Another great trip to the gorge was had by 4 of us this past weekend. Weather was great and so was the company. We technically spent our first night sitting on the cabin front porch waiting for a permit (about half an hour of slight dozing off). This made the fist day pretty brutal. Here's a breakdown of our weekend:
Day 1:
Started at Spence parking. Took the MST past Table Rock parking to the Chimney's, doubled back to the intersection of Little Table Rock, and went to the bottom to camp for our first night. Highlights: the MST heading to Table Rock is a lot more uphill than it would appear on the map. It was a slow steady climb that got the legs burningThe chimneys were awesome. This was our first time on the east rim. Little Table Rock can have its place in my book of "...I've done that, next.." Don't think that trail will get added to a frequent flyer list any time soon.
Day 2:
Watered up and hiked from our camp to where Spence meets Ledge-Spence. Took this to Ledge trail. Hike the Ledge trail up to the summit of Hawksbill. Stopped for lunch there. Went back down Hawksbill to Jonas Ridge heading north to Devils Hole. Picked up water at a stash along the way. Went down Devils Hole. Crossed the river just a pinch north. Scrambled up to the LGT. Went north to the last campsite before you climb Babel. Camp was full, so sadly we went up and over Babel to a great camp on the river just north of the tower.
Highlights: the Ledge trail was a blast! Even though it was hard, it was like being a kid again. We lucked out and the rocks were nice and dry most of the way. Lunch on Hawksbill was incredible. Lots of people but the views were killer. After crossing the river and finding out our camp we wanted to stay at was slap full, we were heartbroken to say the least (and plumb tired) But the campsite we found was well worth the push. The spots to hang were a little precarious, but it still ended up being a great night.
Day 3:
Our plan was to head south on the LGT and just stay as close to Spence as we could, so we could cross in the morning and head to our car at the end. We ened up finding a camp just north of Spence. Highlights: this was the most relaxing day of the entire trip. We got to camp early. Campsite was incredible! Had a spring right at camp. Great swimming hole. Plenty of places to hang. Caves to explore. Tons of rock hopping fun. Did a little improv fishing. Even carried a whole bag of Fritos scoops and a can of jalapeno cheddar cheese dip to enjoy. All in all, it was the best way to end a trip. We just kicked back and lollygagged
Day 4:
Crossed the river at Spence and hiked to our vehicle.
Here's a few pics. Cant wait to come back.
[img width=486 height=864]http://i290.photobucket.com/albums/ll249/xraydrmiah/Mobile%20Uploads/IMG_20160528_103717817_zpshjopvrwu.jpg[/img]
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