Citico/ Slick-Rock July 2010

[wisenber]

Just thought I'd throw out an a group option if anyone is interested in something different. As you know, the Southeast is very hot and humid this time of year. In order to sneak another hang in, I thought I ping the forum for interest in another Wilderness area on the TN/NC border. Citico and Slickrock have over 110 miles of trails between the two of them. Elevations range from 1400 to about 5400 feet. It has several large creeks (bordering on river size) draining the area along with a healthy bear, boar and trout population.

I can fill in more details depending on the interest. I can make it tougher or easier.

[MedicineMan]

Sign me up for easy...I have tough already scheduled in October in Vermont.
Easy in no more than 3000 feet/gain/day OK. I've looked at the maps of the area
and see you could work a good horse to death there
Just please please choose one of my weeks off in July...1-6, 14-20, or 28-Aug 3.
I've always wanted to do something in either or both Citico/SlickR/JoyceK.

[wisenber]

Sign me up for easy...I have tough already scheduled in October in Vermont.
Easy in no more than 3000 feet/gain/day OK. I've looked at the maps of the area
and see you could work a good horse to death there
Just please please choose one of my weeks off in July...1-6, 14-20, or 28-Aug 3.
I've always wanted to do something in either or both Citico/SlickR/JoyceK.

The beauty of this area is that you can "play it by ear". The loops can almost always be extended or shortened to taste. If we can shuttle, the options increase.

[MedicineMan]

would also be a great area for bushcraft if any might be interested......

[wisenber]

would also be a great area for bushcraft if any might be interested......

Does that mean we can go boar hunting with nothing but a club and a pocket knife?

[MedicineMan]

Only if Dave Canterbury comes,,,,look at first pic upper left--he got this boar with spear on a pig hunt in Georgia:
http://www.wildernessoutfittersarche...alGallery.html

[wisenber]

Only if Dave Canterbury comes,,,,look at first pic upper left--he got this boar with spear on a pig hunt in Georgia:
http://www.wildernessoutfittersarche...alGallery.html

That might solve our BBQ issue. The threat of BBQ might flush out a few of the Linville Gorge Rats.

If we expanded the potential scope a bit, the blueberries will be out in the Bald River area. There's also gold to be panned near Coker Creek.

[wisenber]

Sign me up for easy...I have tough already scheduled in October in Vermont.
Easy in no more than 3000 feet/gain/day OK. I've looked at the maps of the area
and see you could work a good horse to death there
Just please please choose one of my weeks off in July...1-6, 14-20, or 28-Aug 3.
I've always wanted to do something in either or both Citico/SlickR/JoyceK.

So how does the 15th or 16th of July sound then? I'll throw some routes. We can start at Beech Gap (TN/NC border on South side or area), Warden Station (inside Citico Creek), or Tapoca (near Deals Gap).

If we think there might be others dropping in, a route that offers a bail/join point would be helpful.

[wisenber]

Looks like the route is shaping up. If we have two sets of vehicles, we can start at Farr Gap and hike to Beech Gap. The likely route will be to take Stiff Knee from Farr Gap and enter Slickrock. The first night will be somewhere in Slickrock, and Saturday night will be on Bob's Bald leaving a 5-6 mile hike mostly downhill Sunday to Beech Gap.
There are several options to choose from once in Slickrock to get to Bob's Bald. I suppose we'll choose how far we want to go depending on how we feel Saturday. Either way, lots of cool water wading, old growth forest and a sunrise on Bob's Bald.

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&sour....943,0&iwloc=A

[MedicineMan]

so packing 2 dinners, 2 lunches, 2 breakfastes.....caught a glimpse of this area last week paddling on Calderwood; it is a stunning area, already looking forward to it.