This backpacking trip occurs from August 30 to September 19, 2023 in the Bald River backcountry of TN.
TRAILS HIKED
**Beach Drive In on Tellico River up Old Furnace road on a 3 mile tough roadwalk(uphill).
**Warrior's Passage trail to Mule Pen Gap.
**Old Logging cut 126A to Basin Gap.
**Basin Gap-Bald River roadwalk down to Kirkland Creek trailhead.
**Kirkland Creek trail up to Sandy Gap.
**Sandy Gap on State Line Ridge to Sled Runner Gap.
**Down Brookshire Creek trail to Bald River roadwalk.
**North up Bald River trail into Bald River wilderness and backtrack out to road.
**Up Kirkland Creek trail for a second time to Sandy Gap.
**Sandy Gap to Six Mile Gap and up and over Waucheesi Mt.
**Down Warrior's Passage to Old Furnace roadwalk and OUT.
Little Mitten drops me off at Tellico Beach Drive In and I pull the tough uphill roadwalk on Old Furnace road for 3 miles to Warrior's Passage trailhead. It kicks my butt since the pack is around 115 lbs.
I reach Warrior's Passage and one mile in I set up camp.
My Hilleberg tent set up on Warrior's Passage trail.
I cross Wildcat Creek---always a challenge with a heavy pack---and pass thru Wildcat Cove, the wildest part of WP trail.
I reach Tobe Creek and set up camp.
Past Tobe Creek the trail climbs to Mule Pen Gap where there is a little used gated logging cut called 126A on the old maps so I hike it up to Basin Gap and stop at its top end by the bargate.
Once in Basin Gap I roadwalk Bald River road down to Bald River and Kirkland Creek trailhead and pass this poor snake.