January 23-25, 2015
Mt. Rogers! The Original Cold Weather Hammock Hang!!
Don't Miss It!
REGISTER HERE. The event and camping are free. Tickets to a gear raffle are sold and pay for the event. Bring cash to buy one ticket or more! $10 per ticket.
Baby, it's cold outside!
Organizer: HomeRun
Location: Group Campground, Grayson Highlands State Park
829 Grayson Highland Lane, Mouth of Wilson, VA 24363
The AT goes right through the park for fantastic day hiking or backpacking before or after the hang.
Lat,Lon 36.63974,-81.487355. Camping (hanging) is in the area between the pavilion and the group camp site; same as last year.
No need to stop at the ranger station or pay a parking fee. They know we're coming!
Some more links:
Park Information
More Information
Park Weather Forecast
Park Map and Trail Guide
The Mt. Rogers Winter Hang happens because people volunteer to do stuff! It organizes itself on a Google Spreadsheet.
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Please register on the Google Spreadsheet. It helps greatly with planning.
The sheet is set up so you can change your answers at any time if your plans change or if you need to add or delete information.
It is more or less self-explanatory, but don’t hesitate to ask questions.
Expect it to change substantially, so check back shortly before the hang.
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Ponies and the usual suspects . . .
USE EXTREME CAUTION ON PARK ROADS - If weather is snowy or icy, please be extremely careful on park road. Often there will be ice on blind curves where water drains across road and then freezes. The park doesn't clear it. You don't see it until you are on it. Go slow, be safe. People behind you will appreciate your safe driving. At my first winter hang I (HappyCamper) saw a van slide off the road on a blind curve where there were no guard rails. The van was hanging sideways on trees.
SCHEDULE of EVENTS – This hang is less structured than some others. All meals are on-your-own except the Saturday Potluck Supper, but they have a communal feeling, as people cook around the group fire near the pavilion. A big tarp provides coverage for the fire pit area. In addition, it’s nice to have 3 or 4 tarps on the windward side of the pavilion. Sign-up on the Google Spreadsheet if you can bring one.
GENERAL INFORMATION
Family-Friendly Event: We pride ourselves on being a family-friendly camping hang. As an advertised family friendly event, we ask all hangers to use appropriate language and actions in front of our young people. Kinda like Hammock Forums itself so not a big deal for our group.
The Winter Hang is a great way for beginners to try winter hanging. Your car is parked next to the hang spot so you can bring as much gear as you need to stay warm. There are experienced hangers who can show you how to improve your winter hang. Plus you will see all the latest and greatest equipment that winter hangers use.
Bathrooms, Showers, Water: None of these are supplied by the park. We’ll have a Porta Potty nearby. Bring your water from home or get water at the park office. The campground water is turned off, and the bathrooms are closed for the winter.
Covered Pavilion: Yes! – it is used mostly for the raffle, though you can cook meals under the roof if you’re neat. (It’s warmer around the fire ring.)
Vendors Sales: People often ask if vendors will be selling at group hangs. The answer is no. The vendors have discussed this and say it's not something they want to do. You can see their hammock setups, tarps, quilts, etc. any time during the weekend and during the hammock tours. And the vendor donations make up a lot of the raffle prizes. There's no better place to see winter hammock gear.
HOW TO HANG IN VERY COLD WEATHER: Originally Doctari had started a thread about the 2014 winter hang which can be found here...Original Thread. Please take a look. It is filled with lots of good & important info.
ANSWERS TO FAQ
* Contact info for the State Park available on-line at Grayson Highlands State Park.
* Rangers can be reached at (276) 579-7092 for any questions we can't answer or found on-line.
* We have confirmed the dates of 1/22 Thurs thru 1/25 Sunday.
* The Port-a-Potty will be provided by the Park and placed behind the camp store.
* The park is working to get a local guy to supply the wood. All we have to do is pay when we get there.
* Parking is available at the store and also near the permanent bathroom close to our hang sites and the fire ring.
* No need to stop at the ranger station or pay a parking fee.
* We can come as early as Thurs and leave as late as Monday morning.
* Map of park and campground available on the park's website.
* Fees to park are paid for by the raffle. If raffle fails to raise enough money, a small additional donation will be requested from group.
Many thanks to the people who make this happen. And to the people who attend who make it worth organizing. This is Hammock Forums' oldest winter hang! And thanks to the forum members who took these pictures that I swiped off of last years trip report!
Top of Virginia, Ma!
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Originally Posted by HappyCamper
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