Thread: Fontana Reroute: State of the Trail Report

[SGT Rock]

In the past few weeks some hikers have expressed interest in hiking the new BMT route ahead of its June opening. In an effort to provide current route status so hikers can make informed decisions, I've created an update one can read and decide if it is worth the hassle to hike the new route and have some maps they can print to use if they do so decide. I expect this information to update regularly, so stay tuned.

Here is the first installment of "The State of the Trail Report"

[blisterbob]

Thanks again Sarge, I printed these and will put them to use sometime this year.

[SGT Rock]

If it is later in the year, check for updates.

[Ewker]

Sgt Rock, I am sure all of these updates will be in your new BMT guidebook. Any idea when it will be going on sale

[SGT Rock]

It just left the print shop yesterday. I should have it in my hands by the end of the week. The info in my guidebook is not real time at this point. It is assuming that the date is June 1st. Some people have been expressing an interest in hiking this route before then so I made this report up.

[SGT Rock]

A small update: The new route between Meadow Branch and Old Field Gap Road has now been cleared of brush and dead falls. They are looking at replacing the bridge across Meadow Branch.

[SGT Rock]

For those interested in helping out. I've posted a volunteer call over at the maintenance forum: http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/show...ance-work-call

[Ed'n Lauky]

Sgt., Rock

This summer My wife and I and Lauky moved from Maine to North Georgia. In the fall Lauky and I section hiked the AT from the Falls to Fontana. Since Lauky's passport is no good in the SMNP we went back to the Falls and started over on the Benton Mackaye. Next week we'll be finishing the Mackaye with a hike from Farr Gap to Deals Gap. I say finish because Lauky's passport is still no good in the Park. Anyway, I was wondering if you could give me the GPS coordinates of the point where the newly proposed trail to Fontana connects with the old trail. I'd like to check it out. Thanks.

Ed

[SGT Rock]

Sure, the new trail and the old trail connect at a road walk, so getting there is easy. Here is the start point: https://www.google.com/maps/dir/35.4...!1m0!3e2?hl=en

Maps of the area are found on this thread in the first post.

[Ed'n Lauky]

Thanks.

[Ed'n Lauky]

Lauky and I finished the BMT as far as the 20 mile ranger station which as I mentioned before will be the end for now as he's not allowed in the park. Today we did a scouting hike to check out the proposed new reroute. I think I have it pretty clear in my mind now. We went as far as the end of FS 251C. I congratulate you on hiking over the ridge on the old trail. I could see that it looked to be pretty much of a bushwhack. Interestingly, what is labeled as the Yellow Creek Mountain trail on my National Geographic map was labeled as the old AT on my GPS software. Just a couple of comments on FS251. The road is gated and in pristine condition. It has obviously been used quite a bit recently including by a bulldozer. 251 B is somewhat overgrown and shouldn't fool anyone. The big change is with 251 C which the dozer obviously opened up. When you get to C the main road now swings to the left. 251 continues straight ahead but looks like a grass covered unused road. 251C has recently been used as a fire block for a controlled burn which is the obvious reason for its improvement. There is plenty of room for two trucks to pass on this road. There are no longer any Ts. I didn't even realize when I came to the first T that there was another road or trail there. There is simply a sweeping left hand turn with a large parking or staging area at the point of the turn. Only on the way back down did I see another road heading off. It's basically the same with the second T. It is a large sweeping right hand turn and the road on up to the high point is almost three lanes wide. At the high point there is a large clearing most of which has been burned off and farther down the road another large and burned off clearing where the road ends. It ends at the point where a sign on the tree says D4 Old Yellow Mountain trail or something like that. There was yellow flagging attached to the same tree. The trail that continues was fairly large and was also used as a fire block as the burn stopped at the trail. I wasn't able to spot a car today so I decided that that point was a good place to turn around. I plan to head back again sometime with a car spotted on Welsh Road.

Just a curiosity question. The map shows trail 48 (Yellow Mt. Trail) continuing straight ahead and connecting with the AT at Walker Gap. Just wondered why that route wasn't chosen.

[SGT Rock]

Glad to hear that you got out and looked at it, there has been some movement on this that hasn't been reported to me yet. The recent maintenance you report was probably done partially by the FS in anticipation of the work next month. They had said they would make sure the road was usable for us to bring in workers.

Also, FS251 is in use by the power company as access to their lines on the top of the ridge. They have been given an easement to use it because the road along the power line/aqueduct is badly eroded. They maintain it out to the end of FS251C and then have been doing the trail maintenance of about 0.7 miles between there and the power line. I mentioned this maintenance in another thread where I talked about reconnaissance of the new route. Next weekend the Sierra Club will be working the route between Look Rock and Welch Road.

The Yellow Creek Mountain Trail is indeed the old AT. If you read Earl Schaffer's "Walking With Spring" you will find that in 1948 the new reroute that took the AT down to Fontana Dam wasn't well marked and he continued down the old AT to Tapoco and resupplied at Jenkin's Store before continuing on down past Cheoah Dam and using what is now the BMT to get to Deals Gap and then up to Parson and Gregory Bald in the Smokies. Interesting history...

Anyway. The route we chose is because thru-hikers now need to get a printed copy of the GSMNP permit before entering the park. There wasn't any good solution on this that we could come to an agreement on with the Park Service. Fontana Village offered a a servie to help hikers with this. It also solved the problem with the resupply issues for hikers before going in the Smokes, it also had a well maintained set of local trails that got us to the AT and into the Park, and they were also a willing partner to help us out with this. So Hikers can go to Walker Gap on the Old AT if they want to (the BMTA could give a dang less about purism) or they can follow the route we are working out through Fontana Village and take advantage of their services and then continue on. It also puts more "different" trail in our trail system instead of making the AT and the BMT shared trail over more miles which would have been the case if you had to walk to Walker Gap and take the AT all the way to the park. AT/BMT Loop hikers would have more redundant trail if we went that way.

[Ed'n Lauky]

Thanks, that's all very interesting.

[Tipi Walter]

I've done both routes on the YCMT---the Lookout Rock trail up (and down) from the YCMT (and from what is now called Green Gap) and continuing on from the old Lookout Rock trail to Walker Gap on the AT. I asked Evans the same question about using the YCMT (now BMT) to Walker Gap and he said it won't be opened or maintained so I expect it to be somewhat of a bushwack. But yes, it's possible for BMT backpackers in the Slickrock now to do a short 129 roadwalk to the Meadow Branch trailhead to YCMT and follow it all the way to the AT without dropping down to Fontana or Hiway 28, etc.

I remember this reroute fondly as I backpacked it several times in 2002-2003 and the first part coming up from the "footbridge" on Meadows Branch to the Oldfield road crossing has some fine rock formations overlooking the Cheoah River "gorge". I can't wait for the June opening as I hope to start out at Beech Gap and hike to Slickrock Creek and get on the YCMT all the way to Lookout Rock and maybe Walker Gap. There's water in Walker Gap, but I'll have to look at Rock's map for water sources on the YCMT before Lookout Rock.

Once I did the whole roadwalk on Meadows Branch (passed old man Jenkin's store---he asked me if I wanted to buy the place)---and got on Farley Branch road and eventually reached the trailhead to Lookout Rock which put me up on the YCMT ridge and over to Walker Gap. The only reason I did the roadwalk was because the YCMT was in hellish leg-ripping shape. But not anymore!

[SGT Rock]

Dick Evans and Rick Harris were supposed to be working over there this weekend with the Sierra Club some.

[Ed'n Lauky]

Today (Sat.) Lauky and I finished off the new section of the BMT as far as Fontana Village. We started this time at Old Field Gap road. The four miles to the top went very quickly. We continued on to the power line and that section is also in great shape and went quickly. As you mentioned, from that point on the progress slows. I was surprised, however, by how easy it was to follow the treadway even though it has obviously been very lightly used. While well marked with yellow strips, Lauky, who led the way was following the trail without any problem and obviously was not following the yellow strips. The only place we got off a bit was on the first knob where the trail hangs a right and we continued straight ahead. At the end of the plateau there was no more trail so we turned back and very quickly saw the yellow strips heading down the hill to our left. The going was not all that bad except where the thorns grew over the trail. It was a bit tedious in those spots. Fortunately I had on long pants. Until the trail is cleared, it definitely should not be done by someone wearing shorts. Trail #40 going down is copiously marked with red strips. This section shows signs of recent work. I had spotted a car on Fontana Hts. road right by the trail sign. As we neared the road I could see that the red strips were not going to take me to the car so I picked up another trail then made a short bushwhack that took us over a now abandoned obstacle course and onto the end of the trail that led to the car. I plan to go back again soon to the Fontana Hts trailhead and head up. I would like to see where that trail connects with the red flagged trail as I did not pick it up on the way down. I saved the trail coming down on my GPS so it should be easy to pick up. I also want to tag Walker gap. Since we can't get into the Smokies this will at least permit us to complete the short (400 mile) loop. We did the AT to Fontana last fall.

[Tipi Walter]

Ed, Question---What you call the Fontana Hts trailhead---is it the same as the Lookout Rock trailhead?? I have it marked on my Nat G 784 map as #40 Lookout Rock Trail.

[Ed'n Lauky]

I think so. It has Lookout Rock marked on the sign along with other points.

[SGT Rock]

Today (Sat.) Lauky and I finished off the new section of the BMT as far as Fontana Village. We started this time at Old Field Gap road. The four miles to the top went very quickly. We continued on to the power line and that section is also in great shape and went quickly. As you mentioned, from that point on the progress slows. I was surprised, however, by how easy it was to follow the treadway even though it has obviously been very lightly used. While well marked with yellow strips, Lauky, who led the way was following the trail without any problem and obviously was not following the yellow strips. The only place we got off a bit was on the first knob where the trail hangs a right and we continued straight ahead. At the end of the plateau there was no more trail so we turned back and very quickly saw the yellow strips heading down the hill to our left. The going was not all that bad except where the thorns grew over the trail. It was a bit tedious in those spots. Fortunately I had on long pants. Until the trail is cleared, it definitely should not be done by someone wearing shorts. Trail #40 going down is copiously marked with red strips. This section shows signs of recent work. I had spotted a car on Fontana Hts. road right by the trail sign. As we neared the road I could see that the red strips were not going to take me to the car so I picked up another trail then made a short bushwhack that took us over a now abandoned obstacle course and onto the end of the trail that led to the car. I plan to go back again soon to the Fontana Hts trailhead and head up. I would like to see where that trail connects with the red flagged trail as I did not pick it up on the way down. I saved the trail coming down on my GPS so it should be easy to pick up. I also want to tag Walker gap. Since we can't get into the Smokies this will at least permit us to complete the short (400 mile) loop. We did the AT to Fontana last fall.

We were up there part of the day yesterday. In the morning my son and I walked the proposed trail around Fonana and went part of the way up to Look Rock (we didn't go the whole way) to see what the Sierra Club had been able to clear. We saw a car parked at the end of one of the trails just above Fontana Village. According to Dick, the route between Green Gap and Walker Gap has been cleared by the Sierra Club so that AT hikers could go that way and come down into Fontana Village, though I doubt many hikers will.

Then we went to Old Field Road and met up with then BMTA board for a hike down to US 129 to show them a part of the new reroute. We probably just missed you Ed.

[Ed'n Lauky]

That without a doubt was my car that you saw at the Fontana Hts. trailhead. After dropping it off there my wife dropped us off at Old Field gap. We left there about 9:00 AM. Except for the thorns in places, the trail between the power line and trail #40 was I thought in better condition than the trail between Farr Gap and the Slick Rock crossing. That section, I thought, presented the most difficult passage on the entire BMT. For the new trail, it shouldn't be that difficult to clean up the thorns and the number of blowdowns is relatively limited and they mostly seem to be located in areas where they can be easily bypassed. The upper section of #40 has been cleaned up to AT standards. It was quite a surprise. The only problem there is that the trail is steep in places and with the new cleaning it looked like it would be quite slick in the rain. A bit of use should roughen it up a bit.

I'm glad to hear that the section over to Walker Gap has been cleaned up. It should make the passage fairly easy, I'm looking forward to doing it.