Who has hiked the Benton Mackaye Trail?

[halibut15]

Josh,
Your idea of thru-hikers being counted from before the new section until now sounds right to have the numbers he gave. That new section hasn't been opened very long, and it seems like it'd be a stretch to have that many thru-hike such a relatively little-used trail that soon.

[Baerman]

My son and I have done Springer up to Wilscot Gap, and plan to do more this spring in between Scout events.

[Tha Wookie]

Josh,
Your idea of thru-hikers being counted from before the new section until now sounds right to have the numbers he gave. That new section hasn't been opened very long, and it seems like it'd be a stretch to have that many thru-hike such a relatively little-used trail that soon.

I thought at first that's what he meant, but when I asked his response sounded to me that he was saying 250 hiked the trail this year. I could have misunderstood, as it sounds like an extraordinarily high figure to me, but that's how I heard it.

Going into the presentation, Lone Wolf, me and some others walked up to it, and we were talking about if anyone had done it yet. I guessed 2 (cornbread and someone esle I heard about) and someone else said 4.

If 250 people did it, they sure have been quiet about it.

[halibut15]

Interesting. I hear ya, Wookie, that's strange for there to supposedly be so many thrus that no one has heard of. I only know of one, and I forget his name. I've just seen his pics and journal. Oh well, the mystery continues...

[namelesslass]

Have hiked several sections just dayhiking: the sections from Bushy Head Gap up to Hwy. 64 to the Ocoee Center in TN, the section in the Rich Mtn. area, some near Skeenah Gap and some loops with the AT near Springer. One of my favorite BMT hikes (so far): the north half of Section 11 from TN (West Fork Trail) south to Big Frog Mountain.

I just love the Benton MacKaye...

Alison
(First time poster)

[Tha Wookie]

Have hiked several sections just dayhiking: the sections from Bushy Head Gap up to Hwy. 64 to the Ocoee Center in TN, the section in the Rich Mtn. area, some near Skeenah Gap and some loops with the AT near Springer. One of my favorite BMT hikes (so far): the north half of Section 11 from TN (West Fork Trail) south to Big Frog Mountain.

I just love the Benton MacKaye...

Alison
(First time poster)

Excellent places on the BMT! Also, excellent first post !

[Tipi Walter]

I see that the MacKaye forum is open so I thought I would add my impressions and adventures. I have spent the last 5 years backpacking and camping on different parts of it, mostly south of the Smokies from Hiway 129 into the Slickrock Wilderness and up the Stiffknee Trail to merge with the Fodderstack Trail to Beech Gap and Whiggs Meadow. Past here the trail goes south across the Tellico River and along the State Line Trail to Unicoi Gap and points south to the Ocoee River and the Cohutta Wilderness.

The trail was officially opened in July of 2005 at Mud Gap on the Cherohala Skyway and it was at this gathering that I met Sgt Rock for the first time. I have many trip reports along this trail(54 and counting!)and especially want to recommend the blue blazed trails running off the main B Mac though of course they are not and probably never will be painted in blue blaze. Years could be spent living on and exploring the many other trails associated with this trail. I will have more to add about this fine trail.

[Hikerhead]

I see that the MacKaye forum is open so I thought I would add my impressions and adventures. I have spent the last 5 years backpacking and camping on different parts of it, mostly south of the Smokies from Hiway 129 into the Slickrock Wilderness and up the Stiffknee Trail to merge with the Fodderstack Trail to Beech Gap and Whiggs Meadow. Past here the trail goes south across the Tellico River and along the State Line Trail to Unicoi Gap and points south to the Ocoee River and the Cohutta Wilderness.

The trail was officially opened in July of 2005 at Mud Gap on the Cherohala Skyway and it was at this gathering that I met Sgt Rock for the first time. I have many trip reports along this trail(54 and counting!)and especially want to recommend the blue blazed trails running off the main B Mac though of course they are not and probably never will be painted in blue blaze. Years could be spent living on and exploring the many other trails associated with this trail. I will have more to add about this fine trail.

I was there also but arrived late and missed all of the opening speeches. We did however get in on the little walk up to Wigg Meadow and watched as Little Bear led us in singing America the Beautiful. That Little Bear has an outstanding singing voice. Oh, and I also got to meet the Sarg and his fine kids...that youngest one is going to be a comedian when he grows up.

[Ramble~On]

I've hiked a lot of the trail at one point or another.
The route has incorporated several existing trails and what is better is that the BMT has now linked together several wilderness areas in several different states that previously were not linked. That opens up countless miles of side trails in some very big wilderness areas and other point of interest areas...Cohutta, Citico, Slickrock, Joyce Kilmer to name a few.
In time I'd imagine that there will be books written about the BMT and some of the more popular or impressive side loop options.
I'll make no secret of the fact that I live in Western North Carolina and am 100% against all of the proposed new road construction in my part of this state and the surrounding areas in other states....
Just when the trails are starting to come together a few idiots have to start up their bulldozers and splinter one of the larger sections of "woods" left on the east coast...but that is off subject..
I hope to hike the entire BMT this year.....and hope to get involved as a maintainer.

[MOWGLI]

We did however get in on the little walk up to Wigg Meadow and watched as Little Bear led us in singing America the Beautiful. That Little Bear has an outstanding singing voice.

While I do a (very) few things well, singing ain't one of 'em. If you looked real carefully, you would have noticed that I was doing the Brittney Spears thing and lip syncing. I guess I fooled you with the fog and all.

By the way, I have some photos from the meadow. Maybe I should post them.

[Hammock Hanger]

I' hiked the original 93 miles last year and will hike the middle section this year.

I'm with him... (looking forward to our spring hike.)

[Hikerhead]

I'm with him... (looking forward to our spring hike.)

Me too....I'll be sporting a new pack this year (again). I'm counting the days before I get to hike with you and DebW again. This is going to be a fun section.

I'm going to wait till about the 3rd week in march and become a member of the BMT and order the Nat Geo Map. Sometime in March the Nat'l Geo map will have the BMT marked in yellow.

[Tha Wookie]

Sometime in March the Nat'l Geo map will have the BMT marked in yellow.

\

sweet! good info!

[Tipi Walter]

I just got back from an eight day backpack of the B Mac and I noticed at the trail register box at Cold Spring Gap a note from a "thru-hiker" who was walking it around the end of January. On my trip I of course encountered sections of deep snow north of Beech Gap and on a side trip up to Bob Stratton Bald I post-holed into 14 inches of the white stuff. It was cold pretty much the whole time but then this section stays at around 3500 to 4000 feet. I came in from the South Fork of the Citico which is a 9 mile connector to the B Mac and puts you up at Cold Springs Gap and an easy swing over to the Unicoi Ridge and the old Fodderstack Trail, now the B Mac. The new connector before the ridge is a great section of trail built by Ken Jones and cohorts from the BMTA. It has several springs and a good sized creek to get water before climbing to the ridge and the northern route to Farr Gap and the Stiffknee descent to Slickrock Creek.

[Hikerhead]

I just got back from an eight day backpack of the B Mac and I noticed at the trail register box at Cold Spring Gap a note from a "thru-hiker" who was walking it around the end of January. On my trip I of course encountered sections of deep snow north of Beech Gap and on a side trip up to Bob Stratton Bald I post-holed into 14 inches of the white stuff. It was cold pretty much the whole time but then this section stays at around 3500 to 4000 feet. I came in from the South Fork of the Citico which is a 9 mile connector to the B Mac and puts you up at Cold Springs Gap and an easy swing over to the Unicoi Ridge and the old Fodderstack Trail, now the B Mac. The new connector before the ridge is a great section of trail built by Ken Jones and cohorts from the BMTA. It has several springs and a good sized creek to get water before climbing to the ridge and the northern route to Farr Gap and the Stiffknee descent to Slickrock Creek.

How the blazing and signage on this section?

[Tipi Walter]

Hikerhead: The boys from BMTA put up new trailposts all along the Citico/Slickrock section of the trail since they weren't allowed to paint white diamonds on the trees. The posts have side trails numbered and marked and the B Mac is designated with a diamond and the number 2 beneath it. Why number 2? You got me, is the AT designated number 1? Don't think so.

Anyway, outside of the wilderness(meaning south of Beech Gap)there are white blazes on the trees to Mud Gap and up to Whigg Meadows where the trail ties into a dirt road for a short distance and then veers left into the woods on the old Sycamore Creek trail. I've noticed in these sections going south that there are sometimes areas with no blazes but for the most part the trail is marked.

But as far as the Citico/Slickrock, the trailposts are the only indication of the trail and they can be few and far between, especially at Farr Gap as the trail turns right(going north)down the old Stiffknee Trail as it descends to Slickrock Creek where on my last visit I did not see any sign or post that the B Mac even existed along the Slickrock. This part could be tricky cuz the trail goes downstream here and crosses the creek about .3 mile into a big campsite. Past the site not far the B Mac merges with another local trail called the Ike Branch Trail and turns right up a series of little creeks to climb a mountain, etc. The BMTA boys might have put trailposts down on the Slickrock by now.

[Hikerhead]

Thanks for info Tipi Walter.

[Happy Feet]

Hatman and I thru hiked the entire trail last October. Got dropped off at Davenport Gap and headed south. We had hiked the Georgia section several times, and the TN/NC middle section in June. When the trail opened last year we had to do the whole thing. We love the BMT. Even in the Smokies we pretty much had the trail to ourselves.

The trail is SO remote in places, it's hard to keep the trail clear of annual growth. In Wilderness Areas or Wilderness Study Areas, volunteers can only use handtools for maintenance. Even though it is a primitive trail, the BMTA strives to keep it clear, but there are not enough volunteers to actually do that. If anyone wants to come out and volunteer on the BMT, there are monthly worktrips. It's an excellent way to see the trail and help your fellow hikers have a more enjoyable experience! Check the BMTA website for details. www.BMTA.org

I highly recommend a thru hike of the BMT. Just be prepared and take maps. There's plenty of free information on the website.

[berninbush]

I'm pretty much a novice backpacker, but I just did an overnight hike on the BMT with my brother and two sisters (who are even less experienced than I am). It's a great trail-- beautiful, and the section we did was just the right level of challenge for us. It’s a great place for solitude, too. We met a grand total of three people on our hike, and two of those were within a few hundred yards of the trailhead.

We hiked the section north of Beech Gap in the Citico Creek Wilderness area; we went in about four miles, and hiked out the same way the next day. The trail wasn't hard to follow, but I wanted to make a note here for others of some things on the National Forest Service Citico Creek Wilderness/ Joyce-Kilmer map that are no longer accurate.

Going north from Beech Gap, the BMT and Fodderstack trails run along an old jeep road (now closed to motor traffic and pretty overgrown). This part is accurately marked on the NFS map (although the map is old and makes no mention of the BMT). The big change comes when you reach Cold Spring Gap at the end of the jeep road. The map shows a three-way split, with a trail designated “105” to the left, the Cold Spring Trail (149) in the middle, and the Fodderstack Trail (95) to the right. These three trails still exist, but they are now designated differently, and caused me a great deal of confusion when I got there!

For one thing, the 105 trailhead is on the lefthand side of the clearing (several yards from the other two) and a little overgrown, so I didn’t see it at all on our outward trip—I only spotted it on the way back. But it’s still there, designated the same as on the map. The difference is in the middle and right-hand trails. You can see where the old signpost has been painted over and re-marked, so now the middle trail is designated “2 and 95” (in other words, the BMT and the Fodderstack Trail), and the right-hand trail is designated 54 (like the trail to Bob Stratton Bald). This is an important change for equestrians, since they must now follow the BMT/Fodderstack/Cold Spring Trail up the middle instead of the Bob Stratton/former Fodderstack to the right. (A sign is there at the trailhead to confirm this.) Basically the Fodderstack has just been re-routed, which makes sense, but boy was I bewildered when I looked at the map and then looked at the sign ahead of me!

About a mile and a quarter past Cold Spring Gap on the BMT, the trail splits in two again. This time the BMT and Fodderstack go to the right, on a newly-engineered section of trail that doesn’t appear on the NFS map at all. (The trail to the left is the continuation of the Cold Spring Trail, 149, which looked at first glance like you’d need a machete to get through! But it may not be so bad once you’re on it.)

If you want a map for the new BMT section, you can look at http://www.bmta.org/construction/cmap11.htm which seems to be drawn directly on the NFS map, with the new section in purple and the trail posts and water marked. (I just pencilled this in on my NFS map… not hard to do!). We came on a very nice camping place on this section of the trail. It’s to your left just as the trail takes a sharp uphill turn to the right. It’s level, has a small fire ring of flat stones, nice views, and it’s not terribly far from the creek (maybe a few hundred yards up the trail).

The trail itself is not hard to follow, even though parts of it are only inches wide with waist-deep vegetation on either side. (Well, “waist-deep” is a relative term! I’m short.) I didn’t miss having blazes; the two signposts we saw at splits were adequate. Like I said, it’s a great place for solitude. My brother saw a bear at a distance in the woods, and we heard owls hunting at night. I recommend this hike for anyone who wants time alone in the woods! But I hope the NFS comes out with a new map soon.

[Skidsteer]

Thanks for the update Berninbush.