Memorial Day Weekend in West Virginia: Spice Run!

OVERVIEW

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.

On Saturday, we’ll pack up, and hike along the east side of Calvin Price State Forest and Spice Run Wilderness area until we find the Run (aka stream/creek). Once we have found it, we’ll follow it to the Greenbrier River. Somewhere, there’s a campsite with our name on it. Hopefully.

Sunday is the good part. I’m interested in trying to get to some of the high points in the region. Saturday was Intro Bushwhacking 101: Following Streams Down. Sunday will be some more advanced class; I don’t even know the title. A GPS, a compass, a bunch of maps, and some common sense will get us back to where we left all our tents and food…

Not interested in bushwhacking? Well, some folks could hang out. I do believe there are fishies in the Greenbrier just waiting to be liberated by someone with the right tools. I’m not a fisher, but I’m happy to support fishing/catching as best I can. I’ll just need some help with it.

I’m also happy for other Sunday suggestions… Perhaps someone would be interested in bringing a slackline. Or a book, or better yet, a wild edibles book;)

Sunday we’ll head north to the ridge above Spice Run, and bug out back to the cars. On the way home, I’d suggest stopping at Shenandoah Pizza in Staunton. (It pretty much rocks.)

Difficulty-wise, the actual backpacking in and out is pretty easy. It’s about 7 or 8 miles each way, and the elevation is reasonable. (We lose about 800 or so feet on the first day, and gain it back on Monday.) I have done that part with Sergei and Gen… Bushwhacking on Sunday is unknown; haven’t done that.

Beginners are more than welcome. That said, since the area is wilderness and not developed, I might take experience level into consideration when I’m dealing with the waitlist. (Basically, I don’t think it’d be wise for the trip to be me and 11 neophytes;)) Drivers, cooks, and people willing to carry my pack get off the waitlist first.

Club provides: (Note that summer trips are different)
-A ride there and back again. (Gas + 30% for drivers)
-Gear. (Backpacks, sleeping bags, tents, headlamps, water filter, cooking stuff, the GPS aka the device which will get us really, really lost.) (Tentatively, there’ll be a Wednesday gear room before this trip to help out.)

You provide:
About $30 for food we’ll eat on the trip. (I’ll be organizing meals from Saturday morning to Monday lunch. The club doesn’t cover this over the summer.)

Also, there’ll be a fee for the campground. I don’t know the summer status of camping money, so that might be a few more dollars depending on group size.

-Fish license if that happens and you’re involved… ($15-30+)
-Money for Food on the way there Friday night (or a packed dinner) and more money for Shenandoah pizza (say $10-15).
-Clothes, strong preference for non-cotton (meaning no denim, no jeans). You might need/want a somewhat warm layer/jacket. WV is cooler than Charlottesville. We’ll double-check the weather…
-Good footwear, spare dry socks. (I recommend wool socks. Oh! A spare pair of shoes for the car is a good idea. We will be walking in a creek. Your feet will be wet.)
-Rain gear.
-Things to eat on and with. (Bowls, spoons, forks.)
-Water bottles/containers. (At least enough space for 2 liters.)
-Toiletries (We’re not going to shower, but you don’t want to get a weird nickname because you smell.)

As a note about the fee for food, if you’re really hard up for money, let me know and let’s see if we can work something out. Last summer, the club was able to cover everything, so trips were pretty much $0 except for what you bought on the way there and back again. I’d like to try and include as many folks as possible.