Gorges State Park, NC Trip Report

It was all that I hoped for and more...

I woke up way too early Saturday October the 1st, 2011. I tried to get back to sleep, but to no avail. So, after a half a pot of coffee and two hours of anticipation, I left my house for the two hour drive at 4 A.M.

The lack of sleep caught up with me as I was arriving at the parking area on Frozen Creek Road, so I decided to take a nap in the car... Best idea I ever had!!!

After an 1.5 hour nap I hit the Cane Break trail for what would be 6.25 miles of hiking on Saturday. The temperatures were in the mid to upper 40's for the start of the hike a nd rising into the 50's by the finish. The trail was very easy to follow along an old logging road and mostly downhill going in.

I took the last campsite along the northeastern tip of Lake Jocassee before the Foothills Trail exits the Park heading for Table Rock State in Greenville, SC.  This campsite was the stuff that campers dream of and I was treated to a "Gorgeous" Sunset!!!

Sunday Morning I woke up around 8:30 A.M. had breakfast and Coffee. I then slowly packed up before hitting the trail for the 5.75 mile hike back to my car around 11 A.M.

Pictures can be found here:

Gorges State Park Photo Album

Slideshow of the sunset:

Video of the trip:

Part 1

Part 2

Next up is almost a week in the Linville Gorge!!!

Happy Trails...

~Jeremy

One last trip...

Well, that is one last trip before I take a break to plan for the "big trip" to the Linville Gorge at the end of October! Saturday morning I am heading just north of the South Carolina Boarder to Gorges State Park in Sapphire, NC. I will be entering the park on Frozen Creek Road and hiking the Cane Break trail for 5 or so miles to the eastern side of lake Jocassee.

The forecast ( http://tinyurl.com/6f278gh) is looking great for views of the sunset over the lake. Also, the temps should be down in the 30's Saturday night, which will finally give me a chance to check out my cold weather hammock setup. I have been waiting for this since I acquired this setup over six months ago!!!

If you are interested in seeing where I'm heading, a map of the park can be found here:

http://www.ncparks.gov/Visit/parks/gorg/pics/parkmap.pdf

I will be home Sometime Sunday. I will have photos and videos up as soon as possible! STAY TUNED...

Happy Trails

~ Jeremy

Backpacking the Chattooga River

This past weekend, September 17 - 18, 2011, I parked my car at Ridley Fileds parking area On Hwy 28 in South Carolina just before you cross Russel Bridge. I hiked South/southwest down the Bartram/Chattoga river trail.

Ended up Doing a little over 9 miles the first day with some backtracking and one or two wrong turns. There are a couple tricky turns so you have to make sure to keep your eye out for trail markers (gold diamonds). I stayed on Warwoman creek Saturday night before hiking about seven miles back to the car Sunday.

It was a real pleasure to hike and I got the added bonus of running up on Turkeys both days along the trail. I only saw one other person over the weekend. He was fishing up near Russel Bridge

The temperatures and weather were excellent!! Highs in the 60's and lows in the 50's.


Hope you enjoy the picture and videos as much as I enjoyed getting them!

-Jeremy

Photos

 http://s294.photobucket.com/albums/mm104/jmcwatty_2008/Bartram-Chattooga%20River%20trail/

Video Part 1

Video Part 2

Labor Day weekend 2011 in the Linville Gorge

There was a hell of a storm that blew in Friday night about 30 minutes after I got there... I was set up at one of the pull off camp sites on Kistler. The wind was unreal. The trees were bending enough to get me nervous enough to ride out the main part of the storm sitting in my car. Very pleasant night after the storm blew through.


Saturday I started down Pinch In around 10:30 am. The sun was beating down on the exposed Ridge Line and it was very humid. Once I reached the tree line, I took around an hour to cool off and hydrate....

Sunday was much of the same going back up except clouds were starting to push in so I stopped about half way up for around 2 hours to wait for the clouds to block the sun. Along with the clouds, a nice breeze came as well... I went through about 4 liters of water going up. Because of the humidity my Shirt looked like I had just jumped in the river fully clothed when I made it to the Trail Head... I nick named Pinch In Hell with a Trail on my way up

It was absolutely awesome though and I enjoyed every minute of it... even the miserable parts! For me personally, I believe I will be staying away from the Exposed ridge lines during the summer months.

Photos can be found here: http://s294.photobucket.com/albums/mm104/jmcwatty_2008/Linville%20Gorge%20-%20Pinchin%20trail/

Summer is coming to a close...

That's right, and I couldn't be happier. For me,when the temps start to cool in the Carolinas, My outdoor excursions increase!!!

This weekend I will be head to my second favorite wilderness area. The Linville Gorge...

I will be leaving Greenwood at approximately 4pm Friday. I will drive up to the Gorge where I will camp at one of the pull-off campsites on Kistler rd. Saturday I will park my car at the Pinch in Trail head and descend the trail to the river where I will be meeting Friends to lollygag and chillax for the day and night. Sunday I will ascend Pinch in. From there I will be driving up to Old Conley parking area and will be making my way to Lost Dog camp. Finally Monday, if everything goes as planned I will be meeting three guys that I met from linvillegorge.net for some exploring and trail work before heading home sometime in the afternoon.

I may have a Cell signal at times and I will try to get text messages out when I can.

Hope everyone has a Great Labor Day Weekend!!! Stay tuned for a trip report!

And the festivities begin

After what seemed to take a year, I have arrived. Woke up this morning to the beautiful views of New York mountains. Soon we will be heading over to the festival grounds for day one of the Fourth of July celebrations!!!!!

To see Phish in the mountains... my two favorite things combined. What could be better!!!!!

Stay tuned. ...

A quick look at my planned route this weeken

here is a picture of my planned route for the weekend . Starting at Rock Jock TH it goes right to left in a loop. It is Rock Jock trail > Conley Cove trail > Linville Gorge trail (heading south) > Pinchin trail > hike the road back to car. I will be out as late as Sunday afternoon. I will update as soon as I am out!!!

*** the image is looking from east to west***

A bigger copy can be found at:

https://picasaweb.google.com/104242532629919735878/LGMay20222011?authkey=Gv1sRgCNni8YC_tPqhowE#5608843180717314370

This cannot happen. It must be stopped!!

Big business wants to mine uranium right outside the boundaries of Grand Canyon National Park. I really think this has the potential to be disastrous for the park and the wildlife it houses. Please watch the video below and if you agree please go to protectgrandcanyon.org and let your voice be heard!!!

Remember you are not just protecting these lands for yourselves, but also for the generations yet to come. They deserve the right and opportunity to see such wonders!

My Brother's Dream come true!!!

.... Well at least one of them (sorry, I have not won the lottery yet)... A little over a month ago, my brother and I were headed up to the Linville Gorge when he show me a letter he was writing to Duck Unlimited Magazine. In reading and editing this for him, I discovered that he had a winning photo in their Photo contest. I asked "what photo?" He preceded to tell me that it was one that he took of himself at sunrise while hunting this past winter. I remembered the photo well. I  found it quite stunning when I originally saw it, as well as did many others. It actually has inspired an idea for A shot that I want of me backpacking, but the weather has not cooperated as of yet. So I'm still waiting....

 I know that in the past, he has submitted many photos to DU with no luck of having them published. Well This time around he submitted one photo and WON BEST OVERALL!!! 

CONGRATULATIONS SCOTT!! Well deserved acknowledgement of your talents! It truly is "Picture Perfect"

Read the DU magazine writeup here:

http://www.ducks.org/du-magazine/picture-perfect/page2

Found an app

There's an app apparently for everything these days including posting to a blog. This should come in real handy this summer with the traveling I'll be doing....
Stay tuned for updates ( this goes out to the one possible person, if any, that reads these... LOL!)
Don't be shy... you can leave comments

This movie needs to be released

I really, really hope that the movie " The Music Never Stopped" is at some point released nation wide.

Trailer For The Music Never Stopped

 It  brings therapeutic possiblities from music...  I know for me, the best gift I ever received was my high school graduation present from my brother. Two tickets to see Phish in the summer of 1997 in Raleigh , NC and Atlanta, Ga. The first show being in Raleigh, NC, where a biblical storm ensued as the band swayed its way through the the first set. Culminating with one of the best versions of Taste in my opinion. It seemed as if God and Page McConnell (Piano / Keyboardist) were jamming with each other (see DVD or Listen to CD's).



As my brother was trying to get me to go with him to take some type of shelter from the bolts of electricity raining down from the heavens above, I felt an overwhelming sense of comfort. For the first time in my life I understood how music could touch the soul of those who were willing to  let their defenses down and release their inhibitions, and I was home. Life would never be the same.........

PHISH
Tuesday, 07/22/1997 Raleigh, NC

Set 1: Runaway Jim -> My Soul, Water in the Sky, Stash, Bouncin'Bouncing Around the Room, Vultures, Bye Bye Foot^[1], Taste
Set 2: DwDDown with Disease -> Mike'sMike's Song -> Simple -> HydrogenI Am Hydrogen > WeekapaugWeekapaug Groove^[2], Hello My Baby
Encore: CircusWhen the Circus Comes > HoodHarry Hood

[1] Mother tease from Trey.
[2] Mother and Hydrogen teases; closed with a Can't
You Hear Me Knocking tease.

Notes: The first set of this show was performed during a furious lightning storm; during Taste, the band even jammed along with the thunder and lightning. Mother (Pink Floyd) was teased by Trey in Bye Bye Foot and Weekapaug. Weekapaug also included a Hydrogen tease and closed with a Can’t You Hear Me Knocking tease. This

some of the past adventures

I figure I need to get some content on here, so below you will find some videos of some trips I have taken over the last year or so... If you like them leave a comment or like them on my Youtube channel. You can also subscribe to the channel. I can promise you there will be more to come!!!

Chattooga River trail:

Linville Gorge 1:

Ellicott's Wilderness:

Part 1:

Part 2:

 

Linville Gorge 2:

Part 1:

Part 2:

Happy Trails...

Hard to Focus on Work

I am finding it hard to concentrate on work these days due the fact that I have so many interesting things planed over the next few months. First My brother and I will be heading to GSMNP in May for a three day, thirty mile trek. After that I will be taking a hiatus from the outdoors for a while as the Phish Summer tour swings down through the southeast. I will be catching my 49th, 50th, and 51st shows when they come through Atlanta and Charlotte. Then I will be heading to Watkins Glen Fourth of July weekend for my fourth Phish Festival....

But I think I cannot wait that long, so  next weekend calls for an overnight excursion in my favorite wilderness area in SC...