RIPPIN N RAPPIN!! (Intro AND Advanced backpacking)

OVERVIEW

Helllooo hellooo friends, anyone else hear the blue ridges calling?? Chelsea and I sure do, and we’ve decided to answer them the best way we know how: with a backpack, tent, campfire, and a whole lotta love. That’s right, it’s time for some backpacking. And not just any backpacking – it’s RIPRAP TIME.

This will be a hybrid trip, which means it’s both a beginner AND an advanced trip. How could that be, you might ask??? Wellll we shall naturally split into groups where Chelsea leads the main group at a chill pace (perfect for beginners, so feel free to sign up and make this your first backpacking experience!!) and I’ll scurry ahead with anyone who is jiggling with excitement at being in these beautiful mountains and can’t contain themselves (i.e. faster pace, we’ll end up going between 20-25 miles instead of 9). We’ll all start together and the longer-distance-inclined individuals of the group shall trot with me for extra time along the AT, then we’ll meet back up with the main group for some CAMPING n SWAMMING and REVELING in the wondrous world around us.

A leetle background: the RipRap loop is 9.3 miles with gentle grade, a few boomin peaks, and quite possibly my favorite swimming spot in Shenandoah. Here’s a map in case you wanna get even more stoked: https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/virginia/riprap-trail
We’ll gather at the corner of Echols Dom at 10AM Saturday, and we should be back by 10/11am on Sunday. Drivers and anyone with an SNP pass shall get priority off the waitlist!

You’ll want to bring gear for an overnight, so feel free to pop by the gear room this week for anything you’ll need (list of gear below). Also bring some goood snacks for the day and bfast for the next morning, and some food for our COMMUNAL DINNER (we’ll coordinate in a groupchat to work around dietary restrictions, also is totally optional if you’d rather do your own thing!). Chelsea and I can’t wait to cook yall up the most BOOMIN pot of trail pasta you ever did see in your life. 😉 😉 😉

Here’s a little checklist:
backpacking backpack (not your school one!)
sleeping bag
sleeping pad
head lamp
2L water
rain gear
extra clothes + socks
toiletries
Food for communal dinner (will coordinate in groupchat)
1 breakfast
stove and fuel if you will be cooking dinner or bfast for yourself
3-4 substantial snacks
Swimsuit if ya want (there’s a BOOMIN swimming hole to skadoosh in!!)
A TENT or hammock
P-cord to do a bear hang, or bear-safe bag / canister
note : the gear room stocks 2P and 4P tents. If you get a tent that’s bigger than 1-2P, consider if you’re comfortable/willing to tent with other people (that way you can each carry a little less weight)

We’ll make a group chat as the time nears, but in the meantime if you have any questions, feel free to text us! (Our numbers are in the “directory” tab of the website) :):).

WE CAN’T WAIT TO SEE YOU ALL THERE AND CONNECT WITH OUR AMAZING WORLD!!!