Over the three-day Martin Luther King weekend, eight DCUL backpackers (and one slack-packing dog) tackled the infamous Virginia Appalachian Trail (AT) “Roller Coaster” northbound from Manassas Gap to Snickerville Gap. This section of unrelenting climbs and descents is the area that most gives the AT in Virginia its reputation for “PUDS” (pointless ups and downs.) We were prepared for predicted winter level-one (W-1) freezing daytime temperatures and lows in the teens at night, as well as for icy mud from recent rains and sleet, but were surprised by a beautiful dusting of snow on days two and three. (DCUL trip rankings and winter ratings: https://dculbackpacking.com/about/tripranks/ ). Our efforts were rewarded with fabulous views from the ridges at places like Sky Meadows and Bears Den Rocks as well as with the jovial company of fellow outdoors lovers.
On Saturday morning, we set up a car shuttle at Snickerville Gap and Manassas Gap. We then enjoyed the leisurely 7.2-mile hike over and through wind-swept ridges and damp, mossy hollows to Whiskey Hollow shelter, arriving very early by DCUL standards.
It was nice to have plenty of time to relax, but the cold temperatures would have been difficult to endure. Thankfully, Dmitri (aka Dying Siberian Wolf -DSW) was practicing his arctic survival skills such as warming drinking water with body heat and built an intense fire to toast us until hiker midnight. About half the group shared the luxurious double-decker shelter, while the others tented nearby. The winds swirled angrily, but we were partially protected down in the hollow and our insulation layers kept us cozy. Or at least comfortable enough. A foolhardy mouse woke Dmitri by gnawing at his tent, but the Siberian Wolf was too sleepy to make a midnight snack of the offending rodent.
Sunday morning, John got up early to hike a few miles up to the ridges above Sky Meadows State Park to catch the Blue Ridge sunrise. Laura and Ollie doggie returned to their car, since they had a family commitment, and the rest of us headed uphill around dawn. Bright sunshine at least provided the illusion of warmth as we climbed the hills and traversed the windswept meadows quickly enough to warm our toes.
By mid-morning, pregnant clouds loomed and trip organizer Mark R. (aka “Snake Jumper”) developed a sinus headache, indicating that the barometric pressure was falling quickly. A passing hunter asked: ”You have layers, don’t you?” Yep. We did. Blessedly, the precipitation fell as light, fluffy snow, rather than the dreaded “wintry mix” of sleet, freezing rain and general slop that is so common in these parts. Siberian Wolf howled with delight at finding himself once again in his natural element.
It was amazing how quickly the forests transformed from their drab winter aspect to a glorious sugar-coating. So, when we finally started the “Roller Coaster” segment, we had the additional class-B fun of slippery footing on steep hillsides as well as the class-A enjoyment of enhanced views whenever we could look up. The AT white blazes were often camouflaged against the snow, so we had to be careful not to take incorrect turns. Some of us moved pretty quickly to stay warm, while others took their time to enjoy the scenery or even stopped to make a hot lunch. One of the nice things about a DCUL members-only (M0) trip is that you can set any pace that suits you.
As we trickled into the small, but well-situated Sam Moore shelter, we quickly began gathering firewood to push back the coming night. As usual, some of the crew set up their sleep systems in the shelter and others erected tents nearby.
Once again, Dmitri was fire-master, even setting up hollow logs in such a way as to burn from the inside-out, creating a jet-like effect. It was just what we needed for drying wet clothing , defrosting fingers, toes and bums and warming our spirits.
Huddling around the fire encouraged light-hearted joking and two DCUL backpackers were bestowed trail names. Austin was christened “Citrus,” in belated honor of his extraordinary contributions to extreme hot-weather backpacking. https://dculbackpacking.com/2023/07/11/trip-report-puddin-meat-and-frozen-grapefruit-tuscarora-trail-section-22-21-piney-ridge-trail-july-8-9-2023-28-miles. Meanwhile, Reza was dubbed “Thud” for his exemplary valor in scaring mice out of the shelter by repeatedly banging his head against the low overhead beam. Yes, tall athletic guys face struggles too. (In fairness, it should be noted for the official record that several of us hit our heads. Reza/Thud was, however, in the most urgent need of a trail name.)
Monday morning we left camp at the luxuriously un-DCUL-like hour of eight o’clock, since we only had to cover about three and a half miles back to the cars. The Snowy Coaster wasn’t done with us yet, however. We still had some respectable climbing to get the heart pumping, and some great views from places like Bears Den Rocks. Some of the crew also made the short detour to check out the cool Bears Den hikers’ hostel and campground.
As usual, the Siberian Wolf provided tragicomic relief. As some of us had our heads down while climbing a steep hill, Dmitri shouted down to beware of a ferocious beast blocking the trail. We scanned frantically for bears or lynx, before discerning this fluffy, pudgy critter stubbornly holding its ground:
The raccoon didn’t appear to be rabid. So, our theories as to why it refused to yield ground ranged from defending food, to being injured, to begging passing humans (aka trash providers) for snacks. At any rate, we bushwhacked around it. Even the Siberian Wolf was on his best behavior, and did not eat the raccoon.
Hiking through the popular Bears Den/Bear Rocks area, Snake Jumper greeted a group of day-hikers he knew, and encouraged a few to amp-up their adventure-quotient by joining DCUL. We quickly descended to the cars, changed into dry clothing, reversed the car-shuttle and drove to get second-breakfast at the Marshall Diner (https://www.marshalldinerva.net/). Naturally, the Siberian Wolf won the eating contest, following his breakfast platter with a slab of apple pie bigger than the raccoon we had avoided earlier. Most importantly, DCUL Applicant Matt Leedham earned promotion to full Member, by showing that he is ready for more challenging trips. Congratulations, Matt, but now you need to do something foolish, embarrassing, inspirational, or otherwise noteworthy to be endowed with a trail name.
Trip announcement on MeetUp: https://www.meetup.com/dc-ul-backpacking/events/297644018/
Annotated route on CalTopo: https://caltopo.com/m/5CQCK
DC UL Backpacking 
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