Cragmama "Not all who wander are lost…" JRR Tolkien

Tag Archives: North Carolina

Gettin’ High Off the Ground in Linville Gorge

Gettin’ High Off the Ground in Linville Gorge

This past weekend our family did an overnight in the Linville Gorge.  If you’ve never been to the Linville Gorge, it’s pretty spectacular!  If you like being outside at all, you will fall in love with this place, as it is top-notch at pretty much whatever outdoor endeavor you like.  On this particular occasion, we had planned a 24 hour quickie of hiking, climbing, camping, and lazing around in the hammock.  Thankfully it’s only a couple of hours from our house, and we arrived on Friday evening a little bit after 6 – just enough time for a short hike/picnic…Read the rest of this entry →

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Hidden Wall and a New Camera

Hidden Wall and a New Camera

This past weekend’s adventures were pretty low-key – a Saturday spent at Hidden Wall.  We started late, ended early, and kept things simple.  Our main objective actually was trying out the new camera we’d purchased the week before – a Sony Alpha a6000.  For years we’ve been pretty dissatisfied with our point and shoots, but we had a hard time justifying the bulk of a digital SLR in combination with all the other gear we have to carry into the crag.  But recently we’d been hearing a lot about the mirrorless system, which is a lot more compact.  So after reading…Read the rest of this entry →

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3 Climbing Milestones in 1 Weekend!

3 Climbing Milestones in 1 Weekend!

We finally had an entire weekend free to head up to the New River Gorge, which of course meant it was going to be snowing and in the THIRTIES (after highs in the 60’s the weekend before…).  But at least the weather was good in our neck of the woods, even if it did feel more like a warm winter day rather than spring.  And even though we had to settle for Plan B, it ended up being a weekend filled with important milestones! The whole family marched up to Red Wall at Crowders Mountain on Saturday morning.  Steve had his sights…Read the rest of this entry →

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Snowtubing at Jonas Ridge

Snowtubing at Jonas Ridge

I can’t believe this is the second post in a row that I’ve written about snow!  It might lead you to believe that our family lives somewhere that actually sees a true winter.  But this is North Carolina everyone, which means those single digit temps from Snowpocalypse 2015 were quickly followed up with highs in the mid 50’s.   But last week’s snow and freezing temps combined with comparatively spring-like temperatures over the weekend made for great snowtubing conditions!  While it had been on our radar for a while now, we decided to go somewhat on a whim.  It was…Read the rest of this entry →

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Sauratown and The Amazing Joe (5.12b)

Sauratown and The Amazing Joe (5.12b)

After hangdogging my way up The Amazing Joe a few weekends ago, I’d been chomping at the bit to get back on it before I forgot all the beta. Thankfully I only had to wait a few weeks, and my patience was rewarded with a beautiful sunny day in the 50’s! Sauratown is a unique crag in that it is only open for climbing during the months of January and February (click here for more info), and it’s guarded by a hike that i can’t bring myself to make my 4 year old tackle, which means there’s a child care logistic that…Read the rest of this entry →

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