Backpacking #12 - St. Mary's Wilderness

St. Mary's was beautiful as always. This was our third trip so we decided to hike in the "short" way so we could spend more time at the area's focal point, the falls. We hiked in, set up camp, hiked back down to the falls, then back to camp, then in the morning broke down camp and then went back to the falls and then hiked back out. So, although it was shorter, we still got some exercise. For this trip we had; Heather, Joe, Erin, Jillian, myself and Maddie.

It seems like every time we go to St. Mary's there is less water than the time before. Even so, there was plenty to swim, dive, jump and cannonball into. There were a lot of day hikers headed to the falls this time which we hadn't experienced before; little kids, old folks, groups on a field trip, you name it.

I've described St. Mary's enough on this blog so let's just get to some pictures. :)

Yay! Super short hike ahead!... or not.

Hoofin' it in the sun just made the water look that much nicer.

Washed out path.

Awesome camp site near an abandoned mine.

Cliff jumping anyone?


Heather went first.

There I go.


Jillian didn't hesitate.


Joe jumped off the cliff but I didn't get a picture of it.


Erin had no interest in jumping from up above.


It's a beautiful spot.

Maddie, the amazing backpacking dog.

Cool pic of the area downstream from the falls.

Avoiding more washed out trail.

Off-trail is sometimes easier than On-trail.

The traditional group shot.

Backpacking #11 - Otter Creek, WV

Otter Creek is located in the Monongahela National Forest, not too far from Dolly Sods. While the Sods is a high elevation bog, Otter Creek flows along steep mountain sides creating a very lush valley, perfect for backpacking. Joe, Heather, Jillian and I decided to do a nice overnighter after Joe read about it on www.midatlantichikes.com. We'd already been up to Jone's Mountain cabin in March but this was our first "true" backpacking trip of the year... late start!

The road trip to Otter Creek took us right past Dolly Sods and further into the mountains of West Virginia. After finding the parking area we headed up toward Shaver's Mountain ridge, ascending over 1300 vertical feet in just under three miles. The heat (it was forecast to be around 90 degrees that day) and the strenuous climb made for a tough start to our trip. Thankfully the trees were full of dense leaves that provided a lot of much needed shade.

Up, Joe, up!

Just as I thought my unfit legs were about to burn up the trail leveled out and the hike became much easier. For the next four miles we got to enjoy a fun, but still challenging jaunt through the woods. Anyone who's hiked in the Mid Atlantic region knows what I'm talking about. The overall elevation may be level but it's like running an obstacle course made by mother nature; rocks, downed trees, ups, downs and turns abound.

Joe and Heather, it's not a band photo... :)

As we hiked we came across plenty of blooming flowers, bright mushrooms and various other forest decorations. Several times the trail crossed small tributaries, bubbling down towards Otter Creek. If the area hadn't been suffering from a two week drought I imagine those crossings would have been a little more fun.

Tasty?

Rhododendron in bloom.

Don't smile now, we're not even half way there yet!

After hiking approximately seven miles we hung a left off the ridge and headed back down into the valley toward Otter Creek. We kept hearing the creek below us and thinking (hoping) that we were getting close to our predetermined camp site. As the sound of the creek continued to grow louder and louder we knew we must be getting close and just like that we were standing by the cool water and resisting the urge to hop right in.

Yeah, we didn't make that ourselves, just so you know.

Another couple tenths of a mile and we found a perfect clearing not far from the creek. Setting up camp took about 30 seconds (I don't mean to brag, but we're getting good at this) and then it was time to relax.

Why so angry?

Pretty darned awesome view.

Jillian and I spent some time walking around in the water and trying not to get pinched by the Kraken sized river monsters we used to call craw fish. There were a good number of them skittering around the rocky creek bottom and I wondered what kind of meal they would make. However, since this was no Survivor Man situation I decided to leave them alone and get back to camp before they started taking a chomp at my toes.


Joe and Heather have spent the winter months crafting some incredible backpacking, boil-in-bag, recipes. They shared some of their stew with us at dinner time and it was excellent. I'm going to rely on Jillian, who I believe is a culinary genius, to help me devise some more creative ideas for future trips. Our cheesy tuna and veggies were delicious as usual, but what if we could have steak, sushi, fresh salad and a cold beer in the woods?! Hey, it could happen...

By the time we went to bed I think we were all sufficiently tired enough to pass out fairly quickly. Overnight it rained and I'm happy to say both our Tarptent Double Rainbows performed exceptionally. Not only did we stay protected from the rain, we were still ventilated enough to prevent condensation inside the tents. Keep in mind there were two people in each tent, the door flaps were shut, it was raining a good amount and it was humid and hot to begin with. For us to wake up rain and condensation free is really impressive.

Jillian and I woke first in the morning and challenged ourselves to make a fire without using any fire starter and as little "artificial" material as possible. This was a bigger challenge than you might think because it had rained for a while overnight and everything was pretty wet. However, using our sharply honed back country skills we soon had a nice fire blazing away in the fire pit and only had to use one quarter square of a paper towel to do it.

Heather and Jillian, camp coffee queens.

After breakfast Joe and Heather had to get going quickly so we all packed up and they took off leaving Jillian and I all alone and helpless in the deep, dark woods. . .

We wasted no time changing into clothes appropriate for swimming and finding a deep spot to hop in. The water, surprisingly, was not the bone chilling iciness I was expecting. It was definitely cold but not so bad that the breath was immediately sucked out of your lungs as soon as you went in. Jillian and I spent a while taking turns diving into the deepest of the pools that we found.

That's a big fish!

After goofing off for a while and nearly getting caught changing clothes we had to get going so we packed up and headed down the trail, stopping here and there to take pictures or have a snack.

Success!

Before we knew it we'd hiked the 3.5 miles back to the car and were on our way home.

Otter Creek feels a lot like St. Mary's Wilderness to me. Both are like lush jungles near the water and both offer great spots to sit and cool your feet, wade or even dive in and take a swim. This was a great first trip for the year and our first day's hike at almost ten miles was the longest we've done so far! Do I see 20 milers in our future???

Backpacking #10 - Jone's Mountain Cabin

Jone's Mountain Cabin is becoming an annual tradition for us. It's pretty close for most of us and the hike itself isn't too difficult. This hike is especially good for people that are thinking about backpacking as a hobby since you don't need a tent.

This trip included Joe, Heather, Pearson, Angie, Myself, Jillian, Ben, Sarah and Craig. It was the first time the last four went with us, although not necessarily their first time backpacking.

We arrived from different places (Woodbridge, Richmond, Baltimore and Winchester) but all showed up within about 45 minutes of each other. There was some tossing of the football, picture taking and testing waterproof boots in a huge puddle while we waited.

Ten minutes into the hike and starting to feel some sweat.

The trail starts off following along a nice creek and every time I see it I tell myself I'll be back for a day hike to sit on the rocks and enjoy a picnic... but I never do.

My girlfriend Jillian by the stream, river, creek... thing.

We had beautiful weather all weekend. It's unfortunate that what feels great while you're standing still doesn't always feel as nice when you're lugging a full pack up a steep incline at a decent pace. That's what layers are for right?

Pearson and Angie wondering why we keep stopping.

After the hill from hell we came around a turn and standing right next to the trail was a deer. Pearson and I were whispering and taking pictures but as more people caught up we realized that the deer didn't care about us at all. It barely moved until Jillian went in for a close up. Even then it just jogged off a little distance and kept foraging through the leaves.

Bambi, all grow'd up.

Before we knew it we'd crested the ridge and the cabin was in sight. We noticed that a trail crew had come through recently and there were large piles of cut wood all around. This made it much easier on Heather who seems to be our number one log finder on most trips.

Our humble abode.

One of the cool things about staying at Jone's Mountain Cabin is being able to relax. Rocking chairs, a nice porch, water nearby and no traffic jams make it easy to kick your feet up and chill. However, I think I'm ADHD so after 15 minutes of that I decided to dig out a little pool for water to collect. I figured it would be nice for folks staying at the cabin in the middle of the summer. It also served as a nice spot to chill our drinks.

Joe and Heather looking relaxed.

On Saturday we got up and headed out for a day hike up to Bear Church Rocks. The hike was pretty short but the overlook had a lot of space to lay out and doze off. We hung out for a while, climbed around like mountain goats and then headed back to the cabin.

What?! More hills?!

Ultimate relaxation.

Heather flexing over the valley.

The crew on the rocks, sunning ourselves like a pack of snakes.

Back at the cabin we decided to chop up some firewood. We started by rolling big sections down the hill. More than a few zipped right on by the cabin and went crashing into the stream below. It was fun to do/watch but only made our work more difficult having to haul wet logs up the hill. All was going well until someone cough*Pearson*cough decided to bust the head off the maul. We'd already cut plenty but I think we were having fun.

Craig, the mighty axe smith.

Quartering wood is a good way to test your manhood.

Sunday morning we got up early, ate breakfast and headed out. Gravity did most of the work down the mountain and in no time we were back at our cars and driving away. Another successful trip with no serious injury or animal mauling.

From Left: Angie, Pearson, Jillian, Me, Joe, Craig, Heather, Sarah, Ben

Backpacking #9 - Dolly Sods, WV (2)

Wait a minute... didn't Joe and I nearly die of hypothermia last time we were here? What in God's name are we doing back in this soggy, cold, unforgiving place? Actually, having a lot of fun. :)

Dolly Sods is awesome. That's what I kept thinking to myself as we hiked through the North Wilderness area. For those of us in the Mid-Atlantic region the Sods is one of the most unique backpacking opportunities within driving distance.

For this trip we had Joe and Heather (as usual), Erin, Rob and myself. This was Erin and Rob's first "real" backpacking trip and they handled it like they'd been sleeping in the woods since they were 6 years old. Oh, Maddie also joined us, can't forget the K9's.

Woohoo! Ready?!

We decided to hike a half circuit of the Northern Wilderness area by this route: Blackbird Knob Tr > Upper Red Creek Tr > Dobbins Grade Tr > Beaver View Tr > Raven Ridge Tr > Bear Rocks Tr. Not an incredibly long two day hike but enough miles to feel it and still have plenty of time for goofing off.

One of the things I like most about Dolly Sods is that is offers a bit of everything. The beginning of our hike took us through a pretty thick forested area that was still vibrantly green. We passed a whole bus load of boy scouts and other backpackers and day hikers which made me think we'd be fighting over camp sites later and those little boy scouts fight dirty, or so I've heard.

WV or Amazon?

A little farther along we crested a ridge and popped out of the thick woods into an area of sporadic clumps of trees, brush and open ground. As usual Dolly Sods was a mix of dry ground and mucky bogs. The tricky part is knowing which you're about to step in before you go knee deep in it.

Heather and Joe, backpacking phenoms.

... and just like that we were walking in a nice deciduous stand which looked nothing like the thick forests or open areas we'd seen earlier. Maddie also started to get comfortable with her surroundings at this point and began running back and forth along the trail, occasionally barreling into the backs of some unsuspecting person's knees just to make sure they were awake.

Scariest animal in the forest? Erin's dog.

As we got to the intersection of the Blackbird Knob and Upper Red Creek trails we started looking for a good spot to camp. At the river crossing there was a possible place but someone had set up nearby and it just doesn't seem right to drive three hours out into WV, then hike for a few more hours into the woods only to set up for the night right next to some strangers. Also, even though there wasn't much rain in the days leading up to our trip, I'd rather not make a habit of camping in flood zones.

Peace of cake. At least we didn't have to get our feet wet.

Luckily for us we only had to hike up a small hill and suddenly we appeared in a wide open field with a multitude of potential camp sites. Maddie lost her mind and went running around in circles with Erin chasing after trying to get her pack off. Everyone got their tents set up with enough space between to not offend each other with middle-of-the-night grunts and groans and then we made a fire, which is the best way to freshen up after a good hike.

As the clouds started to separate and the sun began to set we were treated to an amazing cotton candy sunset. At one point the sky looked like it'd been set on fire. My camera didn't do it justice but maybe you can get an idea from the pictures below.

Too ultra-light for his own good. Next time, get a flip top head, or a reach toothbrush.

Boom! Awesome sunset with Erin in the foreground.

After the sun finally went down it got cold fast and we huddled close around the fire. Joe must have had a smoke magnet in his pocket because no matter where he sat, that's the direction the wind blew. Someone mentioned you could get the smoke to move away by saying "white rabbit" over and over so we tried that. Then somehow that trick devolved into repeating the name of B-list celebrities and pretty soon Joe was shouting "David Hasselhoff!" and other such names at the fire. The temperature kept falling and eventually we couldn't take it anymore and headed for the comfort of our sleeping bags.

During the night Rob got an object lesson in insulation when his NeoAir deflated, leaving him laying on the cold ground. This is not a comfortable or warm way to spend the night and I have a feeling he was waiting impatiently to hear the sound of the fire crackling again in the morning.

Morning breakfast!!! We lounged around camp for a while, taking our time and goofing off until we finally started hiking again around 11AM.

Sometimes I wonder how all this stuff fits in our packs.

The second day's hike took us over the river and through the woods (really it did) to the top of the ridge along the Raven Ridge trail (not just a clever name). Along the way we got to see a nice beaver dam and crossed the stream just below it. A couple of day hikers stopped and stared for a bit as if they couldn't think of any reason why a person would want to cross that particular stream.

To grandmother's house we go...

Rob Grylls tackles a mighty river crossing.

Awesome.

Unsure of exactly where to camp we did a little exploring and backtracking and finally found a good spot around some big gnarled trees. After we set up we headed off to go see the ridge and get some water, which was becoming a pressing issue. Since leaving the west fork of the Red Creek early that day we hadn't come across any significant source of water, despite what our maps told us. It was a pretty warm and sunny day and we were running seriously low on H2O. We hiked all the way up onto the ridge and after some debate, decided that the water pooled in the rock depressions was probably our best source. We used a Katadyn filter to pump the water into some containers before heading back.

The view from up on the ridge is just awesome. When Joe and I were there in March it was so foggy we couldn't see more than a few feet in any direction. This trip it was gorgeous and we could easily see down into the Canaan Valley below.

Hi ma!

We got back to camp and proceeded to lazy about as is typical and expected. With the clear skies we were anticipating pretty cold temps overnight and were not disappointed. After the sun went down, but before we went to bed, the condensation on my TarpTent had already frozen. However, overnight thick clouds rolled in and the temperature actually rose quite a bit. When I looked at my thermometer around 5AM it was all the way back up to 40 degrees.

We woke up and actually got a quick start out in the morning. Rob told us how he'd played whack-a-mole in his tent overnight and we ate a fast no-cook breakfast. Maddie also had some run ins with the moles and for our entertainment went running all over stuffing her face in the ground and digging for them.

The last stretch before the end of the trail.

After a quick hike we were back at the cars and ready to go home. Not without a stop at the first burger joint we found though (thank you Hardees).

Success! From left: Erin, Heather, Joe, Rob and myself.