Anyone been to Dolly Sods recently?

[Here There]

I unexpectedly had 4.5 days open up next week, so I would like to go to Dolly Sods since I've been craving some snowshoeing and winter backpacking.

Has anyone been there recently to know what kind of conditions I'm likely to face?

I've never been there before, so if you have any winter backpacking experience there I'd like to hear from you.

-Am I likely to find liquid water, or will I always be melting snow? I have a jetboil or an inverted canister stove I can take, but I'm unsure of water availability or the likely temperatures I will face.

-My understanding is that forest road 75 is the usual 3 season access point, but is closed in the winter, leaving Timberline or White Grass as the best access points. Is this accurate? Any reason to pick one over the other?

-Since I haven't been snowshoeing in a while and will be on unfamiliar terrain I'm expecting to make low mileage. Any route suggestions for a four day trip? I'll have a 5-6 hour drive on each end.

Here's the forecast for Davis, WV–any idea how this will translate to weather in the Sods?

Once I have a better idea of the conditions I'll be facing I can put together a gear list to get some feedback.

Thanks!

[BlackHatGuy]

A site that provides real time images of the Dolly Sods area: http://www.fsvisimages.com/fstemplate.aspx?site=doso1

You can also try calling the Cheat-Potomac Ranger District at (304)257-4488 ext. 0

[Mark Ferwerda]

I hike into the Canaan Valley last weekend from Blackwater State Park. There was around a foot of snow, and water was running. Some friends went to Dolly Sods about a month ago. They tried to enter from the east through FS75 but snow was too deep, so they came in from the west on FS19. I know this doesn't help much…

[Here There]

Thanks for the number Doug, I gave them a call and Kristine emailed me some helpful information.

From the weather forecast and Mark's experience nearby, it sounds like running water should be available, so I don't need to go crazy on fuel to melt snow. Seems like it won't be as cold as I initially anticipated.

Anyone have trail suggestions? I'm especially interested in the tundra areas, so I'm guessing I'll want to try to hit the northern trails.

-David

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