Appalachian Trail - Rufus Morgan Shelter - January 1, 2008 - Member Trip Report
| Hike Name: | Appalachian Trail - Rufus Morgan Shelter |
|---|---|
| Country: | United States |
| State: | North Carolina |
| Trip Rating: |  |
| Trip Date: | January 1, 2008 |
| Duration: | 1 hour |
| Trail Conditions: | Excellent |
| Trail Traffic: | None |
| Trip Weather: | Sunny, Partly Sunny, Partly Cloudy |
| Trip Winds: | Light to Moderate |
| Trip Precipitation: | None |
| Trip Temperature: | High: 41-50, Low: 11-20 degrees Fahrenheit |
| Trip Report: | The dog woke up at 8:30am this morning to use the bathroom, so he/I walked through a still sleeping house to find The Camel and CC still sacked out in the living room. They played cards with The Weasel and Operator until nearly 4pm last night, and everyone (including Kevin) was up past midnight. By the time I got back, all the kids were awake and The Camel and CC were no where to be found - likely avoiding the kid chaos due to pounding headaches. They left early for Charlotte since both are working tomorrow. By 11:30am, everyone was up and ready for a day hike near the NOC (Nantahala Outdoor Center). We loaded up the kids, wives, and backpacks and headed for Wesser, N.C. to hike 0.8 miles southbound on the Appalachian Trail to Rufus Morgan Shelter. It is a steep 500' climb to the shelter, but it makes for a good post-New Years Eve workout. Of the six kids on the trip, four were either strapped on the front or back of an adult. All did well, despite there 0-4 year ages. Kevin and Sara were able to hike and had less trouble than the adults while climbing the steep grade. We took a short break at the shelter, enjoyed the brief spurts of sunshine, then made our way back to the NOC in about an hour. The normally bustling rafting center was quiet for the holidays, however, as all of the stores and facilities were closed. We made it back to the cabin by 2pm and put some of the kids down for naps. The Weasel and his family decided to stick around until dusk so the kids could hit the hot tub, and the adults could work the Monopoly table. By 5pm, snow was blowing and we were running low on beer. So, the Operator led a trip into Bryson City to tap the local Ingles for some more beer and emergency storm supplies (ie. extra milk for the children.) The weather man was forecasting anywhere between 1-12" of snow tonight depending on the location in western N.C. and a major storm advisory was in affect. The Weasel beat the storm out this evening and was on the road by dark. The rest of us ate some chilli, watched TV, and put the kids to bed. Latenight we hit the hot tub in a heavy snow that caused our hair to freeze solid - a perfect close to the Holiday weekend. |
Trail Map For This Area
There are no comments yet.