June 16th (?) 5-6 day adventure in mid-atlantic?

[hakalugi]

Hi All,

I've been on Expo portal trying to find a treck to join/tag along with; specifically when my kids are done with school (like leave that afternoon). One out west and one in canada are both busts due to the departure dates.

So, instead of driving 1-2 days to 'get to' our adventure, and taking a full week off, now I'm thinking we should stay closer to home, and make this a Tuesday afternoon (or Wednesday morning) through Sunday affair.

I'm expecting our new truck will be fully ready by then and I'll have my trailer 2.0 done as well. So if any "real wheeling" were to happen it would be after detaching the trailer/camper, but the goal is simply spending QT with family and friends.

So that's the When and Why. As for the 'Where', I'm thinking something like one of these:

1) VA + WV
2) PA + MD
3) VA + NC

inititial thoughts:

1) VA + WV: my experience has been the northern 2/3rds of skyline drive mostly, plenty in the shen river in years past fishing, and trips with you guys in the shen county and harrisonburg area; in WV i've been to Seneca rocks a few times and 2 different ski resorts (for skiing and biking). So for VA+WV: some blueridge parkway / skyline drive south to a westerly route into WV and some campgrounds and forest road driving/exploring making our way north and eventually coming back east.

2) PA + MD: my experience here is mostly driving to ski resorts (wisp, 7 springs, liberty/roundtop, hidden valley, whitetail) and some mtb biking (gambrill), but no wheeling besides Rousch. I like western MD and figure north into PA, then work our way east and back do NoVA in a loop.

3) VA + NC: i've done obx enough and i'd rather do that with my full crew, so NC would be Smokies/Western. I visited Asheville last year and it was cool, we hit up Mt. Pisgah, and did a natural water slide (cold!) and it was very nice.

So

A) I'm checking if anyone's schedules' line up and would like to join us in your own rig.
B) once we figure which of the 3 (or other) destination choices is most appealing we'll reach out to clubs in those areas and ask on Expo for ideas of where to go/camp/fish/drive/stay and build an actual route

What say you?

 

[bkfj40]

mid June won't work for me, but I'm planning on stopping by the USFS office this week (tried to last week, but the snow put a wrench into that plan) to determine when the gates open up in the GWNF. I will let you know what I find out.

If you want to camp on private land west of Harrisonburg on Union Springs road, let me know...It could be a good starting or stopping point....

 

[StaleAle]

Sliding Rock Falls...those are fond memories from my childhood. Of course the water was much colder back then...the glaciers having only recently receded. I'll bet the rocks were a bit rougher as well, but that didn't matter since your butt was numb from the cold. My parents would make us come out to warm up when our lips turned blue and we could no longer talk due to uncontrolled shivering...man, what was I thinking?

 

[hakalugi]

mid June won't work for me, but I'm planning on stopping by the USFS office this week (tried to last week, but the snow put a wrench into that plan) to determine when the gates open up in the GWNF. I will let you know what I find out.

If you want to camp on private land west of Harrisonburg on Union Springs road, let me know...It could be a good starting or stopping point....

hey BK, thanks for the offer. Can one continue west into WV from there? I've done 55 West, and 64 West, I assume there is a cut-through between them. For the VA loop, thinking of going 66W, to 55 to elizabeth furnace area south and to the Peter's Mill Run, but in reverse order of how we usually run it - starting at the Woodstock Lookout Tower. It's something mild on the first day to get people's cobwebs out. Wasn't sure if we'd then camp between the 2 ridges somewhere (Roosevelt camp is there), if we kept south on little fort trail, from Peter's Mill, crossing 211 - assuming it comes out. only 10 camping spots tho. So instead heading west toward's your area would be an option.

Anyone head south from 38.7891 , -78.5194 and have it "come out" at the other end? the section of little fort valley says 'restricted' per this topo: http://caltopo.com/map.html#ll=38.75661,-78.55042&z=15&b=t once past that it's a paved road to the Roosevelt camp area: http://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/gwj/null/recarea/?recid=73633&actid=29

Our club only seems to drive north from Edinburg gap so I've never gone south.

Sliding Rock Falls...those are fond memories from my childhood. Of course the water was much colder back then...the glaciers having only recently receded. I'll bet the rocks were a bit rougher as well, but that didn't matter since your butt was numb from the cold. My parents would make us come out to warm up when our lips turned blue and we could no longer talk due to uncontrolled shivering...man, what was I thinking?

very cool. literally. my kids wouldn't go until i went. my wife was on the observation deck at the terminus with her iphone on video recording mode. with my physique, shirtless in a partial situp position (so your noodle doesn't hit), while jiggling the whole way down - made for "internal use only" video. I thought the video was the worst of it, until my 7 year old, now 8, said: "wow dad, you really screamed like a girl when you went off the ledge at the end". <clears throat> "well son, it was cold."

Also, off forum, i asked 4 of my homies if they could come:

Andrew - 89 grand wagoneer is interested
Ash - 201x FJ cruiser is intersted
Sean M (has come to our clcc meetings/bbq's before) is interested
Mike - would ride with Ash most likely, hoping to hear from him soon

June is generally a good time, not too hot, and not too cold.

 

[hakalugi]

mid June won't work for me, but I'm planning on stopping by the USFS office this week (tried to last week, but the snow put a wrench into that plan) to determine when the gates open up in the GWNF. I will let you know what I find out.

If you want to camp on private land west of Harrisonburg on Union Springs road, let me know...It could be a good starting or stopping point....

BK - do you know the number for the USFS that knows the Peter's Mill area? for a first day light and easy, I'm thinking of running it north to south (opposite of the way we've run it in the past) and want to enter from the east side, using a fireroad that appears functional. but i want to call them and ask if it's gated.

 

[bkfj40]

try this one:

Lee Ranger District
95 Railroad Avenue
Edinburg, VA 22824
540-984-4101
Counties: Frederick, Hampshire (WV), Hardy (WV), Page, Rockingham, Shenandoah, and Warren

you can also refer to their map of motorized trails:
http://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/stelprdb5392127.pdf

 

[Jakes40]

Yes it is gaited. Open Dawn till dusk.

 

[hakalugi]

thanks!