Channel: sintax77

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Tags: campingsnow campingcamping in snow stormwinterchimney top west virginiabackpacking tripwinter campingcamping in a snow stormcamping in winterwinter backpacking tripwest virginiacold weather campingwinter tent campingbackpacking in snowstormsintax77hiking in snowhikingcampcamping in snowsnowbackpackingnorth fork mountain trailwinter backpackingcold campingsnow storm

Description: Winter Camping in a Snow Storm on North Fork Mountain, West Virginia. For this winter backpacking trip, we set out to do some overnight camping in the Monongahela National Forest by an awesome vista known as Chimney Top during the last week of January. The weather forecast showed the potential for a snow storm to land some time between the first night and the morning of the next day, so we decided to keep our mileage fairly low and laid back. Temperatures were projected to be fairly steady in the low to mid 20’s Fahrenheit. Our initial climb up to the ridge would require a gross elevation gain of roughly 2,000 feet over the course of two miles. Once we got to the ridge, we would be afforded with seemingly endless mountain views overlooking the Potomac River, New Creek Mountain, and Dolly Sods in the distance. After following the ridge for a while we would start to look for campsite opportunities. Besides the quick elevation gain, our main challenge on this trip would be water. There is only one semi reliable water source on the entire 25 mile length of the North Fork Trail, and it’s located right around the half way point at 12.5 miles. We wouldn’t be going that far, so we would have to pack in all of our water for drinking and cooking. If the snow storm had hit prior to our arrival, we would have had the advantage of melting snow. With the ground dry and free of snow upon our arrival, we decided to pack in 1 gallon (4 liters) of water per person. For shelter, Frank and James went with tent camping in individual tents, while I chose to go with a hammock camping setup. With this mix of shelters, we hoped to be able to find a decent spot to camp on the ridge with some nice mountain views. For an easier read, GPS data, and more, check out my full blog post sintax77.com/waking-up-to-a-snow-storm-winter-camping-on-north-fork-mountain Trailhead Used: North Fork Mountain Trailhead, Northern End 38°58’53.0″N 79°13’53.8″W Smoke Hole Rd, Cabins, WV 26855 No permit is required to backcountry camp in the Monongahela National Forest. Trails Used, Day 1 West on North Fork Mountain Trail Turn right (west) on the spur trail to Chimney Top This is an unofficial spur trail to the Chimney Top rock formation and vista, although it is marked on some maps. The intersection was marked by a small pile of rocks when we went, but that may or may not be there in the future. Day 1 Mileage: 2.5 miles Day 1 Gross Elevation Gain: 2,096 feet Trails Used, Day 2 Retrace yesterday’s route. Return to Smoke Hollow Rd trailhead. Day 2 Mileage: 2.5 miles Day 2 Gross Elevation Gain: 55 feet Grand Total Mileage: 5 Miles Grand Total Gross Elevation Gain: 2,151 feet Notable Backpacking Gear Fjallraven Kajka 75 Backpack amzn.to/2Uj8Ew4 Amok Draumr XL Hammock amokequipment.com/collections/draumr-xl-introduction Amok Borg Tarp amokequipment.com/products/borg-multitarp Amok Fjol XL Winterlight Sleeping Pad amokequipment.com/products/fjol-xl-winterlight Hammock Gear Burrow 0 Top Quilt hammockgear.com/premium-burrow Kelty Salida 2 Person Tent amzn.to/36Wo680 Kelty Cosmic 0 Down Sleeping Bag (For tent) amzn.to/36VZcFS Dutchware Xenon 2 Person Tarp dutchwaregear.com/product/two-person-tarp MalloMe Camp Cookset amzn.to/3aTJkVi Aeropress Go Portable Travel Coffee Press amzn.to/39ezaio Optimus Polaris Optifuel Stove (running on white gas) amzn.to/2MoOno4 Light My Fire Mini Fire Steel Striker amzn.to/30S3rxm Zippo Classic Lighter amzn.to/3tJHa35 Sea to Summit Long Handled Spork amzn.to/2uyl5GJ Outdoor Research MicroGravity AscentShell Jacket amzn.to/38P5IhA Military Fleece Jacket amzn.to/2YjWchv Outdoor Vitals Adventure Jacket, Loftek version bit.ly/2AbgmPP Outdoor Vitals Satu Adventure Pants bit.ly/36Hd85J Hardshell Pants – Military ECWCS Gen III Trousers amzn.to/2WzloP4 Solomon Toundro Pro CSWP Boot amzn.to/2KQDDyz Byer of Maine Trilite Camp Stool amzn.to/38xgTx1 Nitecore NU25 Headlamp amzn.to/2YVsp0A Casio ProTrek F30 Smartwatch amzn.to/3dtY7Xj Spot Gen3 Messenger amzn.to/2EJLQhC Benchmade Bugout EDC Folding Knife amzn.to/2JVfBS5 Surplus MRE’s (Meal Ready to Eat) amzn.to/3a6cyRL Mountain House Sausage Biscuits & Gravy amzn.to/3q6eyih GoPro Hero 8 Black amzn.to/2D8n6lL GoPro Shorty Tripod Grip amzn.to/2MPhGOM FTC Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links, which means I may receive a commission for purchases made through some of my links. sintax77.com/free-stickers teespring.com/stores/sintax77-official-merch-store