Crystal Trail Adventure
with Scott and Jesse
Linville Gorge Wilderness Area
Burke County, North Carolina
Burke County, North Carolina
May 27th, 2020
Stairway to Heaven viewed from Dobson Cliffs
I had my first adventure along the Crystal Trail about a year ago and loved it!
So when The Professor (Scott Burns) suggested it, I immediately jumped at the chance for a return visit.
Scott's buddy Jesse also joined in on the adventure.
I made a quick stop for a quick hike up the Pinnacle prior to joining the others.
While there were no views to be had, the Mountain Laurel exploding in the fog made an awesome photo opportunity.
Mountain Laurel exploding in the fog at The Pinnacle
I met the others at Dobson Road, where we left Scott's explorer and took my truck to the Pinch-in trailhead where our adventure would begin.
Three Went In
L to R: Me, Jesse, Scott (aka The Professor)
Between the Fog, a light rain, and mostly just from all the saturated vegetation it didn't take long before we were all soaked!
I am all wet and there are no views!
It doesn't get any better than this!
We found no obvious point were the Crystal Trail actually connects to Pinch-in, but we were eventually able to pick it up.
Warning: The Crystal Trail is NOT an official trail. It is an unblazed scramble path. Only persons experienced with off trail exploring in Linville Gorge should attempt to find the Crystal "Trail"
We were able to follow flagging most of the way, but there were definitely some points were we got off track a wee bit!
Here is an overview shot of our track. However, since we did get off track a bit at times, and the cliffs caused the track to jump around in places, I am not going to post the detail link for this one.
GPS Track from our Adventure
While it was not the ideal day for distant views, I much prefer fog and light rain over a bright and sunny day!
Here are some of the photos from our adventure along the Crystal Trail!
The Professor Scott Burns
Scott and Jesse
Adventure in the Fog
Along the Crystal Trail
Me along the Crystal Trail
Scott and Jesse along the Crystal Trail
Crystals along the Crystal Trail
The Professor along the Crystal Trail
The cliffs defy gravity along the Crystal Trails
view from the Crystal Trail
Always fun time hanging out with The Professor
Me along the Crystal Trail
Group Selfie on Dobson Cliffs
Jesse and Scott on Dobson Cliffs
View from Dobson Cliffs
It was a beautiful day in the gorge. We had talked about hitting Paddy Creek Falls on the way out, however Scott's explorer decided to mess with our plans.
My complete set of photos is posted here:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/8146392@N05/albums/72157714521717646
