weekend hike

[Thumper 2006]

Thinking of hiking from max patch into hot springs this weekend. Here is how the trip will go. Friday night probably arrive around 11 or 12 at night. Camp at that first campsite when we reach the other side of the mountain at the bottom. Sat, we will hike all day and sunday hike into hot springs. Does this sound feasible for the two beginner hikers that will be with me? If so what shuttle should I use to get back to my car at the max patch trailhead?

[neo]

Thinking of hiking from max patch into hot springs this weekend. Here is how the trip will go. Friday night probably arrive around 11 or 12 at night. Camp at that first campsite when we reach the other side of the mountain at the bottom. Sat, we will hike all day and sunday hike into hot springs. Does this sound feasible for the two beginner hikers that will be with me? If so what shuttle should I use to get back to my car at the max patch trailhead?

very doable,i would even recommend doing from school bus road near I-40 to hotspring as a weekend trip as a weekend hike,it can easily be done as an overnite hike also neo

[orangebug]

I believe you will have very little moon light for that midnight hike. I suspect you would be better served to sleep in Hot Springs, probably at Elmer's. Get them to shuttle you to Max Patch first thing Saturday AM. Walk back to your car Saturday and Sunday. It should be a pretty easy walk for even newbies.

[neo]

i love night hiking in good weather,as long as i have good batteries in my tikka head lamp neo

[The Solemates]

night hiking over max patch will be easy, moon or no moon, because it is so open. we have actually done the same thing before....hiked into the shelter from max patch road after dark. there are a few tricky, rooty places when you enter back into the woods and get closer to the shelter, but you should be fine.

on the other hand....im not sure you would want to night hike max patch because the area is so beautiful that it deserves daytime hiking. i personally would just camp at max patch road parking lot and then hit the top in early morning light, the best time to be out hiking.

[Stale Cracker]

I don't know about night hiking - not so much for the hiking part but what about when you get to the campsite or shelter and other folks are already asleep? We were up on the south end of the trail through the Shenandoa in a shelter, forgot the name right now when two hikers blew in about 2:00 am. They were having a great time and I suppose they tried to be quite but still it woke everybody up. Not very considerate.

[The Solemates]

I don't know about night hiking - not so much for the hiking part but what about when you get to the campsite or shelter and other folks are already asleep? We were up on the south end of the trail through the Shenandoa in a shelter, forgot the name right now when two hikers blew in about 2:00 am. They were having a great time and I suppose they tried to be quite but still it woke everybody up. Not very considerate.

thats what shelters are for, to use. youre always gonna have people, perhaps inconsiderate, that interupt your solitude, and perhaps sleep. if you dont want that, dont stay at shelters. tent it, which is what we do most of the time anyways.