Thoughts on Smokies 2-day hiking plan (especially 2nd day)

[msujay]

Here is my plan for an early October Smokies trip...

First day (half day due to drive down) - Big Creek, up Baxter Creek Trail to Campsite 38.
Second day - Benton MacKaye Trail to Balsam Mountain Trail, AT north to Low Gap Trail down to Campsite 37. 22-ish miles.

I'm curious if anyone here has done that 2nd day. I do enjoy long hikes, but want to make sure I am not biting off more than I can chew.

[TNhiker]

Baxter creek is a good pull.......

half day might not cut it......

check for bear closures as those sites often close down....

[HooKooDooKu]

Mount Sterling Ridge Trail and Balsam Mountain Trail are relatively level trials... for being GSMNP mountain top trails. So if you have the physical ability to hike 22 miles during the shorter daylight hours of early fall, your proposed 2nd day is as good as any 22 mile of GSMNP trail you can hope to find.

As for Baxter Creek, if you're the kind of person who thinks they can hike 22 miles in one day, then you should be the kind of person that can hike Baxter Creek. But like TNhiker says... it's quite a haul. It's about a 4,000' climb in about 6 miles. That's an average of a 12% to 13% grade THE WHOLE WAY. I would suggest that you allow yourself 6 hours to tackle that hill.

But a bigger question would be WHY? Why this particular loop. I don't recall there being much to make hiking Mount Sterling Ridge and Balsam mountain all that interesting. If you want a loop with some big miles and more interesting scenery, I would suggest parking at the Big Creek Ranger Station near the Chestnut Branch trail. Then hike Chestnut Branch to the AT to Mount Cammerer, check out the lookout tower, then continue on the AT to Cosby Knob shelter. Then the 2nd day, hike down Camel Gap and up Gunter Fork and then Mount Sterling Ridge to #38. Return to your car via Baxter Creek and a little less than a 3/4 mile road walk back to Chestnut Branch. I don't recall much of anything memorable to hiking Camel Gap Trail, but the hike down Camel Gap with worth some of what there is to see on Gunter Fork.

[illabelle]

Mount Sterling Ridge Trail and Balsam Mountain Trail are relatively level trials... for being GSMNP mountain top trails. So if you have the physical ability to hike 22 miles during the shorter daylight hours of early fall, your proposed 2nd day is as good as any 22 mile of GSMNP trail you can hope to find.

As for Baxter Creek, if you're the kind of person who thinks they can hike 22 miles in one day, then you should be the kind of person that can hike Baxter Creek. But like TNhiker says... it's quite a haul. It's about a 4,000' climb in about 6 miles. That's an average of a 12% to 13% grade THE WHOLE WAY. I would suggest that you allow yourself 6 hours to tackle that hill.

But a bigger question would be WHY? Why this particular loop. I don't recall there being much to make hiking Mount Sterling Ridge and Balsam mountain all that interesting. If you want a loop with some big miles and more interesting scenery, I would suggest parking at the Big Creek Ranger Station near the Chestnut Branch trail. Then hike Chestnut Branch to the AT to Mount Cammerer, check out the lookout tower, then continue on the AT to Cosby Knob shelter. Then the 2nd day, hike down Camel Gap and up Gunter Fork and then Mount Sterling Ridge to #38. Return to your car via Baxter Creek and a little less than a 3/4 mile road walk back to Chestnut Branch. I don't recall much of anything memorable to hiking Camel Gap Trail, but the hike down Camel Gap with worth some of what there is to see on Gunter Fork.

^Good advice.

[msujay]

Thanks! Like your idea better.

Mount Sterling Ridge Trail and Balsam Mountain Trail are relatively level trials... for being GSMNP mountain top trails. So if you have the physical ability to hike 22 miles during the shorter daylight hours of early fall, your proposed 2nd day is as good as any 22 mile of GSMNP trail you can hope to find.

As for Baxter Creek, if you're the kind of person who thinks they can hike 22 miles in one day, then you should be the kind of person that can hike Baxter Creek. But like TNhiker says... it's quite a haul. It's about a 4,000' climb in about 6 miles. That's an average of a 12% to 13% grade THE WHOLE WAY. I would suggest that you allow yourself 6 hours to tackle that hill.

But a bigger question would be WHY? Why this particular loop. I don't recall there being much to make hiking Mount Sterling Ridge and Balsam mountain all that interesting. If you want a loop with some big miles and more interesting scenery, I would suggest parking at the Big Creek Ranger Station near the Chestnut Branch trail. Then hike Chestnut Branch to the AT to Mount Cammerer, check out the lookout tower, then continue on the AT to Cosby Knob shelter. Then the 2nd day, hike down Camel Gap and up Gunter Fork and then Mount Sterling Ridge to #38. Return to your car via Baxter Creek and a little less than a 3/4 mile road walk back to Chestnut Branch. I don't recall much of anything memorable to hiking Camel Gap Trail, but the hike down Camel Gap with worth some of what there is to see on Gunter Fork.

[TNhiker]

Mount Sterling Ridge Trail and Balsam Mountain Trail are relatively level trials... for being GSMNP mountain top trails.

yeah............for being trails in the 4000-5000 foot range (or what ever they are)-----mount sterling has one little uphill pull coming outta the gap and then its almost perfectly flat................one can cruise on this trail really fast (at least i did)........

[TNhiker]

and does your hike have to be on the big creek side?

i would almost suggest something like going out the AT from clingmans---welch ridge and then down to bear creek and then using forney creek trail to come back up to clingmans....

not sure about mileage though......

one thing that this route will do is you'll have a touch more solitude......

and be in a tent instead of a shelter......

the area around mt cam will probably be a little busy during leaf season.......

the lookout tower is a great place though for a view......

[msujay]

Due to reservation conflicts, I'm planning to do Baxter Creek up to #38 the first day. Then over the BMT to Gunter Fork, up Camel Gap to the AT and over to Low Gap down to #37 on the 2nd day. Then down Big Creek to my car...OR back up Low Gap to Mt. Cammerer if I'm feeling up to it. I would rather do the AT to Cosby Knob on the 1st day, but it isn't available.