anyone know if the AT wuz moved at Hampton Tn

[12ax7]

I wuz talking with a buddy of mine who lives in Butler,TN just up the road frm the 321 crossing. and we thought the blue blaze Laurel Falls Trail used to be the old AT. that crossed just at the bridge.. this is when we were kids (early 70's) anyone know if this is true. or maybe, it has been too many years ago..lol..any help wud be wonderful.. tnx.... jim

[Bearpaw]

I wuz talking with a buddy of mine who lives in Butler,TN just up the road frm the 321 crossing. and we thought the blue blaze Laurel Falls Trail used to be the old AT. that crossed just at the bridge.. this is when we were kids (early 70's) anyone know if this is true. or maybe, it has been too many years ago..lol..any help wud be wonderful.. tnx.... jim

The Hampton blue blaze used to be the official AT up until some time in the late 70's or early 80's. Concerns with issues on the road walk leaving Hampton, north of 321, led the ATC to reroute the AT up through the Pond Mountain Wilderness. I still like the nice flat walk into Hampton better.

[12ax7]

thank you so much for the reply and info bearpaw..i am going to take some people from Ky down there in Jan. and see my old buddy in Butler. so i guess we aint that crazy after all .lol tnx again... jim.

[Serial 07]

that's a great trail and saves you from havin' to climb pond flats...if you have the Nat. Geo. map for Watauga, it's easy to navigate...it's a much better route into hampton, that's for sure!

[mweinstone]

something about laurel falls freaks me out. anybody else not like it? its the volume maby. and its a little precarius when its been rainng.and its dark and i allways feel like theirs someone hideing out there. i think the old route is found easyer on a map, and reassures at a few feild crossings one might otherwise have to search for the way. but i belive after walking it once it can be followed just by memory and the footpath.

[Kerosene]

I sure didn't think that the Pond Flats relo was worth the extra effort, but I hadn't realized that it replaced a lengthy road walk. However, I did pass a very large 350+ pound bear on my SOBO ascent in October 2008. I had already passed him when something made me turn around to see him watching me from about 30 yards off the trail.