Linville Gorge Wilderness Backpacking

**If you don't get on the trip initially, sign up on the waitlist event on the calendar to get on if other people drop!**

Waitlist event: https://members.hoofers.org/event/73332

SPRING BREAK BACKPACKING IN THE LINVILLE GORGE WILDERNESS, GREAT SMOKY MOUNTAINS, NC

Join Mary, Evan and John on a backpacking trek through the Linville Gorge Wilderness in the Great Smoky Mountains! We'll spend 5 nights in the backcountry as we explore lush river valleys and high ridges where beautiful views abound. Check below for more thorough route details!

Spring Break: Linville Gorge Wilderness Area 2020

Number of participants: 4 (not including leaders)

This trip is a BP4-level trip, meaning you'll have to have either a BP2+, a BP3, and BP4 rating to go on it. There is a possibility of fast-tracking (letting people with experience but no formal club ratings join) being an option, but this would only be in the instance that a trip is not full. Stay tuned for more info about that!

Trip deposit: $210. If you need assistance with this, we have a grant program. You can find out more about that info the info form below. The trip will be open for sign up for Hoofer members with proper ratings on February 18th, 2020, at 5 pm. If you'd like to come, log on at that date and time (once we have a time), sign-up, and pay the trip deposit!

If you're interested, please fill out our info form! Just a good way for us to get some information about folks before we find out who has signed up. Form:

https://forms.gle/qXWuJa6rgNTKVcmM6

Itinerary:

Sat. 14th - 12-hr drive to Great Smoky Mountains National Park (GSMNP), camp in GSMNP

Sun. 15th - explore GSMNP, do small day hikes, camp in GSMNP

Mon. 16th - drive to Wolf Pit Trailhead, stop in Asheville to explore, hike short distance (loop will be hiked counter-clockwise) about 1-2miles/800’ elevation gain, camp in Linville Gorge Wilderness Area (LGWA)

Tues. 17th -  hike 6mi, camp near/before first river crossing of Linville River in LGWA

Wed. 18th - hike 6mi/minimal elevation change along Linville River, camp before trail begins to turn away from river and up the mountains

Thurs. 19th - use previous night’s camp as a basecamp, take either a rest day or a short hike up the Mountains to Sea Trail heading west, no more than 5 miles total

Fri. 20th - hike 6mi/1500’ elevation gain, return to trailhead, drive to a front country campsite

Sat.21st - drive the rest of the way home!

Contact info:

Evan Fernandez - efernandez4@wisc.edu

Mary Cretney - mcretney@wisc.edu

John Zwick - jzwick@wisc.edu

Planning reference map: https://www.hikingproject.com/trail/7011516/linville-gorge-wilderness-loop