January 21-24, 2016
Mt. Rogers - The Original Cold Weather Hammock Hang. Celebrating Our 10th Year!
REGISTRATION HERE. Updates to come. Check back often.
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! $5 per ticket or 5 for $20
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Wonder what it's like to do a winter hang at Mt. Rogers?
Mt. Rogers can be an interesting place in winter! Over the last few years, she's given us some eventful times...to say the least. If you're looking for a challenge with a bit of a safety factor, pack your rig and join us Jan 21-24. You're guaranteed to leave with a story or two!
Last year Gray Jay, The Professor, Mountnman, Nightranger, and I took a Thursday afternoon walk up into the high country and ventured across Wilburn Ridge. The views were spectacular! A 60 mile sweep all around left us breathless. It was simply gorgeous. The crisp air filled our lungs and felt good as we scrambled down the ridge toward our destination for the night, Thomas Knob. About then the wind shifted. It was just another half mile to our hang spot, but something spelled trouble in the sky. With the clouds moving in, we regrettably turned around and made footprints back down the mountain.
Arriving at our Grayson hang site about 5pm, we wondered about the decision to turn back. It all seemed fine here. Hammocks all set up, we cooked dinner and made a fire. Maztrain got out his guitar and we had a ball around the campfire. It was such a pleasant, set-your-spirit-free kind of evening! ...... and then about 6:30 it started to snow. A couple inches, and then a couple more. The wind picked up and we had to batten down our tarps. If this hang's history had taught us anything, we'd better be prepared. Just a couple years earlier 17" of freezing rain, sleet, and snow had put some of our friends in jeopardy! Senses heightened, we settled in that night. The roar of the wind above us would be nothing compared to what would happen the next evening....
The rest of the story is yours to discover! So please....There's plenty of space around the campfire! Bring your chair and join us Jan 21-24. It's always a good time!
HOME RUN
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WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
Organizer: Home Run
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.
Date: January 21-24, 2016
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
Last Year's Trip Report with great pictures and videos!
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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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. Some people will post about hikes or backpacking on the AT for Thursday and Friday. Most will start arriving Friday afternoon through Saturday morning. Hikes will materialize for Saturday. Or you can hang at the pavilion. Saturday evening is potluck dinner and raffle. Bring some food or drink to share. Sunday morning people start packing to leave. Some plan to meet at the Log Cabin for breakfast.
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 1/21 Thurs thru 1/24 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!
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Originally Posted by Hickery
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