November 25, 2009

North Carolina (09-11)

A Trip Done by The Penn State Outing Club

November 20-25, 2009

Organized by: Zach Haas, Jake Catt

The third Thanksgiving trip of Fall 2009 was to Mount Mitchell and areas around it. The trip was originally planned to be ridge hiking, however wintery weather made traversing the mount dangerous and it was decided to change plans and go to Linville Gorge. The gorge was grossly underestimated and proved very challenging at points, most notably a long climb at nearly a 200% grade. The area was plagued by thick clouds, fog, drizzle, rain, and utter dampness. Fortunately all the gear was adequate and no emergencies arose. Other than falling off a cliff in the fog, or getting lost at night, or getting lost during the day in the fog, or trying to cross a freezing river in the rain, or... it was tricky. The group rolled with the challenges and turned out a terrific trip despite setbacks.

Members in Attendance:

Zach Haas

Jake Catt

Tony Hemming

Tyler Haas

Dave Alleman

Kaitlin Pope

Dan Trew