BMT, split from: A Walk in the Woods Movie?

[max patch]

Someone who is planning a first time thru hike probably has no idea what it means to follow your rules for being a white blaze purist.

I doubt you have any interest at all on my thoughts. I will cut and paste what the ATC says on the 2,000 miler application. Caps are my emphasis:

APPLICATION
ATC recognizes anyone who reports completion of the ENTIRE TRAIL as a “2,000-Miler.” (The term "2,000-Miler" is a matter of tradition and convenience, based upon the original estimated length of the Trail.) Conference policy is to operate on the honor system, assuming that those who apply for 2,000-Miler status have HIKED ALL OF THE A.T. between Katahdin and Springer, not just 2,000 miles of it. In the event of an emergency, such as a flood, a forest fire, or an impending storm on an exposed highelevation stretch, blue-blazed trails or officially required roadwalks are viable substitutes for the white-blazed route. Issues of sequence, direction, speed, length of time, or whether one carries a pack or not are not considered. ATC assumes that those who apply have made an honest effort to WALK THE ENTIRE TRAIL, even if they did not actually walk past every white blaze. If you meet these standards,please sign below and fill out the accompanying form.

I, ___________________________________, verify that I have HIKED THE ENTIRE LENGTH of the Appalachian Trail.

I don't understand why this is so difficult to understand. To get back to the original discussion, I mentioned that there are many opportunities to bypass the trail. If you stayed an extra day at a hostel and then yellow blazed 8 miles up the trail to catch up to your buddies have you hiked the entire length of the Trail? If you take Kimsey Creek Trail insead of the Trail over Standing Indian have you hiked the entire length of the Trail? If you look at your map in VA and see that you can save 6 miles by taking the Maur Hau trail have you hiked the entire length of the Trail? The answer is obvious to me. And in your heart, I think the answer is obvious to you.

I'm going for a hike on a gorgeous day here in GA. Ya'll play nice.

[Doctari]

I have considered doing the BMT if/when I thru, I have already done the AT from Springer thru the Smokies, (to Erwin) it might be nice to see something different. And, the BMT crosses the AT enough times that if I change my mind, I can always switch.
Perhaps not "Pure" but so what. Someday I will see all the white blazes, I am commited to that, want to see other areas too. I will always be glad I took the Kimsey creek trail.
Both "side trips" would lessen the total impact on the AT. I would love to do a non AT thru of the Smokies, again just to see other areas of the GSMNP

BTW, I too hope they never make that damn movie. I think the book was/is a hoax. Perhaps a well written hoax, but,,,,,

[Youngblood]

Thanks Max. The 2000 Miler definition did mention "honest effort to WALK THE ENTIRE TRAIL, even if they did not actually walk past every white blaze" and that doesn't quite sound the same as the phrase ENTIRE where ENTIRE MEANS ENTIRE which I sometimes see... to me the later phrase demands absolutely no exception. Where do you stand on issues like taking a different blue blaze trail when one leaves a shelter or not walking across a road crossing when one hitches back and forth to town, etc. are these just something that is up to an each person to handle as they please or are they grounds to disqualify one from being a 2000 Miler or a thru hiker or a section hiker or a white blaze purist?

Youngblood

[weary]

Thanks Max. The 2000 Miler definition did mention "honest effort to WALK THE ENTIRE TRAIL, even if they did not actually walk past every white blaze" and that doesn't quite sound the same as the phrase ENTIRE where ENTIRE MEANS ENTIRE which I sometimes see... to me the later phrase demands absolutely no exception. Where do you stand on issues like taking a different blue blaze trail when one leaves a shelter or not walking across a road crossing when one hitches back and forth to town, etc. are these just something that is up to an each person to handle as they please or are they grounds to disqualify one from being a 2000 Miler or a thru hiker or a section hiker or a white blaze purist?
Youngblood

It's my understanding that a resolution from the ATC board a few years ago mentioned "entire." Either that has been changed, or the staff has interpreted it differently when preparing the application papers. But my memory is from the activities of the 97 conference held in Maine when I sat on one of the panels about "loving the trail to death."

Weary

[max patch]

The 2000 Miler definition did mention "honest effort to WALK THE ENTIRE TRAIL, even if they did not actually walk past every white blaze" and that doesn't quite sound the same as the phrase ENTIRE where ENTIRE MEANS ENTIRE which I sometimes see... to me the later phrase demands absolutely no exception.

Again, I'll refer you back to the ATC 2,000 miler application a few posts ago which will answer your question:

"In the event of an emergency, such as a flood, a forest fire, or an impending storm on an exposed highelevation stretch, blue-blazed trails or officially required roadwalks are viable substitutes for the white-blazed route."

This means that when the white blazed AT is dangerous that a blue blaze or roadwalk basically becomes the AT for whatever period of time is required for the hazard to become resolved. "Dangerous" is not a synonym for "more convenient", "shorter", "more scenic", or "different".

I still don't understand how you can make an argument that taking, for example, the blue blazed Kimsey Creek Trail instead of the AT around Standing Indian Mountain meets the criteria for hiking the entire trail as set forth in the 2,000 miler application.

[Youngblood]

Max,

It is still not clear to me how some of these things are being interpeted... like the north/south sidetrails to shelter issue and hitching at road crossings. And I do appreciate it is a slippery slope, the blue blazes you mention around Standing Indian shortens the hike by 10 or 15 miles. But I think you will admit, that what is an emergency or safety hazard to one person may not be an emergency or safety hazzard to a different person... some folks have no fear while others are too cautious.

Youngblood

[gardenville]

So, whose going to be the first to take this new route all the way from Springer to Davenport Gap?

Youngblood

Youngblood and others:
As some will know I also have hiked all the BMT from Springer Mtn to the Ocoee River/Thunder Rock Campground just inside Tennessee. During the time I lived in GA and was a member of the BMTA I bushwacked a lot of the new part in the Cherokee National Forest. The route through the GSMNP has been published in draft form in several places. I have the route that was thought to be the one that would be used several years ago. My guess is that it didn't change or didn't change much. It should be easy to get the current route in the GSMNP.

Is there any interest in doing a BMT Thru-Hike. My medical situation seems to be coming to a successful conclusion and I hope to be up for a long hike by sometime this summer. I know a fall hike might be easier, cooler anyway but why wait. At 290 miles more or less I would guess a planning time frame of 24 to 30 days might work. Maybe less but this might require spotting a car in a few places to make resupply easier.

[Jack Tarlin]

Youngblod is wondering who'll be the first person to thru-hike the Benton MacKaye Trail.

It's obvious. You'd think Rocks 'n Roots would leap at the opportunity!

Then he could tell the rest of us how much contempt we have for it, that we don't deserve it, and that we're betraying its original purpose.

Oh. I forget. He doesn't hike any more than he reads.

[Youngblood]

Youngblood and others:
As some will know I also have hiked all the BMT from Springer Mtn to the Ocoee River/Thunder Rock Campground just inside Tennessee. During the time I lived in GA and was a member of the BMTA I bushwacked a lot of the new part in the Cherokee National Forest. The route through the GSMNP has been published in draft form in several places. I have the route that was thought to be the one that would be used several years ago. My guess is that it didn't change or didn't change much. It should be easy to get the current route in the GSMNP.

Is there any interest in doing a BMT Thru-Hike. My medical situation seems to be coming to a successful conclusion and I hope to be up for a long hike by sometime this summer. I know a fall hike might be easier, cooler anyway but why wait. At 290 miles more or less I would guess a planning time frame of 24 to 30 days might work. Maybe less but this might require spotting a car in a few places to make resupply easier.

Bill,

The BMTA has maps online for the trail from the Ocoee River to Twenty Mile Ranger Station ( http://www.bmta.org/construction/bmt_const.htm ). Do they look familar? Do you know where I could find a copy of the current route in the GSMNP ... I was thinking they were going to use existing trails through the Smokies?

These are exciting times in the southeast, lots of neat interconnecting trails. Most folks should be able to find quite a variety of trails to hike. Gosh, not only does the BMT start and end on the AT, it connects at Three Forks, at Blood Mountain (via the Duncan Ridge Trail) and at Sassafras Gap(?) in the Smokies. And the Bartram Trail, the Foothills Trail and the Pinhoti Trail are all interconnect with the AT and BMT as well. One could hike for 500+ miles on that network of trails. I don't know much about the Cumberland Trail but it sounds like it will exceed the BMT in total miles. Neat stuff!

Youngblood

[gardenville]

Bill,

The BMTA has maps online for the trail from the Ocoee River to Twenty Mile Ranger Station ( http://www.bmta.org/construction/bmt_const.htm ). Do they look familar? Do you know where I could find a copy of the current route in the GSMNP ... I was thinking they were going to use existing trails through the Smokies?

These are exciting times in the southeast, lots of neat interconnecting trails. Most folks should be able to find quite a variety of trails to hike. Gosh, not only does the BMT start and end on the AT, it connects at Three Forks, at Blood Mountain (via the Duncan Ridge Trail) and at Sassafras Gap(?) in the Smokies. And the Bartram Trail, the Foothills Trail and the Pinhoti Trail are all interconnect with the AT and BMT as well. One could hike for 500+ miles on that network of trails. I don't know much about the Cumberland Trail but it sounds like it will exceed the BMT in total miles. Neat stuff!

Youngblood

All the data I have for the trail in the GSMNP does use current trails. They are the more southern lower trails. It comes in on what I think was the orginal AT before Fontana Dam was built. Crosses the AT and uses the lower trails over to Davenport Gap. I have sent an email to an old friend in the BMTA and should get an updated route for the Smokies if it changed. I downloaded the maps of the new part from the web site but also have all the same USGS maps of that area.

I was really happy to see the BMT was done and there may even be some more trails linked to the ones you mentioned. The State of Alabama is very active at this time in developing and building Trails and some should connect to TN which might also link them to the TN part of the BMT.

[MedicineMan]

and wanted to commend you Sgt. Rock for even considering this alternative approach to your pending thru-hike....vehemently yes in considering the AT as a corridor, as a splendor of so many interlinking trail possibilities...and you are quite immune to the titling of 2000 miler or thru-hiker....I had just posted somewhere on the Mischa-Mogwa Adventure Trail which someday could be amond these possible connnections as one makes their way to may via the Appalachians, though not on the Congressionally mandated A.T.
I this cant help but think that the conversations on Mt. K. concerning which route taken (Benton MacKay, Tuscarora, etc) could only foment more hiking by those who sometimes will not take another step after completing the thru-hike......again it is a moot point for me but for our grandchildren and theirs it is something to consider now.

[bulldog49]

All the data I have for the trail in the GSMNP does use current trails. They are the more southern lower trails.

The AT follows the crest through the Smokies, once you get up there you stay up there until Davenport Gap. The "lower" trails to the south will be a more difficult, slower route because it goes up and down mountains the entire way. I've hiked these trails a number of times and enjoy them because of the solitude you find in this area of the park. At the present time there are no shelters along this stretch, except for Laurel Gap. Does anyone know if a shelter system is contempleted for the BMT through the Smokies?

[SGT Rock]

Lets hope not.

[bulldog49]

Lets hope not.

I completely agree Sarge.

[Krewzer]

Thanx Youngblood, for the info on Georgia.

I am also interested in hiking the BMT. I hiked bits and pieces on weekends many years ago and also parts that have become the extension. It's been a few years since I've been in that area though and it was always a weekend thing. I don't remember if there is a place get supplies between US 64 and the Twenty Mile Ranger Station. Anyone know?

I also heard the route through Smokies was still in question a couple of months ago. But it was just a matter of picking particular trails to be the BMT.

I'm personally pulling for a route on the Eastern side of the Park. Maybe over Welch Ridge and later over Mt Sterling. Maybe cross the AT and somehow work the Chimney Tops and LeConte in the route.

There's just too many good options. Glad I don't have to choose, the BMT would zig zag 500 miles through the Smokies....if it ever got out of the Joyce Kilmer/Slick Rock area.

[SGT Rock]

Heck, how about the west side along Abram's Creek? That would also be a cool walk, well except for some of the tourists in the 2.5 miles near the creek.

[Krewzer]

...and over Gregory Bald when the azelea is blooming.

I wonder how the park service is going to do the reservation thing for hikers doing the BMT.

[SGT Rock]

I don't know if they already have a sytem in place. Dpending on the route the BMT takes, you may not need a reservation if it goes to the right campsites.

[Tha Wookie]

I don't know if they already have a sytem in place. Dpending on the route the BMT takes, you may not need a reservation if it goes to the right campsites.

Or if you have a hammok!

[generoll]

Great set of maps. Anymore for the more southerly region?