Portal to the Wilderness

OVERVIEW

Hello fellow lovers of the outdoors! Come celebrate the first 3 weeks of classes with me with a lovely hike to Brown Mountain! I haven’t been before but it looks like a fun loop hike with a stream and some nice views. Additionally, there is a spot on this hike where the view along the stream is supposed to be reminiscent of a portal, which should be interesting to see (see trip picture). The hike is approximately 10.5 miles long, so eat a good breakfast beforehand and bring a lunch. BONUS: you get to take in the scenic beauty of the entirety of the southernmost section of Skyline Drive (between US-33 and I-64) on this trip!

**ALTHOUGH THIS ADVENTURE IS MARKED BEGINNER, IT WILL BE A CHALLENGING HIKE. All experience levels are welcome and I believe you can do this with a beginner’s experience in hiking, but please be prepared for the length and strenuous nature of the hike. Please let me know in the questions if you have any concerns about this.

Where: Echols Dorm/Brown Mountain
When: Saturday, February 1
Additional info: https://www.hikingupward.com/SNP/BrownMountain/

Here’s the plan:
9:45 – meet at Echols
9:50 – depart
11:15 – arrive at the trailhead, start hiking
?? – snack time
~2:30/3:00? – lunch
5:00 – arrive back at the car(s), head back toward UVA
5:35 – watch the sunset from one of Skyline Drive’s overlooks
5:50 – back in the cars
6:40 – Arrive back at UVA

What to bring:
– Water for the hike: 2 Liters
– Lunch
– Snacks
– Good shoes for hiking
– Layers – you’ll get warm hiking but it may be colder while we’re eating lunch (the temperature will probably be in the mid-30’s when we meet in the morning and the predicted high is 46 degrees)
– Rain coat, rain pants – the forecast is 30% chance of rain and it would be nice to stay dry

The cost for this trip is listed as $5 to cover entry into Shenandoah National Park. However, I have a park pass (that will cover one car’s entry) and am hoping that others will have pass(es) as well if we take multiple cars, so that nobody has to pay.

Priority off the waitlist will be given for drivers and SNP pass holders.

DRIVER(S) NEEDED: I do not have a car, so without any drivers this trip cannot happen! The drive to the hike is approx. 1hr 10min/40 miles and the drive back to UVA is approx. 1hr 15 min/50 miles. Drivers get reimbursed for gas + 50% tip, as well as priority off the waitlist. Please arrive with a full tank of gas.