Knob Nabbin' On Roaring Plains

“grrrrr”

“Bad news MarkO












I'm still going. The ten day forcast through Sunday looks great. I'm going to stop checking it so it can't change.”

“Roger that!!

I like the looks of it!”

“The boys and I are going Thursday evening.

Dang the weather, full speed ahead!!!”

“Will I be meeting you guys at the front site on Fri afternoon or somewhere else?
I hope to get to the trailhead around noon.
I'm not sure if that will be noon eastern,central,mountian, or pacific time but it will be noon somewhere.”

“I think we will head out Thursday evening and camp at Red Creek Campground.

We should be able to get to the trailhead by noon.

Gaiters are a must.
There is a lot of ankle-deep greenery to walk through which could be wet.
Rain gear.........for sure.

If we're lucky, and I usually am(hahahahahaha!!!), we wont get too dang wet.”

“i still don't know what I'll do this weekend. I am sort of bummed... call it a bad mood. I may just lock myself in the house and cry...or I go to the beach.

honestly...I am just not in the mood to drive that far right now...but it could change by the weekend.”

“Two of my boys will be with me.

If we head out Thursday night we will stay at Red Creek Campground.”

“What will you be driving so I can tell if I am early or late? Just in case there is more than one car w/MD plates. I'll be in the brown silverado w/PA plates. Why would we ever need raingear?”

“I think I will have the white Aerostar Shorty.

Rain gear.....................”

“Looks like we will be hittin' the road early tomorrow and with just three we will have the dark blue Scion xB.......funny lookin' little car.

South Prong Trailhead before noon.”

“I should be there close to noon if not earlier. It depends on if I get held up at customs trying to get into WV. : )”

“Just bring some roadkill 'possums to bribe the border guards.”

“Oh great now I have one more thing to get tonight. Do you think they would know the difference between a skunk or a possum if I run over it a few extra times?”

“Get 'em some Old Millwater Lite and they'll not know the difference.”

“http://www.thebackpacker.com/pictures/album/lcifnktg.php

Mo' pictures”

“Yo, Fridge!!”

“I'm IN”

“If'n 18-21 September ain't cool we can always do the following weekend.”

“oh man, thats the weekend of the Rhythum and Roots festival...dang...”

“unfortunately I have a previous engagement that weekend and can't take any time off from work to boot. :(

You'll just have to plan another trip to someplace cool in WV just for lil ole me :)”

“Sho nuf, Sweepy.”

“I'll hold you to it.”

“yo MarkO....I'll be on this one....but after the conversation with you today.....I take it you will not be on this trip? 6 months and no backpacking .....That spells lots of car camping trips....

I still going..
last edited: 7/23/08 2:20:49 PM”

“Whats the mileage look like for the all the days?

Where are ya'll meeting....

Are any slow hikers goin, or will I be all by my lonesome in the back?

I'm soooo tempted to ditch my bf and our plans for the music festival.....”

“if i dont have anywhere else i have to be, i'm in.

but the first time i hear fridge say "it's do-able!" i'm going home

:-P”

“No Mr Bang.....this is not Alaska.

Mileage is less than 6 miles a day sweetpea....ditch who? and come to this trip....ride over with me.”

“funny quote from another site:

"Roaring Plains

The Roaring / Flatrock Plains area is located directly to the south of Dolly Sods Wilderness and covers 12,000 acres. Like Dolly Sods, this area is also a high elevation plateau covered with hardwoods, spruce, and areas of impenatrable rhododendron thickets. There are numerous views of North fork Mountain to the east, and Spruce Knob to the south if you travel around the rim of the plateau.

Beware the southernmost unmarked trails below South Prong and Roaring Plains. They are not easy to find, follow, or bushwack. If you decide to enter a rhododendron thicket, you do so at your own peril! If you use four letter words, be prepared to use them all."”

“Yo Uncle Fridge, I'm gonna try to get the necessary days off from work..if it all works out I'm taking you up on your offer to ride to WV with you! Thans a bunch! :)”

“sounds like we're gonna need fridge's gps on this one again”

“It's too bad because I could guide you mooks to the Spec-Freakin'-Tack-Yoo-Lar Rim Trail.

GPS could take you there......................maybe.”

“I'll find it. Been years ago.”

“Sweetpea......Send me your Cell# via e mail to uncle fridge.”

“it's do-able!”

“always is doable....?”

“http://www.jonathanjessup.com/roaring-plains/roaring-plains-map-large.jpg

I take the pipeline to the point where it says, "Little Plains".
From there you go roughly WNW and after crossing a little creek there is an obvious trail.
In about a half-mile or less there is a trail that turns left toward the rim of Roaring Creek Holler.
In any event, you work your way southeast from that left turn keeping the rim close and more or less in sight.
Once on the Rim Trail you will know it and after a ways you will cross Roaring Creek, a reliable water source.
The only real tricky part is when you get to the end of the Boulder Field and the cairns run out and you are faced with spruce trees and no way through.
Go to the bottom of the Boulder Field and look for the trail to go north west.
From then on the trail goes through meadows and scrub trees for about 3/4 mile to the campsite which is at the point where Roaring Plains Trail comes closest to The Rim.”

“MarkO!!! I am bringing along a RED FLYER Wagon with rubber wheels.....you can ride in..I'll pull you to the overlook.”

“whats the terrain like on the feet....are we talking McAfee's Knob type trails...or...some freakin bushwacking adventure?”

“Easy stroll in the park....Nothing like McAfee Knob.....”

“McAfee is easy. (that hill going up towards Tinker on the other hand...lol.)

Great, I'll leave the boots at home if its a "walk in the park"....it looked sorta rocky in the picturesw, Fridge. You been to the Roain Plains before?”

“Yes....been a while though........If you can do Dolly Sods , you can do the Plains.”

“I wasn't worried about that..i was worried about how rocky and rough the terrain is. I'm not sure I like my hiking boots as they hurt my feet last trip...i've since bought a pair of Merrell cross trainer type shoes that i've been hiking in a lot and I'd prefer to wear them...unless the terrain is really rocky and rugged...in which case i need to buy new boots...I'm askin your opinion regarding that. :)”

“I prefer ankle support from a BOOT.
I have been backpacking for 30 years plus not counting my military time. I have used many types of footwear, some not good and some I loved.
Keep plugging along trying out what works for you. When it comes to footwear, I don't like to tell anyone what to wear.

Give your self some experience, ie,.... time and you will no doubt figure it out.”

“lol. I typically prefer ankle support too...but for trails like Dragon's Tooth and McAfee's Knob around here, I am just fine in cross trainers. However, some places on Mt. Rogers (i.e. the really rocky places) i want boot or my feet take a beating. I just wanna know what the trail looks like. You said it was a "walk in the park" I'm assuming you weren't talking about the smoothness or rockyness of the terrain. i'll just work on finding boots that don't hurt my feet :) Thanks Uncle Fridgy!”

“Dolly Sods has the same terrain.”

“Roaring Plains does not have as much mud as Dolly Sods but there are some nice muddy sections.

There are no serious ascents once you have gained the Flat Rock/Roaring Plains plateau. The Rim Trail is rocky and has long stretches of boulder field.

The trail out to Haystack Knob is rail trail and an easy grade though rocky under foot in places. The climb up to Haystack from that trail is very steep.

On the return from the knobs I usually skip The Rim Trail and take the Roaring Plains Trail back to The Pipeline. From The Pipeline I usually take the three-mile Forest Road 70 back to the parking area for the South Prong Trail on FR 19.
The RP Trail though an easy grade will punish the feet and turn the ankles with some very rocky stretches.

I always wear proper leather boots when hiking Roaring Plains and would save the "low-tops" for trails like the AT/McAfee Knob section.”

“Ahhh thanks Marko, I figured I'd have to find boots for this. Thanks :)”

“Is this still going to be a Thursday Sunday Trip, and if so is there anyway to catch up with you all late Friday first thing Saturday? I have never been over there and would love to go...

'fool (32oz)”

“For someone as fleet of foot as "the fool" one could make it all the way to Haystack in one day's hike.

From the junction of FR's 19 and 70 it is a three mile stroll on FR 70 to The Pipeline.

Turn right on The Pipeline and the Roaring Plains Trail appears on the left in 100-200 meters.

From that point it is about three miles to the campsite where the RP Trail comes closest to the rim. The Rim Trail leads to that campsite too.

From that site it is no more than three miles to Haystack Knob.

This trip of about nine miles involves very little elevation gain..........except for the final approach to Haystack.

Dang!!
I have knee surgery on September 5.”