Change in February 17th Hike

[Josh Silverman]

I was at Elizabeth Furnace today and the bottom line is that I can't risk doing this hike for the group.  Much of the trail is quite navigable, but there are areas where the snow slopes across the trail rather than lying relatively flat on it.  It is very slippery in above-freezing temperatures, especially in the areas where the ground falls away steeply from the footpath.  Going up wasn't so bad, but going down was very difficult, indeed dangerous.  I know that the snow level will decrease considerably as a result of a couple of warm days and some rain for tomorrow, but I still cannot take the chance of hitting an unusable piece of the trail during mid-hike.

Instead we will go to Prince William Forest.  We haven't done this hike for quite a while.  I don't think that the snow should offer any special challenges on these trails, but bring microspikes just in case.  It is estimated at 17 miles, with about 1500 feet of elevation gain.

The Centreville parking area is somewhat out of the way for people trying to get to this location and in any case there is plenty of parking space, so it is best for us to meet in the Visitor Center parking lot directly.  Please arrive by 8:30 AM.  The address is 

Prince William Forest Park

18170 Park Entrance Rd.

Triangle, VA 22172

The weather report for Tuesday is very encouraging, with temperatures close to 60 degrees and no rain.

Josh