Second Annual John Rock Hang

[slowhike]

Sluggie, your photography makes me wish I had more than a "point & shoot" again
But that's wayyyyy down the ol priority list

Thanks for the captions. I understand about not remembering names.... me too.
Maybe some others will leave more details in the "commits" space below the pictures.

Gotta watch that Hickery... he'll tell ya a story about the rain almost as fast as Hanging Burrito

[Cookie]

Thanks RF and HB for the perfect summer camp site, the temps were mild and some nice hiking close by. It was good seeing old friends and meeting new ones. Sleeping in the grove with the giant white pines towering over us was very nice too. It was as if someone had planted them with a hammock hang in mind!

Hiking down the side of the mountain in the lightning storm was the adventure that will be talked about around the fire for years to come. Hmmmm...kind of reminds me of another similar encounter on Shortoff Mtn.......

Thanks for the pics Sluggie!

[L.D. Cakes]

I arrived on Friday afternoon and after turning into the parking lot I looked for HF stickers on vehicles. I first spotted The Hanging Burrito's Van and then Hickory's car parked beside it. After parking and gathering my gear I spotted another backpacker. I walked over and said "are you here for the hang"? He said "Maybe...." Then we both laughed. It was Hang Em High. I got a little directions from him and went back to grab my pack. It was a pleasant hike in with stream crossings and waterfalls.

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About half way I heard voices behind me on the trail and waited for them to catch up. It was Moose, his Son & Grandson. The two young fellows went on ahead and Moose & I hiked together watching for any changes in the trail. HB had made it easy for us to find our way by writing in the sand with HF initials and arrows. It was a good thing too because we almost missed where the trail cut off at Butter Gap Trail across the bridge. Moose's Son had missed it though and it took them extra time to double back. When we finally reached the pine grove it opened up into a large open area of pines and soft needles that looked like we had stepped into another world. There were flags to greet us and we knew we had arrived!


The fellows were sitting around in these really cool chairs they had bush crafted to use their hammock chairs in. You could tell they were the Kings of the Hang!
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Cookie came and brought a new puppy names Judy that was such a cutie!


After dark Hickory lit a paper lantern that he hung in the chair that got glowing reviews!

The next day after breakfast everyone organized for hikes. Some took longer hikes and some took shorter ones with their kids. Detail Man and Tweakie had their three little ones with them and they went down to the hatchery and flower gardens, Eagle J took the long loop around the mountain and back out at the parking lot. Most went on a 4 mile hike up to John Rock but I had a different expirience....I locked my keys in the car and had to wait for AAA to arrive and unlock my car. Well it wasn't all that bad, they were there in 30 minutes and the nice lady in the gift shop helped me by calling them for me so I could get assistance.

I always have a key permanently in my pack but I was testing my new Osprey Hornet 46 and did not put one in it. A new key was bought today just for the pack because I like the pack and will be using it for the next couple trips.
I ran into Eagle J before heading back to camp and we hiked together back towards camp. As we got just a little ways down Cat Gap Trail the rain started and when it started to pick up we stopped and put our packas on just before the torrential downpour came. It washed down the trail like a river and made it imposable not to soak our boots.
I took several shots but none turned out without water spots on the lens because it was raining so much, except this one as it was letting up.

We got back to camp before the second wave of the storm hit and I headed back to my rig to check out everything. I had a little problem too. I had done the pole mod and seam sealed the tie at the top but not good enough apparently. I had a slight drip, not too bad and my bug net was diverting the spatter. So I threw my sit pad over the tarp and got in my hammock to watch the drip disappear and before I knew it... I was asleep!
What I've learned is not all sealers are the same. I used AquaSeal which is what I normally use for repairing neoprene and it did not adhere to Sil Nylon. It peeled right off. I have some SilNet now and will properly seal it before next time.
The evening was a hoot! We had hot dogs with all the fixins, homemade brownies, homemade chocolate chip cookies and lots of libation was passed around before I called it an evening.

The next morning was sunny and beautiful when I woke. I took this pic before rising from my hammock.

Everyone was having breakfast or packing up. Tweakie had brought some of her dehydrated Strawberry Rhubarb Pie and fixed it for everyone. It was a wonderful addition to my breakfast. Check out the gang and how Detail Man hikes with his youngest, Mary.

I always learn something when I go to hangs. I want to thank Eagle J for teaching me a new knot! The Alpine Butterfly Knot for making loops. He tied one on a bit of rope for me and I took it with me as an example and have learned the knot. I will find many uses for this knot. And The Hanging Burrito also showed me how to use a Klemheist Knot on a length of rope to hang my pack. I've seen the straps for hanging a pack but they looked too bulky, this is much lighter so therefore I will carry it. I made one today! Thanks HB!
Also Thank You Running Feather for putting together a great hang, I had a wonderful time! Looking forward to next year.
Cakes

[seuss]

A glorious weekend. Starting with a campsite tailor made for hammockers, just far enough from the trailhead to make it feel like real camping yet close enough to accommodate some car-camping luxuries. Even the rain was perfect. Only in North Carolina can a rain fall so hard and land so soft.

Some Pics:




Hammock Hangers taking in the sights, Sluggie setting up her shot



Just before the heavens opened up


Hickery is a Patriot, Big Rig Red and Twinkles like settin' on the front porch






Zoom in there and try to count how much Running Feather has hanging from various lines, Must be laundry day




Detail Man has a co-pilot

[Running Feather]

Great pics and reports Cakes and seuss

I also want to say "thank you" to all that helped haul out our debris. We took out more than we brought in and felled quite a few potential widow makers

According to Hickery we burned about 8 cords of wood on Saturday alone

[Hangin' Burrito]

Great pics and reports ya'll! You guys were the ones who made it great! Thank you all for a wonderful weekend!!

[slowhike]

Thanks Cakes and seuss. Good reports & pics. I'm starting to feel almost like I was there

[rb_daniel]

Sorry I missed out on this one, but glad everyone had a good time in my neck of the woods. Great pics and write-ups.

[L.D. Cakes]

I forgot to mention how wonderful it is to meet so many new people! It was exciting to meet Sluggie and Lump and to discover they live in my neighboring town. Hangers are the best I think and I've noticed quite a few of us use our hammocks for other outside activities other than backpacking. Canoe/kayak camping, bike camping, horse packing and motorcycle camping. What an interesting lot we are.

[slowhike]

Question... in seuss picture above, I assume the group is up on John Rock, right?
What is the exposed rock formation in foreground... Looking Glass Rock?