Hear ye, Hear ye, any interest in an east coast BPL G.G.G?

[Anonymous]

I live in VA, roughly the middle of the East Coast. Wonder if any of you east coast BPL'ers might want to meet up en masse for an east coast version of the G.G.G.?

Numbers/Size doesn't matter, motion of th… i mean.. ah em, quality does.

Would like to keep it as simple as possible. Free, and pack in and out your own stuff, but i could bring some extras if people needed it. The site i'm thinking of specifically is about 5 miles south of south entrance of Shenandoah National park on the AT. The site has a nice stream, a good sized shelter, some camping spaces, and a privy, and allows fires.

The biggest downside is the lack of parking near the area (and as far as i know, you have to hike in at least 5 miles). Sometimes SNP and the road through same is closed off. There are only a relative handful of official parking right outside of the park (however, there are parking lots right near there, but while the buildings there look abandoned, etc, i don't know what the policy or safety of parking in these spaces is. I can try to contact the city of Waynesboro to see).

I'm thinking mid Februrary, sometime somewhat shortly before or after Valentines day.

[Bob Gross]

Justin, you want to make sure that your East Coast group gets the franchise rights settled up in advance with Mister West Coast (Ken). Have your Marketing Director get in touch with him well in advance.

–B.G.–

[Anonymous]

Good point Bob. I suppose we might as well also start preparing for the eventual gang wars that will inevitably ensue between East sy-eed and the West coast toast.

I'm already packing heat, i got my hot tent and stove, and i aint afraid to use it.

[Hiking Malto]

I have travelled out to two west coast events and they were a blast. Not near the concentration of BPLers in any one location like there is in the Bay Area but I would make the drive down from PA. Come on Easterners, how about it?

[BlackHatGuy]

Sorry, already committed to the west coast GGG this year.

[Anonymous]

It's a month later, hypothetically speaking.

[BlackHatGuy]

Sorry dude, can only afford so many babysitter nights ($110/day+overnight, plus tip), and I'm heading to Michigan first week of March for a backpacking trip. That and the GGG is the limit til late Spring.

[Anonymous]

Come on folks, when more than 2 or 3 gather in BPL's name, miracles can occur.

You may be witness to me walking on water………….

(if it's frozen)

[Stephen M]

Justin,

Mid February is bad for me.

If it was in March and some other from Michigan would car share I may be up for it.

[Anonymous]

Hi Stephen,

Exact timing is very much up in the air. I could do sometime in March. As long as it's still cool out, i don't mind one way or the other.

[Stephen M]

Thats cool Justin once its not St. Patrick's day,

I go on trips with 3 other Bpl guys in Michigan and if somone esle was up for ut I would
come always along, otherwise the 10~12 hour drive each way would be a killer for a weekend.

[Richard Brown]

Justin,

For what it's worth, The Inn at Afton will let you park cars in their lot. Located directly above the hill from the old run down businesses. Just check in with the front desk and they give you a slip to put in your windshield. Quick hike down to the shelter from there. Mid-February is bad for me also.

Justin

[Mark Heiser]

I would be up for this. February is also bad for me. March is better, any weekend but the 22nd right now.

[Ethan A.]

From a former E Coaster who misses New England and upstate NY stomping grounds, this is a little valentine Ms. EJ and I put together for all the wonderful friends we’ve made, the many helpful things we’ve learned and the amazingly creative gear makers we’ve met.

http://vimeo.com/36630858

Backpackers Gone Wild: BPL 3rd Annual SF Bay Area Gathering of Gear Geeks (GGG) 2011

Some memorable moments:

-The Gear Stove Boil-Off – WARNING this gets HOT!
-What happens in Coe stays in Coe and things that go bump in the night
-How Tony makes it through a cold lonely night
-Richard Nisley guest interview
-Styrofoam snow and picnicking BPL style
-What lightweight backpackers really sound like
-Debbie’s first place win for shared item
-The next Backpackers Gone Wild casting event

[NOTE – the 2011 trip was in January not February]

Hope you schedule a meet one day when we can make it.

[Anonymous]

Thanks for the tip Justin.

Mark, i will try to plan it for March sometime.

Nice vid EJ, liked the Star Wars theme beginning and end. Interesting to see some of the folks from here in action on video. Thank you for sharing it here.

[Tony Wong]

Justin,

Take the trip that you have planned for yourself.

Next time you are planning a trip, throw out the dates and see who might join you.

Eventually, you will have people join you….one leads to the next one.

Tony

[Ben C]

I have some interest. I'll keep following your posts.

[Ryan Smith]

Sounds great. I am flexible on dates so whatever works for everyone else. Feb or March might be best since most folks don't have a lot planned in the cold months.

Ryan

[Anonymous]

Sounds like for some that late/end of March would work best, but late March is also when AT Thru hikers start arriving, so i kind of would like to do earlier March.

[Richard Brown]

+1 Tony Wong:

"Take the trip that you have planned for yourself.

Next time you are planning a trip, throw out the dates and see who might join you.

Eventually, you will have people join you….one leads to the next one."

PM me when you decide when to go. If I'm free I'll join you. That's pretty close to home.

[Will Webster]

My wife and I are interested. We're more light than UL but definitely interested in learning how others lighten up in our Mid-Atlantic climate.

Coincidentally we will (weather permitting) be in the area next weekend; doing a loop between Blackrock Gap and Calf Mtn as we push our AT miles ever-so-slowly south.

Edit to add: 2nd half of March will not work for us.

[Mark Heiser]

Early March works for me

[Brandon M]

I would definitely be interested as well. As with most others, March is looking better for me.

[M G]

I'm in Northern VA. Would be very keen end of Feb or March. Flexible throughout March. Would love to car pool from the DMV area.

[Alex H]

"Sounds like for some that late/end of March would work best, but late March is also when AT Thru hikers start arriving, so i kind of would like to do earlier March."

Very few thru hikers make it that far north by March. I have run into the early big waves in southern NC then.

We might be interested in a March date too.

[Author]

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