Wednesday, April 28, 2010

Art Loeb Trail Adventure




What fun...

Arrived Davidson River Campground in Brevard Thursday evening, 4/22 and set up camp just before dark. Humid and warm.

Hit the trail Friday morning and went up the Art Loeb Trail to Catpen Gap...took a nap there, then came back through the campground on the North Slope trail, stopping for a spell at the swimming hole. Back at my site just as Goofus, Wolf and Mike Phillips were about done setting up their site.

Zephyr and Rob McClure arrived shortly after dark and set up their tents; Schnzl and Qwyk dropped in a short while after them.

Up early to get up to Graveyard Fields and start the ascent to Black Balsam Knob and beyond. The goal was Cold Mountain, but we were halted by serious weather at Shining Rock. Wolf rescued us by waiting in his van where the Art Loeb heads towards Black Balsam...gave Qwyk, Schnzl, Goofus and I a ride back to my car. Then we picked up all the others where the jeep trail ends near the Art Loeb connector.

We were all cold and soaked. Cleaned up at camp and hit Marco's in Brevard for a couple of pints and great pizza and Italian food. Later in the evening, there was some mention of bourbon...

A great weekend. I'm impressed by the team work - the communication that bonded us with a plan that avoided compounding errors. I'm glad we repeatedly regrouped so that we did not have to deal with uncertainty about who was where, why, or how.

I look forward to trying the route to Cold Mountain again...across The Narrows...with friends.

As Goofus put it:

WE PUT A WACKIN ON THE KRAKKEN
AND IF U THINK I'M JACKIN
THEN YOU'D BETTER BE PACKIN
CAUSE I'LL GIVE U A SMACKIN
AND YOUR EYES ARE GONNA BLACKEN
CAUSE WE GOT NOTHIN LACKIN
AND THAT IS A FAKKIN
JACKIN


(Zephyr has some great photos as well...on the TrailHeads ning site).




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