Shinning Rock Trip Report

“LOL both of you! By the way, I sent Sue a thank you card from the group yesterday.”

“Walkindude just wants to add another TT name to his list.”

“Bacpac, if you went on a group trip, you could show others how to deal with adverse weather conditions. Share the knowledge, mon. Don't keep it to yourself and then gripe because others don't know what you do.”

“I am glad everyone had a good time.”

“I was reddy to sleep in the code some more but me and my daddy wold miss the goooooood times!

How can you theenk that ever buddy went home?
Ther was prolly eleventy fore peeple at the shellter!
I even had to sleep on the flore o-8=

But that was ok cuz Ant OM was byside me and my daddy was on the nother side and it was cozey!”

“Are you crappin? me? If bacpac went on a trip everyone would be in his condo tarp/tent. You get 12 people in their with cigars blazing, mouths flapping playing poker everyone would be sitting around in their underwear! Of course the culmination of the festivities would be someone doing a pole dance on the center pole while everyone sprays her down with their 40?s just like Dr.Drea.”

“Gojo, how do you keep Sarabelle warm enough when it is as cold as you guys describe? My dogs have very short coats, and are basically uncomfortable in any weather that I am uncomfortable in. We've gone car camping in cold weather, where I could take an extra couple of fleece blankets for the dogs, but am wondering about the lightweight backpacking way to keep them warm. I think they are both too large to fit in our sleeping bags with us (Jazz is 65 lbs.; Sprocket is 75 lbs.). I have good fleece vests for both dogs, but I don't think they are enough at night. Just curious how you handle the cold at night with Belle.

BTW, anybody know of a good email list for hiking with dogs?”

“I know Buddur made a nice little bag for his dog as well as a Z Rest pad for him. Buddur jr. is about the same size as your dogs. Hit him up for info on one of the dog threads.”

“Thanks, Nigal. I'll do that.”

“I relinquish the foot of my bag to Belle, and keep her covered with my coat. She curls-up into a surprisingly tight ball for a 75 pounder.

Last Friday night, at about 2 a.m., I awakened to find that the coat had come off of her (she prolly wiggled), so I placed it back over her. It was still there at 8.

Last winter we did a cold hike (17 degrees), so I brought two sleeping bags. I was able to marry the bags in a fashion that accomodated the both of us. We stayed VERY warm. Belle was completely burrowed within the bags to the point that I was concerned that she might suffocate - but she didn't. I would flap the bags occasionally.

She will often go back to bed after her morning pee - she likes to sleep in. I'll cover her with the bag while I do my coffee, etc.

I have a new 20 degree mummy-ish bag now that I would open and spread over the both of us if the need arose.

A dog is really great to have on cold nights!”

“Thanks for the info, gojo! Between your info and buddur's "doggie bag" approach, I think we and the kids should be in good shape this winter.”

“Okay "Truth or Dare" I bailed for two reasons.The first reason is because I had to get up early and head out on Sunday anyways and the prospect of getting up at 0 dark 30 to pack up and head out didn't appeal to me when the forecast called for worse weather for Sat. night and Sun. morning.
The second reason was that I hadn't been able to spend any time with my family for quite sometime now with my work/travel schedule lately so reason one was a great excuse to do reason two.

I had a great/freezing time .It was great to meet the new folks and seeing old friends.I-am-OM thanks for setting things up.Skiracer I hope you ain't mad at me for the bear thingy. LOL!

PS I was out of Spam so I had to go home!”

“It's all good, Spam.
I would have been plenty satisfied if I had to depart, too.
The additional couple of days were a gift - a true blessing!
I really like my ECT family...”

“Spam- I'm not the least bit mad at you....but, I'll get you back sometime...moooohooohaaaha

Walkindude's Monty Python imitation: "Well, there's not much Spam in Spam, egg and cheese!"”

“with HIS accent?!?!? ROTFLMAO!!!!!”

“I got my pictures back today. I'll scan 'em as soon as we get back from doing the Trick or Treat thing.”

“Hey bpbaby, enjoyed your comeback with our friend bacpac. It is real easy to call the shots when you are an "armchair" backpacker.

By the way, I flew more than 600 miles and was still happy at the way things turned out. Like Dude said, I got to meet fellow TT-ers and get to know them "off list".

What a great group of folks..no doubt about it. I can't wait til the next trip.

Bacpac, if you ever decide to stop hiding behind your keyboard and come hike with us, you'll be pleasantly surprised at the comraderie that you will find, unconditionally, even for someone like you.”

“I played around with one of walkindudes pictures and got this.

Sounds like a fun trip except for the COLD!”

“Oh, for the record, I was not aiming at you 'Belle when I hit you with the pillow!
I believe there was someone else verrrrry close to you (on the nother side) that was well deserving of that shot. Again, my apologies (very public, now) for being remiss in my aim and wacking you with the "puffly skwair thang". Smooch, rubs and scratches, 'Belle!

I will bring you some gooooood doggy bisquits on the next, nother hike, promise!!”

“Great shots, Dude!! LOl, We look like that kid in the Christmas movie where his mom dressed him to play in the snow and he keeps falling over because he has on so many layers!”

“Phil
Grad any of those pictures you wanna put up.”

“Nice pics once again Dude!”

“I can go to the pic that Phil linked to, but Bess won't let me go to Dudes page.
What's up with that?

Do'em all, Phil!”

“photopoint is a commonly blocked site.”

“Am I the only on that got pictures back from this trip?”

“I just downloaded a few last. I didn't have very many.”

“Cool. Thanks.”

“Wow, my filter allowed me to go here.

Why is it that I can get to that photo page, but none others?”

“Dude, I have mine back, but don't have my scanner hooked up yet. I will do it tonight when I come in from the Gym. Check back, more to come!!

Tex”

“I'll have to look at 'em Sunday. I'm fixin to leave out for the weekend.
Sipsey Wilderness here I come!”

“Added Shining Rock Wilderness pics.”

“Those are some great pics. Love the UFO shot.”

“For those of you on the trip that did not get to see these...

Shining Rock Wilderness ECT pics”

“Cool!
Thanks for posting them Ski.
It's fun to look back on that trip.”

“Can't go there...
d'oh!”

“Skiman those are some really good photos, did you take them with the infamous Suicide Camera?”

“Yup, it was the camera that nearly leapt to an early demise at RRG last year. Takes a lickin' and keeps on tickin'.”

“Any one have a review of this trail??”

“I would go the art loeb trail. It is a bit more scenic and less used. DO NOT GO DURING BLUEBERRY SEASON! Great trail and good for first time hikers. Take a map as there are many intesecting trails.”

“where can i find info on the loeb trail?
and when is blueberry season...what about this weekend??”

“Blueberry season is from about the first or second week in August to roughly the first week of Sept.
>
IMO the whole Shining Rock and Art Loeb Trail north of the Parkway is being "loved to death". The trail is in what I would call semi-bad conditon, good in places, terrible in others. Still it is a great area.
>
But the Art Loeb Trail south of the Parkway is less frequently used. It also has the advantage that 90 percent of it is all downhill! You start out at 6000 feet in the Shining Rock, at the parking lot off of milepost 420, and walk about 20 miles to the Davison River Campground in Pisgah National Forest. Elevation drop along the way is roughly 4000 ft.
>
You can get all the info you need by calling the ranger station in Pisgah. Look them up on the net.
>
Now if you just have to stay high in elevation another alternative is the Middle Prong Wilderness Area right next to Shining Rock Wilderness Area.
last edited: 3/24/05 11:59:25 AM”

“http://www.thebackpacker.com/trailtalk/thread/31748,-1.php

from my trip last summer on the Art Loeb trail, did Cold Mtn, Shining Rock and Tennent.”

“oh, btw, I didn't see a soul once I got south of Cold Mtn. In mid June.”

“if the weather allows, viewing the shining rocks during the full moon is quite an experience if you are in to that kind of thing. there may be enough of the waning moon this weekend to experience the phenomena.”