Benton MacKaye Trail Video

[SGT Rock]

I love that campsite on Loss Creek. I often think I'll use that one on Towee Creek as it is a short jaunt in from the parking area and would be a great campsite while traveling in a pinch, but I've never used it.

[AO2134]

SGT Rock,

I am using your 2014-15 guide. On mile 86.1, it says Intersect Rough Creek Trail (#70). It is a T-intersection with #70 going left and right. Perhaps add to the guide you should turn left on #70.

There are trails that intersect the BMT, but you never travel on them (i.e., Licklog Trail) and trails that you intersect and join, like #70.

Of course, anyone actually hiking the BMT would get the trail sign and see #2 <--, but as I was previewing the hike, I didn't know it was a "T" intersection and the BMT joins #70 until I looked at the map.

Prior to my hike, I took your guide and compared it to the map and made some additional notes and found that I basically never needed the map after that.

An example would be #70 above.

Just a suggestion.

Otherwise great job on the guide in this very confusing section.

[SGT Rock]

That section still confuses me sometimes. Thanks for the tip, I've started working on the 2016 guide.

[AO2134]

Looking for some help with my video. As I said, I did a poor job taking pictures and video. I barely had the energy to hike this section, much less do all the documenting. There is a 3-4 mile section where I have no pictures or video at all, between Lost Creek Camground and Gated FS 173. Basically any pictures you would like to contribute from Lost Creek Campground to FS 17 Gate, I would appreciate it. Especially looking for Lost Creek Campground, Lost Creek Campsite, the trail along lost creek, crossing little lost creek. It started lighting and raining hard and we found a place to camp near FS 17 Gate at mile 108.6.

Any donated pictures would be appreciated. Currently, I am just going to put some text in the video since I have nothing from it. I just remember being so tired I barely remember hiking that section. In fact, I have no memory of lost creek campground whatsoever, but I do remember hiking along lost creek on a very flat kind area with huge rocks to my left and creek to my right.

Any help would be appreciated!

[AO2134]

Sgt Rock - There is a stunning view right off a short pull off on the trail between loss creek and coker creek. I can't get more specific as I don't carry a GPS or anything like that telling me how far I've come. Pretty much rely on your guide for everything.

That being said, here is the view I am talking about. It was stunning. To me the best view of the trip!


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As I look over the videos and photographs, I also realized I did a poor, poor job between just after Big Bend Picnic area and Loss creek too. I can't believe I allowed myself to think I was that tired. I am so disappointed and pissed at myself right now.

Maybe I will go back over a weekend I am not hiking something new and park (with permission I hope) at Hiwassee Outfiters near the road walk and do a quick 9 mile out-and-back day hike to Lost Creek Campground and actually record and take pictures of that section. Drive over to Big Bend Picnic area, park overnight and rehike Big Bend to Loss Creek. Camp there for night and hike back in the morning.

For now the video is going to be missing these sections.

[SGT Rock]

That is the Rock overlook that is at about 120.3 on my updated 2016 mileages. It is about 0.6 miles from the Coker Creek foot bridge.

[AO2134]

BMT - Section 4 - Part 2 : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Anb_uNFdz88

This finished the Labor Day hike from Thunder Rock Campground to Unicoi Gap.

No set time for the next section, but it will probably be from Unicoi to Mud Gap.

[AO2134]

Hey guys.

Sorry for the long delay in videos. I hate to say it, but it may be a few more weeks before I get back to the BMT. My hiking partner has been dealing with bad knee and it just isn't getting any better. I started hiking the BMT with him so I don't want to jump ahead of him and make him catch up. I also really dislike out-and-back hikes on trails I haven't completed yet. The benefit of having two people is that we can self-shuttle and do point to point and cover virtually twice the distance. So that being said, I am not sure when I will post my next BMT video, but I promise you I will finish the trail. Hopefully this year. By my math, I have 5 more weekend hikes to finish the BMT.

[AO2134]

I just got back from doing a section on the BMT. Unicoi Gap to Mud Gap. I am very out of shape. The 32 mile hike hurt, and it will show on the amount of videos/pictures I took. Day 1, including side trails, I was only able to muster a 15ish mile day. We were expecting to do 18-20 miles day 1. Since I couldn't do it, we were required to wake up at 5:30 am and starting our hike at 6am in the dark. We hiked for 1 1/2 hours without daylight. To make matters worse, my headlamp was so weak (nearly dead battery) that I could barely see anything. We ended up doing our 17+ mile day on Sunday before 3:30 pm, which put got us home in a respectable time.

This is the second time my fitness was interfered with a hike on the BMT. Going to do something about it.

Video will be created and posted hopefully tonight.

[AO2134]

Benton MacKaye Trail - Section 5: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dd8ayWovLWo

Unicoi Gap (129.2 miles) to Mud Gap (161 miles).

[AO2134]

This weather. . . it just continues to really suck. No BMT video this week either. It is looking less and less likely that my friend and I will finish the BMT this year. We will finish though. That much I can guarantee. I am very disappointed we very likely won't be able to finish it this year.

[Spacelord]

This weather. . . it just continues to really suck. No BMT video this week either. It is looking less and less likely that my friend and I will finish the BMT this year. We will finish though. That much I can guarantee. I am very disappointed we very likely won't be able to finish it this year.

So true. I'm going to stash food Sunday for a hike from GSMNP back to hwy.68 starting on the 10th.
Everyone going is down about the weather, needs to change for morals sake. This has been planned for about three months so cancelling is not an option. Hope to meet you on the trail one day.

Sent from my LG-V495 using Tapatalk

[AO2134]

So true. I'm going to stash food Sunday for a hike from GSMNP back to hwy.68 starting on the 10th.
Everyone going is down about the weather, needs to change for morals sake. This has been planned for about three months so cancelling is not an option. Hope to meet you on the trail one day.

Sent from my LG-V495 using Tapatalk

I just checked the weather for your Nov. 10th trip. It looks like you may have a few pretty good days. The only rain I see it today and thursday. Goodluck on your trip. Have fun out there.

Also, my friend and I decided to brave the rain this past weekend and finished a section from Mus Gap to Fontana. I did my very best documenting the re-route which was at times very easy and at times somewhat challenging, especially as you leave trail #45 towards Tapaco lodge. I am not sure we did this section right, but we ended up at Tapaco lodge nonetheless and found our way back on the trail. We also had to do about 1 hour of night hiking to get to the campsite near the creek given the trail conditions with all the rain. Maybe in day light that section would have been clearer, but it wasn't at night. I will flush this out a little more in the video.

So expect a new video this week.

[AO2134]

If anyone has a nice picture of the view at the hangover and wouldn't mind sharing it some I can put it in my video I would appreciate it. When we went up there, there was nothing to see but clouds, rain and dense fog.

[AO2134]

BMT - Section 6 - Part 1. Mud Gap to Fontana Dam.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rcKwVItz0xo

We did the re-route. We had some confusion with a little bit of night hiking at Yellowhammer Gap towards Tapoco. Maybe we went the right way. I am not really sure. I really enjoyed the re-route. It was possibly my favorite section of the trip.

The constant rain played havoc with my camera. Some of the audio came out corrupted, but it is a very small portion.

Hope you guys enjoy. Part two was recorded on my cell. Somehow my camera died on me overnight. If it is anything like last time I recorded with my phone, the video may be a little jumpy in the second part.

[Traffic Jam]

BMT - Section 6 - Part 1. Mud Gap to Fontana Dam.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rcKwVItz0xo

We did the re-route. We had some confusion with a little bit of night hiking at Yellowhammer Gap towards Tapoco. Maybe we went the right way. I am not really sure. I really enjoyed the re-route. It was possibly my favorite section of the trip.

The constant rain played havoc with my camera. Some of the audio came out corrupted, but it is a very small portion.

Hope you guys enjoy. Part two was recorded on my cell. Somehow my camera died on me overnight. If it is anything like last time I recorded with my phone, the video may be a little jumpy in the second part.

I'm glad you enjoyed it. That section sucked for me.

[Traffic Jam]

If anyone has a nice picture of the view at the hangover and wouldn't mind sharing it some I can put it in my video I would appreciate it. When we went up there, there was nothing to see but clouds, rain and dense fog.

Here are a few.

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[Traffic Jam]

Here are a few.

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Sorry, just watched the video (really enjoyed it) and saw you got a photo.

[AO2134]

Sorry, just watched the video (really enjoyed it) and saw you got a photo.

Thanks TJ. Tipi was kind enough to give me one. It looks stunning. I will be returning to do that section again. This time though, hopefully it wont constantly rain next time. The Hangover looks amazing! Great pictures!

[Tipi Walter]

I checked out the video and have a few comments and a summary.

** Mud Gap. Your comment of the Cherohala Skyway as a "bad ass road". How I wish you were hiking there in July when this road was a loud motorcycle racetrack ruining the mountain experience in a 10 mile radius. But you're right, it IS sort of hard to pronounce as I call it the CheroHowler Monkey Sphincter Septic Sewage Screaming Scarway.

** Rock Quarry has many good camping spots but it's hard to get tent pegs into the ground in the "man made bald campsite." It's a dynamited and bulldozed mountaintop removal spot to make the Skyway.

** North River road crossing.
** Unicoi Crest---Beech Gap.
** Cold Spring Gap where you guys camped and there's an excellent water source just 50 feet down the 105 South Fork trail side.

** 54A South is steep.
** Bob Tee.
** Bob Bald.
** Butt Rock (54/53).

** At 8:58 Nice little campsite is actually in Naked Ground Gap. "Campsite with view" is of course Naked Ground Gap.

** 10:00 is Haoe Peak at around 5,200 feet and showing the Haoe Lead trail jct.
** Saddle Tree Gap.
** 10:48 on Hangover Lead South trail in a level gap with ample campsites and a place I call Elysium Fields.
** New signs in Big Fat Gap.

** Windy Gap trail and Windy Gap (not Winding Gap).
** Nichols Cove gravesite and Yellowhammer trail jct.
** Yellowhammer Gap.
** The new Tapoco lodge trail from Yellowhammer Gap descends nicely and then comes to a Tee intersection with a logging road. It seems in the video you went left on this road and climbed but I have no idea where that goes as I went right and down to pass by a couple metal buildings and entered the backside of the Tapoco Lodge compound. Eventually the trail reaches the Lodge and Cheoah River and the bridge to Yellow Creek Mt Trail etc. The BMT was very poorly marked between Yellowhammer Gap and Tapoco Lodge when I did it in April 2015.