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!
