Winter wheelin in NOVA

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R3

Offroad Committee Lead
Trail Instructor
Member 2024
Blue Ribbon Coalition
VA4WDA
So with so many new folks in the club and social media being what it is today. Thought I would toss out a little wisdom on winter trail rides on one of our favorite runs Flag Pole Knob.
- First off the club discuraged riding on public lands during the winter months and will not sponsor any rides on public land from Janurary to April. This is to let the trails recover from the years use.
- This said individual members can set up their own rides in the open forum and make runs on some of the local trails that stay open all year long. One such favorite is Flag Pole in the GW national forest. The Flag pole run consists of two trails, Union Springs and Dunk Hollow. Union Springs is the one everyone loves to climb in the warm weather months and ends on a paved road past the summit. Dunk Hollow runs down to Switzer Lake and ends on RT 33 just short of the WV boarder.

-Warm weather months this is a simple trail and most can drive it in 2WD. The Winter brings some serious challenges, Snow and Ice. Due to the topography half the both trails recieve little sun and whatever snow melt happens freezes solid turning the simple green trail into a Bobsled run. If that is not enough fun, much of the assent and decent are shelf road. What is a shelf road? It is a road with little to no extra room cut into the side of a mountain. So one side is straight up and the other is straight down and the trail is 1 to 1 1/2 vehicels wide at most. Snow melt and underground streams run down the trail and freeze solid at night. Snow falls atop this glare ice from time to time hiding the danger until the unprepared driver is sliding backward down the hill.

- The trail can easily be run in 1.5 to 2.0 hours during the warm months. In the winter it can be impassable. Yes I did say Impassable. The forest service does not patrol the trail and if you get stranded you are on your own. You can be on you own for a day or more depending on weather conditions.

-A ll this sound like fun yes? So you decide to go anyway. What do I need to run this trail?
- Full tank of gas. Sounds stupid but many times folks show up at the trail head with the gas gauge bouncing on E.
- Vehicle is top shape, You need 4 wheel drive, low range and good tires.
- Recovery gear. Oh great what doe sthat mean? For this run in the winter it means a Working winch, tree saver(s) snatch blocks, shovel and first aid kit. If you don't have a winch, simple don't go. You will get stuck and you will spend a bunch of energy trying to get free. If you go it alone, you are spending the night or two in the cold on the mountain.
-This should go without saying don't go alone, use the two vehicle rule and hopefully you don't get both stuck ( this is highly likely). If you go alone make sure people know where you went and have a plan in place if they do not hear from you by X time. Ths imeans calling someone who can recovery you not 911.
- A sleeping bag per person. It just might keep you from freezing to death.
- Warm drink or the ability to make warm drink and food.
- Traction devices, The Traction boards do not work on ice. Salt, kity litter, water softner salts do. Tire chains something most here on the east coast have no idea what to do with.
-Warm clothes and boots with an extra change of socks when you get the ones you are wearing soaked.

So this sounds excessive?
I have been wheeling since 1975 both here and in Europe summer and winter. I have run Flag pole in the dead of winter on 4 inches of glare ice and 8 inches of fresh powder. It took us 6 hours to climb to the meadow and we used every bit of our recovery gear in two Jeeps to get there. You did read that right, 6 hours to climb the hill. .. we still had to get down. Makes for a long day. Do not kid youself that this trail is easy in the winter months.

Winter wheeling can be a real challenge and along with that a lot of fun and a great learning experince. Go prepared and go with at least one other experinced driver prefferable two.

Cheers
The Ole Guy

R3
 
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Great post Rob. Some good words of wisdom here and thanks for sharing. While you should never wheel alone, this takes on a whole new urgency in the winter. To build on not just going alone, but be sure you are with someone who is experienced. Two newer (or inexperienced) Jeepers could just as easily get into a pickle as one.
Stay safe everyone.
🥶🥶🥶
 
Great post Rob. Some good words of wisdom here and thanks for sharing. While you should never wheel alone, this takes on a whole new urgency in the winter. To build on not just going alone, but be sure you are with someone who is experienced. Two newer (or inexperienced) Jeepers could just as easily get into a pickle as one.
Stay safe everyone.
🥶🥶🥶
Scott, Can we make this a Wiki or sticky post?
 
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