Overnight on the East Rim of Linville Gorge, NC > Nov. 30 - Dec. 1

[gfstanley]

Here is trip report from an overnight trip that a buddy of mine, and our three daughters went on across the East Rim of Linville Gorge.

Friday, Nov. 30:
Left Spence Ridge trailhead about 3:00 pm (3 hours later than we were hoping for). Took MST connector to MST up to Table Rock. We found several icy spots remaining from the Thanksgiving ice on the trail as we hiked to the summit Table Rock. We saw someone camping on top of Little Table Rock Friday night. We continued on the MST through the Chimneys and down to the camp. We made camp about 7:00 pm at the large campsite about 1/4 mile short of Saddle Camp.

Saturday, Dec. 1:
Broke camp and hit the trail about 10:00 am along the same route we hiked in. We saw 4 people trail running the MST Saturday and four others hiking from Table Rock to Shortoff. The tarp that was from the people camping on Little Table Rock Friday night was flapping in the wind by the time we passed through Saturday. The weather was mid-upper 40s and light rain with 15-20 mph gusts. Our original plan was to hike down Spence Ridge to the river and camp a second night, but opted to leave when we returned to the truck about 1:00.

Takeaways:
1. All advice and suggestions regarding Linville Gorge should be strongly considered when planning a trip there. I have watched numerous videos describing the terrain, but no words can fully describe it until you experience it. The climb from SR trailhead to Table Rock was a heart-pounding start. The trek through the Chimneys in low light to dark was intense. Would I advise it? No, but I don't regret it. We took it very slow and used and great deal of caution.

2. The descent down the Chimneys in the dark provided a view of the town lights outside the Gorge that can't be described, only experienced.

3. The climb up to the Chimneys in the cold rain to start Saturday morning was a "kick you in the teeth" moment. The trek through the Chimneys in the rain and wind was equally as intense as through the dark.

4. The weather prevented us from seeing the grand beauty that the Gorge offers, but it was beautiful nonetheless.

5. Our three daughters (9, 11, 11) were troopers, but they each had their meltdowns. Our decision to adjust our route and shorten our trip was based on keeping them safe and not turning them off from backpacking. Did we do too much for them considering the weather? Probably, but we didn't want to compound that by making a selfish decision to stay longer.

I took pictures as the weather allowed and put together a little video. I hope you enjoy it.

[boca1]

awesome pictures, your daughters will never forget and will thank you some day

[TrailSlug]

Wow, that had to be hard on the little gals. Hopefully they still like backpacking That gorge sure looks like a place that could eat you up and spit you out if you aren't in good shape. Thanks for the pics and taking us along.

[TallPaul]

Good for y’all being flexible on the trip. Those are some tough climbs so they should be proud for what they accomplished. And I’m sure they’ll now have a benchmark to ask dad about the next trip - like will it be easier or harder than Linville Gorge?

[Hobbit]

Nice posting and loved your photos. My baby girl is now 32 years old and we still backpack together several times a year. Its just great having them along isn't it! Your photos got me thinking of digging out earlier pictures of when we started together. Thanks much.