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Copying and pasting my response to your thread on ADKForum here as well. Note: There is no winter/spring car access to Wakely Dam. The road is closed a few miles east (towards Indian Lake). So you'll have to hike that much further to get to your car. I would go prepared for snow- definitely...

This is my suggestion as well. An 8x10 or 10x12 tarp strung over a rope between two trees works great. You have a lot more room than in a tent, and I've stayed far drier under a setup like this than I ever have in any tent. Also it's lighter than carrying a tent (although you said weight was...

I would agree 100% with this. A big mistake many people make with pulks is that they try to use them as a substitute for a pack. Pulling an over-laden pulk through deep snow is no fun, and you'll actually end up going slower than you would with just a pack, and getting tired more quickly. A...

Yes, whenever I enter a state for the first time that I am going to be doing more than just driving through, the first thing I do is stop at a gas station and get the Delorme Gazetteer. I'm really dissatisfied with the new editions of the Gazatteers, though. They made the lines representing...

Yes, that's the standard FS map. I have one for a different National Forest. They are decent maps, the nice thing about them is that they are waterproof. However, the big drawback to them is that they don't have topographic lines, and they are often lacking in fine detail. So they are ok for...

Thanks. I was looking at all 3 of those books online. Good to know that they are all worthwhile purchases. Yeah, it seems like there's no commercially available hiking maps for the Monongahela National Forest. I did find this website with maps of the wilderness areas in the MNF, though...

Anyone got any recommendations as to what the best guidebooks are for hiking/backpacking in the Virginia/West Virginia area are? I've been looking at the Falcon guidebooks for VA and WV, but the online reviews indicate that they are somewhat of a mixed bag, with only about 75% positive reviews...

I've used the Black Diamond Contact crampons for the past 4 or 5 winters, and I've been pretty satisfied with them. :)

I agree 100% that what you carry is a decision that must be made by each individual hiker, and that each hiker needs to be responsible for themselves (especially in winter). However, part of being able to make appropriate choices is having adequate information upon which to base your...

Part of what makes a 4 season tent a 4 season tent isn't just durability/strength. 4 season tents also have air vents high up to allow for continued air circulation even in a snowstorm. Without these air vents, a 3 season tent can lose air circulation if enough snow falls to bury the tent...

The sign beside the path read: “TO THE TWO GRAVES OF PETER SAVERIE AND ELIZA A. KING OF LITTLE CANADA.” I paused in the gathering darkness, debating whether to deviate from my route, or to continue on towards my destination. The last rays of daylight were disappearing through the looming...

Well, of course, if you have only one single man, and you put him up against a whole bunch of women, the man is going to lose. But it's hardly a fair fight, isn't it? Most of my hiking companions are female (I'm a male), and most of them have no qualms about hiking solo. I seem to encounter...

In Case of Emergency: I generally carry a standard first aid kit, which I don't modify in any way for winter. IMO, the two biggest winter injuries of concern (cold-related injuries and sprains/strains/fractures) are going to be better treated with other items in your pack, rather than what's...

This is a post that I made to the ADKHighPeaks. I was asked to post it here as well. I was asked via PM to put together a list of the gear I carry in winter. I figured I'd share it with the community in general. Feel free to post your own lists- the "what's in your pack" thread from a few...

There is a clear difference, and I agree, it's much better than the alternatives shown in the other pictures. But I also agree with Roy in that ideally, the surface of the trail would've been raised a little bit higher than the retaining walls on either side. A good rainbow cross-section, with...

Yeah, once you get a good organic mud in your tread, it's going to be there for the duration. This is the problem with corduroy (laying logs across the trail)- it eventually rots and makes things even worse in the long run. In some spots, we're still dealing with the effects of this on trails...

Yes. Standards for hiking trails aren't that much different than standards for roads. Like I stated above, the ideal hiking trail is going to have a lot in common with a well-constructed road. Erosion and gullying are going to be major issues over time if a trail exceeds 10% slope without...

The best way to combat erosion is to carefully plan the trail out before it's constructed. Ideally, hiking trails will remain below 10% grade. For steeper slopes, you'd use switchbacks to maintain the grade to that standard. Our trails here in the east were largely cut before anyone knew...

Yeah, I agree- that is without a doubt improper trail conscription. Ideally, a trail will look pretty similar to a road. It will be slightly "rainbow-shaped" in cross section, which facilitates drainage. Certainly, you'd want the trail to be above the grade, or at least have a drainage ditch...

Relation of Entry Requirements and Fees To Other Management Techniques: Both Entry Requirements and Fees are considered to be "indirect management techniques," that is, techniques that only influence the choices a visitor to a wilderness area makes. In contrast, "direct management techniques"...