Source
r/PAWilds•
Nesvik

Winter camp this weekend

Hey all,

My wife and I are thinking of doing a winter camp this weekend if the weather holds up. We've been debating between Weiser and Michaux. Does anyone have any suggestions?

We plan to "car camp" at a primitive site but we would like to go on a hike nearby. We also have the gear to backpack and disperse camp, but we're concerned about fire/firewood rules. Since its the winter I want to make sure we can have a large enough fire, but I don't know if there's enough downed and dry wood out there to do it if we disperse camp.

Any suggestions on camp locations or hikes would be appreciated!

Posted Jan 5, 2021, 6:12 PM UTC

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Highgrowponics•

I can never recommend Michaux enough.

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NesvikOP•

That sounds amazing. Id definitely like to know about it.

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NesvikOP•

Thank you! This is all excellent advice and super helpful.

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Oncorhynchus72•

Before you attempt to get there, this area has snow cover and that road has a reputation for being pretty hard to use in the winter. The snowmobiles pack it down and it turns to ice.

It’s a long walk out of there to cell service.

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NesvikOP•

Thats very important info, thanks. I only have a RWD sedan...haha

Edit: actually its FWD

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MEB_PHL•

The trouble with car camping this time of year is that car camping sites are almost never on a paved road, forest roads in many areas are covered in snow. Even if you have good AWD, the snow is often packed down by snowmobiles. Speaking from experience as I had to dig my Subaru out of a ditch in Pinchot SF a couple weeks ago.

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NesvikOP•

The sites in Delaware state forest were close enough to roads i wasnt too worried. But im totally unfamiliar with michaux. Its hard to tell by the maps what the roads are actually like (dirt, gravel, or paved).

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trackballsurfer•

Michaux is more beautiful. Weiser is quieter with much fewer people. They’ve done a lot of clearcuts throughout Weiser in recent years, so that helps with finding lots of dead branches since they intentionally leave all that behind. Both places have great hiking options.

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british_ham•

Michaux doesn’t have more than a dusting of snow left over right now, so for driving I’d recommend that. As of New Year’s Eve some of the higher elevation roads still had some packed down ice that made driving a little sketch. It has lots of drive up campsites that you can reserve for free

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Crazy_catt_lady•

I've done primitive camping at Michaux & it was great! If you reach out to the park office they will send you a list of sites to choose from. If you can view them ahead of time that might be a good idea. With all the wet weather we've had, some of the sites may be muddy but you won't know until you get there. Otherwise most of the sites you can park nearby & haul your stuff in a short distance.

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DSettahr•

Honestly... Fires are nice but if you plan to rely on them alone for warmth during the colder months, you're setting yourself up for an uncomfortable (if not dangerous) situation sooner or later. As you note, dead/downed wood can be wet, buried beneath snow, etc. For winter backpacking especially, I personally have the viewpoint that fires can be a nice add-on if you're able to get one going, but should never be an essential.

Make sure you're bringing a reliable stove and plenty of food. Remember also that canister stoves lose efficiency when temperatures drop- white gas stoves are the gold standard for reliability in the winter months when camping/backpacking. With a proper combination of hydration, calorie intake, appropriate clothing, and an appropriate sleep system you should be able to keep yourself warm and comfortable without a fire.

Also, just in case you're not aware- roadside primitive camping on State Forest lands requires a permit from DCNR, which can be picked up at the headquarters office for the state forest you plan to camp in.

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NesvikOP•

Thanks for the info. We always bring a stove as a back up and have plenty of food. Plus the car if we get into trouble. Its more for the cozy factor. Sitting around a warm fire on a cold night out in the woods with some hot chocolate is just, the best. We have the camp love seat from Kelty and the sherpa rumples when we car camp. We're definitely stocked up on base layers and mid layers for the hiking. But at night when you have a car to haul wood, its just nice to have the fire. Even if we hike, we'll probably grab a permit for a car camp spot as a backup / basecamp.

I appreciate the note about the stove fuel, I'll double check what fuel we have!

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DSettahr•

Yeah, I'm not anti-fire by any means. If you can have one safely and without cutting down standing trees for it, then go for it. But I think that if you expect to be able to have one on every trip... you're setting yourself up for disappointment sooner or later.

To me, the stuff I mention about food, water, clothing/sleeping gear, etc., are the essentials for a safe and enjoyable trip. A nice campfire is the cherry on top- it adds to the experience for sure, but isn't necessary in and of itself.

Plus also in the winter especially it's just plain a ton of work to start and sustain a fire.

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