Winter Hot Tent Camping …and Kicking Cancer’s @#S

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Backpacking & Winter Camping with a Hot Tent on the Appalachian Trail using a Titanium Wood Stove & 5 person Luxe Twinpeak tent.

For this adventure, we got a guided tour of Virginia’s Mount Pleasant Scenic Area in the George Washington National Forest. The weather at our elevation of roughly 4,000′ was forecast to be in the mid to low 20’s with high winds, so we were excited to see how the tent & wood stove combo would work out.

Cole Mountain Loop Route Overview – Sintax77

No permit is required to camp in the George Washington National forest, but there are rules and regulations regarding backcountry camping. You can find more information on the George Washington & Jefferson National Forest website here.

Full GPS track data, including campsites, water sources, etc, for this trip and many others can be downloaded on my Trip Data Page.

You can read more about Ricky’s story and his experience with pancreatic cancer here.

Trailhead Used: Mt Pleasant Trailhead Parking Area,  37°45’32.2″N 79°11’18.9″W
Wiggins Spring Road, Amherst, VA 24521

The Mt Pleasant Trailhead has room for several vehicles, but the approach road is a dirt road.  A capable vehicle with decent clearance is advised.

Trails Used, Day 1

  • Begin at the Mt Pleasant Trail Parking Lot
  • Head south on the Appalachian Trail.
  • Head south on the heard path found on the bald area of Cole Mountain.
  • Lunch break at the campsite found at the end of the heard path.
  • Bushwhack down the ridge. There is not trail or herd path – simply follow the old rock wall all the way to the bottom.
  • Head east on the Old Hotel Trail
    • Note: There is reliable water right by the trail here.  We made sure to stock up before heading the additional 1/4 towards camp.
  • Setup camp at the large clearing off of the Old Hotel Trail.
    • Note: If you follow the heard path on the east end of the clearing, you’ll be rewarded with a nice view of Mt Pleasant through the trees. This is probably the best spot near camp to see sunrise.

Day 1 Mileage: 3 miles
Day 1 Gross Elevation Gain: 838 feet
Day 1 Gross Descent: 750 feet

Day 1 Elevation Profile – Cole Mountain Loop – Sintax77

Trails Used, Day 2

  • Head north on the Old Hotel Trail
  • Arrive back at the Mt Pleasant Trailhead Parking Area

Day 2 Mileage: 1.5 miles
Day 2 Gross Elevation Gain: 213 feet
Day 1 Gross Descent: 273 feet

Day 2 Elevation Profile – Cole Mountain Loop – Sintax77

Grand Total Mileage: 4.5 Miles
Grand Total Gross Elevation Gain: 1,076 feet

Ricky’s YouTube Channel – The RR Outdoorsman

Tracy & Mark’s YouTube Channel – The Summit Bums

Notable Backpacking Gear

Disclosure: A commission may be earned on some of the links on this post.