Some pics from Shining Rock this weekend

[Duckman_]

Yup, here I am, in all my..um..glory. Ha! Anyways...headed up to the Rock for hopefully some last ditch winter action. Barn, Wayneo, and his friend Steve all went as well. Morris was going, but got sick the day before.

Soooo....here goes.

My neigborhood Friday. Nice Spring day, eh?

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We drove up hoping to get in the way of those outter rings of that low that was causing all the snow in WV and NC. Go wayne go!

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We met Barn on the way up, and soon we're climbing up 215 to the closed Blue Ridge Parkway. Darn.:)

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Barn as we hiked in. Sure like that pack. Dammit. The wind was rocking most of the weekend. Yes indeedy.

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Another...

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Cassy the crazy Cow dog standing where my shelters about to go. She didn't like Barn LOL!..nor anyone else for that matter. Well, maybe Wayneo. Darn dog.

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Camp the next morning as Steve hiked in to meet us. Look at Cassys hair up on her back. She was this way the entire trip. She didn't want anyone near me. Shes crazy like that ya know.

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The view out my door of Barns ID shelter the next morn.

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Love this stuff.

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More to come....heheh

[Duckman_]

EdK and KeithEA...remember that overlook and the pic of you's two standing together from our trip? This is just below that. WAYNE(!) of all people showed it to me. Amazing as that is. LOL!

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Climbing Balsam. Note the 3 SARs dudes and the SARs dog. There was a sign nearby stating an exercise was to go on this weekend. They said it was canceled cause of the snow, wind, cold, etc. They asked if we needed..um..assistance. Um.."no"..we answered. We be just fine. They were also looking for 2 others that were overdo. The Parkways closed, so we're pretty deep at this point.

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Looking Glass off in the distance, and the closed BRP.

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Barn and Wayneo as we entered FlowerGap.

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The Duckman and his faithful...um...crazyass dog.

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Barn as we bushwack our way to the superduper secret cave campsite.

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Barn and Wayneo at the Copper-salt mine.

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Camp early Sun morn. Steve's HHammock to the right. We hate this spot.:)

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Wayneo hydrating up just before we start our long walkout. Thats where his Hex was. He has a crappy view for sure.

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We took the quicker way out, since it was still 9 miles even then. Still had lots of ice and snow in the northern folds of the trails. Wayne and Barn.

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Lunch via the Amplitheatre, and with its crappy view and all.

Damn! Barn sorta taunting me with his fresh pestrami, cream cheese, mustard..oooohhhhhh..the humanity! He gave some up for this tired and hungry hiker tho. You da man!:)

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Great trip, and it was killer seeing Barn again after over a year. Time flies way too fast me thinks. Nice meeting Steve as well.

Duckout

[Gam]

bring any jerky? I tried to go to the super secret spot last summer, I found the cave but never found the ledge, between the briars and rhodo I was a bloody mess when I got out, of course I got a little turned around in there some how or another.
I got to Hemp Top just about midnight Friday, woke up Saturday morning, stumbled around and got back in the bag and didn't wake up until 11:00. Forgot how steep that friggin big frawg is too! Figured it must have gotten pretty cold on yall Saturday night as I had a lot of ice in the nalgenes Sunday morning, Great pics

[Duckman_]

Heck yeah he brought jerky. Already went thru that man. That stuff too good to resist.

Now why does that not surprise me about that "turned around" thing.:) Arn't you the one that almost walked off a ledge somewhere on "little Balsam" a couple years ago..in the dark and fog..trying to find us?


Ha! Its straight up the SE slope of BigFrog coming from Hemp Top. Been there done that. Not one switchback. Nada.

[Dusty Dan]

I actually was planning to take No. 1 son on his first trip this past weekend with a soccer pal and dad, but the conditions you guys relish are ones I thought it best to avoid. It was gusting in the 40's and 50's up in Boone and Asheville according to the NWS Web site, even at night! Sustained winds in the 30's. That kind of wind wears on you after a while. I might have gone myself for the adventure of it, but wanted his first trip to have good weather, so's I can set the hook real good - heh, heh. Besides, we both had colds. The reschedule for this weekend looks better. So what were the winds and temps like up there at 6,000 ft?

Looks like the Hex can take it. I haven't tested mine in the big wind yet. Wayne-o, do you use a bivy bag in there or just go without? I seem to rub condensation on my (non-Dryloft) bag when using it.

Nice pics. Thanks for posting them.

Dan

[Photoboy]

Hello Duck! Great to see another Duck/Barn/Wayne-O report and pics! Been a while for sure. Keep em coming!!

Kinda funny, but Gam beat me to my first question! Did Barn bring the jerky?! Man, that is the best damn jerky I've still ever had!! When are you coming out this way Barn? :D

By the way Barn, I was up on the west side of Rocky Mtn Natl Park last weekend, and almost went for a hike up the Tonahutu trail I hiked with you guys a couple falls ago. I really wanted to show my wife the Big Meadows area, but we ran out of time, and there was quite a bit of snow on the trail still, and we didnt have the snowshoes. Thought of you guys though. OK, actually I was thinking about the jerky, but hey, thats close, right? ;)

Take care!!!

[MN Josh]

.....where's the bike? Nice pics Duckman, looks like a great trip.

Josh

[wayne-o]

I actually was planning to take No. 1 son on his first trip this past weekend with a soccer pal and dad, but the conditions you guys relish are ones I thought it best to avoid. It was gusting in the 40's and 50's up in Boone and Asheville according to the NWS Web site, even at night! Sustained winds in the 30's. That kind of wind wears on you after a while. I might have gone myself for the adventure of it, but wanted his first trip to have good weather, so's I can set the hook real good - heh, heh. Besides, we both had colds. The reschedule for this weekend looks better. So what were the winds and temps like up there at 6,000 ft?

Looks like the Hex can take it. I haven't tested mine in the big wind yet. Wayne-o, do you use a bivy bag in there or just go without? I seem to rub condensation on my (non-Dryloft) bag when using it.

Nice pics. Thanks for posting them.

Dan

the hex is comfortable good up to around 35 mph, after that, i looking for a windblock to help the tent out, the winds picked up around 4 am and a gust got inside my zipped open door and lifted the stake of 1 panel, but that was it. i carrry the bathtub floor (my dog is spoiled..) to just give me a dry floor cause that grass is dry on top but deep and hold a lot of moisture. If it is a rainy type weekend, i'll carry my bivy to help the rub as my WM
Megalite has a very thin shell, but with all that wind the other night, it dried everything and i had zero condesation on anything

[Duckman_]

Hey Brent! ..and you too Josh. Yes indeedy. Sure is sweet seeing you guys still around for sure. Ha! Man that jerkys goooooood. Can't stop eating it once I start.

Temps were the low 20s to low 40s. The winds if one was totally exposed, say up on Balsam, Sam Knob, or Tennant, woulda been easily in the 40-50s for the higher gusts the first night. Sun early-ish like Wayne stated, prob 60-70mph gust would have been not uncommon if left exposed on such. We took this into acct upon sellecting our campsites so as to have some great wind action, but also give the floorless shelters we were using a chance to survive it all. Hell, even my beloved ID MK1XL woulda had its hands full..easily, both nights. I KNOW I woulda taken it down late Sat night if it was exposed. Love dat box-o-chocolates, eh?

Now wheres my bike? Oh yeah..Damn!...todays a recovery day.

[Barn]

Sure was great getting out with Duckman again. He was as happy and healthy as I have ever seen him. As always, enjoyed hanging with Wayne-o too. First time out with Steve other than scouts. Good group. I was going to post a few pics but I don't really have anything better or different than Duck's. I do have some killer videos though but they are too big to post.

Thanks for the compliments on the jerky. Seems like when I make some I have to make a ton because everybody wants some. Maybe I should start a side business.

Brent, yeah that is a great trail up to that big meadow. You're so lucky to live out there and go to places like that on the weekends. I may be coming out for work in late May. If I have time to go for a hike I'll look you up. I remember the last time I hiked there in May. I may need to borrow some snowshoes.

[JohnK]

as always, looks like you all had a fun trip. Is nice to see your photos again.

[brad nicholson]

...now i'm homesick! thanks a lot! :)

[Photoboy]

"Barn's World Famous Beef Jerky"

I like the sound of that!!! :p

Barn, let me know when ou might be out this way. May is shaping up to be a busy month (driving back to Iowa to see family sometime in May), but if I'm around, would love to get out on the trail with you. Take care!

[Duckman_]

I'll buy stock in it. I think it'll sell man. ;)

And to think I knew him when he was just a regular guy, before all the coming glitz and glamour of..."jerky stardom" sweeped him away. Yes indeedy.

Duckout

[Lynne]

Duckman!!! So good to see you and Barn and Wayne-o again!! Just like old times, baby!

[Duckman_]

...thats an Avatar that only a mother could love.LOL!


Send me an email at jduckster A T spring-mind D-OT com when ya get a chance.

Duckout

[KeithEA]

Great pictures Duck. Brings back memories. Went into Mt Mitchell area Monday morning. Still had 6 to 10 in of snow on the trail in places and solid under the brush. Windy but nice. No tourist! No anybody for that matter! Just got home. Man is this place a mess. Good to see you back in action. Keith

[Dusty Dan]

the hex is comfortable good up to around 35 mph, after that, i looking for a windblock to help the tent out, the winds picked up around 4 am and a gust got inside my zipped open door and lifted the stake of 1 panel, but that was it. i carrry the bathtub floor (my dog is spoiled..) to just give me a dry floor cause that grass is dry on top but deep and hold a lot of moisture. If it is a rainy type weekend, i'll carry my bivy to help the rub as my WM
Megalite has a very thin shell, but with all that wind the other night, it dried everything and i had zero condesation on anything

Thanks for the report. I'll keep that in mind.