Joyce Kilmer Slick Rock ECT

“afterthought.....chili....i hope "no surprises that would keep you from the trip".....other kinds are ok....:)”

“Hi! I have been in contact with ghost and my partner and I are going to be joining you all for the trip. We have a long drive out there, so we are going to stay for a few extra days after the weekend and hit some more trails. We were wondering if anyone was interested in continuing on with us?”

“I just sent out an email about the trip. I received a message back stating it was not delivered to one or more of the addresses. So if you didn't receive the email and want it, email me at ghost_trekker@yahoo.com”

“Im there for shure!”

“SuperTroll must cancel...2 Weeks in Moab Utah with a new friend starts on the 22nd of April..see you on another hike!”

“TD is planning on coming to know!!!

I think TD?”

“ghost....excellent email....informative...illustrated and enticing!
engrossed now is the be~~ of my mind....on another of your sensational "spring in the mountains" trips~~~~~~~~”

“Hey gang, Whos in for sure?
Yo bear!”

“going twice!”

“Im there!!”

“I am planning on going”

“i will be arriving late afternoon friday...leave crumbs”

“I'm afraid G00SE and I won't be able to make this one after all. You may already know that he and I are getting married in June. I'm afraid there's still just too much that we need to get done in preparation for that for either of us to take a weekend off for anything between now and then. It's a shame because we were both really looking forward to this one. I hope you all have a good hike and we look forward to next time!”

“any recommendations as to how to get there from Virginia? - I expect to be coming down I81 but then I am not too sure which way is easier - head toward Pigeon Forge then go down US321 to Foothills Parkway to US129 and go over the "Tail of the Dragon" or to go through GSMNP on US441 wander around and come into Robbinsville from the southeast (US129) or northeast (NC143) ?”

“HOI,I cant help ya out. But I have driven the tail and it was beautitful.
I am awaitin an answer from the unemployment people. So I am not sure when I will be there. May know latter this week.”

“jerbear you live in Cincy??”

“Dayton”

“O! What kind of work you lookin for ?”

“im not! just collectin! LOL”

“Looks like about 11 people are going, and about as many "maybe's".

If anyone else is interested, let me know and I'll send some info.

Four working daze til paradise, anyone geting excited?”

“I wish that I could go ! I wish that I could go! But unfortunatly I cannot. I have to work and there's no way I can get out of it. I was planning on going up until today.I have a bunch of new gear I dieing to try out.

Iffin any of you guys would like to stop by and say howdy I work within 1 mile of US 74 and some of you will pass right by.To the folks that are going that I haven't met before stop by and to the ones that I have met I'd love to see ya again.Call (828) 226-7326 iffin ya want to meet for lunch or something.”

“I'm still planning on making the trip. Spam I might stop by and say hi. I'll call first if I do.”

“Sorry, haven't logged on in a while. I am planning on going too. Anyone coming from IL/IN?”

“Here is the official "SwissMiss and Rolex are not going to be there" post.

The knee is healing fine (tibial plateau fracture on 2/9/02), but I've managed to develop quite a limping habit that is just starting to go away. Going uphill with a pack would probably be fine, but going downhill will be difficult. I don't know how I'd be with the distance either. I'm going to give it another month before I do any overnighters.

It looks like you guys will have some gorgeous weather. Enjoy!”

“crazy weather is more like it - the forcast seems to change every couple hours - when is the forecast going to finally decide what is going to happen? (grin)”

“Hope your knee gets better SwissMiss.”

“Cant make decision yet!”

“Hey Swissy, sorry to hear you had a boo boo.
I am still undecided. I am awaiting instructions from OBES as to an extension on my benifits. And WON't leave home with out it! Yo bear!”

“DECISION- Can NOT make this one sorry!”

“darn I was looking forward to seeing that bear in a tree again (grin)”

“??

I may or may not go ?? Ive only slept 4 hrs. a night since F fixing the house up!

Friday ill make a decision!”

“Yo bear!! How's it goin'?”

“Kool, jgeils. and U?”

“Great Bear. Wish I could go on this one, but we are doing the family vacation thing that week. Ya'll have a great time. Bear you should go on the canoe trip in May. Mozark is going, check it out.”

“I'm leaving work today at 1:00pm and won't be near a computer again until Mon. morning. So if there's any last minute requests, make them soon.

Head count now is at 9 definite and 6 maybe, though a few of those definite's have not been heard from in a while. But it looks like a good group should be there.”

“I'll be heading out early tomorrow morning - I hope to catch the ranger station before they close so as to get a map and then still have time to setup before the late afternoon showers.”

“I hope you all have a good weekend! Take lots of pictures and write up a good report when you get back so I can eat my heart out even more.”

“Well skullcap - I am not sure if anyone took any pictures - I know I didn't and I don't think ghost did. prairiedog might have but we didn't get to talk much - a bad set of blisters cause her to bail after a mile or two of the Sat. hike up Haoe Lead Tr. As for radagast and Jen about all I saw was their head lamps late Friday - they were still asleep Saturday morning when I left - I was the first to leave since I hike slow. I was expecting them to catch up but I only saw ghost and prairiedog and prairiedog decided at that time that enough with the pain and bailed - a decision in light of the following trail I can only say was an inspired choice - Haoe Lead Tr. was OK for a ridge walk and the Hangover Overlook was quite good but Deep Creek Tr. would have given a person with blisters a whole new set. The very upper end of Deep Creek trail was probably better for goats than for backpackers and other than some fairly nice wildflowers there was nothing much to recommend itself to that trail - the lower end of Deep Creek Tr. was much more reasonable except for some blowdowns and one place where ghost and I got off track by following a trail through a campsite (sound familiar baume66 ?) - the trail we should have followed was obscured by a couple blowdowns - this would not have been a problem if we had been coming from the other direction but I must say knowing what I know now I would not want to backpack up the Deep Creek Tr. - down was bad enough. Through it all I must say that ghost was very patient with me - as I said above I am a slow hiker (sigh).

BTW I though about writing up a glowing report about the Deep Creek Tr. just to suck someone into hiking it or to feel bad about not hiking it but I could not bring myself to be that cruel - the general comments were "I don't like the look of this" said just after starting down Deep Creek, to "that trail sucked" after we finally got down to where the water was (by the bridge), to "this part is not bad" as we hiked out the next day. If you feel inclined to do Deep Creek Tr.- do it as an in and out from the lower end on Haoe Lead Tr. - should have nice isolation - only saw about 3-4 developed camping sites in the whole Deep Creek Tr. area.”

“better about having to miss it? I'm sorry to hear about prairiedog's feet. Blisters suck. I hope that at least you and ghost had a good time in camp to make up for the rotten trail!”

“So, how was it?”