bagged lunch (you bring your own). We will hike an easy couple miles and set up base camp, hopefully in a beautiful setting by a stream. After setting up …
Beginner Backpacking: Dolly Sods Overnighter, Mushrooms, Blueberries, and a View
Want to ease into backpacking? Like eating handfuls of blueberries? Are you curious about mushrooms? Well, then this is the trip for you! We will gather together at 10am on Saturday and drive over to the Dolly Sods. (With a lunch stop in Franklin, WV.) When we get to the Sods, we’ll set up camp within 2-3 miles from the …
Learn to Be a Trip Leader Workshop #3
Hoping to lead some AWESOME trips this year? Come to our trip leader workshop and learn the ropes!!! We’ll cover a variety of important points about leading trips, including: – How to plan your trips – Tips for making sure adventures run smoothly – What expenses the club will reimburse you for – Benefits of being a trip leader, including …
Learn to Be a Trip Leader Workshop #2
Hoping to lead some AWESOME trips this year? Come to our trip leader workshop and learn the ropes!!! We’ll cover a variety of important points about leading trips, including: – How to plan your trips – Tips for making sure adventures run smoothly – What expenses the club will reimburse you for – Benefits of being a trip leader, including …
Learn to Be a Trip Leader Workshop #1
Hoping to lead some AWESOME trips this year? Come to our trip leader workshop and learn the ropes!!! We’ll cover a variety of important points about leading trips, including: – How to plan your trips – Tips for making sure adventures run smoothly – What expenses the club will reimburse you for – Benefits of being a trip leader, including …
Outdoor Survival Skills at St. Mary’s Wilderness
This overnight backpacking adventure offers an opportunity to learn some basic outdoor survival skills in a beautiful wilderness area with a waterfall and some great swimming holes. We will hike 2-3 miles in along the river, set up camp and from there make a demonstration survival shelter, find some wild edible plants to add to our dinner and start a …
Beat the Heat: Dollys Sods Backpacking with Blueberries and Mushrooms
It’s way too hot this summer, so we’re headed to West Virginia where the temperatures will be 10-20 degrees cooler. The Dolly Sods Wilderness Area is a great place to try out backpacking. The area is relatively flat, so you won’t be stressing to climb mountains with a heavy pack… There is some variation, but it is on the order …
St Mary’s Swimming and Camping
UPDATE: There is a good chance that we will meet up with Roland’s trip on Sunday at St Mary’s (they are changing venue). Have you looked at the weather report? Do you think numbers that high should be test grades and not temperatures? Let’s get out of the heat and chill in a cooled river valley with a waterfall and …
Memorial Day Weekend in West Virginia: Spice Run!
Tried of the usual backpacking trips where we just slog between known campsites on well-marked trails and then head back to the car? Well, this Spice Run trip is the answer. We’ll leave town Friday, May 28th (say 5pm-ish) for the newly designated Spice Run Wilderness Area in West Virginia. The first night, we’ll car camp at Watoga State Park. …
Roaring Plains – Canceled
CANCELED DUE TO LACK OF PARTICIPANTS UPDATE ON PRICE: There will be a fee on groceries, probably about $10 each for the 4 meals. Please bring your own snacks. Not graduating this weekend but still in Charlottesville? Realize this is a terrible situation as you want to avoid Cville like the plague graduation weekend? I have a solution… We will …
Backpacking at Dolly Sods!
Foxfields Shmoxfields…let’s go backpacking instead! We’re heading to Dolly Sods- an amazingly beautiful wilderness area in the mountains of West Virginia. Check it out: http://potomacappalachian.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=317&Itemid=43 We’ll leave Friday afternoon, drive 3 hours there, grab some dinner and hike the 1-2 miles to the campsite. Saturday, we’ll hike 8-10 miles and camp out. On Sunday we’ll make the 5-6 mile trek …
Hike at Riprap Hollow!
It’s going to be Saturday again soon…let’s go hiking! Riprap Hollow is a 9.5 mile loop in Shenandoah. We’ll leave at 9, drive there, hike about, eat some lunch, hike about some more, maybe even go swimming if it’s warm enough and people are interested, and come back! Check it out: http://www.hikingupward.com/SNP/RiprapHollow/ You bring: Plenty of water Lunch Something to …
Brms Discount Night #2
Hello fellow gearheads, Our discount night at Blue Ridge Mountain Sports is coming up fast! Mon April 12th from 8:15-9:15pm you’ll be part of an exclusive 20% sale to Outdoors at UVa members only. **Don’t forget: If you plan on buying gear that you’ll need to get fitted for (e.g. shoes, packs, etc.) you must go in this week prior …
Austin/Furnace Mountain
Looking to get outside this weekend and get in a good workout too? The plan is to leave at 10 and drive ~45 minutes to the trail head of the Austin and Furnace Mountain loop in the southern section of Shenandoah National Park. Total trip distance is 13.3 miles, and we’ll gain over 3000 feet of elevation, but will be …
~ Riprap Hollow Loop: 3/20 ~
I don’t know about y’all but it’s definitely time to lace up those hiking shoes and go out for a beautiful day hike, hangovers welcome! The plan is to depart from Bonnycastle Circle around 9:00a Drive to the Riprap Hollow Trail in Shenandoah National Park Then to hit the trail and have a great time hiking and viewing the two …
A Glorious, Gallent, Imposing, and Monumental Adventure to Cumberland Island
This trip is gonna be hopping for sure and you wont want to miss out on this journey of a lifetime. Spring break on an island in the southern reaches of the U.S. its gonna be goodies for sure. This is an awesome chance to hit up some warm weather and beaches without having to sell yourself out on the …
Intermediate/Advanced Weekend (Snowshoeing) Backpacking to Laurel Fork!
Whoops! Trip Canceled! Come join Becca (one of the cook’s outstanding cooks) and me for a backpacking trip this weekend! We’ll convene at 4pm on Friday, pack up at Becca’s, and head towards West Virginia and backpack/hike/camp at Laurel Fork. Some info about the area is at http://www.hikingupward.com/GWNF/SlabcampRunLocustSpring/ http://www.hikingupward.com/GWNF/LaurelFork/ All details of this trip are variable. We will use our …
Winter Break Backpacking in Ocala National Forest, Fl
Sooo, classes don’t start until January 20th, let’s go backpacking! Ocala National Forest in Central Florida has about 70 miles of continuous trails that run through a mix of pine and hardwood forests, prairies, lakes, and swamps. The plan is to backpack the length of the forest over 6 days. Here is a great resource with info about the trail …
Crabtree Falls Saturday Hike
Here is the plan: -Meet directly in front of alderman library, ill be parked there just waiting around the crosswalk near the chapel… be there around 11:00 AM -Mapquest says it will take a little over an hour to get there, so thats what I will plan on. -Hiking upward states that the hike will be around 4 hours, ive …
Beginner Backpacking at Ramsey’s Draft
Want to try out backpacking but can’t break free for an entire weekend in Wild, Wonderful West Virginia? Well, this is the trip for you. We’re headed to Ramsey’s Draft which is part of the George Washington National Forest. The hike is described at http://www.hikingupward.com/GWNF/RamseysDraft/ Saturday, we’ll meet up at Bonnycastle Circle and leave at 8am. (Sunset is at 5pm! …
Beginner Backpacking at Dolly Sods, Wv
Come stretch your legs in West Virginia. We will hike in 1-2 miles Friday night, camp out. On Saturday, we’ll hike 8-10 miles to our second campsite near Red Creek. We’ll plan on getting to camp early so that we can make a nice, big fire early since it’ll be dark early and rather cold. Sunday, we’ll pack up, hike …
House Mountain Trip.
Lets go check out House Mountain Becca told me about this looks like a pretty sweet beginnerish backpacking trip. It is about a 3 mile hike with packs to a saddle where we would camp. Then there is 2 different out and back hikes two to three mile each from the saddle. These go to Big and Little House Mountains …
Overnight Backpacking at Three Ridges
This is a beginner-friendly one-night backpacking trip to Three Ridges in the George Washington National Forest. This hike is supposed to have some fantastic views, so this is a good chance to catch the end of the fall colors! More information is available here: http://www.hikingupward.com/GWNF/ThreeRidges/. Right now the trip is set at 4 people because that’s how many I can …
Brms Discount Night
Hello fellow gearheads, Our discount night at Blue Ridge Mountain Sports is coming up fast! Next Wed Nov 4th from 8:15-9:15pm you’ll be part of an exclusive 20% sale to Outdoors at UVa members only. **Don’t forget: If you plan on buying gear that you’ll need to get fitted for (e.g. shoes, packs, etc.) you must go in this week …
Let Go to Humpback…the Leaves Are Sooo Pretty!
Hey guys! So i don’t know about you, but i would like to go to Humpback rocks, maybe eat some dinner, camp out, and watch the sunrise while eating some breakfast! So the plan is to drive FROM MY HOUSE (departure point) to the parking lot in which we will not be taking the steep hour up trail. Instead we …
Old Rag Sunset Hike/Camping Out/Sunrise Hike
Aloha, This Friday night (weather permitting), we are going to hike the beloved Old Rag mountain in the Shenandoah National Forest at sunset. Then we’ll camp out near the base of the mountain (You can camp below 2500 feet) and, if people want, we can hike AGAIN to see the sunrise in the morning! For those of you who haven’t …
Cold Mountain/ Mt. Pleasant Backpacking Trip.
Super awesome two night intermediate/tough beginner backpacking trip. We will hike in 6 miles on Friday to awesome camp site pictures on the Cold Mt. Link. Then we will make a 11ish mile day hike looping Mt. Pleasant and Cold together. We will hopefully do lunch on Mt. Pleasant and then possibly dinner and sunset back at Cold Mt. Meadows …
Hiking Big Schloss
I have heard great things about this hike and cannot wait to see what it is really like. It’s a bit of a drive (~2 hours), but will hopefully be worth it. Views are said to rival Old Rag. This shouldn’t be too strenuous of a hike, only steep in the beginning, and it will be up and back, not …
Blackberry Backpacking at Spruce Knob
By significant majority, the winner is blackberries at Spruce Knob! I received a fair amount of interest so let’s give it a shot. This trip is a good beginner backpacking trip. It’s only one night and the first day hike is downhill (no significant climbs) and the second day hike is flat (but with stream crossings). On the way to …
Backpack to the Beach!
Hello backpackers and beach bums. False cape state park is located in Virginia beach. You can check out all details about the park online. Just google false cape state park and you will find a great description of the park. we will be hiking in about 8 miles in flat ground to get to our campsite pretty much right on …
Cedar Run Hike/Swim
Hey- This is a trip with pretty short notice, but I am in Charlottesville for the weekend! I wanted to get back into nature a little bit. This is a pretty easy hike, description and pictures can be found here: http://www.hikingupward.com/SNP/CedarRun/ I plan on leaving the kroger parking lot at 10:00, The drive is 45 minutes up to the trail, …
Eiger Sanction Movie Night
Location is MAD HOUSE at 7pm. Hey folks, Everyone loves Clint Eastwood. You might not know, but he was once the official mascot of the club. In honor of him and his awesome climbing ability, we are watching the Eiger Sanction hat 7PM on Sunday. Its a baller 70’s movie about a mountain climber (Clint) who has to assassinate someone …
Mt.Rogers Back Packing July Fourth Weekend!
Grayson Highlands State Park is located adjacent to Mount Rogers National Recreation Area. The park lies within Jefferson National Forest. The park was established in 1965 and contains a total of 4,822 acres. The park hosts many forests like those present on nearby Mount Rogers, as well as a number of high alpine meadows or balds. These meadows provide excellent …
Whisperlite Stove and Backcountry Cooking Workshop
There have recently been some issues with people either not knowing how to operate Whisperlites or with the Whisperlites running poorly during camping trips. This workshop intends to address both issues. We will go over how to setup, light, and operate a Whisperlite. In the process we will probably find some stoves that are operating poorly and go over field …
Wild Edible and Medicinal Plant Hike
If you would like to learn a variety of wild plants that you can use for food, herbal first aid, and starting camp fires this might the adventure for you. We will cover safety considerations with regard to harvesting and identifying wild plants and identify a number of berry bushes as well as edible roots and greens. I look forward …
Backpacking the Cranberry Wilderness
Following up on the grrreat success of the Dolly Sods/Spruce Knob, here is another backpacking trip to WV. Beautiful Cranberry Wilderness area resembles Canadian boreal forest. We’ll leave on Friday night, camp at the Tea Creek campground, hike on Saturday to a great camping spot with an excellent swimming hole, then hike back to the cars on Sunday. The exact …
Dolly Sods/Spruce Knob Backpacking Combo
This will be a 4-day backpacking trip. Provided we have enough cars, you can do either only the first half (Dolly Sods, May 8-10), or only the second half (Spruce Knob, May 11-12) or both. Tentative itinerary: Friday afternoon — meet at Bonnycastle, drive to Dolly Sods, stop for dinner on the way (or bring it with you), camp 1 …
Old Rag Sunset Hike/Camping Out/Sunrise Hike
Hey everyone… So this is the trip you have been WAITING for! This Friday night (weather permitting), we are going to hike the beloved Old Rag mountain in the Shenandoah National Forest at sunset. Then we’ll camp out near the base of the mountain (You can camp below 2500 feet) and, if people want, we can hike AGAIN to see …
2 Great Views, Waterfalls, and Hiking
Enjoy the beautiful weather predicted for this Saturday (sunny, 60 degrees), remember that we’re close to the mountains, and come HIKING to Riprap Trail and Cold Stream Hollow! We’ll do either the 6.76 or 9.3 mile loop depending on group interest, using Wildcat Ridge Trail to see two great views and some of the most beautiful falls and pools in …
Spring Break Backpacking
For all those other people who don’t want to be stuck inside at home… Come explore the beautiful mountains of Great Smokey Mountain National Park. We should be covering around 10 miles a day, so be prepared to walk. Day 1: Leave Charlottesville 8am Get to park around 3:30pm. Witness the beautiful Henwallow Falls, Camp out on Gabes Mountain Trail …
Snowshoeing and Winter Camping in West (by God) Virginia
This is an adventure to the Monongahela National Forest in West Virginia. My desire is to do a snowshoeing/backpacking trip into the Dolly Sods Wilderness near Canaan Valley West Virginia. This area is ~3.5hrs from C’ville. We’ll be snowshoeing, backpacking, and camping. You don’t need any snowshoeing experience – it’s easy to learn. But, you should have some backpacking and …
Spring Break on An Island!
No Spring Break plans yet? Going home is (probably) economic but let’s face it, you want to do something wild and outdoorsy. Outdoorsy things like skiing sound great but so dang cold, and you know you want warm. Cancun is warm, but it ain’t cheap junior, and it’s outrageously crowded. So why not do something inexpensive, warm, outdoorsy, and incredible? …
Turk Mountain Hike
Not skiing this weekend, but still want to get outside? Then come along on this moderately-strenuous hike in the southern section of the Shenandoah National Park. Turk Mountain is a 10-mile circuit hike that consists of 2400 feet of elevation gain, but offers great views as a reward. Sunday’s forecast in Charlottesville is mid-30s and partly sunny, so be sure …
Backpacking in West Virginia
Let’s go! Come out for a relaxing weekend in the woods, and catch the last of the lovely autumn leaves. Good food, good people, and great views to be had! Be aware that it will get very cold at night in the mountains (probably around 30 degrees), but hopefully the weather we’re having now during the day will continue for …
Slacklining in the Lawn
Learn how to flyfish. Then come learn how to slackline. Kudos for those who can do both at the same time. I will be there for longer if many of you want to learn how to slackline. The slackline will be set up near the flyfish workshop between the middle of the lawn and the upper lawn. If you have …