SGT Rock
11-01-2010, 15:07
I just got in yesterday from hiking this section. I'll post some pictures and a more informative trip report in a couple of days. For now...
The trail is in this area is mostly excellent shape. A lot of trail work has been done over the past year especially in the "Heart of Darkness" which is also known as the State Line Trail between Unicoi Gap and Sled Runner Gap. There are a couple of very small pieces that could use some light brush work, but with winter coming on some of that will die back until spring anyway. The blow downs were mostly all taken care of until the big storm last week, and now there are a few fresh ones that need cut, but it is an easy bypass on all of them.
Water is fine in all creeks and streams, some springs and seeps are very low. Hopefully snow and rain pick back up in the coming winter. With a little work of clearing leaves out of pools you can still get water at almost every source listed in my book and the Data Book.
Something I alluded to earlier and want to expand on is the "Heart of Darkness". In 2008 when I hiked it, the only reason I could still get through this section was due to unauthorized ATV traffic keeping the brush down in a "path" that could be followed on the ridge. At that time I could occasionally see blazes in the middle of brier patches off to the side of my path that I could not have reached. This year some new trail maintainers were recruited and a lot of effort was put into getting that section cleared. Now there is a clear trail with about 4' wide of total area cleared in most places. Only a couple of very recent blow downs were in this section, and the blazing is now very easy to follow. It is probably the best blazed section of the BMT now. Finding water and camp sites is still a little sketchy since there hasn't been a lot of camping along this portion of the trail for many years. But there are now blue blazes leading to the known water sources and there are a couple of places along the ridge where camping could be done - but there are not any established fire rings that normally highlight established campsites to most hikers.
The trail is in this area is mostly excellent shape. A lot of trail work has been done over the past year especially in the "Heart of Darkness" which is also known as the State Line Trail between Unicoi Gap and Sled Runner Gap. There are a couple of very small pieces that could use some light brush work, but with winter coming on some of that will die back until spring anyway. The blow downs were mostly all taken care of until the big storm last week, and now there are a few fresh ones that need cut, but it is an easy bypass on all of them.
Water is fine in all creeks and streams, some springs and seeps are very low. Hopefully snow and rain pick back up in the coming winter. With a little work of clearing leaves out of pools you can still get water at almost every source listed in my book and the Data Book.
Something I alluded to earlier and want to expand on is the "Heart of Darkness". In 2008 when I hiked it, the only reason I could still get through this section was due to unauthorized ATV traffic keeping the brush down in a "path" that could be followed on the ridge. At that time I could occasionally see blazes in the middle of brier patches off to the side of my path that I could not have reached. This year some new trail maintainers were recruited and a lot of effort was put into getting that section cleared. Now there is a clear trail with about 4' wide of total area cleared in most places. Only a couple of very recent blow downs were in this section, and the blazing is now very easy to follow. It is probably the best blazed section of the BMT now. Finding water and camp sites is still a little sketchy since there hasn't been a lot of camping along this portion of the trail for many years. But there are now blue blazes leading to the known water sources and there are a couple of places along the ridge where camping could be done - but there are not any established fire rings that normally highlight established campsites to most hikers.