I have vacation the last two weeks of September, which means I’m free for an outing either the weekend of Sept. 22-23, or 29-30.

Last year’s outing at Gumboot Lake in the Shasta-Trinity National Forest was great fun attended by the elite of outdoor bloggers who had the weekend free and didn’t mind hanging out with the likes of yours truly. A small number, but a worthy group. (This year I will show restraint and self-discipline no matter how much wine is available for sampling).

Here’s a page that will have all Ho Down-related posts (including this one, just scroll past).

GoBlog’s Climb_CA tells me he’s interested.

Naturally, I’d be most interested in a California/West Coast locale, though I realize I owe at least a couple of you a return flight.

Car camping seems like the best option, and since we’ve got a bit more time to plan this year, Yosemite might be the best locale. There are National Forest campgrounds outside the eastern entrance that probably won’t be too crowded that late in the year. Could get cold in the high country, but that’s why we all have our zero-degree down bags, right?

Suggestions and volunteers welcome. (Another idea in honor of this week’s Wildebeat: Lassen Volcanic National Park. The peak’s fairly easy — like Mission Peak if it were at 8,000 feet — and we could all gather at Bumpass Hell and remark on the wonderful smell of sulfur).

UPDATE: Wildebeat Steve says he’s free the weekend of the 22nd — any other takers for that one?