Info on Benton MacKaye Trail

[Dances with Mice]

We also went to the nice store and restraunt up the road from the 1st rt 60 crossing. Good food there plus some hiker supplies. I got Iodine tabs there. The lady there said they were going to start stocking some more hiker "stuff".

Nobody ever mentions that store's exterior decorations....
http://www.whiteblaze.net/gallery/sh...sort/1/cat/500

[Hikerhead]

Nobody ever mentions that store's exterior decorations....
http://www.whiteblaze.net/gallery/sh...sort/1/cat/500

Now that you mention it, it was quite interesting to read the signage on the outside. They seemed like really nice people though. Wish I had taken a picture of it.

[Happy Feet]

Sounds great Hikerhead. Did you encounter any wildlife? Where did you camp along the way? How was resupply on US76?

We often see wildlife along the stretch from the top of Big Frog north to the Ocoee River. The last two years we have seen a mama bear and her two cubs. The cubs look almost full size this year. We've also encountered large groups (6-10) of wild pigs a half a dozen times or so. Many turtles, butterflies and birds. Not so many snakes, but last year we saw copperheads for the first time ever. The bummer is when we see horses or evidence of horses (damage) on hand cut trail deep in the wilderness that they're not supposed to be on!

[Hammock Hanger]

I saw 3 deer, a grouse, 2 turkeys, a scarlet taninger, a woodpecker. Lots of fresh coyote scat and some fox scat.

I can't wait to finsh this hike and maybe do some of the new part in the Smokies.

Hey Don, if Deb is still out of commision this fall maybe w can hook back up. Sue/HH

[Hikerhead]

I saw 3 deer, a grouse, 2 turkeys, a scarlet taninger, a woodpecker. Lots of fresh coyote scat and some fox scat.

I can't wait to finsh this hike and maybe do some of the new part in the Smokies.

Hey Don, if Deb is still out of commision this fall maybe w can hook back up. Sue/HH

She better be back to 100% by July 3rd. We're going to do the Summit Trail across Grandfathers Mtn.

I should have a few days of vacation left by then. Maybe a long weekend.

I saw a Robin looking bird. Red breast but with a dark bill. What was that?
I also got close to a Pheasant at the summit of Big Frog.

[Happy Feet]

We finished up the original southern part of the BMT today... The trail was in great shape. Fresh Blazes and hardly any blowdowns on the trail. There was one major major blowdown about 1/2 mile from the end...

The "major major blowdown" no longer exists ! A crew of 4 volunteers went up yesterday to chop & saw it out. It was a dead pine tree that took several other trees down with it when it fell right across the trail resulting in quite a snarl - pine beetle destruction no doubt. General maintenance was also done along this section, so it is now in top shape!

Thanks to Hikerhead for posting the blowdown. It is really helpful to maintaining organizations when hikers report problems.

[Hammock Hanger]

Thank you Hikerhead (Hokey Pokey) for reporting the blowdown.

Thank you to the maintainers for clearing the obstacle.

Now I get to hike down with ease.

Sue/HH

[Hikerhead]

The trail was in great shape. Freshly blazed and cleared. The only trash seen were those left by ATV'ers. Why in the world can't they just take home their trash instead of throwing it in the woods.......

Question???

Somewhere in section 6 (I think) we came to a large open field just off the trail, beside of a road. 100 yards down the road were bleachers set up in what looked to be an old rock quarry. We spectulated on what event was held here, cockfighting was one hehe.......This was a mile or so before the fire tower. The bleachers wrapped all the way around the small stage area, like what would be set up for a boxing match.

What was that all about???...beautiful place to have something, whatever it was.

[Tipi Walter]

This trail rocks !

The Twenty Mile thing: There are still a ton of maps and guide books out there claiming that the AT passes near Topoco, Calderwood, Cheoah and into the park at Twenty Mile. Some of my outdated topo mapping software shows the same thing.
Is anyone aware of how and where the BMT leaves Slickrock and enters the Park ? With the two lakes there I can only see a long stretch of road walk.

The B Mac leaves the Slickrock Wilderness and intersects Hiway 129 where the trail turns left and crosses the Calderwood Lake bridge. Not far up the paved road the trail reenters the woods and works its way back to Hiway 129 further north at a place called Deals Gap. So far this section is following the old AT trail when it used to run to Deals Gap before Fontana was built.

At the hiway the trail unfortunately turns right onto said hiway and follows it until it intersects Hiway 28 where the trail turns left and continues all the way to the 20 Mile Ranger station where it reenters the woods. The total distance on the road? 4-5 miles?

[jbwood5]

The trail was in great shape. Freshly blazed and cleared. The only trash seen were those left by ATV'ers. Why in the world can't they just take home their trash instead of throwing it in the woods.......

Question???

Somewhere in section 6 (I think) we came to a large open field just off the trail, beside of a road. 100 yards down the road were bleachers set up in what looked to be an old rock quarry. We spectulated on what event was held here, cockfighting was one hehe.......This was a mile or so before the fire tower. The bleachers wrapped all the way around the small stage area, like what would be set up for a boxing match.

What was that all about???...beautiful place to have something, whatever it was.

I know this is an old post, but I came across the same place on my third day out a few weeks ago. I also wondered what the heck this little stadium was about. It really looks old.

Just John