New High Country Backpacking Trips

We have exciting news: we are leading 3 backpacking trips this year! Here's the rundown:

Linville Gorge Loop - Asheville, NC
April 16-18 (Max 8 people)*
Trail Difficulty: Steep and Deep
Price: $50/person - $75/person (includes Breakfast and Dinner)

A three-day backpack above and down into the "Grand Canyon of the East," this 22-mile Linville Gorge loop offers a super sampler of the amazing vistas and trailside distractions that the Linville Gorge Wilderness has to offer.


Jacks River Trail - Cohutta Wilderness
June 18-20 (Max 10 people)*
Trail Difficulty: Moderate (wet)
Price: $50/person - $75/person (includes Breakfast and Dinner)

This Georgia classic 16.1 mile hike splashes through the Jacks River region (read: 40-plus creek crossings) in the Cohutta Wilderness Area. The trail follows the Jacks River and culminates at the spectacular Jacks River Falls.


Foothills Trail - Greenville, SC
October 8-10 (max 10 people)*
Trail Difficulty: Long Mileage per day

A three day, 33-mile shuttle hike on the Chattooga Valley segment of the Foothills Trail. We will want to savor every waterfall, lush riverside, and ridge top view we encounter along South Carolina's mountainous northwest border. You'll trace the Blue Ridge Escarpment along scenic riverbanks and bluffs, and through mixed forests brimming with trillium.


Trips will leave from one of the two High Country locations. Transportation not provided but carpooling is encouraged and will be worked out at the final shakedown meeting.

*If enough people register we will go in multiple groups. Dates and prices are subject to change.

Backpacking Guide: Glenn Orton
Glenn has been exploring the backwoods of the South since he was a boy. Glenn has led expeditions in Glacier National Park, Yellowstone National Park, and numerous excursions in and around the Southeast. Most notably, he thru-hiked the Appalachian Trail in 2007 from Georgia to Maine. Glenn is WFA certified.

Glenn is classically trained Chef who graduated summa cum laude from Johnson and Wales University. He worked in restaurants in the Atlanta area for 20 years with 8 of them as Executive Chef. Our backpacking series has the option of letting Glenn prepare your Breakfast and Dinner and to teach some backcountry gourmet techniques.