Linville Gorge Southern End

sponsor

Print-Friendly Version

Add this event to your calendar (Outlook, iCalendar)

Add REGISTRATION REMINDER to your calendar

REGISTRATION REQUIRED: Once you've reviewed the event details, and decided you'd like to join us, you MUST sign up at the bottom of this page.

Linville Gorge Southern End

The Basics:

Event Type:

Adventure

Event Location:

Linville Gorge North Carolina

Date(s) & Time:

Fri, Jan 8 2010 11:00 am >> N/A (Carpool Departure: 6:00 am *log in for location*)

Registration Opens:

Mon, Nov 30 2009 9:00 pm

Registration Cut Off:

Thu, Jan 7 2010 11:00 pm

Event Duration:

3 Days

Difficulty Rating:

D6: Advanced

Trip Leader(s):

Rob Garner
Matt Tichenor

Email Trip Leader(s)
You must be logged in to get the Trip Leader contact information.

Member Cost:

None

Participant Info:

Who's Invited:

Members Only, 21 And Older Only

Maximum Group Size:

Minimum Group Size:

Number Registered So Far:

7 / 0 (To see who's signed up, log in to the Member Area)

Are Dogs Permitted:

Itinerary:

Linville Gorge, The Grand Canyon of North Carolina

The Linville River with its source high on Grandfather Mountain has, by its tremendous scouring action, formed one of Eastern America's most scenic and rugged gorges. The steep walls of the Gorge enclose the Linville River for 12 miles. The river's swift waters descend over 2,000 feet before breaking into the open levels of the Catawba Valley, Elevation averages 3,400 feet along the rim of the Gorge and 2,000 feet on Linville River. The Linville Gorge Wilderness, in the western North Carolina Mountains, is part of the Pisgah National Forest. The gorge is formed by Jonas Ridge on the east, and Linville Mountain on the west and is bisected by the Linville River, which drops into the valleys below. The odd assortment of rock formations located on Jonas Ridge include Sitting Bear, Hawksbill, Table Rock, and the Chimneys. Elevations range from 1,300 feet on the Linville River to 4,120 feet on Gingercake Mountain. The terrain is extremely steep and rugged with numerous rock formations.

This is one of my favorite backcountry locations. It is rugged and wild, not a typical backpack area. We are going to spend 3 days exploring the southern end of the gorge.

Friday morning, we'll travel from the carpool to the parking area at Pinch In Trail. Hopefully we'll be on the trail by 11:30am. We'll follow Pinch In to the Linville Gorge Trail (LGT) and turn north. The LGT follows the river and has many fantastic views of the river and gorge walls. We'll turn east and take the bridge across the river on the Spence Ridge trail. The bridge is very unique, an unusual design. Friday night will camp somewhere along the Spence, Mountain to Sea Trail (MST) connector.

Saturday morning we'll head south on the MST following the east rim of the gorge. Along the way, we'll see Tablerock Mtn and The Chimneys. If we make it to Linville river before sundown, we'll ford it and setup camp. Otherwise, we'll camp on the east side of the river and cross it in the morning. It should be no more than knee deep and easy to cross.

Sunday we'll continue on the MST until we reach state road 1238, a dirt road. We'll go north on the road for approximately 1 mile then head back into the gorge on the Rock Jock trial. Rock Jock takes us back to the Pinch In trail. We'll go west to the parking area, load up and head back to Atlanta.

click here for more photos

Required Items to Bring:
Backpacking gear and clothes for cold weather, water shoes for fording the river, food and water.

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

How to Get There:

Carpool to Event Distance (round trip):

460Mile(s)

Carpool Departure Time:

6:00 am

Carpool Location:

Carpool Directions:

Carpool Cost:

Estimated cost per vehicle for this event is $184.00 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:

This is a D6 level event. If you haven't backpacked with me, I'll contact you to discuss your experience and fitness level.

* We encourage all members to follow our Etiquette Guidelines while participating in AOC events.

Cancellation/Partial Attendance: Please review the AOC cancellation policy.
*Note: This a rain or snow or shine event. The only reason we will cancel is, the road conditions won't allow us to get to the trail head.