View Full Version : More Cold Mountain questions
hootyhoo
04-01-2009, 21:22
Maybe you can answer this question for me...We might be able to leave Thursday afternoon for the Little East Fork Trail - heading up to Shining Rock. We will arrive at the Boy Scout Camp after dark. Thunderstorms are possible Thursday night so we don't want to get too high up.
At or just after dark --
We plan to leave the parking lot and hike a little way in on the Little East Fork Trail - less than a mile or so. Is there a semi -close place to camp that will accomodate a two person tent along the Little East Fork Trail? If, so would we need to carry camp water, or would we be near the creek?
Thanks, Hooty
RedneckRye
04-02-2009, 01:32
I really don't want to sound TOO harsh, but what ever happened to walking into the woods and seeing what you find?
Be sure to take a headlamp and you'll be OK.
RedneckRye
04-02-2009, 01:48
Maybe you can answer this question for me...We might be able to leave Thursday afternoon for the Little East Fork Trail - heading up to Shining Rock. We will arrive at the Boy Scout Camp after dark. Thunderstorms are possible Thursday night so we don't want to get too high up.
At or just after dark --
We plan to leave the parking lot and hike a little way in on the Little East Fork Trail - less than a mile or so. Is there a semi -close place to camp that will accomodate a two person tent along the Little East Fork Trail? If, so would we need to carry camp water, or would we be near the creek?
Thanks, Hooty
I just re-read the original post and several thoughts have occurred to me...
1. If you are going to somewhere called "Boy Scout Camp", there is a spot for a 4 person tent. Probably a spot for four 4 person tents and a big fire pit, but no fire wood within a couple of hundred yards.
2. "less than a mile or so". Take some water, it only weighs 8 pounds a gallon so think of it as a good workout.
3. "would we be near the creek?". Take a look at a map, does it show a creek?
Have fun out there.
Tipi Walter
04-02-2009, 08:24
I just re-read the original post and several thoughts have occurred to me...
1. If you are going to somewhere called "Boy Scout Camp", there is a spot for a 4 person tent. Probably a spot for four 4 person tents and a big fire pit, but no fire wood within a couple of hundred yards.
2. "less than a mile or so". Take some water, it only weighs 8 pounds a gallon so think of it as a good workout.
3. "would we be near the creek?". Take a look at a map, does it show a creek?
Have fun out there.
Hooty backpacks quite a bit and these answers are obvious to him already. What he's looking for are people with actual knowledge of Shining Rock and the Little East Fork Trail. I get the feeling that RedneckRye has never been on the Little East Fork trail.
I never bought the map so I may be a bit confused on the trail names. I thought that to head up to cold mountain and deep gap you'd take Art Loeb, and the other trail passing the boy scout area (not the building) is the ivestor gap toll road. If you head up Ivestor gap you'd be stretched to find a great campsite because it's not flat enough to often and once you pass the creek, about a mile up, theres def. not anywhere flat for my liking but water is plentyful. The trails right now are full of water so be wary of that. The water is at its most abundant right now so no worries on that. If you stick it up art loeb towards deep gap there are some good campsites at the end of a few switchbacks here and there. I think you best bet is to head up Ivestor till you hit the river where you'll have a bit of room to camp, take you about an hour to get up there with a good hiking pace. There's so much cover on those two trails the rain I doubt will bother you much unless it's a downpour which I doubt it will be. I love this area, I think I just added some pictures from Shining Rock in my gallery. Take care ya'll!
Ivestor gap trail enters shining rock from the south off forest road 816. It runs parralell to the Art Loeb. The northern end of the Art Loeb is only a few hundred yards from the Little East for trailhead. The trail is only 5.4 mile to Shining rock gap. It runs along the creek starting at about a half mile or so in, it is a gradual climb and a nice hike. You wil have no problem finding a site near the creek for a single tent. Because the trailhead is a forest service facility that just happens to be in the Daniel Boone Scout camp the road will be open just follow it to the end at the back of the camp, there is a sign there with trail info (or there was a few years ago) and parking is available at the side of the road where the Art Loeb trailhead is. Park, walk up the road for a hundred yards or so, cross the bridge over the creek then turn left and walk throught the large cleared scout campsite past the privy to the start of the little east fork trail.
When you enter Shining rock gap after turning left on the ivestor gap trail for the last half mile or so it will be confusing at first. There are a lot of trails coming together in the clearing,(no signs because it is a wilderness area) lots of campsites off each of those little trails. To find the Art Loeb north to finish your loop stay to the left of the clearing as you first entered it from the Ivestor Gap trail and the trail that leaves the clearing on the far left side is the one you need. If you cross the clearing diagnolly and take that trail it will be the Old Butt Knob trail. A hard right across the clearing puts you on the Art loeb south and the junction with Shinning creek trail. There is a good wate source there.
Have a great hike.
OldStormcrow
04-03-2009, 10:51
As you probably have discovered by now, if you went camping on Little East Fork on Thursday, is that there are several nice group-sized campsites along the creek on the way up from Camp Daniel Boone. Hope the weather cleared for your hike!
hootyhoo
04-05-2009, 15:12
Redneck - I understand your thoughts - it was not too harsh for me. They were predicting a line of strong thunderstorms through that area and I did not want to be forced to camp on some hillside with trees snapping all around me, or have a sheer 100' gorge climb down to the river. Yeah, I wussed out and asked for some beta before I went. Maybe I'm getting old.
Tipi - thanks for the backup. That area would be right up your alley come mid winter - it would be just right for the Staika - I stayed at 5880' on Saturday night and got wind blasted - I had guy lines tied to everything I could find. I woke up to frozen water bottles and thick frost inside and outside the tent fly. If I had more time and more food I'd still be up there.
At about 10:00 pm I parked right before the bridge like Ed Bell said - walked past all the boy scout campsites and just when I crossed over into Pisgah NF (the trees had red paint on them and a sign was up) there was a site down near the river. Visiblity was so low that I had my stuff almost set up before I noticed another tent nestled under some rhodo. It rained and the wind blew, but the lighting and thunder never came. I cooked and ate. It was a good start to a fantastic trip. The temps dropped and when I got up around 5500' the wind came on strong.
By the way - it was a good thing I went past the boy scout sites and on into the forest - there is a boyscout 'ranger' that patrols that area. He was a nice old man, but they frown on using their area.
Thanks for the report, and glad you had a good adventure! I'd love to hear more about the trip when you have time.:sun
Ramble~On
04-05-2009, 16:53
Yes...there's plenty of water as you're following Little East Fork up and the trail is former railroad grade..it's wide in most places and there are several places along 2 miles or so in to camp...some just to the side of the trail where it level.