Excursion 3

DNG went on its third adventure on May 29, 1999. Members Alex, Brian, and Dong were the participating members in this trip.

Brian's car, a 1995 Honda Civic EX coupe, NS1, was the mode of transportation. Not the best car for outdoor adventures, but sufficient. Only three packs were brought on this trip, which fit nicely into the trunk. The packs were relatively compact since only one night was planned for.

The adventure began at 6:00AM, May 29, 1999. It took about one and one-half hours to reach the destination, George Washington National Forest, which is located along the border of Virginia and West Virginia.

Our ultimate goal was to reach Big Schloss, a mountain (elevation about 3000 ft.) located right on the West Virginia / Virginia border. The mountain was named Big Scholss by Germans who thought the rock formation at the top of the mountain resembled a castle (Schloss in German). The plan was to hike up the Big Schloss cut-off trail, hike up to Big Schloss, then camp on top of Big Schloss for the night.

The plan however, did not exectue as anticipated. The cut off trail was not well marked, so instead, another more popular trail was taken. This resulted in a demanding 14 mile uphill hike, rather than the 3 miles planned. Big Schloss was finally reached at about 6:00PM, meaning the hike was almost seven hours, and all of the cleared camping space was taken. The first available campsite was at the cut-off trail, which was finally discovered13 miles into the hike on the other trail. The night was spent at the campsite located at the intersection of the 14 mile trail and the Big Schloss cut off trail. Not much wildlife, except for a rabbit that lived nearby.

The scene, however from Big Scholss is beautiful. It overlooks valleys on the West Virginia and Virginia sides. There are plenty of rocks for exploration, as well as a structure that somewhat resembles a castle.

Pictures of scenes along the trail below. (More to come)