Train to Trail - Harpers Ferry Winter Backpacking Trip - Hiking in West Virginia
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 14 ต.ค. 2024
- Join Mike and I for for a “Train to Trail” Winter Camping, Backpacking, Campfire cooking, & Hiking adventure
in Harpers Ferry, WV. GPS Data at www.sintax77.com
We tried something a bit different for fun on this winter camping trip - instead of driving, we decided to take an Amtrak train directly to the trailhead. This is actually and idea that Mike and I had been kicking around for a while now. The first challenge was finding an interesting trail that was actually close to a train station, without a need for secondary transportation or an excessive walk. After a bit of research, we determined that Harpers Ferry, West Virginia fit the criteria quite well. The train practically dumps you right on the Appalachian Trail. We booked our tickets, packed our bags, and hit the trail, er, I mean, train station.
For an easier read, check out my full blog post and trip report here: www.sintax77.co...
With 4 days and 3 nights off, we had decent amount of time to play with on this trip. The challenge however, would be that we needed to plan an out and back trip that didn’t put us to far away from the train station on our final morning, rather than doing a loop like we normally prefer. Fortunately, we quickly realized that to be a perfect excuse to do a a laid back, more camping, less hiking kind of trip.
The plan? After leaving the train behind,we would hop on the Appalachian trail for a few miles - just long enough to feel the seclusion of the deep winter woods, and set up a base camp for the duration of the trip.
Other than that, we really had no hard set plans, other than relaxing, having a good time, and brushing up on our campfire cooking skills. Did we succeed? I guess you’ll just have to watch and see…
Trailhead: Harpers Ferry Amtrak Train Station
Trails Used
Leave Harpers Ferry via Appalachian Trail South
After around 3 miles, bushwack West to unofficial campsite.
Return via Appalachian Trail North
Notable Gear Used on this Trip by Mike
Gregory Palisade 80 backpack
EMS Down Parka
EMS Ascent Hard shell Jacket
MSR Whisperlite International stove
Dream Hammock Thunderbird Hammock
Hammock Gear Burrow 20 top quilt
Hammock Gear Incubator 20 underquilt
Hammock Gear Cuben Hex Tarp with doors
Portable bluetooth speaker with fancy lightshow
GSI cookset
Notable Gear Used on this Trip by Sintax77
EMS Longtrail 70 backpack (2011 version)
Montbell UL down parka
EMS Ascent Hardshell
MSR Rapidfire stove (see my video on it here) *no longer manufactured - modern equivalent is the MSR Windpro.
MSR Flex Skillet
Dollar Store tongs and turner for cooking
Sea to Summit Alpha Cutlery Set
Fozzils Bowl / Plate
Dream Hammock Darien Hammock
Hammock Gear Burrow 0 top quilt
Hammock Gear Incubator 0 underquilt
Hammock Gear Cuben Hex Tarp (standard model, no doors)
Pocket Chainsaw
SOG Flash I tanto blade pocket knife
History with mike lessons must continue! Funny
It is so nice to see you and Mike having loads of fun. It makes me smile. 😁
This was so much fun! You and Mike are hysterical 😅 My hubby and I laughed and laughed and were amazed at you and Mike’s ingenuity! Thank you for this!
"The only thing opened.... is this snickers bar." Great video.
That was hilarious!
Train to trail that sounds fun. I do think I will save this for tomorrow and enjoy my breakfast while i watch.
this was, perhaps, one of your best outings..... for not going very far at all! that "oven" was great! Harpers Ferry area is fantastic! thanks for taking us along, and keep em coming.
58:57 - "Not like this....not like this..."
great video, guys! Loved the epic fireplace.
i guess it's kinda randomly asking but does anyone know a good site to watch new tv shows online?
Stumbled upon this video a few months ago and now am an avid follower of the channel. Really enjoy the weekend trips with Mike. Lots of fun.
my favorite scene is the one where you're pretending to sleep lol.
I enjoy watching all your videos sintax. but this by far is the best, funny as heck. the fact that Mike is just having fun with nothing going wrong is a straight A+ lol. thanks for this one.
Thank you so much for making these videos....my wife and I absolutely love watching them. But more importantly, thank you for showing that backpacking doesn't have to be a high mileage long distance ordeal. The short hike videos with your wife and now this base camp video is just awesome and expires others that they too can enjoy the outdoors without walking the the whole AT! Well done!
Amazing! Sintax77 I just LAWL’d out loud lots from, “I love this line, you have like the NINE hundred foot line extension!”......🤯🤪🤯🤪🤯🤪
This is one of the best camping videos you've done. Glad to see a change of pace and more base camp than hiking. Thanks Sean.
+Irish Zombie Nation Thanks! My pleasure. ;)
One word :
Silky .
You already know this . Great channel .
Best all round entertaining, easy to watch, personable, hiking/camping vid yet. Please don't bother acknowledging any critics. You were clearly out to enjoy your days your way, the way you should. The entire vid was great. Love trains, wish our country had as many going west as easily as they are to find on the east coast running north and south.
Last week 95+ degrees F in Georgia. I really needed this cold winter camp video. Thanks guys.
I had to have watched the 58 minute mark cooking lesson fail from TrailKilla at least 7 times. I was laughing at his misery way too hard! Impressive chimney, gents. Love the channel.
That was a pretty good one boys. You've got to drag Mike back out from time to time. Just keep hounding him. Don't let up. Family man or not, everyone needs a brake once in a while.
Oh man.. excellent production. Well done sintax77. As a self described senior circuit adventure hiker this video reminds me a lot of my own hiking adventures. Winter backpacking carrying a crazy heavy pack and low mileage. What a fun video to watch while I'm chilling in my AC away from all the bugs and heat enjoying major league baseball. I can't hardly wait for the temp gauge to drop so I can head back to the mountains. Cold stream trout fishing in the great smoky mountains is an art, a really tasty one.
good job guys, really enjoyed this one. Looks like you all had a blast. thanks for sharing and see yall in the woods
This was a great video. I like all your videos but when you two guys get together by yourselves it's classic stuff. Reminds me of myself and a friend of mine with what your guys did on this one out in the woods- just livin life not a care in the world and having fun. How it should be.
Definitely a different way to start a hike. Mike's pack is a beast! Yet again another awesome video.
+cfraimondo233 Thanks, and yes, Mike's pack on this trip was no joke! :D
Instead of car camping it was train camping. Love it guys. I've done short hikes longer than that where folks brought light shows and grills. Well done sir. And I've got the same pot. I won't use it to strain with the handle.
+Sinfonian Barelytone Yes, please - we don't need any more noodles on the ground! So traumatic...
Hey Shawn, just a quick shout out to ya. Thanks to you and this video I just took my 15 yr old nephew on a 3 day backpacking trip South of Harpers Ferry. I'm able to live car free in RVA and I try to take him camping about once a year, but renting a car for each of our trips makes it kind of expensive. This video gave me another option and forced us both to live out of our packs rather than just doing some lazy car camping. It got pretty cold and we got rained on a few times but we still had fun! Thanks brother, and keep making vids!
Man, you love that word, "perc-u-late"... lol, I can't get enough of it. It's the adjective for anything involving cooking food. Perc-u-late. You should be a comedian. Love the vids man.
sooo instead of Mike forgetting something he just brings everything...props Mike...nice video sintac
sintax
+BurningBeard714 Yeah, he wasn't taking any chances on this trip, lol.
You guys have have to quit, LOL I have had to stop this video 6 times to look up great new product ideas that will work great for me. Keep up the great job. Every time you two go hiking there’s always something new your pulling out of your hat.
Awesome rail to trail trip. This one is close to my heart, I live about 30 miles SW of Harpers Ferry! Great plan for a relaxing, yet mildly adventurous trip! Love the fact you carried home food for the fun! Thanks for sharing and HH
WWW
I only just found this video & wow, what fun! I love the creativity, from taking Amtrak to Harper's Ferry (great idea!) to building a fantastic fireplace (Mike, you amaze me). I think this may be my favorite camping/backpacking video, and I've watched many! I wish I had accompanied you two on this trip, and, in a sense, I did. THANK YOU! This video was truly inspiring.
Thanks, Dee. Glad you enjoyed it!
Cool trip Sintax. You and trail killa should definitely do more camping like this in West Va.
This was one of your best vids.Killer fireplace and trail cooking too!
Trail killer, Sintax77 great adventure. Welcome to my world. The railroad. Nice video. After a long day on the railroad your video made my day. Thanks
It's like a go time camp/hiking video hybrid! Really liked this video. It made my Saturday, thanks!
Ninja skit was killing me but I almost fell out of my office chair at work when he dumped the noodles on the ground and u screamed nooooo. Funny dudes
This is one of, if not your best video yet. Makes me want to do a similar trip up here in the Rockies.
One of my favorite videos of yours Sintax! Always love the adventures with you and Mike
Hahahahahahahahahahah after all that he ended up dropping the Mac n Cheese... Best thing ever. This was my favorite episode so far (and I've watched for years!) I hope you guys do something like this again, it reminded me of the old abandoned movie tunnel video. There's so much different funny content in this one, its cool because you got to explore around and hang out!
Those poor pilots flying over must have thought the ground crew loaded LSD in the air scrubbers, or, the Antarians landed in West-by-God-Virginia.
You guys ROCK!!!
Loved, loved, loved this vid. The fact that you both took a train to trial approach was awesome. And just Base camping instead of pounding miles. Great fire place you made for others to eventually use. You guys are the bomb....... Thanks again for the great vid.
+Chef Cocoa Thanks, glad you enjoyed it! We had a great, for sure.
Train people are always so nice .
Awesome video.
Enjoyed every second of it, trips like this are awesome.
Regards
Mark
Right on. Awesome trip. Loved the stone fire.
Fallout was an amazing game series.... I played fallout on an old macintosh performa way back when. Great trip! Thanks for doing what you do! 🤠
I'm less than half way thru and loving this video. - I was hiking at Harper's Ferrry just a few weeks ago. Restaurants don't open before 10am, so we had to eat candy bars for breakfast.
GREAT VIDEO!! One of my favorites that you've done. No long miles(not that that's a bad thing, I do it as well), relaxing, good food, good company.....doesn't get better than that.
....and great editing.
Amazing natural table there with the SPAM on it. Sweet camp spot! You should make this a base-camp of sorts and do an overnighter two or three times a year while improving the site.
I've been hiking short trips lately and carrying alot of house food or regular foods from home. I'm wanting to try and dehydrate different things to see if it will work. Love your videos and glad to see you and Mike just having fun
Oh man that pizza at the end was fantastic looking .OMG. thick crust sausage cheese suace oh yeah
i really enjoyed this video, always nice to see something a bit different. that aint a dig tho at a another well known channel that always records almost identical camps in the same place.
Hi guys I love the video of u two & u had 4 days of men stuff. The fire pit looks amazing great heat from it..I've only started watching you're video & it's great stuff, keep them coming
Really love your trips. I am a double organ transplant patient still recovering from a liver and kidney transplant. Although I can only
Go backpacking by watching your videos, I hope to get back in the woods by next year.
Thank you and keep the trips coming.
Donnie in Mississippi.
Different is good. Enjoyed the video. I've seen Mike carry some weight in the other videos, but that pack was HUGE! Awesome stuff.
Loved Harpers Ferry. Did the Loudoun Heights out and back and hung out in town for a while going through the shops. Love the historic Civil War towns. Great day trip and day hike.
Absolutely amazing video once again my man! I've seen every video of yours and I have to say this is one of my favorites so far!
+Rob Thanks, Rob. Glad you enjoyed it!
I liked this video a lot. It was a lot different than usual and it made the video fun. You couldn't predict what was coming next. Great work as always. Keep it up! definitely the best editing you have done yet.
I bikepacked the C and O canal trail a couple of years ago. Ate at the Anvil for dinner one night and it was awesome! I definitely recommend it if your in the area.
I just went out on my first hammock camping hike few weeks ago, on the NCT in Michigan. I'm 63, and not in the best shape ever, and my kit weighed in at about 40 lbs. NOW I understand why you pay so much attention to the weight of each individual item you take! : ) I will be doing things differently on my next trek, AND getting back in shape! Thanks for all your instructive videos!
Brilliant and Mike is so knowledgeable
A friend and I did this section one year ago. We stayed in Treehouse Camp at Maple Tree. Hiked down to Weaverton Cliffs. Nice weekend. We're heading to DE Water Gap in one week! Backpack AT south to Duncannon.
Great hike, totally enjoyed the video.
My buddies and I keep saying we're going to do some hunker in place and enjoy it time but just haven't done it yet. Looks like a good time, great video!
+GeneralPreparedness1 Yeah, it was a great time and nice change of pace. You should definitely give it a shot some time.
Legend says Mike and Sintax are still in the DC train station as Amtak is always late and Sintax has been forced to post all his videos from the stations wifi. Tune in next video to find out if our valiant adventure seekers will ever return to PA. :-)
Oh my, you guys are having way too much fun! 30 min into it and I can't stop watching! But I got to go to bed and get some sleep...pick it up tomorrow. Great video ST77...really is a good one.
Nice trip. Train was a good change.
1:08:28 - he looked at a river, because he had to walk a hundred miles and not watch TV and thought is was really cool.
That is some funny stuff right there!!! lol!!!!!
I think this is the 3rd time I've watched this, good times.
Great video. Everclear also doubles as backup fuel for an alcohol store, so it is really necessary survival gear :-)
Hey sintax77 idk what is is about this video but I believe it’s my favorite video I have watched like 3-4 times just when I have nothing better to do ...the wife took over the tv .. but love ur videos can’t wait for more
+dustin sloan Haha, thanks Dustin. We had a lot of fun on this trip.
great video Sintax andTrail. I really enjoyed it.
I am at home with the flu and, like you guys, have lots of time on my hands. Thanks for the fun informative video!!
Great video, loved the light show.
This is first sintax video where he did not have proper planning, day 1/night 1 dinner issue LOL. will see the rest tomorrow... I saw the whole thing. Great trip and two great guys. The only thing I would change is bring a nice bourbon....
Really cool trip, loved the oven! Always enjoyable videos, thanks for sharing!
Woodland ninjas and a Flintstone fireplace, what's not to love.
Would love some more train to trail routes
Looked like a lot of fun! Great video mate :)
Been watching your vids now for nearly a month so been going thru your vids afew a day haha helps get me thru lockdown as I'm in liverpool England an out of all your vids I've enjoyed this one the most an yeah it not the one wit the most miles hiked or anything like that but it's one that you have both really enjoyed yourselves the one were you both have laughed so much that I really enjoyed watching you both camping
So, party kit, projection screen, and Dark Side of the Moon... You guys were high AF weren't you lmfao...
I will save this video for tomorrow night as I am out on a wild woodland camp my self .. camp 8 out of 12
17 minutes into the video and I'm enjoying it. I'll finish watching the rest later tonight and leave a comment. Wyoming will be our main backpack trip in a couple of weeks. I'm keeping the exact location a secret for now. Red River Gorge next year!
+uptrail71 Wyoming, awesome! Enjoy it :)
Excellent Video! The fireplace in the woods looks great. I like how you guys made this a short distance hike with the good food and luxury items. I really like how you keep mixing the trip videos rather than making them all the same. Also I thought that you and Mike did a winter trip at Linville Gorge? Our Wyoming trip will be over 1,200 miles drive one way. 3 days 2 nights backpacking. Thanks Again for another great video! Bob
Guys I lost it at (58.51) Mike! if I was drinking milk at that time it would have definitely came out of my nose,,, HA! HA! Great video you put together.
+oldntatted Haha, thanks!
Loved the video, thanks for sharing, your awesome, hats off to both of you.......
Hope you enjoyed Harper's Ferry, my stomping grounds. I was wondering did you leave the oven intact? Cause I may have to see if I can find it and check it out. Love all the videos. Seeing your wife on other videos has encouraged mine to finally go out with me. Thanks!!!
Outstanding Video!
Nice to see you guys in my neighborhood. :)
Awesome video. Definitely my favorite so far.
Gracias por llevarnos a nosotros también en su aventura saludos desde el valle del río grande en Texas keep doing the good video bro God bless
Hey sintax, been subscribed for a while and decided to re-watch your trip planning tip videos and I think you should start doing videos of the planning of all your trips! Could be a lot of fun and interactive for all of Ustinov get ideas and rely submerse in the hiking community together!
+Jarred Howard Pretty cool idea, I like that. Thanks!
New Subscriber. I'm enjoying watching your camping videos! I was just thinking after watching some AT thru hiking videos of doing a plane to trail trip. Some good airports right along the AT. We'll see if I can get a free weekend!
Great video! I love watching them!
Awesome video this is best one u did in while. Keep up good work
sweet! it's Christmas again!
Thank you for this great video.
A little different, but amazingly enjoyable none the less. Great edit and mood. When I was a young boy, like most child my dream was to become an astronaut or a Jedi, now as an adult, this dream became to have a chance in the near future to hike and camp with you guys.
Thank again for this great aventure Sintax77 and Trailkilla :)
Wow! what a great trip and vid. Keep it up pal.
love your videos man. please continue to make them
Wintery goodness! Thanks for another vid Sin.... at 49:26 when you guys are discussing winter fuel for stoves and how the cold affects performance with canisters, I've found that a hand warmer strapped to the concave bottom of the canister works well to keep vapor pressure up. On my Jetboil it fits snugly between the orange folding tripod and the concave base.
Ninja Mike needs to make a return. I like him just as well as the Maple King on Shug's channel. I learn a lot from your other videos about packing lightweight, but this is the kind of camping that I'm partial to. Short distances and having fun. I'd like to see more of this style of camping down the road mixed in with your other adventures.
Ninja Mike, right on! :D I'll have to let him know we need to schedule another cameo some time, haha. Glad you enjoyed the video, we certainly had a great time out there.
Nice video again.
It looked like an awesome trip.
I'd like to find out more about the light show gear!
did you guys really tare down the fire pit before you left.. how could you even grab those rock with the fire burning all night.... that was some amazing craftsmanship..
+deadheadhoodie We left it up. It seemed to settle pretty nicely. I'd be interestedto know if it stays in tact through the seasons.
Your hike vids are so good dude