20-Mile, 5,000 ft Elevation Gain Day-Hike Challenge!!

The Linville Gorge ITAYG Loop is not for the faint of heart! I got a wild hair to do an extreme day-hike challenge for fun, and thought I would bring you all in to the fold!

Together, we will embark on a 20.8-mile, 5,193-foot elevation gain day hike, beginning before sunrise, with the goal of finishing before sunset. AllTrails says the full loop takes 11.5 hours, but I am allotting 15 hours to include time for multiple breaks for rest, snacks, and water filtration!

The AllTrails map lists the trailhead at Wolf Pit Rd, starting the loop via the Shortoff Trail; however, our exact entry point is still TBD. We will try to front-load the elevation gain as best we can.

I am sure it goes without saying that this hike will be EXTREMELY strenuous. It's not called "ITAYG (Is that all you got)" for nothing!
With that, I will be planning 4-5 day hikes over the next two months to help "train" for this day hike! If you have not hiked with me (or one of the other group hosts) before, you will need to attend one of these training hikes :-)

There are limited spots available for this event, so please only RSVP if you know you can attend the hike on the 13th. If you are a "maybe", please send me a private message and we can talk more about it as we get closer :-)

Please note, I am NOT a certified guide, and by registering for this hiking event, you release me of any liability should you be injured (or worse) on this hike.

We will be practicing Leave No Trace - If you are not familiar with this, please brush up by reviewing the details in the link below! Thank you :-)
https://www.nps.gov/articles/leave-no-trace-seven-principles.htm

This hike is dog-friendly, but if you plan to bring your dog, please make sure they are up to the challenge and that you come prepared with enough food/water for you and your dog. Dogs MUST be leashed AT ALL TIMES. Thank you!

The link to the AllTrails Trail is below. Again, our starting point may change, but the loop will be the same!
https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/north-carolina/linville-gorge-loop?u=i&sh=p0nozs

As the hike is going to take all day, I will plan to rent an Airbnb/cabin close to the trailhead for myself and anyone who wants to join, for both Fri & Sat night. We can talk through those details once we have a good idea of the number of people going!

I am sure there will be questions, so feel free to reach out to me directly via message or post in the thread for this event!

Thanks so much, I am so looking forward to this adventure with you all!