Why get out and confront the elements, sleep on hard ground, eat dehydrated food, drink water filtered from a pond, forgo fancy $5 coffee in the morning and not bathe for days on end?

Content from GetBackpacking! in Linville Gorge

Because of weekends like this past weekend spent by our GetBackpacking! group at Linville Gorge. Because of the rare chance to see half of North Carolina’s high country on a brilliantly clear day. Because of the whip-poor-will, whose enchanting (if, after a while, annoying) call serenades you throughout the night. Because of the abundance of perfectly drawn wildflowers. Because of the full moon that envelopes your campsite with just enough light. Because everything and anything tastes great after hiking 18 miles. Because it’s a weekend you won’t soon forget.