It's Official: New BMT re-route!

[blisterbob]

[QUOTE=SGT Rock;1842117]I've been working for a few years to be able to say this:

The BMT is going to avoid The Dragon!



Section 3 (3.1 miles) starts where FS 251C ends and continues to the end of Trail #40. As of the writing of this guidebook, this section is almost totally un-navigable from the Yellow Creek Mountain Overlook to the end of FS 251C which is about 2.1 miles of ridge walking except for a short section of about 0.2 miles under the power lines that cross the ridge. So if you were to choose to do this alternate trail before the trail project is started, there are about 1.9 miles of nearly impossible trail to walk.
I'm curious about progress on clearing/marking this section to plan a day hike from Cheoah to Fontana OR
bring my tools next week and help the Sierra Club if they will be on this section.

[Bagge Pants]

Thanks for flagging it, Sgt., I should be using the reroute around the second or third week of April.

[CalebJ]

I'm planning on using the existing road walk next month (so I can coordinate a mail drop at Dragon's Den) but look forward to checking out the reroute in the future. Thanks for all your hard work, SGT Rock.

[SGT Rock]

I'm curious about progress on clearing/marking this section to plan a day hike from Cheoah to Fontana OR
bring my tools next week and help the Sierra Club if they will be on this section.

Next week this is what I have from Dick Evans who is the lead on this project:
"March 31 & April 1, 3 and 4 - A Sierra Club Work Trip, based at Fontana Village, will address the rehabilation of Section 4, between Fontana Village and Green Gap on the ridge south of the village. This is about
1.25 miles of trail. If time allows, they will continue east on the ridge to join the Appalachian Trail at Walker Gap. At the same time, Rick Harris and I, in coordination with Fontana Village and the Forest Service, will determine the routing of the Benton MacKaye Trail between Fontana Village area and the connection to the Appalachian Trail near Fontana Village. This may in part follow parts of existing bike trails, etc."

Thanks for flagging it, Sgt., I should be using the reroute around the second or third week of April.

By the third week in April we should have most of the route cleared enough to use. It will still only be flagged at that point, but between following flagging and new maintenance you shouldn't have a problem getting around.

I'm planning on using the existing road walk next month (so I can coordinate a mail drop at Dragon's Den) but look forward to checking out the reroute in the future. Thanks for all your hard work, SGT Rock.

My pleasure.