Third Annual July 4th Weekend at Panthertown Valley: Waterfalls, Vistas, Blueberries (and Bears?) | |||||||
The Basics: | |||||||
Event Type: | Backpacking | ||||||
Event Location: | Panthertown Valley, Nantahala National Forest, NC | ||||||
Date(s) & Time: | Sat, Jul 2 2016 9:00 am >> Mon, Jul 4 2016 4:00 pm (Carpool Departure: 9:00 am *log in for location*) | ||||||
Registration Opens: | Mon, Jun 6 2016 8:00 pm | ||||||
Registration Cut Off: | Thu, Jun 30 2016 9:00 pm | ||||||
Event Duration: | 2 Days 7 Hours | ||||||
Difficulty Rating: | D3: Moderate | ||||||
Distance: | 3.5 Miles | ||||||
Pace: | Moderate | ||||||
Trip Leader(s): | Mark Aaron Email Trip Leader(s) You must be logged in to get the Trip Leader contact information. | ||||||
Member Cost: | None | ||||||
Participant Info: | |||||||
Who's Invited: | Members Only, 21 And Older Only | ||||||
Maximum Group Size: | 12 | ||||||
Minimum Group Size: | 4 | ||||||
Number Registered So Far: | 14 / 0 (To see who's signed up, log in to the Member Area) | ||||||
Are Dogs Permitted: | Yes | ||||||
Itinerary: | |||||||
What better way to celebrate our country's birthday than with a backcountry trip to one of our beautiful National Forests. It's also Laura's birthday and this will be her 3rd annual trip to one of her favorite places. Known as “the Yosemite of the East,” Panthertown Valley offers many miles of trails and footpaths to waterfalls, gorges, rocky overlooks, and deep forests. This will be a relaxing 2 night (or 3 night - see below) backpacking weekend to explore the natural beauty of this area. On Saturday, we will pack in and select a suitable campsite. Once we set up camp, your trip leaders plan to hike to many of the scenic overlooks and waterfalls. You are free to play all day on your own or hang with the group, or do some hard-core exploring up rivers with your TLs. After dark, we may take a night hike to find a spot to lie on our backs for some stargazing... and of course enjoy a Mark and Aaron style campfire. ;-) For those who wish to talk to the trees and experience a more relaxing weekend, you are free to read, nap, do yoga, or whatever makes you happy. Last year, we found a huge patch of ripe blueberries on Little Green. You may want to bring a blueberry bucket in case we find some this year. Note; There are bears in Panthertown Valley. Everyone MUST bring their own bear bag and 40 foot line to hang your food. If you choose to explore the wilds of Panthertown Valley on your own, please bring your own map and GPS and let the trip leader know your destination and estimated return time to camp. Trail maps and descriptions are available at this and other websites: http://panthertown.org/panthertown-valley/ http://www.stayandplayinthesmokies.com/lib/file/manager/pdf-download-library/pvmap.pdf On July 4th, we will break camp and plan to be back at the cars by 1 PM for our return to Atlanta. Note: We may provide a secondary carpool option for folks who are able to leave Friday afternoon to go up and spend a little extra time, as well as secure a prime campsite. Note2: This is a D3 backpacking trip with a relatively short distance to our campsite. Don't be fooled by the difficulty rating - there will be some steep inclines and significant elevation gain on the return trip. The trip leaders will contact you if you do not have a history of D3 (or above) backpacking events or D5 hiking events with the AOC. Note 1) There are bears in Panthertown Valley. Everyone MUST bring their own bear bag and 40 foot line to hang your food. | |||||||
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How to Get There: | |||||||
Event Directions: | To be given at carpool | ||||||
Carpool to Event Distance (round trip): | 240Mile(s) | ||||||
Carpool Departure Time: | 9:00 am | ||||||
Carpool Location: | Log in for location | ||||||
Carpool Directions: | Log in for directions | ||||||
Carpool Cost: | Estimated cost per vehicle for this event is $96.00 using a reimbursement rate guideline of $0.400 per mile. The total amount should be divided by the number of people in the vehicle, including the driver. This is a guideline, not a rule, for drivers but the cost should not be higher unless there are extenuating circumstances. | ||||||
Notes: | |||||||
2 friendly trail dogs with nice manners are welcome on this trip. * We encourage all members to follow our Etiquette Guidelines while participating in AOC events. | |||||||
Cancellation/Partial Attendance: Please review the AOC cancellation policy. |