Tag: hammock

Backpacking the Cranberry Wilderness: Let it Snow

February 25, 2024By y2kemo

The Monongahela National Forest located in the Allegheny Mountains of east central West Virginia covers more than 920,000 acres and is home to some sweet backpacking destinations including Dolly Sods, Roaring Plains, and the Cranberry Wilderness. For this trip, I invited Rodrigo, and we set our sights on Cranberry.

Situated between the Highland Scenic Highway to the east, the Williams River to the north, and the Cranberry River to the south and west, the Cranberry Wilderness spans 47,815 acres and includes 15 interconnected and unblazed trails covering over 75 miles with elevations ranging from 2,400 to over 4,600 feet. In the winter it’s crazy cold and the chance for snow is always looming overhead.

Backpacking Doughton Park: Moose tracks and rain

September 17, 2023By y2kemo

grassy trail with blue skies — Coming up the MST towards the Blue Ridge Parkway

Getting away for a weekend can sometimes be a challenge. Thankfully, there are a handful of places I can quickly access including Doughton Park; the largest recreation area the National Park Service manages on the Blue Ridge Parkway.

Located just west of Stone Mountain between Wilkes and Alleghancy Counties in North Carolina, Doughton Park consists of incredible views, wide open meadows, and some really challenging inclines. Additionally, part of the iconic 1,175 mile Mountains-to-Sea Trail (MST) passes through the park and passing by some breathtaking vistas. Having been to Doughton Park before, given the campsite at Basin Cove and the challenging trails, I opted to return to the area for a weekend solo trip.

Backpacking Mt. Pleasant to Seeley-Woodworth AT Shelter

February 18, 2023By y2kemo

view of mountains from ridgeline — View from Tar Jacket Ridge

In November 2019, I ran the Mountain Masochist 50-mile trail run from Monroe to Montebello, Virginia with my buddy, Coop. During the race, we completed a 5-ish mile loop around Mt. Pleasant, an aptly named national scenic area with picturesque views. As we finished the race, and for the next couple of years, we talked about returning to the area with backpacks, but we never did, until we did.

Backpacking the Cranberry Wilderness: Songs About Bears

November 7, 2022By y2kemo

hiker in woods — Hiking on Little Fork Trail.
*Photo by Coop*

The Monongahela National Forest in West Virginia is one of my favorite places to visit with options that include Dolly Sods, Roaring Plains, and the 47,815-acre Cranberry Wilderness. Located between the Highland Scenic Highway to the east, the Williams River to the north, and the Cranberry River to the south and west, the Cranberry Wilderness includes 15 interconnected, unblazed, and well-maintained trails covering over 75 miles with elevations ranging from 2,400 to over 4,600 feet. The wilderness is home to deer, turkeys, rabbits, mink, grouse, bobcats, and foxes, and is a designated bear sanctuary. Having visited the area before, my buddy, Coop, and I opted to head back to Cranberry to cover some areas we hadn’t explored previously.

Backpacking the Cranberry Wilderness: Wet Trails and Bears

December 30, 20212 commentsBy y2kemo

mushroom on a tree with ferns in the background

trail through spruce pines with ferns and moss all around — North-South Trail (TR 688) in the Cranberry Wilderness.

The Monongahela National Forest in West Virginia is home to some of the best backpacking options on the east coast including Dolly Sods, Roaring Plains, and the 47,815-acre Cranberry Wilderness. For this trip, my brother-in-law, Ken, and I decided to hit up the latter.

Situated between the Highland Scenic Highway to the east, the Williams River to the north, and the Cranberry River to the south and west, the Cranberry Wilderness includes 15 interconnected, unblazed, and well-maintained trails covering over 75 miles with elevations ranging from 2,400 to over 4,600 feet. The wilderness is home to deer, turkeys, rabbits, mink, grouse, bobcats, and foxes, and is a designated bear sanctuary.

Fastpacking Wild Oak Trail: Trail Running + Backpacking = Awesome!

September 12, 20206 commentsBy y2kemo

runner on trail in woods with high grass — Coop descends Hankey Mountain.

When COVID-19 shut things down and my work switched to remote, I challenged myself to run a 10K a day. Months later, my buddy, Coop, suggested we hit the trails. I asked if we could fastpack (trail running + backpacking) so I could keep my streak alive, and he agreed wholeheartedly; even suggested Wild Oak Trail, a location we had visited previously back in November 2019.

Designated as a National Recreation Trail in 1979, the Wild Oak National Recreation Trail (TWOT) is a 27-mile loop offering 7,000′ of elevation gain within the George Washington National Forest just west of Staunton, Virginia. It’s a hot spot for mountain bikers, backpackers, and ultrarunners, and the perfect place for our first foray into fastpacking.

Backpacking Uwharrie: Yates Place to Panther Branch

August 16, 2020By y2kemo

After being cooped up in my house for months I saw a break in the clouds and asked my better half for permission to leave our suburban landlocked ship and escape into the woods with my brother-in-law, Ken. Since neither he or I have interacted with humans outside of our own domiciles, I was granted 36-hour leave and began the planning process with a focus on the Uwharrie National Forest.

In the past few months, Uwharrie has been my go to spot for hiking and trail running so I thought I’d elevate its status as a go to backpacking destination. It’s close to home, has lots of nature, and I can sleep there.

Backpacking the Virginia Triple Crown: Bring water, not flip flops

September 30, 2019By y2kemo

hikers on top of a rock looking out at mountains

hiker passing a trail sign — Starting out on Andy Layne

If you’ve hiked the Appalachian Trail (AT) or seen photos of other people hiking the AT chances are you’ve seen Virginia’s Triple Crown. Located in the Roanoke Valley in Virginia’s Blue Ridge Mountains, the Triple Crown is comprised of three legs: Tinker Cliffs, McAfee Knob, and Dragon’s Tooth. As a loop, the Triple Crown is 35.1 miles long with almost ~8,000′ of gain making for a challenging day hike or a manageable 2- or 3-day trip.

I considered the Triple Crown for a trip back in August, but opted for Linville Gorge due to 100° heat indices and lack of available water sources. With temps on the decline, my buddy, Coop, and I prayed for rain and started planning our trip.

Backpacking Linville Gorge: Get your feet wet

August 24, 2019By y2kemo

The Linville Gorge Wilderness (LGW) is located within the Pisgah National Forest in the mountains of Western North Carolina. Nicknamed the “Grand Canyon of North Carolina”, it is formed by Jonas Ridge on the east and Linville Mountain on the west and is bisected by the Linville River which drops 2,000 feet into the valleys below. The nearly 12,000 acres of wilderness is unforgivingly steep, incredibly rugged, and is home to black bears, rattlesnakes, copperheads, and 80% of the world’s tick population.

Linville Gorge has been on my bucket list for years. This year, however, was going to be the year I actually went. In the springtime, I researched the area and decided to plan a May trip. As luck would have it, when I called the National Forest Service to secure a permit for my brother-in-law, Ken, and I, I was told there were no available permits. Undeterred, I called back two months later, and was able to reserve a permit for the second weekend in August.

Linville Gorge here we come!

Backpacking Mount Rogers AT Loop: There’s poop in them thar hills

June 3, 2019By y2kemo

hiker on trail atop a mountain bald — Ken hikes south on AT from Scales over Stone Mtn.

Located in southwest Virginia, the Mount Rogers National Recreation Area (NRA), Grayson Highlands State Park, and surrounding National Forest lands are popular destinations for hikers and backpackers looking to log a few miles, take in breathtaking views, and observe wildlife of all types. In the past year or so, particularly along the Appalachian Trail (AT), the area has also become popular among black bears.

According to the Appalachian Trail Conservancy’s 2018 Bear Incident report, black bears have successfully retrieved more than 70 food bags hung in trees and damaged packs and tents as far south as Thomas Knob Shelter. As a result, the Forest Service closed the area for a time and, with the help of the Mount Rogers Appalachian Trail club, installed bear boxes at 6 sites: Thomas Knob Shelter, Rhododendron Gap between the AT and the Crest Trail, Wise Shelter, Old Orchard Shelter, Hurricane Mountain Shelter, and Trimpi Shelter.

With this in mind, my brother-in-law, Ken, and I decided to assume the risks and brave the crowds and bears for a Memorial Day weekend backpacking trip to the Mount Rogers National Recreation Area.