How well blazed is the trail

[Tinker]

you've never thru-hiked and had an emergency situation come up where you needed to know the quickest way out. i have.

carry maps folks. it'll save your life or someone else's

I couldn't agree more.
AND a cell phone (sorry, LW).

(To all hikers) Think about others when you're out there. Carry not only what you think will help you, but what might help others (cookies, brownies extra chocolate pudding, too)!
I saw a long term hiker give his flashlight to a lost dayhiker in the White Mountains so he and his buddy could get back to their car. Pretty selfless. He figured he could replace it at the next road crossing (this was before headlamps were common on the trail).

[MOWGLI]

Modoraters please take noticed. Im sure Im about to get called naive, stupid, irresponsible etc... as is always the case when somebody says you dont need maps for the AT.

Lets try and stay on topic about the BMT - which is a VERY different trail from the AT. Case in point: I met a young woman thru-hiker just south of the Smokies last week. In almost 200 miles, I was the second hiker she had met. You'd be foolish not to carry maps on the BMT, because it is not blazed in many places, signs are down in other places, and if you got into a "situation," you could be out there for days or possibly weeks before somebody found you.

[Lone Wolf]

You'd be foolish not to carry maps on the BMT, because it is not blazed in many places, signs are down in other places, and if you got into a "situation," you could be out there for days or possibly weeks before somebody found you.

you'd be foolish NOT to carry maps on any trail well-blazed or not. period

[Mags]

The map contingent here on WB will jump down my throat again for saying you dont need maps for the AT.

Except this thread is about the BMT..not the AT.

From what I understand, the BMT is more akin to a western trail in some ways: sporadically marked, only two shelters and lightly used.

It is why I would love to do it someday. The southern Appalachians are beautiful from what I remember. I would love to see them again (esp in Spring flower season!) but in a place a bit less used than the AT.

Someday.

[Christopher Robin]

Section 8 was recently re-blazed. This is one of the most remote parts of the BMT.

I'm thru hicking in 09. Can you tell he where I should mark the new blazes in the map?

[MOWGLI]

Can you tell he where I should mark the new blazes in the map?

Can you please clarify that question? I don't understand what you mean.

[Rockhound]

My apologies. I had a brainfreeze. Didnt realize this was a BMT thread. Ive only hiked the BMT where it is contiguous with the AT. Im sure its not traveled nearly as much or as well marked. If I were to hike the BMT I would certainly get the maps. In regards to the AT however, I stand by my previos post.

[Chappy]

Where can I get maps of Sections 1 - 10 for the southern 80.2 miles of trail . I looked on the Bmt website and did not see them on there order form. Also what is a good guidebook for that section?

Tim Homan's, Hiking the BMT, is a very good guide book through section 12.

[SGT Rock]

I'm thru hicking in 09. Can you tell he where I should mark the new blazes in the map?

It was re-blazed because folks lost the trail at times. You shouldn't have any proiblems. Download a copy of my guide to help.

[bsa-troop6]

Most of the TN/NC section of the BMT has been logged, brushed out and blazed during this past year. Except we are still not allowed to blaze in the wilderness areas, but this might change in the future. The Cherokee National Forest is considering our request to allow at least some blazing in wilderness. A new trail guide is about to be published on the TN/NC section of the BMT with each 5-10 mile section on a two page spread with a map, profile, access points, water sources and campsites (all with GPS locations) and a description of the section of the trail. The guide will be 48 pages long, printed on waterproof paper in color with lots of nice photos and will be about 4x11 inches in size, easy to fit in your pants pocket or pack side pocket behind your water bottle. When it is published it will be available on the www.bmta.org website and at most REIs and other outdoor stores.

[Doooglas]

The parts I have hiked are maintained well and blazed well. Watch out for the dog(s)? in section 7 I think it is. You will turn left onto an abandoned forest road and will notice all the dumped construction trash. As you make a hard right and see a house step quickly and quietly and keep an eye out for the dog. I made it through there fine once and was almost out of range when I was noticed, but I was too far for it to follow. There should be a way around this, but I am not sure how.

.357 magnum comes to mind.