Hiking to The Chimneys.

One very cool spot in Linville Gorge are the double peaks called "the Chimneys". Now, there are MANY places in the Appalachian mountains named by the locals "the Chimneys". They're all over the place. Anywhere the locals thought something looked like a chimney or more than one chimney, the name stuck. Hell...I don't even feel like counting them all just in North Carolina.

But the Chimneys in Linville Gorge a very beautiful and are a lot of fun to hike and scramble on. But even though I've been to these peaks several times, I've never climbed all the way to the top. There are any number or routes to the summit--ranging from Class III scrambling to difficult technical climbs. I had climbed about 3/4 of the way to the top in the past, but had never gotten all the way up. I wanted to bag these peaks on this trip and was ready to do so.

But...I didn't get my chance. Because several van-loads of climbing students had arrived and got to the peaks just before we did. Basically, the place was just way too crowded for me to comfortably tackle the route I wanted to use to get to the top. So, bagging the Chimneys will have to wait for next time. I plan to do it on a weekday when there is not likely to be more than a few other hiker/climbers around.

The parking lot. My truck is the third one back in the center line.

One of our first stops, looking back at Tablerock Mountain.

Andy. With a crown of Peregrine falcons.

Looking up at one of the peaks of the Chimneys. There were too many other climbers around for me to scramble to the top.

One of the groups of climbing students (this bunch was from Appalachian State in Boone).

This was the moon as it looked when we walked out the door to head to Linville Gorge.