Hiking and Camping at Dolly Sods

I took Ian and Leah camping and hiking this weekend - just a quick overnighter at Dolly Sods Wilderness Area and the Nature Conservancy's Bear Rocks (abutting the northern end of Dolly Sods).  The park was PACKED!

We got there just after lunch and snagged the last camping sight - which we ended up sharing with another couple who arrived later (because that would really stink to drive all that way and have no place to sleep).  They returned the favor by sharing their campfire with us after we got back.

After setting up our tent, we drove about 4 miles to Bear Rocks, which sits at the very edge of the Allegheny plateau.  Both kids had a great time climbing on the rocks and exploring.

The leaves were just barely past prime, but it was still gorgeous.  It was a warm/hot weekend at home (and muggy), while we got to enjoy low 70's in the sun - perfect!

Looking south towards the sun, the blueberry fields were a gorgeous shade of red.

While looking for where to set up for my sunset photo, the kids found this rock which they said looked like a whale.  They were a ways ahead of me when I heard them say that, and as soon as I saw the rock, I could see the whale-resemblance.  Of course, Ian and Leah just had to climb it!

We brought our backpacks out so we could cook and eat dinner while waiting for the sunset.  Both kids brought a book/entertainment, so they sat with their backs to a rock and just enjoyed the sun and the wind.

It took me several hours to find my sunset composition.  Overall I am happy with the photo - I just wish we had had some clouds for some visual interest.

We stuck around until it got dark - we were going to take a photo of the Milky Way's galactic core setting, but surprisingly some clouds moved in and wrecked any chance of that happening.  The clouds cleared enough for us to see the Milky Way before the moon rose, so that was a treat.

It rained on us this morning, but nothing major.  Fortunately, the weather at home was dry so we could set up the tent and hammock to dry out.

Have a great day everybody!

Marc

Dolly Sods Wilderness Area

This past weekend I met up with an old friend from high school, and we hiking at Dolly Sods Wilderness Area in West Virginia.  We were hoping to get a hike in with some fall color, but due to the elevation, the majority of the leaves had already turned and fallen, I guess by about 2-3 weeks.

We both got to the trailhead a bit after dark.  That made finding a campsite pretty difficult since it was pitch black.  Nevertheless, we put on our headlamps and walked away from the road for about 100 yards, and found a clump of trees to tie our hammocks to.  We had seen the weather forecast and knew that it was supposed to be cold - and the weatherman was NOT wrong!

After admiring the milky way, we both turned in.  We got up before the sun rose, and at first, it looked like we might catch a nice sunrise, since the stars were still out and only a few, high clouds were around.  That all changed quite quickly as a ton of clouds moved in with the wind (had I mentioned the cold wind?!?).

That didn't stop us, though.  We continued to pack up and headed back to the cars and in to Bear Rocks Preserve.  The sunrise was a bit 'meh, but that could be the cold and wind talking.

After admiring the sunrise, we went back to our cars, cooked a warm breakfast and repacked our backpacks.  We then headed into the Dolly Sods for a nice hike along the Bear Rocks trail and the Raven Ridge trail.  We found our campsite a bit after lunch, and set up our hammocks, ate a hot lunch, and collected firewood.  We then sat around the fire for the rest of the day and night.  Everyone that passed by loved the fire and were amazed at the hammocks.  It spit snow on and off for the whole day after we set up camp, so we thought we were prepared for a cold night.

We were not.

Okay, I'm being dramatic.  I went to bed with a bottle full of boiling water, which helped keep me warm.  My cold feet/toes woke me up about 1, but that was nothing that my still hot water bottle couldn't fix.

When we woke up, the skies were clear again, but we had frost on the ground, and ice covered all the non-moving bodies of water.  Did I mention it was cold?!?

We got an early start to our hike out.  We both agreed that the hike out led us through beautiful terrain, and was our favorite trail in the Dolly Sods.  Thankfully the wind was at our backs once we turned towards the trailhead, but it was strong enough to push us around with our backpacks.  After we packed our cars and hit the road, it was 11:30 and only 35F.  I don't know what it was with the windchill, but we spent a couple of really cold nights in the hammocks - but it was totally worth it!

Have a great day everybody!

Marc