The last two trips to Roaring Plains Wilderness were tough. Back in April 2023 I set out on a 9 day WV backpacking adventure. First was the south to north traverse of North Fork Mountain and then onto Roaring Plains Wilderness and then finish in the Dolly Sods Wilderness. The NFM trip went perfectly but the Roaring Plains trip not so much. One night one I added what I thought was a Ramp to my soup, but three hours later I became very sick and it was life threatening. The "ramp" was a toxic False Hellebore. I managed to recover and the following day I aborted the hike. I did not get a chance to hike the western half of the spectacular Canyon Rim trail, nor camp at Haystack Knob. In June of 2023 I went back to RPW and on night one camped at the intersection of the TeePee trail and the Canyon Rim. The following day, Monday the weather called for morning showers so I headed west on the wild and remote western section of the Canyon Rim. This section of trail is remote and it follows an unofficial trail. The rain and the wind got worse with each passing hour. By the time I got back to the Roaring Plains trail I was soaked to the bone. Hypothermia was a real possibility. So I made the decision to not continue on Haystack Knob. Instead I hiked 8 miles back to my truck and drove home. Sometimes trips don't go to plan. It happens. But I had a great time on both RPW trips and learned a few lessons. I hope you will subscribe to my YouTube channel.
Michael