RRG Fall Weekend

Three days/two nights in Red River Gorge. Planned route: https://caltopo.com/m/CH2FAS9

Start/End: Koomer Ridge Trailhead (parking at campground area - anyone driving will need to purchase a pass for your vehicle)

Let me know if you would like the GPX file. I've kept mileage short enough that we will have time to potentially drop our packs and do some additional hiking if we arrive early to campsites, stop and marvel at arches, plants, fungi, and critters along the way, as well as enjoy breakfast and sunrise at our camp.

This trip will be focused on enjoying the natural beauty of the area versus covering a lot of miles. Whimsy strongly encouraged along with good old-fashioned common sense - I do not want to be a Wolfe County SAR story.

This is a wilderness area with no privies (toilets) and no potable water. You are expected to bring your own shelter, sleep system, food for three days, and water filtration/purification equipment and have basic knowledge of how those items work. Special food storage methods are not strictly required, but we will hang our food regardless.

FINAL NOTES

1. No-shows: RSVP with integrity and mark yourself as not going or contact the organizer if you can't make it. No-shows are a hassle for the organizers, and keep someone else from being able to go.
2. Cost: Overnight parking pass likely required - TBD
3. Skill level: Easy - Moderate. No super long mileage but some challenging terrain is possible.
4. Weather conditions: can vary widely this time of year - pack multiple layers accordingly. Over 70% chance of rain will likely cancel the trip.
5. Pace: Moderate. If you hike ahead, stop at trail intersections to let the group catch up, so we don't become separated.
6. Leave No Trace: if you packed it in, you can pack it out. Remove litter left by others if you can feasibly carry it out. Water sources that we need to drink from tend to flow together, so pay special attention to the guidance for burying your poop; namely, dig a 6–8" deep cathole 200' from camps, trails, and water sources.

WAIVER OF LIABILITY
The trip leader is guided by the doctrine of assumed risk by all participants: you are responsible for knowing the risks of backpacking and agree to assume those risks. We are hobbyist backpackers just like you, and not professional hiking, backpacking or mountaineering guides.
Promptly report any issues to the trip organizers (allergies, severe pain, injuries) so you don't become a liability to others.