Okay boys, I get back from a long backpacking trip into the mountains of TN and NC and a return to the Citico/Slickrock after spending most of the summer in the Big Frog/Cohutta wilderness.
Here are all my pics from the trip---
https://tipiwalter.smugmug.com/Backp...-Citico-Creek/
21 DAY QUEST FOR CITICO CREEK
TRIP 186
October 19-November 8 2017
HIGHLIGHTS
** DAY 1 BACKPACKER ON JEFFREY HELL TRAIL
** BRUSH MT REACH AROUND--ONE MILE DOWN AND BACK UP
** TWO DAYS AT BUFFALO ROCK ON SLICKROCK CREEK
** TRAILWORKED ALL OF NICHOLS COVE TRAIL
** BMT BACKPACKERS CRUISE CONTROL AND ROLL AROUND
** 43RD CLIMB AND TRAILWORK OF THE NUTBUSTER TRAIL
** SAWS IS WRONG! DEEP CREEK REACH AROUND
** MANY BACKPACKERS IN NAKED GROUND GAP
** BIG RAINSTORM ON NORTH FORK CREEK
** DRENCHED ON A DAY 20 HIKE
** 46 TOTAL CREEK CROSSINGS
TRAILS
Entrance at Jeffrey Hell Trailhead on Cherohala Skyway
Jeffrey Hell
South Fork Citico
**Camp 28**
South Fork Up to Cold Gap
Wedge Descent
**Little Cove Camp in Wedge**
Wedge Ascent
Trail 149
Brush Mt
**Brush Mt Ridge Gap Camp**
Brush Mt Back Up
Trail 149
**Barrel Gap**
BMT Connector
**Snow Camp**
Fodderstack Ridge North
Mill Branch
**Quillen Camp on Mill Branch Trail**
Mill Branch
Fodderstack Ridge North
**South Farr Gap Camp**
Fodderstack Ridge North to Farr Gap
Stiffknee Trail Down
Slickrock Creek Downstream One Crossing
**Slisgah Camp**
Slickrock Creek Upstream Two Crossings
**Buffalo Rock Camp (2)**
Slickrock Creek Downstream
Nichols Cove Trail Up
**Dog Hat Camp by Dotson Gravesite**
Nichols Cove Up to Windy Gap and Down to Slickrock Creek
**Slicnic Camp on Ledge**
Nutbuster Trail Up
**Buckeye Camp**
43rd Climb of Nutbuster Trail to Naked Ground
**Landon Camp Naked Ground Gap**
Four Mile Ridge Going East
Hangover Mt
Deep Creek Down
**Footbridge Camp**
Deep Creek Down to Obliterated Trail and Back Up
**Sierra Club Camp**
Deep Creek Up to Hangover Mt
Four Mile Ridge West
**Naked Ground Landon Camp**
Four Mile Ridge West
Bob Mt
54A South to Cold Gap
South Fork Down
**Mitten Camp**
South Fork Down
North Fork Up
**North Fork 1st Crossing Camp**
North Fork Down
South Fork Down
**Donner Camps**
South Fork to Beehouse Roadwalk to FS Road 345 to Skyway and OUT
My trip begins on the Jeffrey Hell trail in TN and into the Citico Creek wilderness---with a new external frame pack made by Seek Outside called the Brooks. It's loaded down with around 90 lbs of food and fuel and books and winter gear. I added the top lid from my old Mystery Ranch pack.
A rare event---I see my first backpacker on the first hour of my trip as he passes me on the Jeffrey Hell trail going down to South Fork Creek which we both have to cross to get on the South Fork Citico trail. This is one of my 46 creek crossings of the trip.
On Day 1 I camp on South Fork Creek and on Day 2 I struggle up the very steep South Fork trail with my butt heavy pack and gain about 2,000 feet in about 3 miles of hard work. This is one of the steepest sections although the picture doesn't do it justice.
Once South Fork trail pops me out in Cold Gap I camp in the Wedge on Bob Creek and then on Day 3 swing over on Trail 149 to descend the hardest most remote trail in the Citico wilderness---Brush Mt!!! I go a mile down this trail with full water and do trailwork and camp.
Here's my Day 3 camp on the ridge of Brush Mt about a mile down the Brush Mt trail. Beyond this point the trail gets so bad and requires more trailwork than I'm willing to do so on Day 4 I backtrack up Brush Mt to the top trailpost and change my route schedule a little. On my next trip I'll really tackle this Hell Trail.
On Day 4 I swing back up Brush Mt and camp in Barrel Gap off Trail 149 and get water in a little seep spring using my old PUR Hiker filter.
After Barrel Gap Camp I swing up to Fodderstack Ridge which heads north about 10 miles and reaches the next goal of my trip: Farr Gap and the Stiffknee trail down to Slickrock Creek. This pic shows Fodderstack Ridge trail looking south.