Jacks River Falls via Penitentiary Trail - Fri, Nov 26 2010

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Jacks River Falls via Penitentiary Trail


The Basics:
Event Type:Backpacking
Event Location: Jack’s River, Cohutta Wilderness Area
Date(s) & Time:Fri, Nov 26 2010  8:00 am >> N/A  (Carpool Departure: 8:00 am   *log in for location*)
Registration Opens: Wed, Nov 17 2010 8:00 pm
Registration Cut Off: Thu, Nov 25 2010 4:00 pm
Event Duration:2 days
Difficulty Rating:D3: Moderate
Trip Leader(s):
Kristi
Grant Brown
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Member Cost:None

Participant Info:
Who's Invited: Members Only, 21 And Older Only
Maximum Group Size:12
Minimum Group Size:2
Number Registered So Far: 7 / 0 (To see who's signed up, log in to the Member Area)
Are Dogs Permitted: No

Itinerary:
Let's get outside and work off some of that Thanksgiving Day food for two days/one night in the Cohutta Wilderness! 

Note that this is a Friday-Saturday trip; a one night backpack trip. 

From Dally Gap, we'll hike Hemp Top Trail to Penitentiary Branch Trail.  We will camp at the beautiful and spacious area at the intersection of Jacks River Trail and the Penitentiary Branch Trail. 

Upon arrival, we'll set up our tents, eat lunch if we haven't already, and gather wood for our evening fire.  Afterwards, we'll walk about a mile to the spectacular Jack's River Falls, hang out, and hike some more down river if we desire.  We'll return to camp for dinner, fire, and enjoyment of each other's company.  The next morning, we may rekindle the fire, have a leisurely breakfast, break camp and hike out around noon or so. 

This trip is rated moderate, but since the hike out on Penitentiary Branch Trail is virtually all uphill for 3.6 miles, you will need to be fit to do this portion of the hike at a moderate pace.

Note that if the campsite is already taken, we may need to camp at other options - one is that we can hike further down river to another camp site and it will require us to cross the river.  So, please bring water shoes for that possibility.  The other option is to retrace our footsteps about ten minutes to the Penintentiary Creek, which would not require us to cross the river; this would be my choice if we cannot stay at the river. 

We'll stop to eat together in Blue Ridge on the way back to Atlanta.

Required Items to Bring:
Tent, Sleeping pad, Winter sleeping bag, flashlight.  Read the Checklist for a full list, http://www.atlantaoutdoorclub.com/events/checklists/backpacking.asp .

Meals (Sat lunch and dinner, Sun breakfast and lunch and/or snacks)

Trekking poles

Dress in layers. Long underwear, wool hat, gloves, scarf.

Water shoes, just in case

Standard backpacking gear (stove, water filter or purification tablets, food bag and string/rope to hang away from bears.) 

If you need to share something please let the trip leaders know prior to the trip.

Fun attitude!		Recommended Items to Bring:
Use our Event Checklists to make sure you have everything you need.

Hand warmer packets are handy and can be purchased at REI and Lowe's. If you tend to be cold in your sleeping bag, and/or get cold toes in your boots I recommend bringing a couple.

Camera, musical instruments, scary stories to tell  :-)

At the car:  dry clothes, clean shoes, extra water. 

Let's not leave food in the cars.





How to Get There:
Event Directions:
Provided at Park-n-Ride.


Carpool to Event Distance (round trip):100Mile(s)
Carpool Departure Time: 8:00 am
Carpool Location:   Log in for location
Carpool Directions:   Log in for directions
Carpool Cost: Estimated cost per vehicle for this event is $40.00 using a reimbursement rate guideline of $0.400 per mile. The total amount should be divided by the number of people in the vehicle, including the driver. This is a guideline, not a rule, for drivers but the cost should not be higher unless there are extenuating circumstances.

Notes:

Are Dogs Permitted? No.

Will this event occur rain or shine? Yes, but not in extremely poor conditions.

NOTE: Please be considerate of others. If you sign-up and cannot attend, please e-mail the event leader, so others that may be on a waiting list may attend. E-mail the event leader to be put on a waiting list if the trip is at the max number of attendees.
* We encourage all members to follow our Etiquette Guidelines while participating in AOC events.

Cost Includes:Share gas expense with carpool driver

Cancellation/Partial Attendance:   Please review the AOC cancellation policy.