Saturday, March 21, 2009

Linville Gorge

Today I went for a very long hike into the Linville Gorge Wilderness Area with two friends, Andy Kunkle and Jack Thyen. I'll post more about the trip later. For now, here are a few photographs with brief descriptions.

One of our hiking goals was this place: Daffodil Flats. Only one family ever lived within Linville Gorge. This was where they lived. The single thing that remains to indicate that a family ever resided way down there in the bottom of the wildest gorge in eastern North America are the daffodils that rise up every early Spring to show that, once upon a time, there was a woman here who planted daffodils around her homestead.

Maybe the queasiest thing I've ever done on a hike. I know it doesn't look like it, but I was standing on a rock overhanging a vast vertical plane of empty space. If I'd slipped off, I would be very dead now. I told Jack to take three quick photos before my nerve ran out. The third one is of me retreating from the spot before I got too goddamned dizzy to stand still.

If there's a more rugged place in eastern North America, I've yet to either see it or hike in it.

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