Shortoff to the south
This is another foray into the tangled mess of Linville Gorge. Drop below the bluffs on the east side of the gorge and you are in greenbrier and rhododendron. The fire of '13 has changed this area. Much of the vegetation has been burned to the ground. Rhododendron looks dead but almost every bush has new growth sprouting at ground level. Greenbrier is young and healthy. Charred pines are everywhere. The ground is black and soft. Erosion is occurring. Due to the steepness of the terrain, we had to be more mindful of dislodging rocks. Rhododendron which had provided handholds, now breaks off in your hand or comes out by the roots. So in some ways it is easier to get around but in others it is more difficult.
Hawksbill, Little Tablerock and Tablerock
Five of us, led by Matt, drop down a steep gully full of perils beside Apricot Buttress. Matt has heard there are caves down at the base of the Camel. We work our way along the buttress wall and find caves we have seen before. Paula is able to slither through one for some distance, exiting about 40 feet from the larger entrance.
Marshall & Will near cave entrance
We toil to make our way around the base of the Camel. It is rough work. We stop for a break in an exposed spot at the Camel's base to take in the views. From here we work around the base never seeing any caves. Then Matt suggests the report he had heard may have referred to caves on Apricot which we had already known about. Now we are looking for a way out. Then, we pass through a keyhole and into a cave entrance. This one is amazing. It has 3 more entrances, all high up the vertical bluff wall. We can walk into one but the wall turns and drops making the other 3 entrances just holes high up the cliffside. We spend a good 30 minutes here, having a lunch break.
Paula slithers out of cave
Matt looks down
Once we have had our fill, we continue to look for an exit up. We see 2 or 3 spots which look very difficult, even dangerous. We push on through the tangled mess. Finally, we come to the realization we are not going to find a new way out, we are going to have to exit at Mossy Monster, a route Ben managed to find on an earlier scramble. The Mossy Monster is very steep and loose soil is an issue. There are 3 or 4 difficult climbs along this route but we manage. About 2/3 up it merges with another route, Separation Crack. My energy is depleted at end of this climb but Marshall and Matt decide to look for another route out instead of the trail we are on. They manage to find one without much difficulty.
Window on the Sphinx
Another dead end
Camel and Apricot Buttress
As we pop out on the MST and head back to the parking area, we can see Ben and another group on top of the Chimneys. So, of course, we have to scramble up there. Both groups enjoy the 360 degree views and then traverse the top of the chimneys. there are 3 spots of concern up there. Ben's group had some less experienced Gorge Rats so we all pitched in and helped everyone through the tough spots. The final one was particularly difficult as you had to find a foothold without ever being able to see it, then fall backwards in a controlled fall. As Marshall was assisting here, he himself fell backward off a rock which looked as if it might drop off for a ways. Luckily branches slowed him and he ended up on his back just a few feet down. It was a scary moment.
Traversing the Chimneys
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