Anybody done the Wilson Ridge trail in Wilson Creek? I think we're looking at doing it this weekend, assuming we have enough vehicles to shuttle. Since it seems a little more remote than the other trails and it's not a loop, I'm hoping it won't be crowded over Labor Day weekend.

8/29/2013 1:49:37 PM

I have not, but after seeing how close it is to us, I would certainly like to. It looks like one of those hike in, set up camp and hike back out scenarios.

jocristian, how did your Grandfather Mountain excursion go? We live like four miles from there, and we saw how drizzly/foggy it was up the mountain.

8/29/2013 9:22:52 PM

It was rainy as expected. I was hoping it would just rain, and then stop at some point so that we could do some hiking or whatever...nope. Just rained pretty much from 2pm on Saturday until Sunday morning. Wasn't too bad because I got to try out my new hammock and tarp. Basically slept off and on and read books the whole time it was raining. Pretty relaxing, but not my typically active backpacking trip.

8/29/2013 9:42:10 PM

Hit me up if you are back up this way and need anything while you're here.

8/29/2013 9:52:32 PM

Headed out for a week...doing Max Bald and headed south beginning of October...hope to see some good leaves!

8/30/2013 9:00:56 AM

Pretty pumped. Packing up today and heading up to Price Lake Campground tomorrow morning. Going to be a pretty fun weekend on Grandfather Mountain. Just hope the rain holds off.

8/30/2013 9:49:24 AM

Camping near Marshall Pass (near Salida CO) and possibly doing Mt. Shavano and Mt Tabeguache this weekend!

http://www.14ers.com/routemain.php?route=tabe2&peak=Mt.+Shavano+and+Tabeguache+Peak

8/30/2013 11:42:31 AM

Camping in Moab and just saw an NC plate. Bitches must have had a long drive.

8/31/2013 2:50:41 PM

A couple pics from Mt. Shavano this past weekend. We hit the TH a little late at 7am and summited just before noon. Got caught in a hail storm on the way down but luckily made it below treeline before the thunder started.

9/3/2013 1:38:31 PM

wow ^ that is awesome!!!!

9/3/2013 1:39:25 PM

Anyone been to Max Patch Bald? Headed out in a month and I'm super excited...anything I shoudl see in Hot Springs/Max Patch?

9/12/2013 10:48:34 AM

Can someone recommend their preference of waterproofing spray for tents? I'm going to be in mine this weekend, and it looks like there is a good chance of rain.

9/17/2013 7:43:01 AM

I've never personally waterproofed a tent, but have heard people suggest Nikwax. Comes in a spray bottle, I think you just have to wet the tent and then spray it on.

I would focus on the seams though, especially around the floor. They make seam tape that you can apply on the inside of the tent (some tents come from the factory with this already). Its the weakest link and a likely place where you can get some big leaks. Obviously setting up the tent well (taut rainfly, staked out well, not set up in a low spot, etc) can make a huge difference too.

9/17/2013 8:55:39 AM

Cool, thanks for the suggestion.

I've only had my tent for a few short months, and I've only been out in it once. The last night we were camping it rained pretty hard, and while the interior of the tent remained mostly dry, the rain shell was soaked through as was the bottom walls of the tent itself.

I realized after the fact that part of the problem was where I set my tent up, and how I tied the shell down. But I also realized I needed to apply some waterproofing to the shell as well to prevent it from getting so saturated. If it had rained harder or longer the inside of my tent would have been soaked.

9/17/2013 9:20:54 AM

^ i've used nikwax tx.direct tech wash-in (never for a tent, though)...as the name suggests, you wash your clothes in it

http://www.nikwax-usa.com/en-us/products/productdetail.php?productid=267

it's not as good as goretex or event, but the 4/5 stars on amazon is about right: http://www.amazon.com/Nikwax-Direct-Fabric-Repellent-ounces/dp/B0019GOKK0

[Edited on September 17, 2013 at 10:28 AM. Reason : .]

9/17/2013 10:26:44 AM

I used a garden sprayer to apply Nikwax to my tent...worked great!

9/17/2013 10:44:30 AM

So there's a difference. Gortex or eVent are waterproof layers in the actual fabric. They still require a DWR (durable water repellent) layer (like nikwax) to operate effectively. Once your DWR layer wears off your jacket will be soaked (but still waterproof as long as it's got Gortex/eVent). It's similar with tents. The actual material is waterproof but a DWR layer helps because the water just beads up and runs off. Putting a DWR layer on non-water proof materials works for a bit but it eventually soaks through the fabric.

As long as you bought a decent tent then you shouldn't have to seal any of the seams for a while and as long as you stake the tent correctly water should bead up and run right off. If it's not beading off and soaking the actual material then you got a cheap tent and/or there's no longer that extra layer on there so yeah you can get a spray on or a wash in type DWR.

9/17/2013 11:23:42 AM

Harpers Creek this weekend

9/17/2013 12:51:31 PM

Bear Island (Hammocks Beach State Park) this weekend for my anniversary!

9/17/2013 1:42:26 PM

Quote :

"Anyone been to Max Patch Bald? Headed out in a month and I'm super excited...anything I shoudl see in Hot Springs/Max Patch?"

Did it years ago as part of a stretch from Hot Springs to Davenport Gap. The bald itself is obviously pretty incredible. There were some cool rhododendron tunnels on, I think, the HS side of the bald.

9/18/2013 12:25:48 AM

Doing some desert camping next month. Heading to Goblin Valley and Moab. Can't wait!

9/18/2013 11:39:29 AM

Selling my Hennessy Explorer Ultralight Asym Classic hammock with already installed whoopieslings.com "All-in-one" system

http://thewolfweb.com/message_topic.aspx?topic=638985

9/18/2013 11:39:09 PM

This past weekend I learned that those tie downs hanging off your tent aren't optional at the beach

9/23/2013 7:35:25 AM

With the govt. shut down, am I going to get blocked out of going into Pisgah to go camping this weekend??

10/1/2013 11:05:22 AM

lol, I imagine it just means no rangers there to issue permits and oversee things. Can't imagine that they will close the parks up.

10/1/2013 11:23:52 AM

I saw that yosemite was shut down.

10/1/2013 11:47:50 AM

maybe I'm stating the obvious, but isn't access to National Forests in NC generally uncontrolled and unrestricted, unlike access to National Parks which are all gated and have fee booths? Linville is the only National Forest property in NC I've needed a backcountry permit for.

10/1/2013 3:16:43 PM

I was hoping for a shutdown where there were no enforcement officials, but from what I've heard there are only enforcement officials in Yosemite--as opposed to regular employees + enforcement. At least at the moment the other people living/working in Yosemite are there hiking and such. There is a closure at the gates, but I think there are a few ways around it. I know people are going to try to sneak in.

They try to keep people out in Yosemite, but maybe it's just the larger parks for greater theater effect.

[Edited on October 1, 2013 at 4:33 PM. Reason : a]

10/1/2013 4:32:17 PM

Anyone have suggestions for non-federal walk-in campsites around the 3000-4000 elevation range that accept reservations? Thinking Pisgah / Mitchell area

10/9/2013 11:50:29 PM

I want to say that Price Lake is around that elevation, and I know they have a campground area that does reservations. I wouldn't be surprised if it's full up now since it's right off the Parkway.

10/10/2013 8:28:31 AM

Camping here this weekend:

10/10/2013 10:54:01 AM

Is that in Utah off 70?

10/10/2013 1:57:05 PM

Yup driving from Denver either this afternoon or tomorrow based upon weather. Expecting 8-10" of snow above 8k feet so they might close Vail pass for a bit.

10/10/2013 4:47:13 PM

Quote :

"I want to say that Price Lake is around that elevation, and I know they have a campground area that does reservations. I wouldn't be surprised if it's full up now since it's right off the Parkway."

It looks like Julian Price Park Campground is closed due to the govt shutdown. Any other suggestions around Boone?

10/11/2013 12:29:37 PM

^ If you really want a campground then there's Grandfather Campground near Foscoe http://www.grandfatherrv.com/

or you can just camp off one of the trails in Pisgah or Linville Gorge

10/11/2013 8:12:05 PM

There is a campground outside Bevard right at the terminus of Art Loeb...Davidson campgrounds maybe?

My trip went great! Hot Springs to Max Patch (Short trip) then poked around Black Balsam later on. PERFECT weather

Smokies were closed so I ran into a lot of hiker/backpackers using the area as an alternative.

10/14/2013 3:51:13 PM

anyone have suggestions for some non-appalachian backpacking that would be kind of fun in november? i love the mountains, but i'm feeling mountained-out for now and thought there might be some interesting places east of raleigh (or even north to virginia)

looking for 20 miles, give or take

10/14/2013 4:02:18 PM

^neusiok trail in Croatan NF. 20+ miles, multiple shelters so you can leave the tent at home. Maybe some carnivorous plants? I've never been but was planning for this winter sometime. Just make sure the temps dip down a little, seems like there is high potential for bad Mosquitos out there.

10/14/2013 4:30:36 PM

Quote :

"Selling my Hennessy Explorer Ultralight Asym Classic hammock with already installed whoopieslings.com "All-in-one" system http://thewolfweb.com/message_topic.aspx?topic=638985"

damn, i wish i would have seen this as i just bought a Hennessy a few weeks ago

10/15/2013 9:43:38 AM

^ it's still available. Return yours and buy mine! I'll take $250

10/15/2013 3:46:10 PM

Just came back from a Cub Scout campout at Stone Mountain. The bathroom and shower facilities were superb there, and the hiking was a lot of fun too. I did the full loop with my photo pack, but damn I thought. Was going to die by the end.

Oh yea, and it got cold last night for us. Picked up a nice cold from that. Ugh.

10/20/2013 9:53:49 PM

I lugged my 5DMkii & 24-105mm up the full loop at Stone Mountain today, myself

Those stairs are no fun

10/20/2013 11:19:04 PM

^^Colds come from viruses not from being in the cold. The correlation between the cold and colds is because when it's cold out everyone is inside and viruses spread easier.

In fact if you're out in the wilderness regardless of temperature you're less likely to catch a cold because you're around a lot less people and not in an enclosed area.

Here's a pic from Goblin valley weekend before last! I'll try and post more later:



[Edited on October 21, 2013 at 6:24 AM. Reason : s]

10/21/2013 6:23:14 AM

[like]

10/21/2013 3:50:53 PM

^^ did you push over any of the mushroom shaped rocks like those two Boy Scout leaders did?

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/10/18/goblin-valley-boy-scout-leaders-destroy-rock_n_4122488.html

10/21/2013 6:45:25 PM

I was so fucking pissed when I heard about that. I wish we had been there when it happened. Some shit would have gone down.

10/22/2013 3:48:03 AM

While I understand the mechanics behind getting a cold, I also frequently get some form of bronchitis, sore throat, or whatever when the weather changes in the fall/winter. Usually it is a more gradual thing though. I went from being inside and in the 70s to sleeping outside in the 40s for two nights. So yea, it fucked with my system.

Also I really like that picture of Goblin Valley. You should post that in the DSLR thread for the people who don't frequent this topic. That is a nice shot.

10/22/2013 8:31:02 AM

Sad...cold weather means the end of my hiking season. Only got to go out 1x this year with all the rain and mud and shut downs

11/11/2013 12:49:19 PM

doing neusiok trail in croatan this weekend, per TerdFerguson's suggestion (thanks!)

given that it's going to be in the upper 60s and low 70s during the day, i'm wondering if snakes (namely copperheads and moccasins) and mosquitoes will be an issue...

11/12/2013 8:22:16 AM

^please report back! I'm trying to get there in mid January or possibly early February so let us know if its worth the trip.

It's been relatively dry lately (although its supposed to rain today), and I think they've probably had some temperatures down into the 40s at night - that should cut the mosquitoes down significantly - right guyz??

I'd guess there is a decent chance of seeing a snake out sunbathing at those temperatures - be careful tromping over those logs!

11/12/2013 8:45:59 AM