Grayson Highlands Fall Break Backpacking!!!!!!!!!!!

OVERVIEW

OK I have plans the weekend of fall break but not on Monday or Tuesday so I decided I wanted to lead a quick little backpacking trip before we all have to get back to classes

The plan is a one-night backpacking trip around Grayson Highlands in Southwest Virginia, the highest mountains in VA, which also happen to have wild ponies. Gonna be pretty chill mileage (~11 mile loop over two days), and because the trailhead is at elevation (above 4500 feet) the actual hiking will be relatively flat for the most part. I marked it as intermediate because it will probably get down into the 30s at night and I’m not really planing on setting aside time to go over the basics of backpacking but as long as you’re a competent hiker and you’ve been backpacking once or twice you’re encouraged to join.

ITINERARY

MONDAY

7:30 AM Meet at Echols (the trailhead is kinda far from Cville so we gotta get an early start) and drive 4ish hours to Grayson Highlands
11:30 AM Park n start hikin
Hike (kinda don’t know how long this will take. It’s 6 miles to a campground or 8 to a shelter on the AT so we could do either depending on how we’re feelin. Also I think there are supposed to be pretty good backcountry sites.)
Late afternoon-slash-early-evening-ish get to campsite, dinner, chill, perhaps some stargazing, sleep

TUESDAY

8ish wake up, pack up camp, breakfast (maybe earlier or later depending on how far we have left to hike in the morning)
9 or 9:30? start hiking
Around noon get back to trailhead and head out
Stop for lunch somewhere nearby
Back in Cville by 5 or 6 probably

all times are estimates so don’t plan anything super important for Tuesday evening because you might miss it

Grayson Highlands is high up and in October it can be cold, so make sure you have warm enough clothes and a good sleeping bag (it’s been known to snow any time between mid-October and April)
A tent is probably the move but if you’re gonna hammock (I think I will) make sure you bring a quilt or sleeping pad to put in the hammock and keep you warm

YOU BRING
– backpacking pack (go to gear room if you don’t have one)
– clothes (be prepared for cold weather, preferably don’t bring cotton stuff, and please for the love of god bring extra wool socks)
– shoes (hiking shoes/boots and in-camp shoes like crocs or somethin)
– sleeping bag and sleeping pad
– trash bag to rainproof clothes and gear (can get good ones from gear room)
– tent or friend with tent (or hammock w/ sleeping pad for warmth)
– lots of water (preferably about 3 full Nalgenes, but we’ll have springs to filter water from after a couple miles) and a water filter if you have it (no big deal if you don’t, I have one)
– food: Monday car breakfast if you don’t get food before we meet, Monday lunch to eat at trailhead or on trail, Tuesday quick easy breakfast and also lunch if you want it, plus some snacks. We’ll do communal dinner Monday night (I’ll probably make some kind of pasta) and stop for lunch on the way back to Cville
– bowl and utensils
– layers (weather will probably be 60s during the day and high 30s/low 40s at night, but can be unpredictable)
– rain jacket/poncho
– headlamp/flashlight
– moleskin and bandaids (or just don’t get hurt)
– hand sanitizer maybe
– tp
– camera if ya got one

Very sadly I do not have a car so I NEED A DRIVER. Drivers get priority off waitlist and ODC reimburses for gas +50% tip up to $20 so save your receipts. If multiple drivers sign up then we can take more people!

Questions comments concerns text me 201-280-7330