View Full Version : BMT help needed...
Hammock Hanger
05-10-2005, 07:59
I was unable to finish my BMT hike last week due to an injured hiker in our party. i am now looking for some help from someone who may live in the area. I need to hike the section from the shelter to Thunderrock Campground. I do not care if it is Nobo or Sobo.
I will be heading to my summer camp job so I will have a kayak on the Jeep as well as a bit of "stuff" in the Jeep which leaves out parking at a trail head.
The timing would probably near or around 6/10/05. Anyone out there in the area that can help a girl out?
Congrats to BlueBearee and Hokey Pokey for finishing.
Sue/Hammock Hanger:-?
SGT Rock
05-10-2005, 08:28
If you were doing some of the northern section I could help you. Let me know if you decide to come north and need a shuttle.
Youngblood
05-10-2005, 08:50
Just to clarify where Sue is talking about, the general area is between Atlanta, GA and Chattanooga, TN with it being a tad closer to Chattanooga. She needs to go from just south of Blue Ridge, GA and US76 to just west of Ducktown, TN and US64. The border towns of McCaysville, GA and Copperhill, TN are about in the middle of the road route between the two. Sue, not leaving your Jeep at a trailhead is going to complicate all this.
Youngblood
Stoker53
05-10-2005, 10:05
[QUOTE=Hammock Hanger]
I will be heading to my summer camp job so I will have a kayak on the Jeep as well as a bit of "stuff" in the Jeep which leaves out parking at a trail head.
HH...You might consider contacting some of the many local rafting companies ( for the Ocoee ). You MIGHT be able to get them to store some of your gear with them while you hike. Just a thought......
Hammock Hanger
05-10-2005, 10:35
Just to clarify where Sue is talking about, the general area is between Atlanta, GA and Chattanooga, TN with it being a tad closer to Chattanooga. She needs to go from just south of Blue Ridge, GA and US76 to just west of Ducktown, TN and US64. The border towns of McCaysville, GA and Copperhill, TN are about in the middle of the road route between the two. Sue, not leaving your Jeep at a trailhead is going to complicate all this.
Youngblood
Youngblood: Thank you for the "location clarification". :D
I know that not leaving the car at a trailhead will complicate things but since I was unable to finish last week when I was there for that sole purpose a wrinkle in the plan has already fouled up the process. Now I must try and squeeze the hike into an already scheduled drive north.
I did contact one raft company and was told it would be a liability for them to let me park my car there. I may try a few others but feel I will probably get the same response.:(
I have a month to work on the logistics, either it will work or it won't...
Sue
Sue:
I'd love to help you out, but I currently have tentative plans to hike in the Roan Highlands with my wife & daughter that weekend. If my plans change, I'd be happy to help you out. Send me a PM with your plans. I PROMISE to reply this time. :D
Jeffrey
generoll
05-10-2005, 11:03
Depending on the dates I can help you out with this. Let's shift this over to regular email. I seem to be a bit challenged by the reply function in I.M.. Drop me a line at
[email protected] and we'll proceed from there. As an FYI, I met LWOP last year when I was section hiking at Standing Indian and he was doing his thru hike. Tell him he still owes me a picture from Albert Mountain. I think his wifes camera was stolen with the picture in there, but I thought I'd harass him a bit anyway.
max patch
05-10-2005, 11:18
Good to see you post. I was afraid you got caught up in that raid in Blue Ridge last weekend.
Youngblood
05-10-2005, 11:46
Good to see you post. I was afraid you got caught up in that raid in Blue Ridge last weekend.Max,
Funny thing about that. There is one house/farm you pass on a road going from US76 over to a couple of the BMT trailheads west of there that has (had?) dozens of rooster tied off to their own individual little houses. I always wondered if they were game cocks or not. I recon that little raid they had makes me think they are (were).
And then this last week, there is suddenly a rooster in the property behind me... a lonely rooster that crows at all hours of the day and night. I finally have shut the back bedroom window where I sleep, turned on the AC and fan so I can get a good nights sleep. I live within the metro Atlanta area but it is in an older area that has been in transition for decades, ain't no telling what ethinic group is represented over there; this is an amazing melting pot, people from all over the world live around here. They seem to have gone to some trouble making it so no one can see into parts of their property... it's on several acres.
How have you been, do you need a pet rooster?
Youngblood
And then this last week, there is suddenly a rooster in the property behind me... a lonely rooster that crows at all hours of the day and night.
I can suddenly envision one more use for that new dehydrator of yours. :D
Hammock Hanger
05-10-2005, 12:13
Sue:
I'd love to help you out, but I currently have tentative plans to hike in the Roan Highlands with my wife & daughter that weekend. If my plans change, I'd be happy to help you out. Send me a PM with your plans. I PROMISE to reply this time. :D
Jeffrey
Enjoy the time with your family.:) Sue (It was nice to see Profile and Almanac last week. I apparently missed seeing you, Youngblood by a few hours.)
Happy Feet
05-10-2005, 13:28
We can possibly help you. You are certainly welcome to leave your vehicle at our house in Cleveland, TN. Hatman and I maintain the section of the BMT from the top of Big Frog Mountain to the Big Frog/Fork Ridge trail intersection, which you would probably hike on your last day if heading nobo. We could deliver your vehicle to you at the Thunder Rock Camp Ground (which has HOT showers!!!). The only logistical challenge would be getting you from here to the shelter near Cherry Log, GA, but I'm sure we could work that out. Let me know if we can help.
Hikerhead
05-10-2005, 13:54
Happy Feet, if you're the one who cut down the (I'm sure) dead pine tree on the ridge just below the summit of the Big Frog going north, thank you very much.
That was the only good view since leaving Springer Mtn.
Even the two fire tower sites didn't have the view as that spot did.
generoll
05-10-2005, 13:54
Sounds like Happy Feet can do you better. I would not be available on June 10 until quite late if at all since I am on call that day. I could take you down to your drop off point on the 11th and then bring your car back to Cleveland. I'm sure that between the two of us we can work something out. Let us know how it looks for you.
Happy Feet
05-10-2005, 14:48
Happy Feet, if you're the one who cut down the (I'm sure) dead pine tree on the ridge just below the summit of the Big Frog going north, thank you very much.
That was the only good view since leaving Springer Mtn. No, we didn't do it, but we have an idea of who did! You can actually see Blood Mountain and Slaughter Mountain from the area you mentioned!
There are some terrific views in the TN/NC section. The BMT goes through some of the most remoted areas in the Southeastern US, specifically along the high ridges of the Unaka Mountains that form the state line between TN and NC. Here are some photos taken from the trail by BMTA member Mike Pullen.
http://www.whiteblaze.net/gallery/showphoto.php/photo/6145/sort/1/cat/500/page/
http://www.whiteblaze.net/gallery/showphoto.php/photo/6144/sort/1/cat/500/page/1
http://www.whiteblaze.net/gallery/showphoto.php/photo/6142/sort/1/cat/500/page/1
Hammock Hanger
05-10-2005, 17:40
You guys are awesome. I will be i touch. Sue
Hikerhead
05-10-2005, 18:19
Thanks to all who can help out Hammock Hanger. The best hiking buddy one could have.
Happy Feet....what is it with all of the missing trail signs in Section 11, Big Frog Wilderness? We must had passed at least 10 sign post with missing signs. Bears or vandalism?
The little wooden triangles on the trees at intersections. They looked to be marking the way of the BMT, true? One side of a tree would have one, the other side would have two. I couldn't quite put a reason to it.
Happy Feet
05-11-2005, 18:53
About the missing signs in the Big Frog Wilderness...
The Forest Service has repeatedly replaced the signs, but they last anywhere from a few days to 6 months. Those darn bears just love to destroy them by biting and clawing them, a territorial thing I suppose. And since it is wilderness, the signs (which have to be made of natural materials - carved wood only - no paint or metal) must be hiked in along with all tools required to install them. The FS, with the help of the BMTA, is planning to install 8" x 8" posts that only stick out of the ground a foot or so with the hopes that the bears won't be interested in them, since they only seem to destroy the upper part of the signs.
As for the little wooden diamonds, they were very recently installed to mark the trail in the Big Frog Wilderness until the signs are made and installed. You may have noticed a lack of painted blazes in the Big Frog. The FS will not allow painted blazes in the wilderness but will allow the wooden blazes.
Hikerhead
05-11-2005, 19:10
About the missing signs in the Big Frog Wilderness...
The Forest Service has repeatedly replaced the signs, but they last anywhere from a few days to 6 months. Those darn bears just love to destroy them by biting and clawing them, a territorial thing I suppose. And since it is wilderness, the signs (which have to be made of natural materials - carved wood only - no paint or metal) must be hiked in along with all tools required to install them. The FS, with the help of the BMTA, is planning to install 8" x 8" posts that only stick out of the ground a foot or so with the hopes that the bears won't be interested in them, since they only seem to destroy the upper part of the signs.
As for the little wooden diamonds, they were very recently installed to mark the trail in the Big Frog Wilderness until the signs are made and installed. You may have noticed a lack of painted blazes in the Big Frog. The FS will not allow painted blazes in the wilderness but will allow the wooden blazes.
Thanks for the explanation....Something at the trail intersections is all that's needed. When did all of the bridges get washed out in that area? We also noticed while doing the road walk from Dyer Gap to Watson Gap (we had to find someone to take a German Shephard who had adopted us) we noticed some huge land slides beside that road. Could that have been from the Hurricane last year or the year before, the one that caused all the damage on the Blue RIdge Parkway around Grandfathers mtn?
Happy Feet
05-12-2005, 16:06
You must be talking about the (2) culverts along the Rough Creek. They have been washed out for years - since the early to mid 90's. The way I understand it, the Big Frog became wilderness sometime around 1983 or 1984. At that point the FS stopped maintaining them and erosion took it's toll. The Rough Creek can really roar after a storm and the culverts finally washed away. The southernmost one was washed downstream far enough that you can't see it from the trail!
I haven't been south of Big Frog for awhile so I don't know about the landslides, but I bet one of your guesses are right on.