16 Days in March

[Tipi Walter]

I pull a "short" 16 day trip in the mountains of TN and NC in the Cherokee NF and the Citico/Slickrock wilderness. For complete pics see---

http://tipiwalter.smugmug.com/Backpa...Days-in-March/


TRAILS
Entrance at Beech Gap
Fodderstack
54A South
**Mighty Oak Camp on 54A**
54A South
Bob Mt
Bob's Wall
**Tipi Gap Camp on Bob's Wall**
Four Mile Ridge
**Naked Ground Landon Camp**
Four Mile Ridge
**Hangover Mt Clearcut Camp**
Deep Creek
**Deep Creek Footbridge Camp**
Deep Creek
Haoe Lead
**Haul Water Camp on Haoe Lead**
Haoe Lead
**Toad Camp**
Haoe Lead
Four Mile Ridge
**Naked Ground Landon Camp**
Four Mile Ridge
Bob Mt
54A North
BMT Connector
**Barrel Gap**
Trail 149
Brush Mt
South Fork
North Fork
**Camp Two Second Crossing North Fork**
North Fork/South Fork
Warden's Field
Rocky Flats
**Chimney Site**
Rocky Flats
Mill Branch
**Quillen Camp(2)**
Fodderstack BMT South
**Glenn Gap**
Fodderstack BMT South
BMT Connector
Trail 149
**Cold Gap(2)** and OUT





My trip begins in a little bit of snow at around 4,500 feet on the BMT near Beech Gap in TN.


The Cranbrook school from Michigan runs yearly trips into the Citico (for the past 44 years) and I run into a few trip leaders in Cold Spring Gap. They are Katie and Chelsea.


I leave the gap and climb a thousand feet to Bob Mt and Bob's Wall where I find a new campsite and later joined by Bob Butterfield who is putting up his REI tent.


The next day is all rain all day and so Bob leaves to go back to Alabama and I sit put all day until 5pm when I pack up and hike along Four Mile Ridge to Naked Ground in the rain.


I eventually make it to Hangover Mt at 5,000 feet and the sky clears at least for me.


One goal of the trip is to finish the trailwork I started in November on the Deep Creek/Haoe Lead loop and so I set up camp by the footbridge on Deep Creek. Later another group of Cranberries passes thru.


The group's trip leaders are Audrey, Will and Jeff of the Cranbrook school.

MORE TO COME

[Tipi Walter]

I spend several days trailworking the Deep Creek/Haoe Lead loop and here I am somewhere near the end of the Deep Creek trail in a boulder field.


The Deep Creek trail jcts with the Haoe Lead trail as it swings back up the mountain and I stop here at Rock Creek Knob for the view (and the water at the spring).


In the distance off the Knob I see Santeetlah Lake and the dam spillway. Neato.


The rest of the day is spent doing trailwork on the Haoe Lead trail which can get messy at times.


Haoe Lead takes me up to Bob Mt and then a descent to the BMT again and the BMT Connector where I stop by Birch Creek to thoroughly wash out my hair and scalp. I feel 25 years old for about 10 minutes.


The BMT Connector gets me to Barrel Gap Camp for the night and on the next day I run into this father/daughter team from Ohio who I catch up to on the Brush Mt trail, the most rugged trail in the Citico wilderness. They get a little confused about the trail and so I walk them out to the end but first we take a break with the map.


I follow the Ohio backpackers down the Brush Mt trail which parallels Brush Creek for a couple miles.

[Tipi Walter]

I leave my new friends on South Fork Creek as I make my way up the North Fork Citico trail which starts with this footbridge.


The next day I leave the North Fork and hike into Warden's Field and the warm sun and a while later Mark and his daughter Audrey surprise me by passing thru on their way up the Pine Ridge trail. Me? I'm heading up the Rocky Flats trail.


At the end of the Rocky Flats trail is this chimney and so I set up camp for the night nearby.


After Rocky Flats I link onto the Mill Branch trail which is steep but near the top it weaves thru rhodo in some light snow.


The kitchen is ready with my titanium pot and my homemade pot cozy.


Quillen Camp at the top of the Mill Branch trail. I'm glad I brought my winter gear as it becomes the coldest night of the trip at around 12F.


Mill Branch spurts me out on Fodderstack Ridge and the BMT and I head south past Cherry Log Gap to Cold Spring Gap where I find these 5 backpackers from Pensacole FL. They are headed to Wildcat Falls on Slickrock Creek while I sit up here in the gap. (And on the BMT).

[Tipi Walter]

I have to zero out Day 15 in a cold rainstorm in Cold Spring Gap but I have this excellent cheese to get me thru the doldrums.


On Day 16 my buddy Coy Williams shows up in the gap on a dayhike in the miserable rain and offers to hike me out to Beech Gap and even offers to drive me home so Little Mitten doesn't have to do the drive in two days and I take him up on the offer, though it shortens my trip from 18 to 16 days. Friendly Coy.

SO ENDS ANOTHER SWARAY

[Venchka]

The place was teaming with folks. Imagine what The Bubble on the AT must like?
Thanks again for the report. I look forward to them.
Hope to run into you someday back in the woods.

Wayne

[Tipi Walter]

Thankfully there are no rat box shelters in the Citico/Slickrock. This thins out the crowd considerably.

[Meriadoc]

Nice trip report. Thanks for sharing!

[martinb]

Left two days early? This has to be a momentous occasion, of sorts.

[Cadenza]

Left two days early? This has to be a momentous occasion, of sorts.

Must be getting soft in his old age.

As weather warms up and no need for overkill winter gear we may see Tipi Walter heading out on an ultra-light trip with a pack weight of only 75 lbs.

[double d]

great report (once again!). thanks Tipi Walter for posting your hike.