Okay boys, I pulled a 19 day backpacking trip into the Tennessee mountains of Citico wilderness and here is my trip report. All pics can be seen here---
https://tipiwalter.smugmug.com/Backp...a-Rattlesnake/
TRIP 175
June 13--July 1 2016
HIGHLIGHTS
** TRAILWORKED CROWDER BRANCH TRAIL
** TRAILWORKED BIG STACK GAP TRAIL
** 5 BACKPACKERS AT WILDCAT FALLS ON SLICKROCK CREEK
** 4 BACKPACKERS ON THE NUTBUSTER TRAIL IN BURNTHOUSE CAMP
** JOHN QUILLEN WITH LAUREL AND TERRY IN NUT GATE CAMP ON THE NUTBUSTER TRAIL
** 41st CLIMB OF THE NUTBUSTER TRAIL
** 15 BACKPACKERS SEEN
** TRAILWORKED THE NUTBUSTER TRAIL
** BRYAN DELAY WITH EVA AND WINSTON ON BOB MT
** BMT MAINTAINER LARRY ON 54A SOUTH
** RATTLESNAKE IN IRON CAMP ON THE SOUTH FORK TRAIL
** SOUTH FORK/NORTH FORK BRUSH MT LOOP
** RATTLESNAKE ON BRUSH MT TRAIL
TRAILS
Entrance Beehouse Gap
Beehouse Roadwalk
Warden Fields
Rocky Flats
**Ed Abbey Camp**
Rocky Flats
**Johnny's Spur**
Rocky Flats
**Chimney Site**
Rocky Flats
Doublecamp Roadwalk
Crowder Branch
**Mid Crowder Camp**
Crowder Branch
**Crowder Horse Camp**
Crowder Branch
Fodderstack Ridge
Big Stack Gap Trail
Slickrock Creek
**Wildcat Falls Camp**
Slickrock Creek
Nutbuster Trail
**Nut Gate Camp**
Nutbuster Trail
**Buckeye Camp**
41st Climb of the Nutbuster Trail
**Landon Camp Naked Ground Gap**
Four Mile Ridge
**Fir Tree Grove Bob Mt**
54A South
Cold Gap
Trail 149
**Barrel Gap**
Trail 149 Backtrack
Cold Gap
South Fork
**Iron Camp**
South Fork
**White Rock Camp**
South Fork
North Fork
**Stump Site After 6th Crossing on North Fork**
North Fork
Cherry Log Gap
Fodderstack Ridge
**Snow Camp**
BMT Connector aka Snow Camp Connector
Trail 149
Brush Mountain
**Bug Hollow Camp**
Brush Mountain
South Fork
North Fork
**North Fork Crossing 1 Camp (2)**
North Fork
South Fork
Beehouse Roadwalk
Indian Boundary Roadwalk to Skyway and OUT
My trip begins at home by washing out my 7,000 cubic inch Mystery Ranch pack in Dawn soap and it's finally clean and ready for a June outing.
I get dropped off at Beehouse Camp and in about 7 miles I'm on the Rocky Flats trail in the Citico wilderness and looking for my campsite by the old homestead chimney.
I leave Rocky Flats trail and connect to the Crowder Branch trail and reach crossing 5 of Crowder Creek and set up camp beyond.
At the top of Crowder Branch trail there's a springhead and I set up my big Hilleberg tent with both doors open, basically changing my tent into a tarp.
CROC INFESTED WATERS!!! I leave Crowder Branch and pass over Fodderstack Ridge and take the Big Stack Gap trail down 1,500 feet in two miles to Slickrock Creek and pause at the Wildcat Falls crossing to watch wild crocs in a feeding frenzy.
I make it to Wildcat Falls on Slickrock Creek (now in the Kilmer-Slickrock NC wilderness) and watch 5 backpackers from Knoxville sport in the pools.
On Day 7 I leave Wildcat Falls and begin my journey up the dreaded Nutbuster (Upper Slickrock) trail and run into old backpacking buddy John Quillen and his girlfriend Laurel.