Black Mtn Crest Trail & Big Butt(kikker) fall trip

“yeah but no ass kick'n. This trip will be a royal ass kick'n.”

“Yeah, but this trip is going to be intense. After reading about this section from the 4th of July trip it's high on my to-do list.”

“Mark is bailing AGAIN?? What's wrong with you huh?”

“Ha, Gemini, go ahead and flame my ass!

Hey yeah, I did bail on this trip twice.

I'm goin' to Harriman with them other nutz.......”

“there will be a revenge of the July 4th Black Mountain Ball Breaker!”

“Seems like I have a conference around the 4th. That's an ideal time though. I bet the temps never get over about 70*.

How are the leaves looking for this weekend? From looking at the Smokies cam they don't look like they've changed any up there. 38* last night on LeConte. Sounds like it'll be a bit cooler on yall with the wind.”

“They are just starting to change here in Nashville due to some cold nights, so by the time next weekend rolls around, I'm sure the smokies will be beeeautiful!”

“I'm leaving a week from Friday for Disney World. It was a good decision to go in Oct, but it's been 2 or 3 years since I've gotten to take a trip during leaf season. I think Footballapalooza I in Arkansas was the last one. We hit it about peak though.”

“Can't this weekend, sorry...too much other stuff planned.
like fishin'!"
bloodpusher
02:42:32 PM
10/06/04

bit, it isn't this weekend it is the following weekend Oct 15-17”

“Got too much stuff planned that weekend too!

October is finished for me...both kids in soccer, which means that most Fridays and Saturdays there are games to take them to.”

“ever heard of a wife who can take them while you go backpacking!!”

“Not when you got two kids who have games at different places on the same day at the same time.”

“oh sure you can, done it many times. drop one off early then go to the others one game. leave early to pick first one up then back to pick second child up...see it is easy ;)”

“OK, let me make it easy. I don't wanna go on this trip. ok?”

“so why didn't you say that in the first place instead of using your kids as an excuse not to go...geesh”

“Because my kids are the real reason, but you were unsatisfied with that answer, and I was tired of arguing about it.”

“bloodpusher, my old buddy. I like ya!!”

“bit - you mean you put your family ahead of a hobby? What kind of person are you?”

“Hi Gem! I like you too!

We really gotta actually hike together sometime. I don't think we ever have, have we?

Dayhiker, I know, I know, I'm such a bad person...”

“bit, Sometimes it is hard to tell if you wanted to go to your kids games or not. You have mentioned you couldn't because of their games before even when you wanted to on a trip. So this is what I was reading in your post.”

“I'm most likely coming down for this trip. I'll meet Yam at the Carolina Hemlock CG Fri night. Since she won't be arriving until late (after 10), the 3.5 mile night hike with the 3000' of elevation gain to Deep Gap may not be a great idea. I'm going to call tomorrow and see about getting a campsite for the night.

Since I'll probably be there very early Friday, I'd still like to do Friday's hike to Deep Gap, and then hike down the Colbert Ridge Trail to Carolina Hemlock to meet Yam. To do that, I'd need to leave my car at Carolina Hemlock and get a ride to the hike start. Is that possible or way out of the way for someone to pick me up?

Now for the second part of the saga: Saturday morning. Option 1: To meet up with everybody at Deep Gap, we'd probably have to leave in the dark to get up there before you leave camp, also adding miles to an already longish day. Probably doable since Yam is a good little hiker, and we'll probably share some gear to save weight. Option 2 would to drive and meet everybody somewhere else, possibly Mt Mitchell? I read about some road closings but don't know if it affects where we'll be coming from.

Dang, it sure would be easier if Yam would call in sick on her last day. ;o)”

“If you hike from Carolina Hemlocks to Deep Gap I'm guessing your total hike for Saturday hike will be 15 miles. I'm sure you both can do it. I'm glad that you will be there for Friday's hike. That is the best part of the trail in my opinion.

As for shuttling, that will not be a problem. It's not that far out of the way.

Carolina Hemlocks Campground doesn't do reservations. It's on a first come basis. I am sure that you won't have a problem getting a site.”

“It would be nice the hike that weekend but I've got a honey-do occasion Friday night, my sons b-day Saturday and work Sunday.
I hope to do this hike in January, except in opposite direction. Maybe March.

Gem, are you the Gem from CH?

Pennsy, It would take about 30 minutes to get from Bowlens Creek TH to Carolina Hemlocks. Remember the northern side of Bowlens Creek Road was washed out when I was up there 2 weeks ago. To access the TH one has to drive south on NC 197 and take the second Bowlens Creek Rd turnoff.

I'm not sure where you are coming from but there is no access to the state park from the north. The parkway is closed as is South Toe Rd (FS 474). The drive from the Carolina Hemlocks CG through Burnsville to Asheville then to the SP will take about 2 hours.

I hope everyone has a nice weekend.”

“patrick, yupp that's me. :)”

“that means we won't be able to post any cars up at Mt. Mitchell or at Balsam Gap.

there is still time for road conditions to improve though. The hike is still a week and a half away and they are working hard on the roads where there are people living. This hike is going to rule! I'm going to make some calls next week to find out what the road conditions are.

I saw pictures of the Parkway north of Mt. Mitchell and it pretty much was washed off the side of the mountain so yeah, there is no approaching Mitchell from that way and it's too far to drive around the mountain to approach it from Asheville. Once we start hiking we will have to commit because there won't be any bail outs anymore.”

“"Higher???

We'll see about that!"
-MarkOTheBeast

No, WE'LL see about that...

Now, that being said, I'm sooo in on this trip (now that I've cleared ditching out of work on 15 Oct). I could see it already -- October is going to be the duel of the Buttkickers: North (Adirondacks, NY) vs. South (Blacks, NC)...

We shall see, but I gotta tell ya, the Adirondacks' Dixes have already set the bar pretty dang high...”

“That Friday isn't my last day, unfortunately. I'll be at my present job until Oct 20th. :(”

“will it be the Daks or the Blacks?
Talk about buttkicking, Pennsy is adding 6 miles and another 3000 feet of elevation gain to his hike.”

“comparing this trip with the Dix trip is like comparing apples and oranges though.”

“If for some reason someone needed to bail we have Colberts Ridge Trail, and Mt. Mitchell Trail. Mom or my wife will be able to shuttle anyone in need back to car. After Mt. Mitchell we are comitted to Cain River Gap.”

“thanks for that info, ppcraft. It looks like we're committed to heading up the Colberts Ridge Trail Sat morning. heh heh, didya hear that Yam? We're gonna be committed. btw - I'll be coming from the North via 81. I haven't looked for the specific directions yet.

ENS - the campground may be further out of your way then you think to pick me up. Worse comes to worse, I just meet ya's at the TH friday morning with all my gear. If I had my car near the CG, I could dayhike Friday and leave most of my gear in the car. That would be nice, but I've lugged a lot of gear before.

Yammy - I still think you should take a sick day. What are they gonna do, fire ya? (just kidding ya, I know you wanna leave on a good note)”

“the only other option is to thumb it on the Parkway.

I'm going to Caine River Gap.”

“Blalock will be coming from that direction. He is staying at his mother'n law's at the golf course and will pass Carolina Hemlocks on his way to the TH. Perhaps he could meet you at the campground.

Blalock?”

“*grumble grumble.* i'm not good at committment.

so it sounds like we have a hard, long-ass haul on saturday.”

“right after Deep Gap you get that nice climb up to Potato Hill :)”

“We're going to miss baseball playoffs.. Can someone pack a satelite radio so I can listen to the Cardinals game. I'm pretty sure that the Cardinals will be playing the Braves at that point. Which reminds me, Blalock, Braves are going down!!!!”

“haha Yam. Well, there is a huge difference between "committment" and "being committed."

I think we can handle that long haul Saturday though.”

“committed to the padded room where life is wonderful everyday?”

“pretty nice up on Mt. Mitchell today. 55 degrees, sunny and a light wind. Looks like the views are good. Looks like you can see all the way to Roan Mountain. Hope it stays that way.”

“Blalock will be coming from that direction. He is staying at his mother'n law's at the Mt Mitchell golf course and will pass Carolina Hemlocks Campground on his way to the TH. Perhaps he could meet you at the campground.

Blalock?”

“bump”

“bump for blalock”

“I was watching the Braves go down or somthing like that HAHA!!!!I'm not going to let you forget that one. Pennsy, I would be honored to give you a ride,You name time and place.I'm 2 miles from Carolina Hemplock or you can come to the house and crash. E-mail dblalock@backpacker.com”

“Blalock - that would be a big help if you could stop by CH on your way to the trailhead. I'd like to leave my car (black VW Jetta wagon, Pa plates) at the CG or the parking area at the Colbert Ridge trailhead. Are they as close to each other as it looks on the map?

Thanks for your generous offer at crashing at your place, but I have no idea when I'll be coming in Thurs night. I'll either crash on the road (not literally I hope), or at the CG or trailhead parking area.

In any case, I'll make it a point to be at whichever parking area you think will be the most convenient for when I come off the CR trail Friday night to meet Yam. I'm not sure what time the group is meeting Friday morning, so I'll be ready at the time you choose. Thanks!

btw - I tried to call the CG today but the number I got from a google was no good. It's first come first serve, so I really don't have to call, right?”

“Don't think so, the parking lot for Colberts Ridge is on the road directly across for the Ammaco station on SR 80 about qtr.mile on right of , you guessed it Colberts Ridge Rd. Will you have a cell phone on you? If so e-mail # and I'll give you a shout when I leave house.”

“Okee dokee. I'll be at the Colberts Ridge parking area then. You got mail. Thanks!”

“the Braves will go down when they play the Cardinals. The Braves better beat the Astros because they are the one team that scares me.”

“it doesn't matter. The Bosox will whip either team.”

“the Dodgers are putting up a nail biter right now against the Cards. If the Bosox face the Cards in the series, it will be 1967 all over again. No Bob Gibson to worry about, but the Cardinals middle lineup is pretty scarey.”

“the weather is looking good for next week right now. Sunny all three days. Hope it stays that way.”