** Postponed Due to Weather** Blackberry Harvest Expedition (Seneca Creek Backpacking)

OVERVIEW

***Unfortunately the weather isn’t looking too bright for us this weekend (damn you Joaquin!!!). I’ve decided to go ahead and cancel the trip because the trail is fairly weather-dependent. If we went we would have to be crossing the creek when it is flooded up to a few feet, and we would be having to trek through some pretty heavy mud. Be on the lookout over the next few weeks though, this is an awesome trail and there will definitely be another trip out to Seneca Creek at some point! Have a good break y’all!***

Come along this fall break into the West Virginia wilderness! Since we have a lil extra time we’ll be able to drive out to visit one of the cooler locations outside of our Shenandoah backyard. The trail through the Spruce Knob/Seneca Creek area has waterfalls, gushing streams, great camping, high meadows, and some wonderful views. HikingUpward says that this is “easily in the top 5 backpacking routes in the mid-Atlantic,” so yeah. It’ll be fun!

We’ll leave around 2:00 on Friday afternoon and drive ~3 hours to Spruce Knob where the trailhead is located. From the parking area we’ll be able to catch some sweet 360 degree views of the surrounding valley before heading down the trail. We’ll go a mile or two in before stopping at a campsite along the creek, enjoying the warmth of camaraderie and a campfire. On our second day we’ll head up the aptly named Lumberjack Trail to some gorgeous high meadows, where we will find (hopefully??) fields of blackberries. On the way back down we’ll follow Seneca Creek, scoping out some swimming holes and waterfalls before stopping for the night. On Sunday we’ll hike a few miles back to the parking lot, hopefully making it back to Charlottesville by noon-ish. This isn’t a terribly hard hike at 16.5 miles over the course of two days, and would be decent for an intro to backpacking. If you’re new to backpacking let me know and I can help out with gear, food, and advice on how to pack your pack!

For more information on the hike/weather check out http://www.hikingupward.com/MNF/SpruceKnobSenecaCreek/

Group Gear (I’ll bring):
-Water filter
-First aid kit
-Stove/Fuel
-Small pot
-Compass & Map
-Knife
-Ignition
-Bear bag/line

Your Gear:
-Athletic clothing
-Light fleece jacket (high 50’s-low 60’s at night)
-Wool/Polyester socks, 1 extra pair should be enough
-Rain jacket, pack cover
-Solid, sturdy hiking boots
-Backpacking pack*
-Tent*
-Sleeping bag*
-Sleeping pad*
-Headlamp*
-FOOD (2 breakfasts, 1 lunch, 2 dinners) & eating utensils
-Bring plenty!! Things like dehydrated meals, mac n cheese, cliff bars, oatmeal, etc would be great! We’ll be out for a while, so make sure you have enough to eat. If you are unsure of what to get or you can’t make it to a store, text me before Thursday and I’ll pick some stuff up for you
-Bowl
-Mug
-At least 2 liters of water
-Toothbrush & toiletries

Optional:
-Sandals/Crocs (the trail crosses over the creek a few times)
-Extra toiletries/toilet paper (I’ll bring some, but extra TP might be a good idea)
-$$$ (If the group is down we can stop for a meal on the way back to Cville)
-Water filter (extra one would make things move a bit faster)
-Pot/Cooking set (^)
-Camera
-Swimsuit

*=This gear can be provided by the club if you don’t have it, stop by one of the gear rooms this week and pick it up!

My car can fit around 3 people +gear besides myself, and I’ll probably limit the trip to one other full car so maybe around 8-10 people. Priority given to other drivers! If you have any questions feel free to text me at 757-345-8523.