Oh my, what a hike! We expected sort of level to downhill and figured we could handle the 11.2 miles total. Wrong! Ridge trail was up and down and Gibson Gap is a lengthy downhill trail which took its toll on our feet. Well I guess we did handle it as we all finished the hike. The Ridge trail was quite nice with a bright green carpet of ferns, accented with large clumps of fully blooming rhododendron. We even had some refreshing breezes and a couple of peeks out for some nice views. Also, I believe I spotted the rare and endangered Gray's Lily. After about 4 hours on Ridge trail, we arrived at Gibson Gap camp and had some lunch. After that it was all downhill in more ways than one. No more breezes, a rocky, muddy downhill path with few switchbacks for relief on the feet. It was a very tough hike, but we all lived to hike another day!
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| A peek out from among rhododendrons from Ridge trail |
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| I am nearly certain this is the rare Gray's Lily |
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| Lots of ferns and rhododendrons along Ridge trail. |
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