GROUNDHOG RIDGE MANWAY  12/2/12

It ended up being the perfect weekend for this particular ascent that we have missed for about two years.  Climbing Groundhog was much easier without packs, although someone in our crew didn't get that memo.  At least he didn't bail on the trail and proceeded right up through the rhodo.

Seen above about halfway up the Groundhog Ridge manway.  Our weather was ideal.

Not that there weren't victims of the sawbriers.  Red perservered and summited for his first time to Camerer, which route could be more memorable with a crystal clear day?

Beginning on Saturday, Red and I strolled into cs 35 fairly early in the day.  As a result, we could gather downed logs etc with great facility.  As a result of our observations about the obvious surfeit of burning material at the campsite which we had to ourselves, it was prompty renamed the Woodford Hayes Memorial Campsite.

Another wonder in the layout of this site is its orientation from east to west.  Directly behind us at night was the following sight in opposition to the one above.  We were also directly in sight of our next day's objective, the Mt. Camerer fire tower.

That is the moon rising above and illuminating the tower.

Didn't take long for Will and Jenny to arrive then came Ricky Bobby and Doo Doo Doug. This will be the last month that folks will be able to have hiking cameos.  The fee is scheduled to begin next month and it will require people to make advance preparation.

All night hiking cameos were the result of this perfect weather and our plans to ascend the Groundhog Ridge.  Bobby and I are of the same mindset with regard to this particular off trail route.  If an opportunity presents itself, climb,climb,climb.

I had a bit of a tent issue and that pole finally snapped.  We were forced to do some engineering.

It worked like a charm.  Thank goodness Red had some 550 cord.

Base camping out of 35 is really the way to do Groundhog Ridge.  I will say that the trail was in very good condition and we did some route finding that showed us the error of our turn before the "crux" of the ascent. 

Below are a montage of pictures from the SouthernHighlander Outlaw Hiking weekend.   

Enjoy