View Geminids Meteor Shower In The Wichitas Backcountry Area - - TopicsExpress



          

View Geminids Meteor Shower In The Wichitas Backcountry Area - Friday, December 13, 2013 4:00 PM --- I am not accepting RSVPs at this time. I need to make sure the people interested are committed and have the cold weather gear. Email me if you have questions. I have four extra permits available at this time.... The Geminids Meteor shower peaks approx the night of Dec 13 and 14th with approx 2 meteors per second predicted. We will backpack into the backcountry area of the Wichita Mountains and camp overnight in the permits only area. Will meet promptly at the Sunset picnic area at 4 pm on Friday. Vehicles are to parked on the inside gate. Do not leave any valuables in your vehicle. The Refuge is very strict on the permit procedures and we need to make sure you have them filled out and visible on your car prior to us leaving the trailhead. Persons need to be flexible on dates due to viewing required on a clear night. If Friday is cloudy we will postpone to Saturday night. Also, if travel is risky due to weather, we will cancel. I am targeting being back to the vehicles by noon on Saturday. Some of us may do an hike up Elk Mountain the following morning. A person will have to backpack all gear to the campsite which is approx an hour hike. This would include all water. I am bringing a minimum of 2 liters of water. Also a 15 deg mimimum sleeping bag is required along with tent/fly in the event of rain. Wool cap, gloves, thermals, etc are always a good idea on winter camping area. Viewing meteor showers is always best if you are comfortable...bring a ground cover and light-weight pillow. Also a red LED flashlight is always best to keep your eyes adjusted for viewing. This is a perfect time to practice your backpacking skills along with evolving your cold weather gear. Before you decide...I would recommend you line out your gear and then weigh the pack. If you are in the 30-39 pound range with food and adequate water then you have a good start on your gear. No 40+ lb packs ok? Please email me your pack weights and sleeping bag rating before you commit. If you are beginning backpacking or have been away from it a while, do a test run to gauge your fitness level. You should be able to do a six mile, Lake Hefner hike, with pack, with ease. Again...if you commit to go...please make every effort to show up...ie. no last minute cancellations. These permits are hard to get and if we do not use them, I would like to return them to the Refuge for others to use. This is primitive camping with no rest rooms and no potable water. No open fires are allowed except for small canister type stoves. You will be camping in an isolated area of the Refuge. Not uncommon to see/hear coyotes and other critters at night. This is a difficult 1 hour hike into the camping area and we will hike in together due to this area not being mapped well, safety, and also due to cell coverage being poor. Hiiking boots with good Vibram soles recommended. No dogs or kiddos under 18 please. If you want to bring a guest they must join the meetup due to liability reasons. meetup/Oklahoma-Outdoor-Adventure-Meetup-Group/events/141470362/?a=ea1_grp&rv=ea1&_af_eid=141470362&_af=event
Posted on: Sat, 21 Sep 2013 17:44:22 +0000

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