RATtreks

Linville Gorge (A Weekend with The Gorge Rats!) – 5-25-2013 to 5-26-2013

After getting home from Trail Days, I finally got an opportunity to do some hiking in the Linville Gorge also known as the Grand Canyon of the East. The Cherokee Indians called it “Eseeoh,” meaning a river of many cliffs. Today the Linville Gorge is named after explorer William Linville and his son, John, who were killed by Cherokees in the gorge in 1766. This is a place I have been wanting to explore  for quite some time now so, when I was invited to join the Gorge Rat’s (a group formed and dedicated to the promotion and preservation of the gorge) I jumped at the chance! I had a gig on Friday night so it would be Saturday morning before I could make it to the Gorge Rat`s camp at the Hawksbill Trail head. They gather together here each year in the Spring and Fall. I was welcomed in and felt right at home with these fellow rats.

The first day Mike Jones and his beautiful family and friends led us on a moderate hike on the other side (West Rim) of the gorge down the Conley Cove Trail. This trail is one of the easiest descent trails into Linville Gorge but does get a bit overgrown with plants in the Summer and has minimal views. It does pass near some nice rock cliffs and caves that we took the time to explore. It is at least a 1,200 foot descent to reach the Linville River at the bottom of the gorge. From there you can go North or South on the Linville River Trail. If you go North you can cross the river at the Spence Trail on the only bridge across the river in the gorge however, that bridge was washed out by floods earlier this year. We spent some time at the river and ate our lunch before making the climb back up to the top where we started.

Once back at the top Mike led us out the Rock Jock Trail and then out a shorter, unmarked,  side trail to a favorite spot of his on a rocky outcrop where we got some killer views of the gorge, Hawksbill, and Table Rock, etc., on the East side along with the Chimneys and the NC Wall. Once I seen this view I was instantly hooked and hopefully will be making many future trips to this area. The gorge, or ‘the ditch’ as Mike calls it, is one of the last rugged, wilderness-like places left in our part of the world and has so much to see and do but, much of it is not for the average hiker as there are few maintained trails and to reach all the cool stuff one must be in the know and take the path less traveled. It is very steep and requires a different method of hiking than anywhere I have ever hiked before. The rewards are totally worth it as the views and beauty found here are unmatched.

After hanging out on this rocky overlook for awhile, we hiked back to the vehicles and made our way back to the Gorge Rat`s base camp where I was ready to setup camp and cook some camp food. After meeting more of the Gorge Rat`s, I was informed that I HAD to go with them to eat at Famous Louise`s which as it is named, is a famous place in the area to consume some most awesome food.  Once there I learned that the Rat`s are quite well known and get preferential treatment ! The restaurant is quite popular and straddles three counties: Burke, McDowell, and Avery. There is a wall dedicated to the Gorge Rats with many pictures of their group displayed there so I did feel privileged to be included in their presence. We ended up eating here again the next day and did I mention that they have home made pies ? They close on Wednesdays to make pies and their Blackberry Rhubarb pie is phenomenal. After a nice supper there we made our way back to base camp where I was the only one who setup a tent  because all the Rat`s use hammocks and are quite profound at designing, building and using them. We had a great time around a nice fire that night drinking beer and telling stories. I got to meet the legendary Bob Underwood who has explored more of the gorge than probably anyone else and goes bushwhacking to places that no other 71 yr old man would dream of going ! He is hands down THE authority on the Linville Gorge. It was a pleasure to meet him.

The next day after breakfast (and more pie) Mike took us out to Table Rock and led us on an awesome hike out to the Chimneys and then down to The Amphitheatre and out the NC Wall. This hike was INTENSE  as we hiked along the edge of the super tall cliffs and rock formations that tower high above the gorge. The views out the gorge towards Shortoff Mountain left me speechless. We spent nearly all day doing this loop and I hated when it was over and I look forward to coming back here as soon as I can. Once I completed this hike Mike gave me my official Gorge Rat sticker ! There is so much here I want to see and do and I hope I can make the time to do it.

After hiking across the Chimneys, Mike found the faint, unmarked, side trail that leads down a steep hill to the Amphitheatre and the NC Wall. There was another unmarked and hard to find trail leading off to the left that is the way across the top of the Amphitheatre and a super steep drop off trail down into the bottom of it. I want to explore all of that one day. Mike led the way to a cliff at the edge of the NC Wall where the views of the Amphitheatre, the gorge, and Shortoff Mountain were spectacular. From there we would skirt the cliffs edge of the NC Wall all the way back to the Chimneys via another faint side trail.

It took awhile to hike across all the NC Wall and then climb back up to the Chimneys and get back to the car. It was a beautiful day and despite being intensely bright, I still took a lot of pictures.

I hated to pack up and leave but I had to work that night so I sadly had to say my goodbyes and make the drive back home in order to get to work on time. I can not wait to get back to this awesome place again. All I can say for now is, thanks Mike !

To see the complete set of photos I took on this adventure, please visit the Photo Gallery here.