New Years Eve Hang near Morgantown, West Virginia

**HappyCamper** · 12-18-2009, 14:40

Kirk is coming so the list now looks like . . .

HappyCamper - yes
RockRat - yes
JD - yes
Kirk - yes
Lisa - yes
Country Rat - probably
Tagalong & Biker650 - maybe

The park also has firewood for sale but it's probably a bit pricy. Good to get it before you come into park, but this may be good fall back if we get low.

**HappyCamper** · 12-22-2009, 09:37

JD sent me this email today about the NYE Hang.

The 10-Day Forecast...! Yes, we are only 10 days from NYE...!!! High 25F -- Low 18F. No precip in forecast. Too cold for mud...<g>... J.D.

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Perfect for driving in, perfect for testing gear! My first winter campout with scouts in a hammock was 18 degree low. Did it with a WallyWorld blue mat and a bottom loading Hennessy. Almost went upside down fightin' with that mat. Lived to tell. Lived to hang another day.

**rock_rat** · 12-22-2009, 11:14

They claim that what your doing on new years eve is what you'll spend the next year doing. So lets hope that this leads to a year full of great camping trips and not sleeping out side in 18 degree weather come August.

WV · 12-22-2009, 15:11

Very tempting, for a number of reasons. I'm visiting my southern in-laws for Christmas and will eat the obligatory collards, but sauerkraut ....mmmmmm!
I probably won't know if I can make it until the 30th. Post directions from I-68 Coopers Rock Exit.

**HappyCamper** · 12-22-2009, 16:27

Hey that would be great! Here's map of park. At top of map you can see directions from I-68 Exit 15.

1a. From I-68 heading West, take Exit 15 (Coopers Rock) and turn right off of exit.
1b. From I-68 heading East, take Exit 15 (Coopers Rock) and turn left off of exit.

2. Go to end of road (1/8 mile if that) and turn right onto Route 73.

3. Come to stop sign and go straight through stop sign, still on Route 73.

4. Take next left. Go 1.5 miles to main entrance of Chestnut Ridge Park on left.

I'm not exactly sure where we'll be at this point, but it's not a big park and you should be able to find us.

I have red Tacoma pickup truck with camper top. JD has grey Subaru station wagon. And RockRat has a Jeep. Lisa has a van. And of course you can always look for hammocks !

**rock_rat** · 12-23-2009, 07:15

Originally Posted by HappyCamper

I have red Tacoma pickup truck with camper top. JD has grey Subaru station wagon. And RockRat has a Jeep. Lisa has a van. And of course you can always look for hammocks !

I think this time of year that may be a dead give away.

**HappyCamper** · 12-27-2009, 09:26

Hey all, you ain't gonna see a NYE hang like this but once in a blue moon! Really! There's gonna be a full moon on NYE and it will be highest in the sky at midnight AND it's a blue moon, so wear blue to the hang for luck ! ! JD contacted a local guy and we're getting a bunch of firewood to keep us warm the whole time.

Updated weather report the Chestnut Ridge
Thu
Dec 31

Snow Shower
34° high
31° low

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Celebrate This New Year's Eve with an "eclipsed-blue-snow-moon Party!
The month of December, 2009 will have two full moons. The first full moon will shine bright near the beginning of the month, December 2, and the second full moon will illuminate the skies on New Year's Eve. The second full moon is called a blue moon. Two full moons in the same month is rare and happens only once in every couple of years. Months with 31 days have the greatest chance of showing blue moons. July, August and October are at the top of that list, and the only month that might have no full moons is the short month of February. So celebrate! This party could be a "once -in-a-blue-moon, New Year's Eve party!"

American Indian names for December's full moon!

The Cherokee call December's full moon the "snow moon," so, this one might also be called the "blue snow moon!" Other American Indians, also, had names for December's full moon: the Creek called it "big winter moon," the Kiowa named it the "real goose moon," "moon when the deer shed their horns" was from the Sioux, and it was the "big bear's moon" to the Winnebago.

**HappyCamper** · 01-01-2010, 14:35

Back from the overnight NYE hang! The weather could not have been crappier so most all the out of staters dropped out and I can't blame them. But for gear testing it was great because it's the type of weather everyone hates. Lots of snow on ground, but 38 degree high, low probably about 28 to 30 degrees, hours of rain, fog, then snow and ice after it got dark. One bright spot is that we got a nice load of firewood and were able to keep the hammock fires burning even in the rain.

So it was me, JD+SkyDog, and RockRat car camping. Good amount of snow on ground so only one tenting area plowed out and open. Had a great pavilion with 3 picnic tables. Because of all the rain, JD and RockRat decided to setup their hammocks under the pavilion but with all the fog, RockRat still used his tarp. SkyDog was the smart one, stayed snuggled in car, trying several times to paw the heat on.

I setup outside of the pavilion, as always wanting to test gear. Did well with my JRB large tarp hung low with one end criss-crossed shut. Piled up snow at edges to keep out wind. Edges pretty much to the ground.

The fog rolled in and out the whole time got everything that was out on the picnic tables wet. I've fooled a little bit with undercovers and overcovers, but I’ve had condensation issues with them. So I just decided to carry the extra weight as down this time using my JRB Mount Washington 4 and JRB NoSniv+5 in this cold wet weather. Overkill for the temps, but I figured I'd be cold, cold, cold from the wet weather and even if the fog affected the loft, there's still plenty of down to keep me warm and that logic worked fine for me. I was plenty warm most of the night. At 5 am I got chilled but I figure it was because I refused to get up and go for biobreak. Just put on my down liner jacket and was good for another 2 hours.

My biggest problem once again were my feet freezing up, but JD had an extra pair of Sorel boots in his truck and man, those are great. My feet were toasty warm for the rest of the night. Even walking around in sloppy wet road slush. Gotta get me a pair of those.

So we howled in 2010. Looking forward to more great hanging all year long.

PS: My whoopie slings froze up again. When my fingers are cold and my feet are freezing, snow coming down fast, the last thing I want to do is use my hands to melt the slings. I'm going back to webbing for winter hanging.

**tagalong** · 01-01-2010, 16:04

Happy Camper, Glad you had a chance to get out. I received my Hudson River quilt in time for this hang but my husband was home sick NY eve so I spent the evening at a church function. We'll get together another time-maybe around Ohio Pyle in the spring??? Happy New Year!