Dolly Sods Labor Day Backpacking

September 3 -

Celebrating the fruits of their labors in true NORSA style, Steven S and Marvin W did their second backpacking trip of 2012, this time with newcomers Joe D and Nathan M.

The crew headed out for a 2-night trip to Dolly Sods Wilderness in the Mongahela National Forest over the holiday weekend, an area first explored by the original NORSA crew in 2001.

Dolly Sods was well populated with hikers and backpackers.  Its unique ecology and proximity to the metropolitan area make it a classic mid-atlantic destination.

The group hiked approximately 22 miles through high meadows, forest, and bogs.


Over the course of 2 days the trail passed through spruce trees, aspen, maple, wild blueberries, cranberry bogs, small waterfalls, and beaver dams.

There were intervals of rain throughout the weekend, including a heavy downpour on Sunday that put out any hopes of lighting a camp fire.





Despite those challenges, the camaraderie and experience of the group carried them through and it was a great trek for all.  A short hike in on Monday left enough time to return to civilization in style via a hibachi buffet.

A great way to end the summer in NORSA-rific fashion!

2011 Camping Year in Review

2011 was yet again a most excellent year for backpacking and hiking. NORSA members hit up some old favorites and a few new sites too. The year ended for Steven S with three nights out in back-to-back weekends. On to the highlights:

April - Ramsey's Draft - 2012 backpacking started with a bang. Lots of fun despite lots of rain and hail.

Fourth of July - Staunton River / Jones Mountain Cabin trail in Shenandoah. Huge thunderstorm came through but fortunately the deck of the cabin sheltered us. Steven S and Emily P first did this trail in 2008, and it was looking a lot less rugged and overgrown this time. Besides the cabin there is a nice overlook at Bear Church Rock.

October/November - Day hiking at Wildcat Mountain and Bull Run Mountain Conservancy. Two new parks for us that are relatively close to the DC area. Wildcat is a nice walk through the woods, while Bull Run has an overlook and some historic cemeteries.

December - solo backpacking to Halfmoon Lookout and White Rocks. Although this was a repeat from May 2010, Steven S camped on the peak of Halfmoon Lookout this time, which has perhaps the most beautiful sunset in the GW National Forest and great views of the stars. It also makes for a cold and windy winter's night. In the parking area there were a few West Virginians out with dogs looking for "bar."

New Year's Day - overnight to Duncan Knob with Marvin and Matt J. We got caught in a downpour/sleet while getting up to the knob. Fortunately with three hatchets among us we were able to make a great fire, and with an easy hike back in we had time to grab pancakes. A great way to start the new year.

How will you experience your outdoors in 2012? Let's hope it's the most NORSA-rific year yet!

Storming through Ramsey's Draft - NORSA Spring Backpacking

April 15 2011 - Team NORSA member Steven S, along with Cody L and Marvin W set out to conquer the challenging Ramsey's Draft wilderness trails.

Ramsey's Draft is quite an adventure, with 20+ stream crossings, remnants of virgin hemlock forest, and spectacular ridge climbs. If that wasn't enough, this expedition took place on a weekend with 100% chance of rain including thunderstorms and flash flooding.

The three hikers left after work on Friday with a 3+ hour drive to the forest. In what has become a NORSA tradition, the initial hike was mostly in the dark. The downpour started that night and continued through the morning. But, with a hot breakfast prepared under the tarp, they were ready for the day's challenges. These included: heavy thunderstorms that tested their rain gear, stream crossings that were knee deep, and bushwacking for hours to find a safe place to cross the rushing stream. In all the excitement, Steven S lost his water shoes.

Despite these difficulties, they made good progress by the time the rain let up to allow a lunch break. That is when the first hailstorm hit. Steven learned never to say things like "at least we know it can't come down any harder..." This kind of talk only tempted the skies to prove him wrong. After finishing the 20th crossing, the trail climbed to the headwaters of Ramsey's Draft. The trail literally became a running river itself, with many branching streams and waterfalls forming along the way. It was an impressive sight, and would have made for good camping in normal conditions.

A suitable campsite was waiting on top of the ridge. Everyone enjoyed a hot meal and looked forward to drying their gear overnight. Surprise! It got below freezing. Steven S was using his 40F rated bag and it was damn cold. Same thing in the morning as the wind cut through wet clothing. But eventually it turned out to be a beautiful spring day. The second half of the hike follows Bald Ridge with a lot of climbing early, and then has a steady downhill finish back to Ramsey's Draft. The ridge features many window views, white pines, and beautiful camp sites. At last the descent brought them back to the draft, and in a fitting conclusion, required one more bushwack and stream crossing to make it to the trailhead.

Despite the tough stuff on this trip, everyone had a good time and took it all in stride. Ramsey's Draft East gets a NORSA seal of approval. For a less intense version of this hike, try it during a drier time of year or just rearrange your plans if the weather forecast looks terrible.