On Day 13 I finish my trek up the Nutbuster trail and find the ample trailwork SAWS did to open up the worst part of trail on Leg 5 in the Open Cove section. They cut at least 40 of these kind of blowdowns.
Near the end of Leg 5 on the Nut trail I stop by Anchor Rock, a pretty gateway up to the worst of all Nut sections---Leg 6 on Lonesome Ridge.
Once finished with Leg 5 and I start up Leg 6 and it's steep, boys!! Very steep. This shows the trail climbing up past the rock and once on top you turn right onto Lonesome Ridge and the climbing really begins.
Still on Leg 6 but after the worst vertical section so I dump the pack to rest at this Alcove Rock.
At the end of Leg 6 I reach High Tooth Creek for a break and get another warning: Keep Away from the Nutbuster Trail!!! I do not.
FACES ON THE BMT. After 5 long hours of punching out the Nutbuster trail I end up at 5,000 feet in Naked Ground Gap and set up camp to prepare for the big forecasted storm coming on October 24 thru 27. Now I'm on the Benton MacKaye trail and meet this guy named Yeti who is pulling a south bound BMT trek from the Smokies down to Hiwassee River for his section hike. Just after he leaves the big 42 hour rainstorm begins along with the hellish 52 hour windstorm.
After Yeti leaves Naked Ground 3 hillbilly backpackers pass thru---local boys from Robbinsville NC---and something you never see---backpacking hunters. We talk for a long while until the cold rain pulls us apart. These boys know everything there is to know about the area and we share all sorts of stories. They came in from Wolf Laurel and are headed to Jenkins Meadow on Haoe Lead to spend a couple nights. I spend 3 nights here in Naked Ground Gap and get walloped by 70mph winds and I think of the boys 2 miles away on a similar ridge.