Campfire Smell

Get Outside Campaign Pt 8…

Another fantastic Buds vs Wild weekend. A return visit to the Linville Gorge for me, with the intent of an over-nighter away from our ladies with one of my best buds from Ohio and to melt some out of town face with the Gorge’s beautiful eastern rim along the Mountains to Sea trail.

The hike up  to Table Rock had David and I pretty smoked, but as we got to the foot of the summit approach were treated with our first shot of the gorge below, we got a second wind and made quick work of the 1000’ summit. 

Pressing on and leaving the girls to return on their own to the trailhead, David and I strolled through a multitude of bright pink and white Mt Laurel blooms along the trail rimming the Chimney section of the hike. This 2 mile strip of giant craggs jutting up and out into large spires is very popular with local climbers and really neat to hike through. The terrain was a far departure form the flat to slightly hilly land of north eastern Ohio that David was used to, so it was a treat for him to have a more challenging and exciting hike with scrambles etc. 

We were soon upon the small trail that lofted us up about 30’ to a small cave where we were to camp. This rock overhang was about 25-30 feet wide and about 12-14 feet high and a perfect spot to frame in the gorge. As the weather moved in while we were camping, we stayed totally dry and warm and a gentle cross breeze kept the smoke out of our faces haha :D It couldn’t have been a better scenario.

It’s always such a pleasurable experience to share the amazing wilderness to those who’d otherwise never get to. This 8th installment of the Get Outside Campaign went off without a hitch and the much needed and well deserved rejuvenation that nature provided to David and I left us both eager for the next trip out into her warm embrace.

Cheers 

Get Outside Campaign Pt 7…

I was grateful to have another opportunity to share the amazing outdoor experience with buds from back home. In the 7th installment of the Get Outside Campain, I set out again with my bud Brad and additionally, the hiking/camping first timer, “B”. 

We set off from Carvers Gap on the AT and continued up and over the 3 Southern Balds: Round Bald, Jane Bald, and Grassy Ridge down through Yellow Mt Gap back up to Little Hump Mt. The weather was a liiiittle chilly on the balds with high gusting winds making it twice as cold as it read on the weather forecast, but with the proper layering we still felt good as we set off. 

The high altitude air was a bit harsh on B, but he dug deep and carried on like a champ. The descent from Grassy Ridge to the Yellow Mt Gap was quicker going than I remembered but as we finished lunch at the bottom and set off for the toughest leg of the hike, a steep ascent up nearly 1000’ in less than 1.7 miles, the trail started taking it’s toll. We were happy to have that section behind us as we got to Yellow Mt and the grassy balds revealed some of the best panoramics of Tn and NC. The winds were even stronger as we made our way to camp, and we set in with the priorities of work, collecting as much wood as we possibly could to maintain a fire in the high winds. Giving the honor of getting a fire going to B, he did not disappoint and we were toasty with our high mt happy hour under way shortly after :) As the sun went down, the clouds parted revealing some of the best star-scape any of us had seen before. 

In the morning, we’d shivered ourselves awake  haha, exiting the tent to even colder and stronger winds, we decided to break camp and have breakfast out of the wind 4 miles up trail to the Stan Murray Shelter. With numb fingers and toes we set off back down to the gap and out with a quick water recharge in the Gap and on up to the shelter. Once there, we met a thru-hiker named “Cheez-it” from Louisiana who was pretty cool. I shared my canister fuel with him, insisting on the fact that he conserve his and pawned off a few food items to help him out. He’d never even hiked before!?! But after graduating from college he felt like the AT would provide him ample time to decide the next big span of his life… which it surely would :) 

We wrapped up breakfast and to my surprise and delight, it rejuvenated us enough all enough to dominate the last few miles of the hike an hour ahead of projected time which was a great feat. I was super proud of my buds.

In conclusion, Buds vs Wild was a huge success. I got to enjoy some long awaited fellowship with my buds, in some of the most beautiful surrounds of the area I’ve come to love, and love to share, adding to yet another successful chapter to the Get Outside Campain.

Cheers