Dec 1 Gizzard Trip

“Hey jerbear, any chance I can catch a ride?”

“Scullcap, Sure, but I am headin futher South after the hike and commin back for Xmas.LOL Aint workin myswell,hike.”

“Hmmm...nope, I gotta be back Sunday. I don't see where there is anybody else from Ohio or Northern/Eastern Kentucky going that I could catch a ride with. Looks like I'm going to have to miss this one guys.”

“maybe not.. dont throw in the towel yet.. heh.. we can always put ya on a BUS.. (by the way.. I think Ina is coming.. thta's at least half of it.)”

“She doesn't live anywhere near me and it would add 3 or 4 hours to her drive to pick me up.”

“Is anyone planning on sleeping on the Laurel RV/Hot showers place on Friday?

Ms TownDawg will be unable to come due to some unforseen circumstances. Trying to decide if I should bring this pop-up camper trailer down Friday, or just hike into Small Wilds.”

“Awe come on Skully. How come ya think you can't make it?”

“Towndog, I was thinkin of the campground, however, I can do the small wilds also. Foster falls OR little gizzard small wilds????? I will be leavin Dayton Fri early AM and need to know where to meet some of ya! I have a map. let me know. I would give skul a ride BUT I am headin south for a couple of weeks after this hike.”

“Jerbear.. I was checking thru some email.. and I will need to be in the campground.. I see where some friends are expecting to meet me there. My new plans are to haul some of my stuff into Small Wilds.. set up my tent.. drag in some firewood.. and then hike back out to my car.. and go sleep over at the campround.

Saturday I will hike with WD.. and be at Small Wilds for the challenge cookoff.

And Jerbear.. I need to ask ya something.. email me.”

“Ok, it looks like I'm going to be there after all! See you there ¦ ) .”

“TownDawg,
I had a feeling you were a nice guy. However, I never would have thought you would be so nice as to hike into camp and collect firewood for me. WOW!!”

“Towndawg and Skulcap U have emails!”

“Wather forecast: Friday
Cloudy with scattered showers early...then decreasing cloudiness. Highs 50 to 55. Chance of rain 40 percent.

Saturday through Tuesday
Partly cloudy. Lows in the mid 3os. Highs in the mid 50s.”

“So do you! LOL!”

“As for hauling firewood.. well ya.. of course.. it's the only decent thing to do for everyone else.. :)

I just hope wood is not too scarce.”

“'sides.. I figure I can set up my tent.. stuff some equipment in it.. and then not have to haul all my crap with me with WD blows me off the trail Saturday morning..

I hear he's a speed demon.”

“*AND* there's a nearly full moon (close enough for government work! lol).”

“but I gotta tell ya.. some folks are saying already that the forecast is wrong.. and saying we might have snow..”

“At the beginning of the week the forcast was for snow. It has changed.”

“aHhh. good.. snow has a tendency to scare folks away.”

“Personally, I was disapointed.”

“TD & SK Emails await you!”

“16 hour days; 6 on 1 off, since September 11th...ST needs a little diversion, and may show for this trip...though I may have to leave at any given moment due to developments on the ground in the Mid-East...my boss has already mentioned in a rather gruff manner that I am becoming a little surly...If he had put me on the ground instead of chaining me to a desk...my aggressive behavior would have proper focus....speed hiking the Gizzard might just be the release I need....”

“lookin forward to seeing you. Will U be able to be seen? LOL Mohaaaaaaaa!”

“Why dont we have WD meet us at small wilds?”

“jerbear, your inbox is getting mighty full. Perhaps you should check it?”

“As a matter of concern, the water supply at Small Wilds is to the north of the campsite, a running stream that has water year-round,and for the ladies, an honest to gosh one holer outhouse, (Clean, but bring your own TP :-).

I may be at Small Wilds before most of you, sometime early Friday Afternoon....I'll sweep out the house and set up a tarp (While incidentally picking out the best campsite).

No promises jerbear....I was to show once before, but did not make it......I only expect to try...at least the operations schedule has me free from noon on Friday till 6 PM on Monday.....”

“SuperTroll: If you can SpeedHike the Gizzard.. that will be fun to watch!

WD plans to meet us at the TH on the North side. We will need to get shuttle set up.”

“My plans are to get into Laurel early.. set up the popup camper.. and then drive over to Foster Falls... followed by stealing whatever campsite ST leaves me second.

hMMmmm.. sloppy seconds?.. naw.. not unless it keeps raining.”

“Skullcap, NO EMAILS in my box!
Towndawg, U aint answerin either!Spoke to leatherneck. He is awaiting an answer from me!”

“Well, I haven't gotten any error messages yet so I guess you'll get them eventually, LOL!”

“heh.. something about email.. sometimes it takes the scenic TCIP roads.”

“Well, our email hosts are different and sometimes it can take as long as a day for them to make the trip. Sometimes I forget that.”

“especially if they are getting buried in WORMs.. :)”

“Yeah, must keep those kind of issues in mind also.”

“Y'all have a good'un! Bear that section of the Gizzard is great. Something y'all should not miss is the climbing access loop down around the suthun end of the Gizzard gorge. Signs mark it well, with the loop trail traversing some great climbing cliffs. There's an Access One and an Access Two from the main trail, head down one of'um and you'll come out on the other one. Me and CowPatty checked it out the last time Gizzard had a TT hike, on the suggestion of Mr WD (thankya btw).”

“APe-go for the bear can, U cant go wrong. I know teapaco(formerly KID)we hiked together on the JMT. He has all top equip!”

“Yo Bear!
If you need a place to crash, your welcome at my house.”

“Thanks Dude, will see Sun.”

“careful with his dog”

“For the latest! I am meeting up with a KY hiker, in Lexington around 9am. Then car-a-thon to tracy city, (aprox 300 miles)So, I am not sure what time we will arrive.Not sure, where we will spend Fri night? Seems strange to hike in 3 miles and then back out the next morning to meet up with hikers.Perhaps, we will share your camp with you at laurrel falls????”

“jerbear: oh for sure.. that's why I set the camp up in laurel also.. for those folks that were gonna do the hike on saturday.. and for fols who drag in late on friday.. just look for my truck.. and a popup camper.. you can crash in the camper if you want.. it sleeps 8 I think..

just look out for the old fat guy who snores really loudly..”

“Like a freakin train...I'm sorry, did I say that out loud?”

“heh... who needs BEAR REPELLANT?”

“Just got off the phone with the So cumberland people.931-924-2980 The CCC camp at grundy is OPEN and .5 miles on the trail. Most likly, ifin my buddie does not mind we will be staying overnight there, Friday. They are gonna call me back about fire ban and I will let ya all know what they say.We may go visitin if time permits and set up our shuttle, Tee hee! Who knows!”

“Jerbear.. this is news to me... I talked to a bunch of people about two weeks ago.. this is on the Grundy side?.. not the Foster Falls side?

I am lost.. please give me more details.”

“If you are talking about Father Abrams, it is about .5 from the Foster Falls side.. but it's not an IMPROVED camp.. just a campsite.. and not exactly secured.”

“There are three campsites on the Fiery Gizzard trail.. Raven's Point, Small Wilds, and Father Abrams.

Starting from the GF side.. RP is about 4.4, SW is about 11, and FA is right before the END.

The CCC campground, to the best of my knowledge is the one in the FF parking lot.. which I talked to the owner, and they CLOSED about two weeks ago.”

“Anybody got a total count on the
the number coming-my crew may have as many as 7 now-4 for sure as of today.
2 still trying to get there Friday-balance Saturday midday.”

“Your guess is as good as mine.. but I would not be surprised if this was HUGE.”