GWNF 1st trip of '17!

[Squatch]

This trip started out as a post on my regular web homelanetisuzu.
http://forum.planetisuzoo.com/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=93121

We often do a winter camping and wheeling trip. This was to Hone Quarry Campground in George Washington National Forest in Va.

I invited a couple of semi local folks from here as well. One made it. 2 FWC'ers together on the east coast and it wasn't an Overland Event!

Most of this is a cut and past from my trip report over on the planet. Anyway a good start 3 nights in the Eagle already this year and it's January!

I have to Thank Mike1 again for getting us out in January! The weather really couldn't have been any better.

I went down Thursday and as usual drove through Harpers Ferry.
Potomac River.


Shenandoah River.


I arrived at Hone Quarry Campground before dark and set up my camper. I had my M416 trailer with me. This is the 1st time I've towed it with the camper. It is invisible behind me. No backing without a spotter. So to park it I dropped the trailer. Turned the truck around and hitched it to the new front hitch and simple drove it into the parking spot. Easy peasy.


Friday am I fished a bit in the creek behind camp.








I had the campground to myself till Mike1's buddy Mike2 arrived mid afternoon Friday. About an hour later JollyRoger from "Wander the West" arrived with his Four Wheel Camper.
http://www.wanderthewest.com/forum/
We had conversed online earlier about GW. So I invited him and another fellow to join us. Only he was able to make it. He brought his well outfitted Hawk on a Ram Diesel. Nice rig.


2 Four Wheel Campers in the same place on the east coast probably qualifies as an event!

 

[Squatch]

Within a short time the 3 of us strangers were having a good time like old friends. When Mike2 arrived I was sitting in the little bit of sun for the weekend beside the creek.


I spent Friday afternoon chasing the little bit of sun around my site with my new portable solar panels. I did manage to get a small amount of charge on the battery. Pretty shady at this campground and the whole weekend was mostly cloudy.




As evening approached we built a fire and made some dinner.




Mike 1 showed up after dark and joined the gang.

The rain was kind enough in general to happen at night. After a slow start Saturday we decided to try a hike on the Cliff's trail. 3 of us went. It was very strenuous and rocky. i haven't hiked this aggressively in a while. but this old man held up well and really enjoyed the hike. Hopefully it is the start of a much more physically active 2017 for me.

Getting started.

 

[Squatch]

The views were rewarding.








Lot's of rocky outcroppings.




Did I mention the trail was rocky? I think "Juke" enjoyed the hike as well.


Cool tree growing out of the rocks.


Long way down.

 

[Squatch]

New friends.


I have to say that I was pretty worn out after the hike. I didn't get to spend as much time with Mike1 and his bud Bobby as I would have liked. I crashed pretty early Saturday.

JollyRoger and his dog Jukebox shortly before packing up to leave.


JR was kind enough to make me a nice breakfast of eggs and corned beef hash before we left on Sunday morning.

I have to make some special mention of Juke. I love animals and dogs. But not really a fan of these dogs. I've been witness to some of the mayhem that can go with them. But Juke gave me a new perspective and we became good friends.

My rig packed to leave on Sunday.


I had a great weekend. I Hope everyone else did too. I made some new friends and saw some old ones. Fished a little, Hiked a bit and spent quality time around a campfire. Not bad for the 1st outing of the year and the middle of January! ccasion5:

 

[Casa Escarlata Robles Too]

Thanks for the photos.
Great spot.
Nice to see some east coast places. I am originally from PA so it's a treat to see some landscape close to
my childhood area. Did you catch any fish?
I have seen other pickups with a front hitch and was wandering just how well they worked.A great idea.
Frank

 

[hoyden]

Looks like y'all had a great time! Pretty!

Sent from my HTC6500LVW using Wander The West mobile app

 

[Squatch]

Looks like y'all had a great time! Pretty!

Sent from my HTC6500LVW using Wander The West mobile app

Thanks folks. No I didn't catch any fish. I'm not much of a fly fisherman. Though I did catch a couple of trees! This is stocked trout water. I'm more at home fishing for smallmouth with a spinning rod. But I had a good time. And now I have my VA licenses. So I'm good for the year. I normally fish a small lake not too far from here in my solo canoe. When the weather gets better we stay away from the campgrounds and head for the back country.


Hoyden, This is not far from where you are going in Va.

 

[elmo_4_vt]

Nice... I was stuck home trying to be productive. 1/2 of the backsplash tile installed in the kitchen, oil changed in two cars and rear breaks replaces on the wife's car.

I would have rather been camping and hiking with you..

Actually looks like a cool campground. I'll have to try it out.

Don

-

 

[Bill D]

Nice start to the year.

I take that was the other guy s trailer. Cool little trailer.

 

[Smokecreek1]

Glad you guys had fun; boy if I lived where you do I'd be out year round--so many neat places to see. By the way out here in the west ( despite all that public land and allot less people) more than three is still crowd !!! Except for an occasional planned get to gather , it's more like what you guys did,"hey going up to the Warners on Saturday for the next week-the fishing is supposed to be good and the bald eagles are roosting " types of get to gather". Anyway, enjoy your WTWing and keep us posted!

Smoke.

 

[Squatch]

Thanks for the kind words.

Bill the blue truck and the M416 trailer are mine. I've had that trailer for over 30 years. It used to be an oddity. Now everyone that I see wants to buy it. Including one of the Rangers this trip. It requires a stout chain and lock!

I'm not in any of the pics as I was taking them. Saves broken camera's! Ha Ha

 

[Jollyrogers]

Just proof that two FWC's where at the same spot on the East Coast, and it wasn't an "organized event"

I had a great time! I was a little wiped after our hike, as was Juke! So I was a little "unsociable" saturday night and went and just crashed. Saturday I sorta wanted to go ride some fire roads, but with the weather so nice, I was really wanting to be outside vice sitting behind the wheel. I wish 360 photos would work, because the first cliff face was worth the hike!

Great group and Squatch is a wealth of wisdom... and yes, I too asked for the trailer to tow behind my Jeep!

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[smlobx]

Great trip report. This isn't too far from me so next time you're planning an "event" and wouldn't mind a Hallmark TC give me a shout...

Btw I know what you mean about the hard hike. On Saturday we climbed Flat Top Mt. And I'm glad I had an excuse to stay on the couch on Sunday (watching the football games)!

 

[Rockcod]

Very nice pictures . Thanks for that. There are not many who have had any fly fishing opportunities yet this year, so good going. Fish love to play "hard to get ". Did all of your latest improvements preform as planned ? I've read tales of Daystar cradles slapping the air springs while off pavement no harm I guess just a bit of noise.

Regards

 

[Marc]

Nice TR. Thanks for taking us for the ride.

marc

 

[ski3pin]

Nice! Tanks for sharing!

 

[Squatch]

Eddie we'll keep you in mind.

Rockcod as JR said it was just too nice on Sat to wheel when we could hike. That and we were lazy and didn't feel like breaking down the trucks and campers. So no real off roading. But the tires and such performed great. I used the new front hitch to park the trailer. Cannot see it at all behind the camper. I haven't dropped the cradles away from the airbags yet that I know of. But now I know it's safe to flex it a bit if needed.

Thanks all for the nice words.

 

[Happyjax]

That looked like a fun time! Juke is a cutie but being a Pit lover I would be biased Maybe one day I will actually have a truck and camper and be able to join in on the fun!

 

[buckland]

Great photos...adds a lot to hear of the trip. This is a good to to be out camping where you are... no one around and able to enjoy the Mountain streams without the herd of folks. Both rigs look well laid out. QUALITY CAMPING.