View Full Version : Unaka Mt. Relos
Can anyone tell me about the relos on the north side of Unaka Mt? I haven't gotten that far north in a while and was wondering where they were and what they accomplished.
Be nice if they made a nice, easy stroll up to the top of the mountain. :)
Wicket was complaining of too many not following the rules. People were camping right in the middle of the village. Alcohol was being consumed in the forest. Trash left behind. And many had this feeling of entitlement, expecting ewoks to just take them into their homes, feed them, let them borrow their hang glider for resupply trips into Endor. And most people didn't even leave a donation. So the trail was re-routed around the village.
Easy stroll up if you park in the hairpin turn.
Easy stroll up if you park in the hairpin turn.
Where is that exactly?
Tennessee Viking
10-31-2011, 08:50
The relos on Unaka basically start at the IMG trailhead. Much of the trail was re-rerouted for better road crossing and away from that dirt road. Then a number of sidehill relos were made up until Low Gap. These took the trail away from up-and-over approaches to hillside trail.
But the main Unaka relos can be found south of Low Gap. You go uphill from the gap past the USFS230 access into a saddle area. This is where the relos start. The old trail basically went straight up a ridgeline to the summit. Overtime, it had become steep, washed out, and extremely overgrown. The new trail is now sidehill and utilizes a lot of rock work and an easier grade with switchbacks to the base of the evergreen forest on the northside.
Do you know if there is an easy to find route to connect to the AT near or at the summit of Unaka from 230?
I'm wanting to hike that section but I'm not sure I've got the energy for the climb up Unaka. I've been doing mostly downhill day hikes while I'm under the weather but would like to stretch it out into an overnighter. From the summit of Unaka to Erwin is pretty much downhill and long enough for that.
Tennessee Viking
10-31-2011, 10:10
I figured you climbed all of Unaka by now 10-K
Drive up 230 from the Red Fork Road side, and park at the last switchback (just about 5 miles from TN107) before Stamping Ridge & the culvert for Red Fork Creek . There is an old AT trail now maintainers access at the corner. Its about .7 mile walk-in to the trail.
The climb now is not noticeable
The only marked trail I have left to hike in the Unaka Mt. Wilderness area is the Stamping Ground Ridge Trail.
I have found several interesting unmarked trails between Erwin and Indian Grave Gap and have been exploring there some (well, I was until a few months ago).
You could probably spend a month just walking around the section including the Shinbone Trail, the AT and several connecting trails to various places.
The switchback in the road is just north of deep gap. You know you found the right one if you notice where other vehicles tried to make a new road around the turn.
I need to get one you guys in my jeep and go exploring one afternoon.....
Tennessee Viking
11-01-2011, 12:11
I have found several interesting unmarked trails between Erwin and Indian Grave Gap and have been exploring there some (well, I was until a few months ago).Are you talking about the bike trail system just outside of town near Rock Creek/Dicks Creek area?
Try Flattop Mtn & Lost Cove, and the Rocky Fork Tract road system. Also try Laurel River Trail near Hot Springs.
When you say bike trail system are you referring to Dark Hollow? Dark hollow starts right where the resturant used to be. Now it is a raft outfitters. .... I've drove back in there a few times. I was hopeing to find the old copper mine that is in the dicks creek area. ... 10-K, if you drive in there, be carefull of the mudholes. Some are super deep!!
I've hiked all back in the Dark Hollow area, coming in via the Rattlesnake Ridge Trail in Rock Creek Park and walking all the way back to 107. I made a loop out of the Dark Hollow Trail and the Dicks Creek Trail (which is really a road...).
I have never been able to find Dicks Creek Falls though. I hiked down the Rattlesnake Ridge Trail a few weeks ago and saw an unmarked trail on the right that goes over in that general direction and wondered if that might be an alternate route.
wornoutboots
11-03-2011, 08:26
I hiked thru there last week & I thought the Northern Side was a breeze to go up & it's a very refreshing Huge Pine forest up on top which is the only place like that from Damascus to Erwin. I thought coming down the South side was much worse. It's a fun & little eerie!! It was the only place in my section hike that I thought a Skunk Ape could live :) I would have liked to camp up there but it was too early in the day.
The top of Unaka Mt. reminds me of the poppy fields on the Wizard of Oz... There's something about being up there that makes me want to take off my pack and take a long nap.
wornoutboots
11-03-2011, 16:46
The top of Unaka Mt. reminds me of the poppy fields on the Wizard of Oz... There's something about being up there that makes me want to take off my pack and take a long nap.
I have a feeling if you do that you may wake up in a cave with sometype of unknown creature nearby :eek: I bet that place could tell some stories!!
Ok, so I rode out on 230 this afternoon and think I found the maintainer trail. It's right in the middle of a hairpin turn, on the left coming from 107, with just enough room on the left for one car to pull over and park. The trail heads into the woods, relatively flat as far as you can see.
That it?
In other news, Thursday I tried to get up the Green Ridge Trail in Pisgah National Forest and had to turn around an hour up because it was so steep (I'm dealing with anemia right now). So.... yesterday about 4:00 PM me and the dog parked at Devil's Fork Gap and hiked up to the other side. We camped at the Shelton Graves and this morning hiked down the Green Ridge Trail. Good thing I turned around Thursday, the last 1.5 miles you probably gain 2000' in elevation - that trail is a beast. It's also very poorly marked and would be very hard to hike in the spring and summer.
The only trails I have left in that area are Pounding Mill and Hickey Fork. I'm thinking about having my wife drop me off at Camp Creek Bald and hiking down the Pounding Mill Trail to NC 212...
The Cleaner
11-05-2011, 23:19
Ok, so I rode out on 230 this afternoon and think I found the maintainer trail. It's right in the middle of a hairpin turn, on the left coming from 107, with just enough room on the left for one car to pull over and park. The trail heads into the woods, relatively flat as far as you can see.
That it?
In other news, Thursday I tried to get up the Green Ridge Trail in Pisgah National Forest and had to turn around an hour up because it was so steep (I'm dealing with anemia right now). So.... yesterday about 4:00 PM me and the dog parked at Devil's Fork Gap and hiked up to the other side. We camped at the Shelton Graves and this morning hiked down the Green Ridge Trail. Good thing I turned around Thursday, the last 1.5 miles you probably gain 2000' in elevation - that trail is a beast. It's also very poorly marked and would be very hard to hike in the spring and summer.
The only trails I have left in that area are Pounding Mill and Hickey Fork. I'm thinking about having my wife drop me off at Camp Creek Bald and hiking down the Pounding Mill Trail to NC 212... There is no access to 212 on PMT.I think it dead ends at private property.After leaving the junction with AT below the firetower in about 1/2 mile a trail to left leads to upper end of Hickey Fork area,then a 1/2 mile further the trail on left goes down to gate/parking area a start of Hickey Fork area....
10-K, I just private messaged you info about Stamping Ground Ridge and Dick Creek Falls. Don't know if you need it; hope it helps.
1. I did find the maintainer trail to the AT off 230 in that hairpin curve. It was an easy 10 minute walk to the AT. What I wonder is where it connects to the AT in relation to the re-location up Unaka Mt. It appeared to me to connect to the "old" AT pre-relocation but maybe it cuts in before or after?
2. On the way back from walking the above trail I stopped off Rocky Branch Rd. to see if I could find where the Stamping Ground Ridge Trail comes in at the bottom now. I parked at the gate, walked up the road all the way to where the Limestone Cove Trail is and the road makes a 90* turn to the left. I stayed on the road for about 20 minutes and never found the SGR Trail.
Did I not walk far enough up the road or does the SGR Trail actually connect to the Limestone Cove Trail - meaning I should have walked up the Limestone Cove Trail to find the Stamping Ground Ridge Trail intersection?
mountain squid
11-06-2011, 16:42
1. I did find the maintainer trail to the AT off 230 in that hairpin curve. It was an easy 10 minute walk to the AT. What I wonder is where it connects to the AT in relation to the re-location up Unaka Mt. It appeared to me to connect to the "old" AT pre-relocation but maybe it cuts in before or after?That could be it. We didn't stay on that trail for long however and not all the way to the old AT. After a few minutes we turned R, following some ribbons and bushwacked up the side of the hill to the relo as I recall. It was steep. Not sure if the ribbons are still there or still visible. We went in that way several times but it has been a while since we have.
See you on the trail,
mt squid
That could be it. We didn't stay on that trail for long however and not all the way to the old AT. After a few minutes we turned R, following some ribbons and bushwacked up the side of the hill to the relo as I recall. It was steep. Not sure if the ribbons are still there or still visible. We went in that way several times but it has been a while since we have.
See you on the trail,
mt squid
Did ya'll deblaze the old trail? The intersection of the maintainer trail and the AT had 3 fresh looking blazes within easy sight.
mountain squid
11-06-2011, 17:07
I'm sure we did. That is usually something we are very good about. Maybe it is not the same trail I'm thinking of. It is also possible that the 'maintainer' trail actually intersects with the new trail.
One of the earlier photos that I uploaded was a Hard Core group photo at that 'hairpin' turn. I thought it might shed some light, but unless you can recognize a tree branch full of leaves it is of no help . . .
See you on the trail,
mt squid
10-K, 20 minutes on Rocky Branch isn't far enough. The new connection to Stamping Ground Ridge is at the end of that road, hence a couple of miles on road before getting to the trail. You never really turn off the road, instead, the road ends and quickly narrows to a trail. The Trails Illustrated/NG map shows the entirety of Rocky Branch, and looking at that shows that it's more than a mile long and simply peters out. The new trail is not on the map, hence the "petering out" point is where the new trail begins.
I'm sure we did. That is usually something we are very good about. Maybe it is not the same trail I'm thinking of. It is also possible that the 'maintainer' trail actually intersects with the new trail.
One of the earlier photos that I uploaded was a Hard Core group photo at that 'hairpin' turn. I thought it might shed some light, but unless you can recognize a tree branch full of leaves it is of no help . . .
See you on the trail,
mt squid
The maintainer trail I hiked in on was 10 minutes from the AT and intersected right at a switchback going up the mountain. I've hiked this section before the relos several times and I'm 99.99% sure this the old trail.
The maintainer trail starts from 230 right in the middle of the turn and the trail is level at first then gently slopes downward all the way to the AT. The first few hundred feet at least are through rhodo bushes. There are lots of trees that have been sawed/cut to clear the trail all the way to the AT.
10-K, 20 minutes on Rocky Branch isn't far enough. The new connection to Stamping Ground Ridge is at the end of that road, hence a couple of miles on road before getting to the trail. You never really turn off the road, instead, the road ends and quickly narrows to a trail. The Trails Illustrated/NG map shows the entirety of Rocky Branch, and looking at that shows that it's more than a mile long and simply peters out. The new trail is not on the map, hence the "petering out" point is where the new trail begins.
Gotcha.... Good to know. I want to hike this trail before they close the road for the season.
10K there hasnt been a relocation in several years at least 4. The trail you went in on is the old AT prior to the relocation moving the AT off roads from Unaka to Winner on Stony Creek in 1954. Where you reached the AT on the Maintainer rode the last relocation is about 1/4 mile to the right (towards the top of Unaka). There is a shorter way to the top of Unaka at a switchback above deep gap on trail south of Unaka. The trail is located 1 mile from the top and is located maybe 6 feet from fs 230 right in the middle of the switchback. There was several more relocations that were completed about the same time. They include almost the whole trail from low gap to Iron Mtn Gap.
Procrit is kicking in and my hemoglobin is back up to 9.2 so me and the dog did a quick 20 mile overnighter from Iron Mt. Gap to Uncle Johnny's yesterday to check out the Unaka Mt. relocations.
I'm sad to say it's still uphill dangit. :) There's just no way to not make that a stout little climb.
2"-8" of snow on the ground the entire way so when I got to Deep Gap I just hiked the road the last 3.5 miles to Indian Grave Gap. FR 230 would have been impossible to travel end-to-end by sunset when everything refroze.
Spent a pretty cool night just up the hill from Flint Mt. Gap shelter - I do like cold weather hiking....
The Cleaner
12-02-2011, 19:36
Procrit is kicking in and my hemoglobin is back up to 9.2 so me and the dog did a quick 20 mile overnighter from Iron Mt. Gap to Uncle Johnny's yesterday to check out the Unaka Mt. relocations.
I'm sad to say it's still uphill dangit. :) There's just no way to not make that a stout little climb.
2"-8" of snow on the ground the entire way so when I got to Deep Gap I just hiked the road the last 3.5 miles to Indian Grave Gap. FR 230 would have been impossible to travel end-to-end by sunset when everything refroze.
Spent a pretty cool night just up the hill from Flint Mt. Gap shelter - I do like cold weather hiking.... You got me really confused now.You hiked from IMG to the river@Uncle Johnny's.So how did you end at Flint Mtn shelter or Flint Gap which is 1/2 mile south of the shelter?
Sorry, Curley Maple shelter.