Gambit McCrae
06-01-2016, 08:49
Well it took a good 3 weeks of feeling sorry for myself (http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/showthread.php/118677-Throwing-in-the-towel?highlight=)before I couldn't take it anymore. I snagged a buddy and We ran 500 miles up i40/i81 to Bootens Gap in SNP where we had left off 2 Octobers ago. We arrived at 2 am in the park and drove on through from Swift Run Gap to our pull off in the gravel. Rolled the windows down, and crashed until about 7am. Woke up and the fun began. We headed south bound from Bootens Gap and arrived at Rockfish Gap on Sunday. Im not one to do trip reports but this trip went well enough I thought I would give it a go.
Thursday: Bootens to Hightop Hut. About a 15 mile day, Sunny. lots of nice terrain. Bearfence Overlook. Lots of Hikers; Section, lashers, Day hikers and dog walkers. full house that night. We Tented. Water good at Hightop, real good.
Car-Bootens
35052
Hightop Hut
35053
Friday: Hightop Hut to Loft Campground. Another 15 mile day. Sunny. Saw 1 bear early Am, no good pics as he ran. Lots of Terrain and people. Loft CG was sold out, but A nobo from BC offered his free space to us which we gladly took. We overpacked with winter gear which was not needed day or night. We stuffed all these items in a dry sac, and I hid them in A21 campsite, to be retrieved after the trip, inside a splitlog tree. Had a soapfreeshower and shared a 6pack of IPAs with old and new friends. Cought a felty 4 point takin a wiz, and made a friend out of the biggest green snake I ever did see.
Yetti - Loft CG
35054
WizzinDeer
35055
3505635057
Green Snake
35058
Sat: Loft CG to Little Calf, 19-20 mile day. Sunny, lots of people. 2 bears: one in am one in pm. the 1 in PM(apxx 2) decided he was wanting a fight, he charged at me about 15-20 feet which only put him 10-15 feet from me, as soon as he ran at me a stood my ground with arms in the air and yelled at him with great anger. He didn't like that and mossied on his way. There was no water Between Blackrock Hut, and Little Calf Mountain Base. It was a 13 mile section of dry trail. Got some trail magic water and banana 1 mile in to dry stretch which helped out a lot. Favorite part of the day was running into Bloomer for the second time randomly ont he trail. him and I hiked thru the smokies at the same time last March, and it put a smile on our faces to meet again. I found him on FB to keep in touch.
35059
Trail Magic Lady
35060
Angry Bear
3506135062
Bloomer
35063
Sun: about 7 miles out to Rockfish Gap. The little climb out of McCormicks really got my attention, as it seemed to be straight up. Finished and got a shuttle back to our car by a pipeline mother of a past thru hiker. Forgot our trekking poles in her truck and she will have to mail them to us. I had no contact information for her, and had to FB search her sons name to find her! That was like a needle in a haystack.
Rockfish Gap
35064
Shuttle Lady Shelly
35065
Before and After
35066 35067
Thursday: Bootens to Hightop Hut. About a 15 mile day, Sunny. lots of nice terrain. Bearfence Overlook. Lots of Hikers; Section, lashers, Day hikers and dog walkers. full house that night. We Tented. Water good at Hightop, real good.
Car-Bootens
35052
Hightop Hut
35053
Friday: Hightop Hut to Loft Campground. Another 15 mile day. Sunny. Saw 1 bear early Am, no good pics as he ran. Lots of Terrain and people. Loft CG was sold out, but A nobo from BC offered his free space to us which we gladly took. We overpacked with winter gear which was not needed day or night. We stuffed all these items in a dry sac, and I hid them in A21 campsite, to be retrieved after the trip, inside a splitlog tree. Had a soapfreeshower and shared a 6pack of IPAs with old and new friends. Cought a felty 4 point takin a wiz, and made a friend out of the biggest green snake I ever did see.
Yetti - Loft CG
35054
WizzinDeer
35055
3505635057
Green Snake
35058
Sat: Loft CG to Little Calf, 19-20 mile day. Sunny, lots of people. 2 bears: one in am one in pm. the 1 in PM(apxx 2) decided he was wanting a fight, he charged at me about 15-20 feet which only put him 10-15 feet from me, as soon as he ran at me a stood my ground with arms in the air and yelled at him with great anger. He didn't like that and mossied on his way. There was no water Between Blackrock Hut, and Little Calf Mountain Base. It was a 13 mile section of dry trail. Got some trail magic water and banana 1 mile in to dry stretch which helped out a lot. Favorite part of the day was running into Bloomer for the second time randomly ont he trail. him and I hiked thru the smokies at the same time last March, and it put a smile on our faces to meet again. I found him on FB to keep in touch.
35059
Trail Magic Lady
35060
Angry Bear
3506135062
Bloomer
35063
Sun: about 7 miles out to Rockfish Gap. The little climb out of McCormicks really got my attention, as it seemed to be straight up. Finished and got a shuttle back to our car by a pipeline mother of a past thru hiker. Forgot our trekking poles in her truck and she will have to mail them to us. I had no contact information for her, and had to FB search her sons name to find her! That was like a needle in a haystack.
Rockfish Gap
35064
Shuttle Lady Shelly
35065
Before and After
35066 35067