Full Moon at Shining Rocks

“As posted earlier, I figure to arrive around 7. I'll linger a spell - mebbe swing thru Asheville for dinner if I'm running early. I'll try to make the trailhead by 8 at the latest.”

“Spam....great idea about the site with the campfire!!!!...I am totally flexible, I have ALL WEEK to go and do what I please,,,y'all only have the weekend.......
Can you tell me where that site is...so we know...., will you early people mark it?
Skiracer,,,i will be there Friday night.
The Ivestor gap trailhead is the SECOND parking area.(thanks swiss miss)
As for water, there are little springs coming out by the side of the ivestor gap trail section and the same at shining rocks campsite,,,,but from there to Cold Mtn...well, i couldnt find water...it being ridge crest most of the way.(remind me to tell you the story about that!)
The other connecting trails probably have water...i have not hiked them, so i dont know, but from the maps...looks like that will be so.
it will get cold overnight for sure.....

swiss miss...i gave my chocolate bar from lost cove to jerbear....it was sad to see a bear drool, so i surrendered it after taking only one luscious bite......”

“Close camp w/fire sounds good. If yall plan to dayhike from camp instead of moving camp everyday, let me know. I'll need to bring a small daypack too then.”

“Holy Dookey! Brrrrr... Now I don't feel so bad about not being able to go.

Om...how sweet of you to share with jerbear. You're creating chocolate karma. Yumm.”

“Lowes in the 20's & windy!!!
My kinda conditions!!!!!
I'm excited now!!!!!!!”

“Dang, my Texas blood is gonna freeze a spell. It was 85 here today..65 at night!

I am gonna freeze my hiney off!”

“You got yankee blood in ya though. You should be used to the cold.”

“Not after two years; 2 mild winters (never under freezin!)and 2 hot-as-heck summers here..yankee blood has been thinned out fer sure..LOL”

“I suggest ya bring plenty-o-fleece!”

“...or a dog.
(o:3”

“With this crowd warming a hiney is not a problem! LOL!!!!!!!!!”

“will definitely want a site with campfire potential.
then theres always the tequile”

“It looks as though I'll be leaving work around 3 p.m.
That would put me at the trailhead around 6. I think I'll hike on in when I arrive.”

“Jerbear came by my work and saw me today..I had no idea about this trip..sounds like fun..count me in as a maybe on the 2:00 party..Hope to see you all there..”

“Do you know where the TH is EG? Have you been out there before?”

“Evergreen! where have you been young-un?
Terriffic! I am glad you can join us .....
email me at tonimac@ufl.edu”

“whatever happened to the good-ol-days when upcoming trips stayed at the top of the list?

We are still planning on getting up thar 7:30ish...anybody else still got that in mind or are Rollie and I walkin in alone.”

“Spam
Do you wanna let everybody in on exactly where the spot is you got in mind to camp so some folks ain't on the wrong trail.”

“Is it on Invertor Gap Trail (101) or LEOB Trail (146)?”

“Thanks for asking the question, walkindude, I am wondering that myslef! LOl I've not been there before and if I get to go on this one it will be at the last minute, please clarify! Thanks”

“Do you think you can make it bpbaby?
Hope to see ya there!”

“I talked to Spam on the phone yesterday. He was at the tarilhead and a sign said that fires were allowed. I do not think that meant fires were allowed in the Shining Rock Wilderness, but that fires were allowed in Pisgah Nat'l Forest.

I'm pretty sure it's still the original plan...the Ivestor Gap Trail. You follow Forest Service Road #816 off of the Blue Ridge Parkway at mile 420 and head North. Go to the end of that road and there will be parking and a bathroom. The Ivestor Gap trail leads off to the East. It leads to the campsite I-am-Om was thinking about at Shining Rock Gap or there will be a camp before that and before you reach the Shining Rock Wilderness boundary.

Spam- if I'm wrong and I misunderstood you, please clarify here.”

“Thanks, Ski, I can find that.

Dude, I'm working on it! Can't get anyone to cover at work Thursday night, but think I can get off early. I'm tryin!”

“I'm laying out gear and geting organized. Dang it's gonna be cold!! I'll have more clothes than I have food to carry!!”

“You'll have to eat your fleece.”

“out of chaos comes order........
bpbaby...glad you are coming after all...
txwoodswoman....hope you have a smooth uneventful flight...ifn you know what i mean. dont worry bout food...there is usually an abundance.(thankyou lord)
just come on and bring proper clothing for the night time cold...
Spam sweetie....drop glow in the dark crumbs ok ?

Swiss Miss and Rolex....altho, i could make it before 730, i will probably get color crazy once i hit n gawgia and will stop and get out of the dang car a LOT so that i dont drive off the road for jay romming the trees and hanging my head out the window to breathe in the exhilarating mountain aire. ...anyway..it is my aim to hike in with you. To achieve that goal i will have to control my merging with the landscape while in the car . I think i can do this......maybe i will wake up tomorrow (hmm today) and there will be a convertible in the drive.”

“Have a safe trip, I-am-Om.”

“See ya there!”

“oooohhhhhh yyyeeeeaahhhhh!”

“I will try to have a chemlight to mark the trail to the campsite.

My plan was to be at the trailhead by noon on Friday but now it will probably be around 4 pm.”

“thank you spam.....wow..a glowing trail....it isnt toxic to vegetation is it? heh......kewl
whenever you all get there....drive carefully......”

“Not unless you cut it open! We can retreive it on the way out.”

“Yeah, drive careless-I-mean-careful everyone. See y'all around seven.

Whoo-hoo!”

“I just had lunch with Jerbear.He is on his way to the trail as I write this. He will scope the area and call me via cellphone tonight and fill me in on the details and I will post his findings.”

“yo! if i am coming from asheville should i take US 23 south to the parkway? will this put me in the general area?”

“No map here, baume. I'll take a look tonight. 816 is at mile marker 420 on the BRP, if that helps.”

“I'm coming N on 23, I'll hang a right (E) on the parkway. The FS rd (MM 420) >should< be only a few miles from that intersection...”

“the more i look at it the more i think i will get on the parkway in asheville. somewhere around 74 or 25. unless somebody gives me a better idea. i'll be coming west on 40 from durham. my email is mccracdb@msn.com”

“thanks gojo”

“and skiracer”

“We've got good directions from the parkway but I haven't gotten out my park map to see where the on-ramps actually are. I know there is an exit near Asheville for US 70 (parkway mile 383) and another one at NC 191/280 (parkway mile 393). We are going to bring maps but hope that there will be decent signage on I-40.

Who cares if we are on the parkway for 30 miles anyway. That speed limit is just a suggestion, right?”

“all i know, is if you are on the parkway and you get to the devils courthouse overlook on the left.., you passed the forest road turnoff.(i think...heh..my map is at home....hey, i am coming from the south thru balsam, nc.).
gonna be cold...but thats ok.. looking at the sattelite image, will be clear mostly thru tuesday...jai”

“BRP mile highlights

This site has all of the exits (and other stuff) and the mile marker numbers.”

“Good link, Swissy!

There's an exit for US 23 at MM 443 - 23 miles WNW of the trailhead. The drive crosses the highest elev. on the Pkwy - 6000+.”

“As if you haven't heard enough from me yet...Here are the exits in that area and the BRParkway mile markers associated with them. I still haven't made up my mind which one we are taking

382.6 U.S. 70
384.7 U.S. 74
388.85 U.S. 25
393.6 N.C. 191 & 280
411.9 U.S. 276
420.2 USFS road (This is us)
423.2 215?
443.1 U.S. 19A & 23”

“Gojo, I like that Swissy name...I just may try to make that one stick”

“417.6 Hooters!”

“Okay here are my recommendations:

Iffin you are coming into Asheville via I-40W take I-26E towards Hendersonville to Exit 2 and signs will have on the Parkway within a few miles. Iffin ya pick up the Parkway from I-40 you will lose about 15-20 minutes.

The same directions apply iffin you are coming from the other direction on I-26 i.e. folks from FA,SC,GA

Gojo you know where you are going!

Iffin you are coming in from I-40E take Exit 27 towards Waynesvile/Maggie Valley to around Exit/Mile marker 95 where you take the Parkway North.

Iffin anyone gets lost call me on my cell phone (828)226-7326”

“I often call Belle "Sissy".

If I had a male dog, I'd nickname him "Bubba".”

“Pleeease, Not Bubba. That name is truely aweful.”