3rd Annual Linville Gorge Trip!!!

“I have hosted a trip to Linville Gorge for the last two years during the month of January and have had blast both times.I am planning for another this coming January 19-20.The Linville Gorge is a beautiful spot in the mountains of North Carolina that I have grown to love and I hope that some of you will make plans to go with me. I overs very rugged terrain but also many alternatives.A beautiful fast running river runs trough the middle and many overlooks and places of interest. There are the Linville Falls that are magnificent and the meeting place is Louise's Rockhouse where the food is really satisfying and the building itself has a story to be told.It sits in three different counties.I will get some info out to those that are interested on maps and a proposed agenda or you can email me at MAPSILIKE@HOTMAIL.COM”

“It's a definite possibility. I am not scheduled to race that weekend, unless there's a Pro-Am that weekend.”

“U go guy. Iwould like to make this one!”

“Count me in.”

“YEEEEHHAAAAA! a weekend i have off. i'm in. might be to cold for running girl. SPAM, i sent you an email.”

“pencil me in.....”

“Would luv to go.. Linville gorge is on my list of places to go soon.. but already know it's a weekend that I don't dare go hike.. instead of taking my wife out somewhere. (anniversary)”

“Sorry Dawg but I understand thats the reason I can't go with thsi bunch to Shining Rock in October and to beat all it's right out my backdoor.”

“That sounds pretty good. I think I'll try to make this one. I haven't been posting much lately--- been lurking a bit, but that sounds like a good time to take a trip.”

“Yuppers.. you got it.. hey.. you gonna come over and do Roan Mt with me and some friends in October?..”

“i'll.. brr!!.. try.. brrr!! to be... brr!!!! there!!!!”

“RAD -- gEezz.... your florida white butt dont have a chance in NC in the winter..

:)”

“It's a good possibility for me!”

“Year before last it was 17 degrees when we hit the trail at 10 am and that was perfect hiking weather.Yet last January Lonestar woke me in the middle of the night freezing. LOL!”

“Anyone seen a "Ghost" LOL”

“towndawg, i live in north georgia, now. brr!

and i was there, the first trip!”

“Rad -- hehe.. well glad you moved out of CUBA into the USA.. WalkinDude said you wuld prolly be doing the Georgia BP trip will all of us in March..”

“Hey Spam, what's the name of that trail that goes Straight Up out of the Gorge? Man, that's a killer... not one single switchback.”

“I think you are refering to the Pinch In Trail that was listed in BP magazine a couple years ago as the toughest trail in the East but I have to inform you that most of the other trails are almost as bad.”

“The trail we came down on (much closer to the Falls) had many short switchbacks, but that one coming out... I'd never seen anything quite like it. Hmmm... 1760 ft. in 1.4 miles? Yep, I think that's the one.”

“Don't let rad fool ya.
He did just fine in the snow on last year's Cheoha Bald (sp?) trip.”

“no way!

i passed out and walkingdude, gojo and belle climbed on my frozen body and sledded back to the trucks!”

“I don't know how set up a link but maybe one of you can.Try this site for some good information.

www.ncnatural.com/Resourses/Adventure/Gorge/Linville-Gorge.html

Note: The Kistler Memorial Highway that is mentioned for access is rough but 2 wheel drive vehicles will be fine unless there is snow on the ground.”

“Scene: A cafe. One table is occupied by a group of Vikings with horned helmets on. A man and his wife enter.


Man (Eric Idle): You sit here, dear.

Wife (Graham Chapman in drag): All right.

Man (to Waitress): Morning!

Waitress (Terry Jones, in drag as a bit of a rat-bag): Morning!

Man: Well, what've you got?

Waitress: Well, there's egg and bacon; egg sausage and bacon; egg and spam; egg bacon and spam; egg bacon sausage and spam; spam bacon sausage and spam; spam egg spam spam bacon and spam; spam sausage spam spam bacon spam tomato and spam;

Vikings (starting to chant): Spam spam spam spam...

Waitress: ...spam spam spam egg and spam; spam spam spam spam spam spam baked beans spam spam spam...

Vikings (singing): Spam! Lovely spam! Lovely spam!

Waitress: ...or Lobster Thermidor a Crevette with a mornay sauce served in a Provencale manner with shallots and aubergines garnished with truffle pate, brandy and with a fried egg on top and spam.

Wife: Have you got anything without spam?

Waitress: Well, there's spam egg sausage and spam, that's not got much spam in it.

Wife: I don't want ANY spam!

Man: Why can't she have egg bacon spam and sausage?

Wife: THAT'S got spam in it!

Man: Hasn't got as much spam in it as spam egg sausage and spam, has it?

Vikings: Spam spam spam spam (crescendo through next few lines)

Wife: Could you do the egg bacon spam and sausage without the spam then?

Waitress: Urgghh!

Wife: What do you mean 'Urgghh'? I don't like spam!

Vikings: Lovely spam! Wonderful spam!)

Waitress: Shut up!

Vikings: Lovely spam! Wonderful spam!

Waitress: Shut up! (Vikings stop) Bloody Vikings! You can't have egg bacon spam and sausage without the spam.

Wife (shrieks): I don't like spam!

Man: Sshh, dear, don't cause a fuss. I'll have your spam. I love it. I'm having spam spam spam spam spam spam spam beaked beans spam spam spam and spam!

Vikings (singing): Spam spam spam spam. Lovely spam! Wonderful spam!

Waitress: Shut up!! Baked beans are off.

Man: Well could I have her spam instead of the baked beans then?

Waitress: You mean spam spam spam spam spam spam... (but it is too late and the Vikings drown her words)

Vikings (singing elaborately): Spam spam spam spam. Lovely spam! Wonderful spam! Spam spa-a-a-a-a-am spam spa-a-a-a-a-am spam. Lovely spam! Lovely spam! Lovely spam! Lovely spam! Lovely spam! Spam spam spam spam!”

“Could you repeat that? I may have missed something just like the last time you did it! LOL!”

“spam is lovely!”

“Thanks Ski!

Thanks Ski!”

“Let's try this again. I should have tried the link info first.

Linville Gorge info”

“Well, don't use the first two links...use the 3rd.”

“I've looked at the map and here are a few options. I would like as much input as I can get from everyone that is interested in going, especially the one that have been before.

Option 1:Basecamp at trailhead of Conley Cove Trail.Shuttle south to the Pinch In Trailhead,take the Pinch In trail (1.1 mi. straight down)with no switchbacks to the Linville Gorge Trail. Go north on the LGT for 3.2 mi.(all along the river) to the Conley Cove trail.Take CCT up the mountain for 1.0 mi.(many switchbacks) to basecamp.

note: This is the route that we took last year and it worked out very well. We were very tired and rewarded at the end of the day and it did take us most of the day to accomplish this short distance but I should also say that we were in no big hurry.The only problem with the basecamp idea is that we would need to lock up everything but our tents in our cars for last year someone came into camp and stole my Platypus that I had stored on a tree next to my tent.

Option 2: Same route with backpacks. Plenty of spots with level ground at the junction of Linville Gorge Trail and Conley Cove Trail.

Option 3: Hit the trail at Conley Cove into the Gorge (1.0 mi.) to Linville Gorge Trail go north on LGT for (3.4 mi.) to Babel Tower Trail.Take BTT up (1.2 mi.) to parking lot.BBT is up and is rugged to a degree but not quite the ballbuster that Conley Cove is.

note: I have only been a short distance on this section of the LGT south from the Babel Tower Trail which we did the first year and do not know what options we might face as far as a campsite is concerned.I would like to try this section mostly because I haven't.The intersection of BTT and LGT has a spectacular view.

Option 4:Same route without backpacks. Basecamping at Babel Tower Trailhead.


Please feel free to ask questions and or give opinions or even another option.

Extra notes:There has been a fair amount of ice in the area especially on the trail near the river so I would suggest a staff or hiking poles.I would also recommend a good sleeping bag for it gets very cold (just ask Lonestar).Iffin ya have bad knees bring a brace or an Ace wrap cause even iffin ya don't your knees are gonna ache on the trip into the Gorge.I am by no means trying to scare anyone off from this trip, I think any of you can make it but I just want to be up front when I say that it will be one of the hardest/greatest hikes you've taken.LOL!

Happy Trails!”

“What are the lows that time of year?

I may get a WM 0 or below bag before this trip, esp if I'm gonna be tarping.”

“Well the first year we hit the trail at 10 am @ 17 degrees. Last year I really don't think it got past the low to mid 20's”

“Hummmmmmmm.”

“Gotta do this one DUUUDE!”

“I would prefer doing whatever we can with backpacks. I'll be happy with the consensus though. It will all be new turf for me.”

“I only backpack.”

“Well Dude you MUST be THE MAN then!I would also prefer to backpack but a good host goes with the general conseneous (SP?)!”

“On my possibilities calendar!”

“Great Mo I sho would like ta meet ya.Heard alot about ya from the Bear!”

“For those of you that are remotely interested I posted a few agenda options over the weekend that you might want to look back at!”

“I've never hiked the area before, but option 3 sounds interesting for the view.”

“So far option3 looks like the favorite.There should be plenty of camping spots along the LGT by the river.”

“I'll try to make this one.”

“Great, it will be good to see ya again BS!”

“If skiracer says we are not racing that weekend, then we must be free. I'd love to do some January bping, even though it is outside of my 3 degree comfort zone (63-66). Rolex and I have it on the calendar.”

“Great Swissmiss I'll looking for the chocolate LOL!”

“I think you may be in luck, Spam.”

“Mother-Rolex has already purchased more chocolate than we can carry back! There will be a great supply in January. As for now, the cabinet is almost bare...I'm saving it for Mt. Rogers and maybe one other fall trip.”