Travels and Vagabonds
First Grouping of Routes at Rocky Face
Looking at my Tick list for 2014, I knew I was near a record high point for # of pitches outside. (At least since I started to religiously track them 2 years ago, thanks mountainprojecT.com). The plan was hatched with Matt that we do a mileage tick list at the new easy and possibly only sport crag in NC, ROCKY FACE.
Twall in November
Chattanooga has been in the back of my head since move down into the southeast. Fables and whispers are told of sandstone gorges that house massive roofs and overhanging walls, with splitter cracks in between. A spare weekend and good weather was all that was need to chase down these tells of rock.
Continue reading “Chattanooga – Twall to Sunset Park Sampler”
Grayson Highland Ponies
I haven’t spent much time in Virginia’s Mountains, but with a birthday party to attend in Roanoke we scrambled to put together some adventures. Friday we drove up to Natural Bridge, VA and stayed at the historic Natural Bridge Cottages and aimed to end the weekend at the Grayson Highlands.
Continue reading “Virginia – Natural Bridge and Grayson Highlands”
Looking Glass Again
We took another trip to Looking Glass, this time, to camp and hang out with Matt, his wife Jodie, and John. It was just the breaking into the fall in North Carolina so which mean it was prime time to camp again. We left Saturday in the morning and coordinated to meet Matt at the North Side. Continue reading “Looking Glass – Wet North and Dry South, Camping”
Alexis and I took off to Brevard for some late summer hiking and camping. We left early on Saturday, and got to the Trout Hatchery pretty quickly. After feeding the aggressive and hungry trout (if only we had more quarters we would have feed them all), we hiked up the Cat Gap trail.
Continue reading “Looking Glass: John’s Rock and Southside of LG”
Wrapping up the Duck
Plans came together while drinking beer and eating pasties at the Greek Festival in Charlotte. With sugar, pulsing through our veins and complete disregard for the forecast for tomorrow, plans were solidified for Alpine-esk departure from Charlotte to go climb Dopey Duck at Shortoff Mountain.
Continue reading “Linville Gorge: Shortoff Mountain – Dopey Duck”
Face Plant – Lilly Grace Von Doombringer
Great weather window and good coordination with friends and parents, I was off and up to the New River Gorge again for Labor Day weekend. With the Jeep, in good working order, after some hot date nights with Alexis at the Junkyard to pull off new parts I left Charlotte for the 3.5 hr drive to the bridge.
Continue reading “Labor Day 2014 – New River (Junkyard, Bridge, Cirque)”
Aaron and Matt invited me out to climbing at Looking Glass Rock for the first time, specifically the north end. The other time I was there was back when I visited Alexis before moving here. We did a quick day hike to the cliff face and I got to experience stinging nettles for the 1st time. This trip I was aiming to be more vertically inclined, rather than horizontal stung.
Again during the fourth of July, I ran away to the New River to climb. Loaded down with camping gear and too many racks, John Lee and I drove up in his robust red Focus aiming to reach the Kaymoor area early Friday morning.
On a nice weekend in June, I got invited to go climb up in the Linville Gorge once again. John Lee let me tag along with him, David Barbor, and new friend Joe. We all piled into David’s car and took off for the Carolina Highlands.