WhiteBlaze Pages 2024
A Complete Appalachian Trail Guidebook.
AVAILABLE NOW. $4 for interactive PDF(smartphone version)
Read more here WhiteBlaze Pages Store

Results 1 to 9 of 9
  1. #1
    Registered User
    Join Date
    04-22-2015
    Location
    Cumming, GA
    Age
    55
    Posts
    160

    Default Trip ideas near The Bob / The Hangover

    Taking a couple guys on the BMT for 3 days on 5/13-5/15. Original plan is to start at Beech Gap on the Cherohala, head across The Bob to the Hangover then drop to Big Fat Gap where we turn back west, leaving the BMT and linking around to Big Stack Gap and the Fodderstack trail to loop back to the car at Beech Gap. 25ish miles in 3 days.

    Anyone have any better ideas for a trip of around 20 miles that includes The Bob and The Hangover? I'm trying to go easy as these guys are from New Orleans and hills are not their normal deal.

    It doesn't have to be a loop as we have 2 cars.

    Thanks in advance!

    Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk

  2. #2
    Registered User Slugg's Avatar
    Join Date
    04-07-2017
    Location
    Georgia
    Age
    31
    Posts
    365

    Default

    I like your initial route, I always enjoy hiking up on Fodderstack. But, an alternative that would involve virtually no climbing would be to just continue north along Slickrock Creek Trail once you drop down to it, all the way to the dam. Or, take Slickrock then cut over to Yellow Hammer Gap via Ike Branch Trl and take the BMT out to Tapoco Lodge, this would be slightly less mileage than my first suggestion. The summer is a great time of year to hike wilderness river trails like (the lower half of) Slickrock Creek.

    There are other options, if you leave one car at Cheoah Dam or Tapoco Lodge you can pretty much avoid climbing.

  3. #3
    Registered User
    Join Date
    04-22-2015
    Location
    Cumming, GA
    Age
    55
    Posts
    160

    Default Trip ideas near The Bob / The Hangover

    I like the idea of leaving a car at Tapoco Lodge and maybe starting a bit further back, maybe Mud Gap to add some miles. Thanks!

  4. #4
    Registered User
    Join Date
    04-22-2015
    Location
    Cumming, GA
    Age
    55
    Posts
    160

    Default

    New plan is to park at Joyce Kilmer and take the Jenkins Meadow trail up to Haoe Lead and then out to the Hangover. Turn back south on the BMT, back over The Bob, and then all the way back to the Trout Hatchery. 24ish miles total.

    Anyone know anything about Jenkins Meadow trail? Looks brutal to climb. Reaction to the route?

    Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk

  5. #5
    Registered User Slugg's Avatar
    Join Date
    04-07-2017
    Location
    Georgia
    Age
    31
    Posts
    365

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Mockernut View Post
    New plan is to park at Joyce Kilmer and take the Jenkins Meadow trail up to Haoe Lead and then out to the Hangover. Turn back south on the BMT, back over The Bob, and then all the way back to the Trout Hatchery. 24ish miles total.

    Anyone know anything about Jenkins Meadow trail? Looks brutal to climb. Reaction to the route?

    Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk
    Jenkins Meadow is the only one of the 5 trails on that side I have not hiked, but that stretch on Haoe Lead is great. To clarify, JM Trail does not start around the JK Memorial Forest. That’s Naked Ground Trail, an ancient Native American trading footpath. JM Trail starts on the “main road” before you turn onto “Joyce Kilmer RD”. All 5 of those trails that go up to 7 Mile Ridge are going to be pretty tough climbs.

    On your proposed route, once you get to Beech Gap it’s going to be a lot of walking parallel to the Skyway. There are some highlights like Whigg Meadow and Sycamore Creek but overall it’s not going to feel very remote IMO. In general you won’t be close enough to constantly see cars, but you’ll hear them a lot. That would probably be an “easier” way to end than fording Slickrock Creek a dozen+ times like I suggested earlier.

  6. #6
    Registered User
    Join Date
    04-22-2015
    Location
    Cumming, GA
    Age
    55
    Posts
    160

    Default

    Slugg- very helpful, thanks! I may reverse it and start at the trout hatchery just so I don't have to make that awful climb up from Joyce Kilmer. The guys I am taking are flat landers from New Orleans and thinking that climb on day 1 may be too much.

    Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk

  7. #7
    Registered User Slugg's Avatar
    Join Date
    04-07-2017
    Location
    Georgia
    Age
    31
    Posts
    365

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Mockernut View Post
    Slugg- very helpful, thanks! I may reverse it and start at the trout hatchery just so I don't have to make that awful climb up from Joyce Kilmer. The guys I am taking are flat landers from New Orleans and thinking that climb on day 1 may be too much.

    Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk
    You’ll be climbing out of the fish hatchery too, but it’s more gradual and a lot of it is along old roadbed so I would agree that would be less intense, but you’ll still be feeling it!

  8. #8
    Registered User Slugg's Avatar
    Join Date
    04-07-2017
    Location
    Georgia
    Age
    31
    Posts
    365

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Slugg View Post
    You’ll be climbing out of the fish hatchery too, but it’s more gradual and a lot of it is along old roadbed so I would agree that would be less intense, but you’ll still be feeling it!
    Oh and if you have the time at the end, the upper loop of the JK Memorial Forest is worth checking out. It’s a mile or two. I was awestruck when I hiked it, it’s a magical place.

  9. #9
    Registered User
    Join Date
    04-22-2015
    Location
    Cumming, GA
    Age
    55
    Posts
    160

    Default

    Great, thanks!

    Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk

++ New Posts ++

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •