View Full Version : 12 Days With The Cranberries
Tipi Walter
03-31-2009, 09:16
BACKPACKING THE CITICO/SLICKROCK WILDERNESS
March 12-13-14-15-16-17-18-19-20-21-22-23 2009
FOTOGS
DAY ONE
Grassy Gap and the trailhead down into the Citico.
Welcome to the Wilderness.
Papa's got a brand new trail to hike: the Grassy/Eagle Branch. Here I start out with my standard load on the first day of a long trip.
DAY TWO
Every March the Cranbrook School in Michigan sends down a large group of backpacking kids to spend around 10 days out in the area hiking and sleeping under tarps. For a couple of days the kids are required to pull a "solo" by themselves and I run into several little tarps strung out along the South Fork Citico creek trail.
Near the end of the South Fork trail I run into 3 Cranbrook leaders camping and waiting for the kids to finish their solos. They are using their standard tarp configuration and I found them at lunch time cooking up a big pan of stir-fry.
DAY THREE
On night two I camped on the Rocky Flats trail, but on night three I found a little campsite in the rain along Mill Branch where the trail crosses the creek. I burned some paper reading material trash and got set for a wet night of rain. The Mill Branch trail is short but very steep, about a 1000 foot climb in one half mile.
THIS IS PART ONE AND MORE IS COMING . . . STAY TUNED.
warraghiyagey
03-31-2009, 09:59
http://tbn2.google.com/images?q=tbn:fUjOs6ItDs4eGM:http://www.ilbaluardo.com/Cover/Audio/S%2520-%2520T%2520-%2520U/THE%2520CRANBERRIES%2520-%2520Everybody%2520else%2520is%2520doing%2520it%25 20so%2520why%2520can%27t%2520we%2520-%2520Front.jpg (http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.ilbaluardo.com/Cover/Audio/S%2520-%2520T%2520-%2520U/THE%2520CRANBERRIES%2520-%2520Everybody%2520else%2520is%2520doing%2520it%25 20so%2520why%2520can%27t%2520we%2520-%2520Front.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.interpals.net/Urvashi&usg=__j8tHbho5BK5qjp4ZfzRsbtTTRy0=&h=940&w=940&sz=54&hl=en&start=3&tbnid=fUjOs6ItDs4eGM:&tbnh=148&tbnw=148&prev=/images%3Fq%3DThe%2BCranberries%26gbv%3D2%26hl%3Den %26sa%3DG)
Tipi Walter
03-31-2009, 14:40
FOTOGS
DAY FOUR
My tent is set up on the high reaches of Mill Creek. I spent my fourth night in this bowl right below the Fodderstack Ridge and the BMT.
The Cranberries arrive! And with them comes their 3 leaders, their climbing robes and their tarps. They pull into camp and we all have a good time.
A backpacking Cranberry surveys his new camp for the night.
AW HECK, THE WHITEBLAZE MANAGE ATTACHMENTS THING IS ALL SCREWED UP. I CAN'T LOAD UP ANYMORE THUMBS. ANYWAY, THERE'S 8 MORE DAYS OF PICS. USE YOUR IMAGINATION.
Tipi Walter
03-31-2009, 17:04
I think it's working now. Let's try this again:
DAY FOUR
My tent in the upper reaches of Mill Creek.
A backpacking Cranberry surveys his new camp for the night.
The leader's tarp and Gordon sitting on the ground at the Mill Branch camp.
DAY FIVE
I leave the "Berries and get up on the Fodderstack/BMT at Mill Gap by the big fallen oak.
DAY SIX
I go past Cherry Log Gap and set up the tent in the rain and wind at Snow Camp. So far I've had about 5 days of rain and reached this camp soaken wet.
DAY SEVEN
From Snow Camp I make it to Bob Bald where at 5200 feet I set up for the night.
Tipi Walter
03-31-2009, 20:26
DAY EIGHT
The Deep Creek trail runs off the 5000 foot Hangover rock and descends 2000 feet into a forgotten valley full of creeks and water. At the bottom the trail crosses a pretty footbridge and then begins climbing up and around to Haoe Ridge.
The Deep Creek/Haoe Ridge trail junction sign. Half eaten by bear, it points the way up to Haoe Ridge and a climb of 2000 feet.
Down 2500 feet, up 3000 feet, I stand knackered after a 10 mile day with a heavy pack. My destination? Next picture.
Graveyard Camp on Haoe Ridge. This campsite is located right below Haoe Peak and the Hangover on a wide open level area full of blown down trees.
DAY NINE
I leave a high camp and pull another 1000 feet up to Haoe Peak where my pack needs a rest.
TN backpacker Chad Hooper from Coker Creek and his church group arrives on the Hangover in a stiff, cold, and foggy wind. He and a friend tries to start a fire while the rest of the group pitches tents. I'm camped further up about 200 yards.
Tipi Walter
03-31-2009, 20:46
DAY TEN
A night foto of Chad's group up on the Hangover in a foggy wind standing around the firepit.
Morning on Hangover Ridge showing the church camp overlooking Haoe Lead.
Billy packing up his frog style A-frame tent. Can anyone name the model? I know it by heart for good reason.
Chad's entire group. They came in at Beech Gap and humped 7.5 miles in the rain their first day and here they are ready to drop off the Hangvoer into the Slickrock wilderness. They'll be taking South Lead down to Big Fat and the creek, eventually reaching Wildcat Falls to camp. On their last day they'll cross the Slickrock 10 more times and get to the lake and out.
Close up of Billy and Chad--good old local boys . . . who backpack!
I leave the Coker Creek crew and the Hangover and head along Four Mile Ridge and run into 4 backpacking students from Anderson College in Indiana, the same group I saw up on the Bob on Day 5. Very good people.
Tipi Walter
03-31-2009, 21:00
DAY ELEVEN
One last night on the high ground before working my way out of Trip 92.
Welcome to the South Fork of the Citico, where the trails are steep and rocky, and where the briars eat human flesh. Blood offerings are common in the Citico.
After another 10 mile day, Uncle Fungus is glad to be close to camp, a fine camp next to the rushing waters of the South Fork Creek.
DAY TWELVE
Pumping nylon on my final day, I cross the South Fork in Crocs and head up Eagle Creek over 7 more crossings. It's a somewhat steep and smokey climb as a forest fire burns nearby.
SO ENDS ANOTHER FINE TRIP TO VISIT LADY NATURE.
Tipi, as always, great pics and a well documented trip! Sounds like it was a great trip.
Tipi Walter
03-31-2009, 21:22
Tipi, as always, great pics and a well documented trip! Sounds like it was a great trip.
Hey, thanks for the comment. I've been thinking of you in your neck of the woods and I hope you've been able to get out yourself!
Hikerhead and I went out 3 weeks ago and got caught in the snowstorm. It was great! I was testing some new gear and techniques. Whenever I am in cold situations, I adhere to WWTD........What Would Tipi Do?!! I hope to get out more soon, and hopefully some around the Smokies this year too, I will give you a shout if I am in the area, and please do the same if you trek any thru VA year. I hope to do all of Shenandoah National Park by the end of the year too.
Tipi Walter
04-01-2009, 11:20
Hikerhead and I went out 3 weeks ago and got caught in the snowstorm. It was great! I was testing some new gear and techniques. Whenever I am in cold situations, I adhere to WWTD........What Would Tipi Do?!!
What would Tipi do? He'd carry more weight than is reasonable or considered safe and sit in his 8 pound tent on his 4 pound pad under his 4 pound sleeping bag and read a book. Which gets me to thinking, what new gear were you testing?
What would Tipi do? He'd carry more weight than is reasonable or considered safe and sit in his 8 pound tent on his 4 pound pad under his 4 pound sleeping bag and read a book. Which gets me to thinking, what new gear were you testing?
LOL! That's the spirit. I used for the first time on the trail my new Western Mountaineering Badger sleeping bag (love it!), Sierra Designs Velox 1 man tent - liked it. and a new wind jacket that I tested in rain - it didn't work. Used for the first time a new silnylon rain poncho - it was like wearing a skirt in a rainstorm - didn't like it for windy weather. Hiked in my lightweight boots- that got soaked and frozen stiff - may not use them for wet winter hiking again but keep them for dry weather only. I have learned so much from this sight but the real teacher is logging miles and doing something different each time. One of your tried and true suggestions which I always use is to have a merino wool sweater with me. They are WARM and lightweight. I have learned to layer ( a lot from reading your suggestions) and that has made a big difference in what I pack.
Tipi Walter
04-07-2009, 21:39
LOL! That's the spirit. I used for the first time on the trail my new Western Mountaineering Badger sleeping bag (love it!), Sierra Designs Velox 1 man tent - liked it. and a new wind jacket that I tested in rain - it didn't work. Used for the first time a new silnylon rain poncho - it was like wearing a skirt in a rainstorm - didn't like it for windy weather. Hiked in my lightweight boots- that got soaked and frozen stiff - may not use them for wet winter hiking again but keep them for dry weather only. I have learned so much from this sight but the real teacher is logging miles and doing something different each time. One of your tried and true suggestions which I always use is to have a merino wool sweater with me. They are WARM and lightweight. I have learned to layer ( a lot from reading your suggestions) and that has made a big difference in what I pack.
There's nothing better than taking out a new piece of gear on a long trip, especially a new shelter system. I always get a little bit giddy with a new tent and with working out the details and enjoying a new home set up at old familiar sites. I was out last weekend in a large 50+sqft Hammerhead 3 tent by Mt Hardwear and all the mesh could be zipped over and so I ended up with almost a four season tent. I slept like a dead possum and later marveled at the roominess available, etc.
On my next trip I'll still be carrying a partial winter load consisting of my merino tops and bottoms--zip necks form a turtleneck and they're my second skin in the cold. Love 'em, need 'em, etc etc.