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View Full Version : SNP this weekend 6-16 & 17 2007



Hikerhead
06-13-2007, 20:24
Beahms Gap to Compton Gap---18.9 miles--Northern Section

I need to do this section to finish up the SNP, minus a few miles around Big Meadows.

The weather looks good for the weekend. No rain, just hot.

Anybody else want to get a few miles in this weekend?

Cookerhiker
06-15-2007, 21:41
Beahms Gap to Compton Gap---18.9 miles--Northern Section

I need to do this section to finish up the SNP, minus a few miles around Big Meadows.

The weather looks good for the weekend. No rain, just hot.

Anybody else want to get a few miles in this weekend?

Not this weekend but I could the following weekend. I need to get over to SNP to my section - haven't weed-wacked it yet.

Hikerhead
06-15-2007, 22:07
Next weekend looks like it would work out better for me too. Is this your section Cookerhiker? I was thinking yours was on the south side of 211.

Cookerhiker
06-16-2007, 22:17
Next weekend looks like it would work out better for me too. Is this your section Cookerhiker? I was thinking yours was on the south side of 211.

No, my section is Southern Section - HighTop Parking area south to HighTop Hut side trail but I was thinking of going to the Park Thursday or Friday the 21st or 22nd for trail maintenance and could then drive up to the Northern section to hike the weekend.

Hikerhead
06-16-2007, 22:48
Sounds good. I'm going to get my short section in around Big Meadows tomorrow after doing some work at my Grandmothers in Culpeper.

Hikerhead
06-19-2007, 13:34
This was postponed to this weekend. Right now it's Cookerhiker and myself.

Anybody else want to join us?

jlb2012
06-19-2007, 15:48
Do you have a planned site for Saturday night? If so I might hang out with ya'll. PM me if you want.

Hikerhead
06-19-2007, 19:02
Do you have a planned site for Saturday night? If so I might hang out with ya'll. PM me if you want.

Mathews Arm is almost halfway. I can stealth or camp at the campground, it makes no diff to me. I think for sure that we'll be stopping at Mathews Arm for a Shake or more.

I'm not sure what Cookerhiker prefers or if he hammocks. We can work it out.

I see that you belong to the Mafia now. That's scary!!!

I hope you can make it HOI.

jlb2012
06-20-2007, 08:22
well the place for the shakes etc. is Elkwallow Wayside which is about a mile south of Mathews Arm CG. From the AT Mathews Arm is about 0.7 down the Tuscarora Tr. - accent on "down" as I recall. Personally I would suggest Gravel Springs Hut area because its only about 0.1 off of the trail but it is 3 miles north of of the turn off for the Tuscarora Tr. - Beahms Gap to Gravel Springs is about 11 miles. and the last bit goes over Hogback Mtn. but by the time you hit Tuscarora Tr. junction you are already close to the max elevation of Hogback Mtn.

Cookerhiker
06-20-2007, 11:42
well the place for the shakes etc. is Elkwallow Wayside which is about a mile south of Mathews Arm CG. From the AT Mathews Arm is about 0.7 down the Tuscarora Tr. - accent on "down" as I recall. Personally I would suggest Gravel Springs Hut area because its only about 0.1 off of the trail but it is 3 miles north of of the turn off for the Tuscarora Tr. - Beahms Gap to Gravel Springs is about 11 miles. and the last bit goes over Hogback Mtn. but by the time you hit Tuscarora Tr. junction you are already close to the max elevation of Hogback Mtn.

I like the idea of staying the night at Gravel Springs. So are you saying we meet at Compton Gap, leave a car there and shuttle ourselves to Beahms, hike NOBO, arrive at Compton Sunday and shuttle back to Beahms? Sounds good to me and it probably helps HikerHead get home on-time Sunday.

We need a permit, right?

unl1988
06-20-2007, 11:49
I will be in SNP, but doing a different section (Big Meadows south to Loft Mountain), that will complete the SNP for me and my hiking buddy. Has it been challenging getting a ride or hitchhiking in the park here recently? We plan on parking at BM, hiking then hitching back from Loft Mountain.

Cookerhiker
06-20-2007, 11:55
I will be in SNP, but doing a different section (Big Meadows south to Loft Mountain), that will complete the SNP for me and my hiking buddy. Has it been challenging getting a ride or hitchhiking in the park here recently? We plan on parking at BM, hiking then hitching back from Loft Mountain.

What day & time are you starting?

unl1988
06-20-2007, 12:34
We will be starting saturday morning, about 7 am at Big Meadows, we think we will be getting to Loft Mountain about 10 or 11 on sunday morning.

jlb2012
06-20-2007, 12:48
unl1988 - recommend hiking to your car instead of hiking away from your car and then hitching back

if you want I could give ya'll a ride Saturday morning since I am only planning on camping with HH and CH and not actually doing much hiking - PM me if you want to pursue that option

Hikerhead
06-20-2007, 13:47
I like the idea of staying the night at Gravel Springs. So are you saying we meet at Compton Gap, leave a car there and shuttle ourselves to Beahms, hike NOBO, arrive at Compton Sunday and shuttle back to Beahms? Sounds good to me and it probably helps HikerHead get home on-time Sunday.

We need a permit, right?


No permit is needed that I know of, just mark that as your campsite on your Backcounty Permit which you'll need to fill out.

Everything else is correct except HOI is not hiking with us, just meeting us at Gravel Springs. I'll meet you at Compton Gap Sat at 10am.

The thing with work has been worked out so that won't be a problem.

Hikerhead
06-25-2007, 18:04
Hike report....
I arrived a "little" late because of a few stops along the way plus one Blue Light Special. I left Cookerhiker a few voice mails on his cell phone along the way and there he was, he said he would have left in 5 more minutes. He couldn't get a signal from Skyline Dr from me telling I was running a little late. We saw one bear on the side of the road while doing the shuttle.

We left his car there and went down to Beahhm's Gap where we found a Sow Bear and cubs crossing the trail 20 feet from the parking lot. She stay put and poised for a little while, hopefully I might have one good shot of her.

We stopped at Elkwallow Wayside for lunch. I've never been here and I was expecting an inside eating type facility but there's no tables or chairs inside. Outside are a few picnic tables. Pretty good crowd here including about 8 thru hikers bunched together playing music on the guitar and harmonica. They were all really good musicians and it was intertaining to listen in on them. The names I remember were Coach, Torpedo, The twins, Vegas and Luna*. Luna is not her trail name, WB name.

After the lunch stop we hit the longest climb of the weekend.

At the shelter we met up with HOI. It was good to see him. He looked good but said he hasn't been feeling good lately. I hope they find out what the problem is soon HOI and get you back to 100%

The area on the trail around the shelter is all Stinging Nettle and had to fight my way through it to set up my hammock off the trail. Cookerhiker and HOI camped down at the shelter. I went down to the shelter for a while to listen in on the music a little more. About 20 hikers were staying at/around the shelter. There's some talent heading up the trail no doubt.

I went to sleep with the sound of owls hooting and sometime late that night a deer came by and gave some loud snorts. He was close by so it woke me wide awake. The next morning 2 deer watched and waited for me to clear out, I guess so that they could check out my campsite.

I got out on the trail around 7am and sat and waiting for Cookerhiker to get up and going. A little while later a group of about 10 women day hikers came by while I'm laying on the ground. Soon HOI comes up the trail followed by Cookerhiker. We took a few pics at the parking lot and HOI left to go home while we headed on to Compton Gap.

There was some nice overlooks on the way to Compton Gap and we took time to stop while leap frogging with the bunch from the shelter the night before.

We got to Compton Gap around noon time and stopped one more time at Elkwallow for a sunday and milk shake.

The weather was perfect both days.

It was a good weekend for hiking. It was good to meet Cookerhiker and to see HOI again.

Oh, it looks like I'm going back to boots. My light weight Vasque Velosities just ain't getting it done. The same foot pains I went through on the BMT showed up again on this hike. Like I told HH a million times....BOOTS!!!!

Cookerhiker
07-10-2007, 15:40
Hike report....
I arrived a "little" late because of a few stops along the way plus one Blue Light Special. I left Cookerhiker a few voice mails on his cell phone along the way and there he was, he said he would have left in 5 more minutes. He couldn't get a signal from Skyline Dr from me telling I was running a little late. We saw one bear on the side of the road while doing the shuttle.

We left his car there and went down to Beahhm's Gap where we found a Sow Bear and cubs crossing the trail 20 feet from the parking lot. She stay put and poised for a little while, hopefully I might have one good shot of her.

We stopped at Elkwallow Wayside for lunch. I've never been here and I was expecting an inside eating type facility but there's no tables or chairs inside. Outside are a few picnic tables. Pretty good crowd here including about 8 thru hikers bunched together playing music on the guitar and harmonica. They were all really good musicians and it was intertaining to listen in on them. The names I remember were Coach, Torpedo, The twins, Vegas and Luna*. Luna is not her trail name, WB name.

After the lunch stop we hit the longest climb of the weekend.

At the shelter we met up with HOI. It was good to see him. He looked good but said he hasn't been feeling good lately. I hope they find out what the problem is soon HOI and get you back to 100%

The area on the trail around the shelter is all Stinging Nettle and had to fight my way through it to set up my hammock off the trail. Cookerhiker and HOI camped down at the shelter. I went down to the shelter for a while to listen in on the music a little more. About 20 hikers were staying at/around the shelter. There's some talent heading up the trail no doubt.

I went to sleep with the sound of owls hooting and sometime late that night a deer came by and gave some loud snorts. He was close by so it woke me wide awake. The next morning 2 deer watched and waited for me to clear out, I guess so that they could check out my campsite.

I got out on the trail around 7am and sat and waiting for Cookerhiker to get up and going. A little while later a group of about 10 women day hikers came by while I'm laying on the ground. Soon HOI comes up the trail followed by Cookerhiker. We took a few pics at the parking lot and HOI left to go home while we headed on to Compton Gap.

There was some nice overlooks on the way to Compton Gap and we took time to stop while leap frogging with the bunch from the shelter the night before.

We got to Compton Gap around noon time and stopped one more time at Elkwallow for a sunday and milk shake.

The weather was perfect both days.

It was a good weekend for hiking. It was good to meet Cookerhiker and to see HOI again.

Oh, it looks like I'm going back to boots. My light weight Vasque Velosities just ain't getting it done. The same foot pains I went through on the BMT showed up again on this hike. Like I told HH a million times....BOOTS!!!!

Excellent summary. All I have to add is the other thruhiker whose name you couldn't remember was Nice Enuff (not sure of the spelling).

Also, we saw a surprising (to me) variety of wildflowers.

Finally, HOI provided some liquid refershment for all at Gravel Springs - I got the last one!