Видео

Thank you! We're used to carrying water - it's just what we always do. I knew about the water source at Beauty Spot Gap - I saw the blue blaze and also was using FarOut so I kinda knew where it was. But I also knew we had that climb ahead of us and wanted to wait until closer to camp for the evening to get water. I was just glad we got water at the shelter the day before to get us through to the next night! Always appreciate your comments and helpfulness! :)

It was definitely relaxing - thank you so much for the kind words and watching our adventure :)

It's definitely a very well built pack and has held up very well. It's ended up being my mom's pack because for me - the straps are too close and end up rubbing my neck and it's a little long in the torso (it's a 16" torso - which was the shortest they had available and I"m about a 15.5"). My mom loves it - holds all her stuff and she's found it to be very comfortable. Personally, I prefer the Gossamer Gear Mariposa - it's more comfortable and I love the stretch of the pockets more. After 2 years of use - I've seen no signs of wear/tear - and that's it getting used about 10 times a year or more through some rough environments.

@@kristaj6386 thank you for watching 😊

Thank you for watching 😎

Oh that's great to know! I didn't know there was a shelter down there! I wish I'd had the energy to go down to Deep Gap to see that shelter. I do wish I had a way to kind of protect Sally from the rain more - but she handles it like a trooper! The climb wasn't nearly as bad as I'd anticipated - honestly the climb just after Deep Gap felt worse! But it sure was a pretty section of trail :)

Thank you for watching! I've definitely invested a good bit in getting lightweight gear ... biggest thing was pack (Osprey to the Gossamer Gear saved me a couple of pounds), tent (XMid 1p to a dcf version 2p ... also have a dcf DR LI that I love too) and if I hammock camp I have a dcf tarp ... I don't know the specific weight savings but I'm pretty sure it was significant. I don't know what all else I packed for that trip - but I typically am carrying 2.5-3L of water per day - so my total pack weight includes that as well. Main thing I started cutting was clothes ... when I started out my pack weight was north of 35lbs and that wasn't carrying water. Alot of my weight was clothes ... that's something I've cut significantly over the years. Most trips ... I sleep in what I've hiked in and just layer my sleep clothes over what I'm wearing (this way if what I'm wearing is wet - it'll be dry by the morning) and I've invested pretty heavily into alpha tops & bottoms ... crazy lightweight but very warm to sleep in and that's usually all the clothes I'll bring other than maybe a rain jacket or something for an extra layer. I change out gear alot ...but most every setup I use now even with winter is under 28lbs. Best tip ... lay everything out post trip and remove anything you didn't use - you'd be surprised at how much stuff you've packed that never left the bag. It was a great but tough section - happy trails! :)

@@roselee_explores Yes most of my equipment is dated. I hate to throw stuff away. I have an old Osprey pack and my hammock system is an old eno so it is way heavy. I overpack food...also carry can chicken and fish and salami. I could lose 5 pounds there. And I carry a large bear cannister. Duals as a chair for me. I hate getting wet so also carry a secondary fly to hang my pack and that adds weight. My pack probably has another 3 years and then I will upgrade. There will be 3 lbs there. Eventually I will get a nice fly and that will save. Thanks for the suggestions.

Oh wow - you do carry alot. I whine anytime I have to carry a bear canister ... my friend did the whole AT with her bear canister (she takes that thing on every trip!). I give props to anyone who uses them! I don't blame ya - wet gear isn't any fun! I'm surprised your backpack doesn't fit under your hammock tarp though ... I usually put the rain cover on mine and hang it off of my hammock suspension (or I'll put it in Sally's dog tent). To be honest ... I think going super ultralight isn't for everyone - I say if you can carry whatever you want comfortably it doesn't matter what the weight is. It's just about having fun out on the trail :)

Thank you for watching ... Sally loves getting compliments too :)

It's definitely a great ride ... we'd went once before when it wasn't finished. I'd definitely recommend it - because some of the best scenery is in the middle to north end of the trail! Hopefully you and your wife get to ride it! :)

The views definitely made staying up there worth it! I truly am blessed with Sally - I don't think I could ask for a better! I'm so glad you've found my little corner of the world and enjoy watching our adventures - thank you for watching and commenting - I appreciate it! :)

It definitely was a really cool meadow ... my initial plan was to camp out in the open on the meadow but with the weather being what it was I decided to camp in the trees. But it was nice to walk through it the following morning. I'd definitely agree that it's probably a pretty easy trek up there - if you don't take a wrong turn :)

It honestly just depends on what day. If Friday-Sunday ... probably anytime before 9am would be preferred. During the week - I wouldn't think it'd be busy so parking might not be an issue. I've never been and not been able to get a spot - but it does get busy and the latest I've gotten to the trailhead is probably 2-3pm. Hopefully you have a fantastic hike - it's beautiful in the fall!

Much appreciated for the kind words! It truly is a special place to experience! I know Mountain Harbor does shuttles - so I'd definitely recommend that and stretch the trip into a 2 night backpack ... 1 on Grassy Ridge and the other either on top of Hump Mountain or Doll Flats. Definitely one of the more achievable and highly rewarding all day hikes!

Definitely was! That's awesome - bet there was some good fishing! Thank you - it was absolutely pure luck with the right place and right time 😀

Awesome! Hopefully you have fantastic weather! Thank you for watching :)

@@MacedoinaChoirs it’s a fun little ride - hopefully you enjoy it 😎

It was great seeing you as well - always a great chat! It really is a gorgeous section for sure ... thank you for watching and enjoying the footage :)

Thank you for watching! I'd heard about people backpacking it - but I couldn't find a whole lot on it so that's why we just decided to day hike it. I could totally see how those crossings could get risky - especially the ones below the lake! It was a gorgeous trail for sure! Do you have a favorite time of year you prefer to hike it?

@@roselee_explores i hike it year round best to do in dry spells July -aug water levels drop makes for easy crossing of creeks

@@manvsmountainmtb5788 that's fantastic to know! Does the trail get overgrown with poison ivy and stuff real bad in the summer?

@@roselee_explores not too bad vegitiaton gets high n places not bad though hiked it yesterday water levels are low creeks are easily crossable alot of bear sign along trail near creeks

Thank you! :) Hopefully you enjoy the trail soon - well once it cools down and rains some! :)

Yea I realized that when I came back that stupid tree ... especially when I looked around the tree and saw the next blaze. So frustrating that I missed it and wasted precious energy! Great to know about the orientation of the blaze - I didn't realize there was a methodology to that. Also, I appreciate you wanting snacks but at 1:28:25 - I show the found snacks. I'd forgotten that I'd put them in my pack instead of putting them on the bottom! Thank goodness too because my Liquid IV energy stuff that helped so much in part 2 ... was in that bag! Sometimes you just forget where you put things! :)

@@roselee_explores lol...I missed the last few minutes of the video..Work got in my way...I know to always watch till the end before commenting :)

@randypeterson4146 🤣

Fantastic! I'm based in South Carolina but explore NC/TN pretty often! If you don't have a dog - I highly recommend exploring the Smokies as well ... there's old settlements, old grist mills, and various other sites too!

@roselee_explores lol I do, Benny the corgi and he goes with me everywhere. My profile Pic is him on the beach at Ft Pickens campground out side of Pensacola. I'm going to Glacier and Teton National Park in July, meeting a buddy from Bend Oregon there. But after that I think I'll make a couple of 1 week trips east.

Thank you for watching! You can just type in Tsali Recreation Area and it'll get you to the campground. It's located outside of Almond, NC along the shores of Fontana Lake. Here's the Forest Service page for the Recreation Area ... www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/nfsnc/recarea/?recid=48922 Tsali offers 42 campsites on a first-come, first-served basis for tents, RV's, and trailers. No hookups are provided. A separate camping fee is charged. Showers and flush toilets are available April 15 -October 31. Accessible restrooms and campsites are located in the lower loop.

@roselee_explores I tent camp, so hookups aren't as important to me lol, electrical is nice, but I have solar panel and solar generator, a far cry from when I used to backpack!

She really is - she doesn't do it so much now - only when she gets her zoomies stage! I'm telling ya - it's one of my favorite places - definitely check it out :)

@@roselee_explores Definitely putting it on my bucket list...:)

Definitely is a great little area - really lots to do especially if you don't have a dog because it'd be a great place to basecamp and explore the Smokies! Thank you for the tip - we eventually figured it out (after seeing some kids do it!). Felt silly for not figuring it out - it's so much easier to just get water from a stream and filter ;)

@@roselee_explores Glad you figured it out...Yes no stress in getting water from a stream lol...I definitely need to expand my boundaries a bit with my backpacking....I guess my backyard has me spoiled 😊

@@randypeterson4146 well when you're backyard is loaded with mountains - it's hard to want to explore further out! :). Definitely think you're a bit spoiled ;)

Thank you so much for watching!

Thank you - definitely appreciate the feedback! :)

Thank you! It definitely earns a hard rating for sure ... I'm hoping once the weather cools back down to retry doing the entire loop instead of cutting it short :)

Thank you! I'm glad you enjoyed it ... and thank you for checking on us while we were out there - we definitely appreciated it :)

​@@roselee_exploresYou guys are very welcome...

Yea she loves a good squirrel chase! :) Thank you for everything! ☺

Thank you! :) It's funny you mention that finding the trail from Dugger was hard - because going back up we completely walked by it - so it's easy to miss! I'd probably have to use Avenza to find it too! Good to know about Pine Gap - figured they were fresh since the plants they were on were still green! Thank you for watching & Happy trails :)

Glad you watched it :) Yea, it's never really fun doing water carries - but I'd rather carry and have it than skip it and need it! I agree it's alot more enjoyable - well maybe not in full sun though! But I really did enjoy the new-found views looking down the Gorge :)

Thank you for watching! Hopefully you'll get to camp at Shortoff ... last I heard the residents have said they'll keep the road access open as long as people follow the rules! So hopefully a few idiots don't ruin it for the rest of us! But at least the residents are giving us another chance to do the right thing. My favorite spot that I keep going back to is the one up on Sitting Bear ridge where you have that rock outcropping looking east - it just never gets old! But really any campsite in Linville is amazing - I saw one on top of Babel Tower that looked awesome too! Happy trails :)

Yep! It’s only 500’ down! ☠️

Thank you! It certainly seemed less intimidating in the moment… but worth it for the views 😃

It was site 47 ... it's the one I thought I'd booked based on the photos on a website I'd found. Turns out I got the spot next door ... honestly neither of them was a bad spot (but if you were looking to use a hammock - 47 would definitely be preferred) :) The one I was in had the nice beach area which my dog absolutely loved ... which was site 46.

@@roselee_explores Thank you so much for your response. Appreciate it!

​@@abyssalsoul6216 my pleasure ☺