Man, what a great time and thanks to Scott for joining us for our trip to the "Grand Canyon of the East"!  We had a fantastic time over 4 days on one of the most technical trails around the Southeast.  All the trails are unblazed and unmaintained, but we made it from the Piney Gap trailhead to our exit at the top of Rockjock trailhead.  There were some thunderstoms, but they just kept us cool when we needed it most.

• Day 1:  Hiked into the Gorge on Piney Gap: a technical trail with lush over and undergrowth.  45 minutes in we  had our first thunderstorm and man was it a rough one.  Spirits stayed high as we made it to the Linville River which sculpted the gorge.  We found a overhang and took shelter until it passed then headed downriver.  We crossed over Bynum Bluff and got some great views of the upper canyon.  As we neared Bable Tower we called it for the day and camped beside a great waterfall!  From then on it was an evening dip in the river and campfire stories.  
• Day 2: A good morning of swimming and fishing.  We caught a couple small mouth bass that made a tasty addition to breakfast.  Headed up the cliffs to catch the view from the Bable Tower Trail.  We hit some really technical trails along the sides of the cliffs, took some breaks to enjoy the river.  Scott kept us up to date on fascinating plants and insects with his degree in biology.  Spent our second night just past the Conoly Cove Trail at a sight with a great view and a huge swimming hole.
• Day 3: Was supposed to be some easier hiking along the Linville Gorge Trail, but the unmarked nature of the Gorge took it's tole.  We zigged when we should have zagged and ended up on a off-trail that clung to the very edge of the river... even when there was no edge to cling to.  This was one of the most difficult trails I've ever hiked.  The trail had washed out in a couple areas and at times was no more than a series of footholds along a rocky cliff.  Our crew was not one to turn back, so when the mountain cliffs permitted, we headed backcountry and searched for the main trail somewhere overhead.  We found the trail and continued on to our final campsite and feasted on our remaining food.  More swimming and fishing passed the time till dark and Scott taught us one of the best trail card games I've ever played.
• Day 4:  Up early and skipped a hot breakfast in the interest of hiking in the cool of the day.  The hike up Conely Cove to the Rockjock trail was tough, but we all agreed it was the easiest way up from our past experience.  The trail provided lots of tasty blackberries to sustain us as we climbed the thousand or so feet out of that portion of the Gorge.  

Made some great new friends and hope to do the south end of the Gorge soon.