View Full Version : Check the dates on your maps
HooKooDooKu
06-09-2015, 01:56
Was hiking in the Cataloochee area this weekend and came across a family at Poll's Gap. They had just finished hiking up from the valley and expected to have only about 4 miles to go to get to campsite 42. They were shocked to learn at that moment that Poll's Gap trail is closed (there is a sight at the old trailhead saying that the trail is dangerous and "temporary" closed... I've asked about this trail before here on WB and it's been confirmed that the trail is impassable).
The family had a 2001 map that clearly showed the trail and didn't think anything was amiss because the online website let them book CS42. The campsite is open but only reachable by the oneway Balsam Mtn dirt road.
As we headed down our trail it sounded like they felt they had no choice but to walk the road to complete their loop and make it back to there car the following day.
Now that I'm back home, I can see that they had a 9+ mile hike ahead of them. I hope everything turned out alright for them.
Was it the dollar map they had? Or the national geographic one?
I thought they closed polls gap trail earlier than 2001 and generally they update the dollar map with the changes..
Good post HKDK.
I planned on hiking polls gap back in 2005. I was using an older map to keep track of the trails I had done, but I happened to look at a newer map the week before my trip. So at least I knew before going, and came up with a new plan. But I was still surprised that the Backcountry office didn't say anything on the phone when I booked the trip a month in advance.
Morale of the story for me.... I always check to see if they have posted an updated trail map PDF on the GSMNP website before planning a trip. And I always check the closures section of the website while planning my trip.... And I check it again before hitting the trail just to be sure.
This whole incident on hazel creek is an example of how trails and campsites can be shut down with no warning, so even if you check for new maps and closures right before your trip, it is still no guarantee that your trip won't be affected.
Starchild
06-09-2015, 06:54
How does Back Country Office handle things like this at the time of the reservation? Is it SOP to advise if a route seems to not make sense? And what about the online reservation system, would a notice popup if I reserved consecutive sites that were too far apart? Does BCO review reservations from the online system, that one seems like a impossible task unless it noted such routes.
Starchild,
The online site has not warned me about distances, so I am assuming that it is not capable of analyzing your route and telling you if it is too hard.
If you call or visit the backcountry office to make reservations, they may warn you about your route if a trail has closed or it looks a bit too ambitious. But that depends on the knowledge of the person you are talking to.
HooKooDooKu
06-09-2015, 09:39
Was it the dollar map they had? Or the national geographic one?
I thought they closed polls gap trail earlier than 2001 and generally they update the dollar map with the changes..
They had a dollar map dated 2001.
I have a national geographic map I carry and it is dated 2003. It shows Poll's Gap Trail, but it's in a grey color rather than the normal black color for other trails (gold if its a horse trail).
(I haven't updated my map, but I've stayed current on trail and campsite changes so I know where my map is wrong).
How does Back Country Office handle things like this at the time of the reservation? Is it SOP to advise if a route seems to not make sense? And what about the online reservation system, would a notice popup if I reserved consecutive sites that were too far apart? Does BCO review reservations from the online system, that one seems like a impossible task unless it noted such routes.
The family said they did their reservations online. The online system doesn't have any warnings... after all, the range of what people can handle varies greatly. For some, 5 miles is their limit, others 20 miles. And in this case, the 2nd campsite is very close to the road. So there's always the possibility that the plan was to hike a pair of out-n-back hikes and driving to the 2nd trail head.
i hiked polls gap just shortly before they shut it down........
it had the worst erosion i had ever seen on a trail in the park.....
at some points----the gully i was in, was so deep it was over my head......
i tried hiking it again a few years ago starting at the gap, and it was very difficult to bushwack through and i gave up after a few hundred yards..............it just wasnt worth it..........
i hiked polls gap just shortly before they shut it down........
it had the worst erosion i had ever seen on a trail in the park.....
And I thought Bote Mountain was bad....