4 Days With The CHC

[Tipi Walter]

BACKPACKING WITH THE CHATTANOOGA HIKING CLUB
April 24-25-26-27 2009

DAY ONE
The trip starts as a solo backpack at the Tellico River fish hatchery in TN and climbs up to the top of Sugar Mt on a hot and dry 10 switchback trail.

I tie in with 5 backpackers from the Chattanooga Hiking Club on top of Sugar Mt and we continue our journey south on the BMT.

Veteran backpacker and AT thruhiker Monty(trailname Choo Choo) crossing the headwaters of Bald River in the Upper Bald Wilderness Area.

The Backpacker Who Has Seen It All: Kurt crosses the upper Bald and shared his stories of backpacking in Alaska, Patagonia, Grand Canyon, Glacier NP, the AT, and a hundred other places.

Kurt and Monty cross Brookshire Creek at the bottom of Sugar Mt and prepare to start the climb up the Brookshire trail to find a campsite for the first night.

Bill, trailname Dugas, another AT thruhiker and veteran backpacker, sets up his REI Quarter Dome tent at an open camp next to Brookshire Creek.

[Tipi Walter]

BACKPACKING WITH THE CHATTANOOGA HIKING CLUB
April 24-27 2009

DAY TWO
The 5 CHC boys on Sled Runner Gap--Kurt, John, Monty, Bill and Tim.

Uncle Fungus enters the picture.

After a long hot day of backpacking, we take a break in a shady spot on the State Line Trail near Round Top and Moss Gap.

Sandy Gap reststop. We make it after 7 miles to this BMT reststop and are hot and very thirsty. Here we get off the BMT and do the Kirkland Creek trail and another 7 miles to our night's camp.

Kurt crossing the mighty Kirkland Creek. There's about 9 crossings on this trail, and then a final Bald River crossing.

John and Bill crossing the Kirkland.

[Tipi Walter]

BACKPACKING WITH THE CHATTANOOGA HIKING CLUB
April 24-27 2009

DAY THREE
On Day 2 we leave the Kirkland and tie into the bottom of the Brookshire trail and climb up about 2 miles and cross the Bald River again and set up camp. Here we are in the morning.

I say goodbye to the boys.

DAY FOUR
I basecamp it another night and Croc up for a Brookshire crossing and pull the Sugar Mt climb with just me and my dog, over the mountain and back to the car.