New to Jeeping Run (Flagpole)

Added to Calendar: 05-14-22

Nacho

Member 2024
VA4WDA
New to Jeepers Ride

One of Northern VA Jeepers Associations long standing traditional rides is the early summer “New to Jeeping” trip up to Flagpole. This year’s ride will be on Saturday, May 14th.

The Trail:

This is stock Jeep friendly, family friendly, and a dog friendly outing. This is the perfect run for new Jeepers, stock Jeeps, or anyone that just wants to get out and meet some new friends. If you went to Peters Mill, this is a great next step.

Since this is a new to Jeeping run, we will do an extended safety brief before we start and go over some basic off-roading 101 points. We will have folks available to answer questions and help those who are new to all this.

Depending on the number we have sign up, we will take one group of people up Union Springs to Meadow Knob, one of the most popular mountain clearings with awesome views for great photo ops. Then we will head down Dunkle Hollow to Skidmore Lake. If we have a lot of Jeepers sign up, we may break into two groups and go the opposite way where we can meet at meadow knob for lunch.

The Flagpole trail has a little of everything. There are some fun hill climbs, some rocky obstacles, and some muddy water holes.

Lunch:

We will stop there for lunch on the trail at Meadow Knob. You can cook out, eat cold food or share with your fellow Jeepers.

Mandatory Requirements:
  • Functioning 4wd
  • Spare tire (and tools to change)
  • Food & drinks (yes, I always consider snacks mandatory, and we will do a group lunch at the meadow)
  • Recovery points (front & rear)
  • Full tank of gas
  • Follow Tread Lightly principles (including pack in-pack out)

Recommended:
  • Fire extinguisher & first aid kit
  • Comms (we will use GMRS)
  • Recovery gear & Tools
  • Camera- You never know what you will see up there. Bear, snakes, deer, fox, quail etc.
  • Chair- To eat lunch, relax, and enjoy some scenery at the meadow

Logistics:

Location:
We will meet at Mountain View Elementary School parking lot (2800 Rawley Pike, Harrisonburg, VA 22801)
Date: May 14, 2022
Time: 8:30 AM, this will be an all-day ride

We will do a short offroad 101 talk and safety brief before rolling out

Depending on the number of sign-ups will determine the number of groups, 15 rigs will be the max per group.

Sign up below if interested.

  1. Nacho
  2. Nachos friend John
  3. SaintedDrew
  4. OneArmedSaint
  5. RVAWJ
  6. Stone1342
  7. Jeepers Creepers
  8. Trail diva
 
Last edited:
Greetings Nacho,
I'm in a stock JK. We did Peters Mills 3 weeks ago with the group, so much fun. If you think a stock JK can run Flagpole please include the wife and I. :)
You can totally do it in a stock JK. You may scrape the bottom in a couple areas but you will be good-to-go! Also your jeep will get scratches from the brush, but those are your Flag Pole stripes! My JL earned those stripes a month after I purchased it, haha. They're surface stripes that can be buffed out though. Bring tools to disconnect your front sway bars if you do not have a Rubicon. And buy heavy duty zip ties to tie it up while on the trails. When I had my JK Sahara I purchased the zip ties from Harbor Freight.

Have fun! This ride is a lot of fun!
 
I'm a "maybe" depending on the weather. Do you think running this trail topless/doorless is a bad idea??
 
I was so excited to do this run, unfortunately other things on the schedule for the 14th:confused:. Hopefully there will be another chance to go later in spring/summer
 
Last edited:
I'm a "maybe" depending on the weather. Do you think running this trail topless/doorless is a bad idea??
As for topless, it just depends on the weather. I have taken top down several times and had no issues. As for riding doorless, you just need to be aware that some of the mud puddles may be near door levels depending on your lift. That would be the only real consideration, IMO.
 
I was so excited to do this run, unfortunately other things on the schedule for the 14th:confused:. Hopefully there will be another chance to go latter in spring/summer
There will be a lot more opportunities to hit up Flagpole. (y)
 
Alas, we will be out of town as well to reunite Galactica's body and frame. Plus, the WNDR-XJ doesn't have operational 4WD at the moment anyway - we're halfway through a gear change....sigh. Too many projects.
 
Greetings Nacho,
I'm in a stock JK. We did Peters Mills 3 weeks ago with the group, so much fun. If you think a stock JK can run Flagpole please include the wife and I. :)
Won’t be able to make this one.
Kixster, I did Flagpole several times while stock. Didn’t even need to disconnect the sway bars. Still had temp tags on the first time out!
It will be a great trail for you to determine your level of comfort and learning your Jeep’s capabilities.
If you haven’t bought any recovery gear or anything like that yet, don’t. There are some items that almost everyone should have.Take next week as a goo opportunity to know what the more experienced members are packing and what they like or don’t like.
Have fun!
 
New to Jeepers Ride

One of Northern VA Jeepers Associations long standing traditional rides is the early summer “New to Jeeping” trip up to Flagpole. This year’s ride will be on Saturday, May 14th.

The Trail:

This is stock Jeep friendly, family friendly, and a dog friendly outing. This is the perfect run for new Jeepers, stock Jeeps, or anyone that just wants to get out and meet some new friends. If you went to Peters Mill, this is a great next step.

Since this is a new to Jeeping run, we will do an extended safety brief before we start and go over some basic off-roading 101 points. We will have folks available to answer questions and help those who are new to all this.

Depending on the number we have sign up, we will take one group of people up Union Springs to Meadow Knob, one of the most popular mountain clearings with awesome views for great photo ops. Then we will head down Dunkle Hollow to Skidmore Lake. If we have a lot of Jeepers sign up, we may break into two groups and go the opposite way where we can meet at meadow knob for lunch.

The Flagpole trail has a little of everything. There are some fun hill climbs, some rocky obstacles, and some muddy water holes.

Lunch:

We will stop there for lunch on the trail at Meadow Knob. You can cook out, eat cold food or share with your fellow Jeepers.

Mandatory Requirements:
  • Functioning 4wd
  • Spare tire (and tools to change)
  • Food & drinks (yes, I always consider snacks mandatory, and we will do a group lunch at the meadow)
  • Recovery points (front & rear)
  • Full tank of gas
  • Follow Tread Lightly principles (including pack in-pack out)

Recommended:
  • Fire extinguisher & first aid kit
  • Comms (we will use GMRS)
  • Recovery gear & Tools
  • Camera- You never know what you will see up there. Bear, snakes, deer, fox, quail etc.
  • Chair- To eat lunch, relax, and enjoy some scenery at the meadow

Logistics:

Location:
We will meet at Mountain View Elementary School parking lot (2800 Rawley Pike, Harrisonburg, VA 22801)
Date: May 14, 2022
Time: 8:30 AM, this will be an all-day ride

We will do a short offroad 101 talk and safety brief before rolling out

Depending on the number of sign-ups will determine the number of groups, 15 rigs will be the max per group.

Sign up below if interested.

  1. Nacho
  2. Kixster
  3. SaintedDrew
  4. Cory
  5. OneArmedSaint
  6. RG12








Nacho, Having just attended the Jeep Adventure Academy in Uwharrie I now know what the buttons are for in my JL Rubicon. I look forward to a shakedown run to Flagpole as I still have a lot to learn.
 
You gonna bring the WJ also or just hers? Love to break in a new jeep.

We will only be bringing a single vehicle. Which vehicle is yet to be determined. Might be her JLU or my WJ. She will be given the option to drive if she wants to or I will drive if she opts not to.
Right now I am leaning towards bringing the WJ. That way if she wants to drive there is little to no way to make a mistake. It already has a few scratches and dents, fully armored, and you could run the worst lines on the trail and still make it no problem. So it makes it mostly error proof.
 
Back
Top