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Lnj

Grandfather Mountain Halloween 2015

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Amazingly, we didn't fall off the mountain!

October, 30 - Friday night my husband and I arrived at the Boone Fork parking lot at around 12:30am. Just wiped out exhausted after the 5 and a half hour drive tacked onto a full day of work. There were another couple of cars in the lot and a huge truck also unloading. The truck carried about 10 young kids looking to be around 10 to 13 years old, with coolers and sleeping bags and all manner of miscellaneous gear all being held loosely in their arms with not the first sign of a pack of any sort. This woke us up a bit, as we wanted to make sure we got our desired campsite before this crowd descended upon it. After a quick pit stop to the wood line, we hoisted our packs on (both of which were 40+ pounds) and began to walk toward the Tanawha trailhead. The kids were swarming all around us so it was a bit like Black Friday at the door to a Wal-Mart for minute, but then we all fell into a line and began the hike. Tommy and I had our headlamps on so we could see our way with no problem at all. They are Coleman headlamps we got from Dick's sporting goods and I have to say they were comfortable and worked like a charm. Luckily at the split for the Daniel Boone Trail and the Nuwati Trail, we were able to part ways with the crowd. Tommy and I registered our permits and grabbed a good map and were tickled we got to sign out the campsite we wanted. We headed down the Nuwati trail about a mile or so to the campsite and contemplated our set up. We then walked on down to the next site just to see if we liked it better, as no one else was there at all. We decided we like the first one better and went back. As we began to unload and set up I saw that my tent was gone. A tree grabbed it off my pack during the hike in, so now I am in nothing but shorts, tshirt, boots and headlamp and it's about 1am and I am running back to that second campsite to see if it dropped off there. Nothing. So now I am headed back in the direction of the parking lot. My husband is not very pleased with me at this point, but is keeping his composure rather well under the circumstances. About a quarter of a mile away I see it in the middle of the trail, luckily not in a mud puddle. By the time we got all set up and in bed, it was about 2am. He is in a hammock and I am in my Tarptent. All is well..... except we are both freezing. Its really cold. Like really. By 3am he is climbing in my tent with me Glad I got the Double Moment. We finally got a bit of a nap.
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  1. Lnj's Avatar
    Saturdays adventures coming soon...
  2. Lnj's Avatar
    I apologize to any who read my journal above, expecting the promised "Saturdays adventures to come"... as I suck. I totally got caught up at work and didn't have the downtime to report on the rest of the trip. Now its mostly lost in the recesses of my mind, but I can say that it was a wonderful trip over all. It was very windy, and kind of misty rainy, but the views were spectacular and the hike itself was more fun than I have had in quite some time. There were chutes and ladders and rock slides and skunk smells and wonderful Christmas balsam smells and laughter and rest. There was very little eating, which I never would have thought, but... the appetite just wasn't there. Probably just nerves and excitement. We didn't get in nearly as many miles as we had hoped to, due to our lack of fitness and time constraints. I think we maybe got halfway down before we had to turn back, but for a first time out, it was wonderful. I have every intention on going back to do the entire thing. Maybe I will be good enough to journal it next time.

    Next up is the PMT this Memorial day weekend....
  3. Lnj's Avatar
    So we got a late start to leave, as is usual. I even got off work at 11:30am today to be able to get going sooner, but I still has to pack up and take one last decent shower for the weekend and by the time all was said and done, we didn't leave until about 4:30pm. We left going south right through the heart of Atlanta and starving. A quick drive thru dinner just south of the city and ... Well anyway, I took forever getting out of the house but my husband took forever getting our parking passes set up so it was both of our faults we didn't get on our legs until 8:30. Arrived at Little Bridges campsite around 9:45 and wee set up to sleep by 11. Of course I have a headache and couldn't buy a nap with a million dollars. My husband is snoring so loud in hammock that I want to throw a rock at him. Due to sheer jealousy of course. Tomorrow will be a long haul for me with no shut eye. Need to relieve myself but not about to step out in spider haven to do it until the sun comes up. I have 3 hours to cross my legs. The cool thing.... I am watching a lightening bug dance all along the top of my tent. I love those! I'll update tomorrow in case anyone is actually reading