This backpacking trip occurs in March 2023 and begins at Beech Gap on the BMT and ends at Indian Boundary Lake. Here are the trails I hiked:
Fodderstack Ridge Trail from Beech Gap to Crowder Camp.
Big Stack Gap trail down to Slickrock Creek.
Big Fat/Hangover Lead South trail up to Hangover Mt.
Seven Mile Ridge over Bob Bald to Cold Spring Gap.
South Fork trail down to Citico Creek.
Flats Mt from Beehouse Gap to Skyway road.
Skyway roadwalk to Indian Boundary Lake and OUT.
My trip begins with Little Mitten and Zoe Dog dropping me off in Unicoi Crest by Beech Gap in the mountains of TN. Pack is about 107 lbs and a Dan McHale masterpiece with full winter kit.
I hike north on Fodderstack Ridge trail aka BMT to Cold Spring Gap and get caught in a neverending rainstorm and on Day 2 see my old friends Dean and Dewey who get soaked camping down in the Wedge by Bob Creek so they have to cancel their trip and leave early due to wet sleeping bags.
As I squat in Cold Gap during the rainstorm I see my first batch of Cranberries---pulling a 10 day wilderness trip from Cranbrook School in Michigan---on their 54th annual visit---with group leader Gordon on left.
As usual the big cold rainstorm turns to snow and very low temps by Day 3 with wind chills around 0F because I'm in a gap with high wind gusts.
During a zero day of bad weather I hike down into the Wedge to visit Gordon and his Cranberries. They all use tarps of course.
On Day 4 I'm finally able to get out of Cold Gap but my tent is covered in a varnish of ice so it won't pack into its stuff sack so I roll the wad up in my white ground cloth and lash it on the bottom of the pack---and head north on Trail 149 to a CS near Cherry Log Gap.
I head north on Fodderstack Ridge to Crowder Camp and descend Big Stack trail to Slickrock Creek and see another Cranbrook group---led by Bobby and River and Savannah.