I will be camping in the Joyce Kilmer/Citico Creek area and want to do some day hiking on the BMT. Any suggestions?
Lost in the right direction.
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TrafficJam wrote:
I will be camping in the Joyce Kilmer/Citico Creek area and want to do some day hiking on the BMT. Any suggestions?
TrafficJam wrote:
My walk yesterday in the Citico Creek Wilderness was really fun but a litlle frustrating. I don't have a detailed map of the area so I printed some general maps and some instructions by Tipi Walter. I wanted to hike to Bob Stratton Bald per Rasty's recommendation but I didn't find it. The trails are numbered, which I'm not used to, and I came across several that weren't marked at all. I think I was supposed to take 54A at the first trail intersection which was about 2.1 miles from the Unicoi Crest parking lot. Instead, I kept following the BMT and then 95 until I had to turn around. I must have misinterpreted Tipi's instructions, or things have changed since he wrote them in 2006.
This area is the same distance from my house as most trails in the Smokies and I've been a fool to ignore such a great place.
Rasty wrote:
TrafficJam wrote:
My walk yesterday in the Citico Creek Wilderness was really fun but a litlle frustrating. I don't have a detailed map of the area so I printed some general maps and some instructions by Tipi Walter. I wanted to hike to Bob Stratton Bald per Rasty's recommendation but I didn't find it. The trails are numbered, which I'm not used to, and I came across several that weren't marked at all. I think I was supposed to take 54A at the first trail intersection which was about 2.1 miles from the Unicoi Crest parking lot. Instead, I kept following the BMT and then 95 until I had to turn around. I must have misinterpreted Tipi's instructions, or things have changed since he wrote them in 2006.
This area is the same distance from my house as most trails in the Smokies and I've been a fool to ignore such a great place.
The trail to the bob connects with the BMT in two places.
Rasty wrote:
Unicoi Gap to Bob Bald. There is a lollipop style loop with the BMT and Trail 54A
Astro wrote:
TJ, but at least know now, and will anytime you hike that way in the future.
TrafficJam wrote:
Astro wrote:
TJ, but at least know now, and will anytime you hike that way in the future.
Thanks Astro, you're always positive. My like button isn't working so consider this post liked :).
TrafficJam wrote:
Rasty wrote:
TrafficJam wrote:
My walk yesterday in the Citico Creek Wilderness was really fun but a litlle frustrating. I don't have a detailed map of the area so I printed some general maps and some instructions by Tipi Walter. I wanted to hike to Bob Stratton Bald per Rasty's recommendation but I didn't find it. The trails are numbered, which I'm not used to, and I came across several that weren't marked at all. I think I was supposed to take 54A at the first trail intersection which was about 2.1 miles from the Unicoi Crest parking lot. Instead, I kept following the BMT and then 95 until I had to turn around. I must have misinterpreted Tipi's instructions, or things have changed since he wrote them in 2006.
This area is the same distance from my house as most trails in the Smokies and I've been a fool to ignore such a great place.
The trail to the bob connects with the BMT in two places.
That's what I thought. I turned onto trail 95 at the following intersection which was about 3.3 miles from the parking lot (I forgot to turn on my garmin watch so the mileage may be off a little). I followed this until I came to a clearing with an unmarked trail to the left and 95 to the right. I went right until I ran out of time and had to turn back. Was I even going in the right direction?
The post was edited 2 times, last by Traffic Jam ().
The post was edited 2 times, last by Traffic Jam ().
TrafficJam wrote:
TrafficJam wrote:
Instead, I decided to do this hike.
knoxnews.com/news/gosmokies/12…il-called-best-wilderness
trailspace.com/forums/trip-reports/topics/129212.html
Following cafe tradition, I did it all wrong and couldn't find Slickrock trail. In my defense, I wasn't the only one. I hooked up with two hikers and we bushwhacked and backtracked and it was nowhere to be found. There was no sign and the undergrowth was horrendous. I lost count of the number of times I fell. It was still a great day.
Drybones wrote:
TrafficJam wrote:
Instead, I decided to do this hike.
knoxnews.com/news/gosmokies/12…il-called-best-wilderness
trailspace.com/forums/trip-reports/topics/129212.html
Following cafe tradition, I did it all wrong and couldn't find Slickrock trail. In my defense, I wasn't the only one. I hooked up with two hikers and we bushwhacked and backtracked and it was nowhere to be found. There was no sign and the undergrowth was horrendous. I lost count of the number of times I fell. It was still a great day.
Wilderness areas that don't have signs can be a problem. One of the hikers I was with on the Art Loeb Trail had an app called Gaia which showed all the trails and showed where you were located, saved us from a wrong turn several times. You download maps to your phone so it doesn't matter that there is now signal. I now have it on my phone but have not really needed it yet. It shows shelters, roads, trails, way points and other useful info
milkman wrote:
Drybones wrote:
TrafficJam wrote:
Instead, I decided to do this hike.
knoxnews.com/news/gosmokies/12…il-called-best-wilderness
trailspace.com/forums/trip-reports/topics/129212.html
Following cafe tradition, I did it all wrong and couldn't find Slickrock trail. In my defense, I wasn't the only one. I hooked up with two hikers and we bushwhacked and backtracked and it was nowhere to be found. There was no sign and the undergrowth was horrendous. I lost count of the number of times I fell. It was still a great day.
Wilderness areas that don't have signs can be a problem. One of the hikers I was with on the Art Loeb Trail had an app called Gaia which showed all the trails and showed where you were located, saved us from a wrong turn several times. You download maps to your phone so it doesn't matter that there is now signal. I now have it on my phone but have not really needed it yet. It shows shelters, roads, trails, way points and other useful info
Can it still show where you are at when there's no signal?
Rasty wrote:
milkman wrote:
Drybones wrote:
TrafficJam wrote:
Instead, I decided to do this hike.
knoxnews.com/news/gosmokies/12…il-called-best-wilderness
trailspace.com/forums/trip-reports/topics/129212.html
Following cafe tradition, I did it all wrong and couldn't find Slickrock trail. In my defense, I wasn't the only one. I hooked up with two hikers and we bushwhacked and backtracked and it was nowhere to be found. There was no sign and the undergrowth was horrendous. I lost count of the number of times I fell. It was still a great day.
Wilderness areas that don't have signs can be a problem. One of the hikers I was with on the Art Loeb Trail had an app called Gaia which showed all the trails and showed where you were located, saved us from a wrong turn several times. You download maps to your phone so it doesn't matter that there is now signal. I now have it on my phone but have not really needed it yet. It shows shelters, roads, trails, way points and other useful info
Can it still show where you are at when there's no signal?
Uses the GPS
milkman wrote:
Drybones wrote:
TrafficJam wrote:
Instead, I decided to do this hike.
knoxnews.com/news/gosmokies/12…il-called-best-wilderness
trailspace.com/forums/trip-reports/topics/129212.html
Following cafe tradition, I did it all wrong and couldn't find Slickrock trail. In my defense, I wasn't the only one. I hooked up with two hikers and we bushwhacked and backtracked and it was nowhere to be found. There was no sign and the undergrowth was horrendous. I lost count of the number of times I fell. It was still a great day.
Wilderness areas that don't have signs can be a problem. One of the hikers I was with on the Art Loeb Trail had an app called Gaia which showed all the trails and showed where you were located, saved us from a wrong turn several times. You download maps to your phone so it doesn't matter that there is now signal. I now have it on my phone but have not really needed it yet. It shows shelters, roads, trails, way points and other useful info
Can it still show where you are at when there's no signal?
milkman wrote:
Rasty wrote:
milkman wrote:
Drybones wrote:
TrafficJam wrote:
Instead, I decided to do this hike.
knoxnews.com/news/gosmokies/12…il-called-best-wilderness
trailspace.com/forums/trip-reports/topics/129212.html
Following cafe tradition, I did it all wrong and couldn't find Slickrock trail. In my defense, I wasn't the only one. I hooked up with two hikers and we bushwhacked and backtracked and it was nowhere to be found. There was no sign and the undergrowth was horrendous. I lost count of the number of times I fell. It was still a great day.
Wilderness areas that don't have signs can be a problem. One of the hikers I was with on the Art Loeb Trail had an app called Gaia which showed all the trails and showed where you were located, saved us from a wrong turn several times. You download maps to your phone so it doesn't matter that there is now signal. I now have it on my phone but have not really needed it yet. It shows shelters, roads, trails, way points and other useful info
Can it still show where you are at when there's no signal?
Uses the GPS
Cool. I'm gonna get that. Does that suck a lot of juice?
Rasty wrote:
That uphill road walk was a doozy
hikerboy wrote:
Picking up the new bypass route from the tail of the dragon
TrafficJam wrote:
hikerboy wrote:
Picking up the new bypass route from the tail of the dragon
Any advantage nobo vs sobo?
hikerboy wrote:
TrafficJam wrote:
hikerboy wrote:
Picking up the new bypass route from the tail of the dragon
Any advantage nobo vs sobo?
for just that section(which section exactly?) or the whole bmt?
I think the section is easier nobo.the whole bmt? dunno.
I couldn't tell you that since the trail had not been cleared yet and was simply flagged for usTrafficJam wrote:
hikerboy wrote:
TrafficJam wrote:
hikerboy wrote:
Picking up the new bypass route from the tail of the dragon
Any advantage nobo vs sobo?
for just that section(which section exactly?) or the whole bmt?
I think the section is easier nobo.the whole bmt? dunno.
sorry, I meant that particular section. By easier I meant for navigation purposes.
TrafficJam wrote:
I did it wrong. After hiking to Big Fodderstack, I have completed all the trail from Unicoi Gap to Farr Gap, except for a 3 mile section between Cherry Log Gap to the south of Big Fodderstack. The only way to hike that section, as far as I can tell, is to add about 6 miles from the trailhead at the Beech Gap parking lot, making for an 18 mi there and back.
I can do an easy overnight or I can make this my highest mileage day so far. It's pretty flat in this area and I've been able to jog parts of it. I''m thinking about buying a running, hydration pack and going minimal...only taking food, water, first aid, map, and car key (definitely stepping out of my comfort zone).
Astro wrote:
TrafficJam wrote:
I did it wrong. After hiking to Big Fodderstack, I have completed all the trail from Unicoi Gap to Farr Gap, except for a 3 mile section between Cherry Log Gap to the south of Big Fodderstack. The only way to hike that section, as far as I can tell, is to add about 6 miles from the trailhead at the Beech Gap parking lot, making for an 18 mi there and back.
I can do an easy overnight or I can make this my highest mileage day so far. It's pretty flat in this area and I've been able to jog parts of it. I''m thinking about buying a running, hydration pack and going minimal...only taking food, water, first aid, map, and car key (definitely stepping out of my comfort zone).
If looking for a day pack, REI is having a Close Out Sale on GoLite Rush's. This link is the 14L, but they also have 10L and 20L (what I bought soon before GoLite went under).
rei.com/product/884397/golite-…73j_dc|pcrid|55518619600|
jimmyjam wrote:
I wouldn't do it in this weather ( winter). If you fell and couldn't walk you might freeze to death before someone finds you