Echols Dorm: Brick Wall By Side Door
Grayson Highlands National Recreation Area
Fall Break Backpacking:
Still trying to figure out what the heck you are going to do over fall break? Join me in backpacking SOVA’s Mt. Rogers/Grayson Highlands. Mt. Rogers is the highest point in the state, but we will also hit Whitetop Mtn, the second highest point. Not sold yet? There are wild ponies that roam Grayson Highlands, and we are not coming back to UVA until we have seen one.
It’s about a 4 hour drive to the Mt. Rogers recreation area, and the plan is to leave Sunday morning around 7 from Charlottesville, and be back sometime on Tuesday, preferably with just enough time to feel like we were somewhat productive over break? We’ll probably do around 6-10 miles of hiking Sunday and Monday, and less on Tuesday. Some will be with backpacks and some without depending on where we decide to set up camp. Backpacking experience is definitely not necessary, but I will have everyone take care of their own food/gear, so if you have questions about what to bring don’t hesitate to ask or let that be the reason you don’t go.
What to bring:
– Backpack
– Shelter (tent, hammock, bivy/tarp)
– Sleeping Bag
– Sleeping Pad
– Rain gear (rain clothes/pack cover)
– Food setup (food items/stove/fuel/mess kit/utensil)
– Water setup (2-4 liter capacity- I have a water filter system I can share if you don’t have anything!)
– Essentials (headlamp, warm layers, system to pack out trash, etc)
-FOOD- enough for yourself for three-ish days
-hiking boots/sturdy shoes
Logistics:
Sunday- leave Cville around 7:30, get to Grayson Highlands around 12, hike a few miles, set up camp
Monday- longest hiking day; we can see what we’re feeling for how far we go
Tuesday- hike back to cars, drive back to Cville, aiming to arrive before 6
We don’t have to stick to this strictly, we can see how we feel! Everyone will be waitlisted until I make sure I have enough drivers!