19 Day Quest for Brush Mountain

[Tipi Walter]

Okay boys, I pull a February trip and spend 14 of the 19 days on the Benton MacKaye trail starting at Unicoi Gap heading north to Whiggs Meadow and Beech Gap to Cold Spring Gap.

To see all pics of the trip go here---

https://tipiwalter.smugmug.com/Backp...rush-Mountain/

QUEST
FOR
BRUSH MOUNTAIN
TRIP 180
February 9-27, 2017

HIGHLIGHTS
**19 DAYS TO THE CITICO WILDERNESS
**14 DAYS ON THE BENTON MACKAYE TRAIL
**NO BACKPACKERS SEEN IN 18 DAYS
**PHLEGM SPEWING INFLUENZA
**DAVID MORGAN AND TWO OTHER CAR CAMPERS
**"IF THIS ISN'T A NOROVIRUS, IT'LL DO UNTIL ONE COMES"
**THE TOUGH 4 DAY CLIMB TO WHIGGS MEADOW
**SYCAMORE CREEK TRAIL IS NOW A DRIVABLE ROAD
**A NIGHT ATOP WHIGGS MEADOW
**BRUSH MOUNTAIN REACHED!
**GRASSY BRANCH TRAILWORK
**LAST NIGHT ON FLATS MOUNTAIN

TRAILS
Entrance at Unicoi Gap on Joe Brown Highway
BMT North
**Peels Gap**
BMT North
**Tate Gap**
BMT North
**Six Mile Gap**
BMT North
Sandy Gap
State Line Ridge
**Moss Gap**
State Line Ridge
**Hazel Gap**
State Line Ridge
Sled Runner Gap
Brookshire Creek Trail
**Iron Ring Camp**
Brookshire Creek Trail
**Fern Camp**
Brookshire Creek Trail
Sugar Mt Trail(BMT)
**Pretty Pine Gap**
Sugar Mt Trail
Fish Hatchery Tellico River
Sycamore Creek Trail(BMT)
**Sycamore First Camp (2)**
Sycamore Creek Trail
**Rainbow Trail Camp aka Will Skelton Camp**
Sycamore Creek Trail
**Whiggs Meadow Bald Camp**
Mud Gap BMT
Skyway BMT
Beech Gap
Fodderstack Ridge Trail
**Cold Spring Gap**
Trail 149
Brush Mountain Trail
**Happy Rock Spring Camp**
Brush Mt Trail
**Brush/South Fork Camp**
South Fork Creek Crossing
South Fork Citico Trail
**White Rock Camp**
South Fork
Clemmer Detour
Grassy Branch Camp
**Crossing 8 Camp**
Grassy Branch to Grassy Gap
Skyway Roadwalk
Flats Mt
**Flats Bald #1 Camp**
Flats Mt
Skyway Roadwalk to Lake View Overlook and OUT



My trip begins in Unicoi Gap on the BMT with this pic showing the BMT heading south behind me to Highway 68 and into Hiwassee River valley. My pack on this winter trip starts out at around 95 lbs---with snow shovel and microspikes and 45 lbs of food etc.



I soon pass over Peels Top mountains and into Tate Gap where I check out the old Doc Rogers house. I camp near this house and get water at the house spring shed.



The Tate Gap Doc Rogers spring house which I discover on this trip and it causes me to stay in Tate Gap for the night.



I leave Tate Gap on the BMT and begin my climb up Cantrell Top Mt which its four separate hilltops. Temps turn out warm for much of my trip.



I'm heading north on the BMT and pass thru Six Mile Gap and end up here in Sandy Gap where I find redneck destruction of the new BMT trailpost whereby it got snapped in half and probably by a truck breaking it in half.


I leave Sandy Gap and begin the 15 tough Nut climbs on State Line Ridge. After 3 tough nuts north of Sandy Gap I pass thru the "Rock Gateway" and dogleg over to Moss Gap for the night as Moss Gap has a spring water source.



Once past Moss Gap I climb several mountain Nuts and get on the other side of Round Top Mt where I stop to look at the spring water source down to the left.

[Tipi Walter]

After 15 tough hill climbs I stop on Rocky Top, Tennessee!! I found some telephone bills up here BUT NO ONE TO PAY THEM. Got my corn out of a ziplock, too.



Once past Rocky Top I reach Sled Runner Gap and in 3 miles I'm at the Brookshire Creek crossing on the BMT. This is why I don't backpack in trail runners---my full leather Zamberlan boots allow me to do this without having to change into crocs and without getting my boots or socks wet.



Once I cross Brookshire Creek I climb up and over Sugar Mt and cross Tellico River and get on the Sycamore Creek trail as pictured here. It's a nice little creek.



After about 4 miles on the Sycamore Creek trail I veer off the trail a hundred yards to this secret campsite. The ridge in the background is the Snowbird wilderness.



The worst part of my trip, other than getting a good bout of influenza, was discovering that the forest service opened up the top half of the Sycamore Creek trail to vehicle traffic---they poured gravel in several spots to allow truck access to this once-foot trail only path. Not a foot trail any more. What a bummer.



I finally make it to Whiggs Meadow at 5,000 feet and spend the night and prepare to bail off down to Mud Gap and points north on the BMT. It's a cold morning and I'm wearing my patagonia hoody top.



As I hike thru Mud Gap and up to the Rock Quarry I find more redneck litter---Hey hunters, pick up your spent casings!!!!!!!

[Tipi Walter]

The BMT takes me from the Whigg to Beech Gap and Cold Spring Gap and so on Day 14 of the trip I finally leave the BMT on Trail 149 to connect to the Brush Mt trail in the Citico wilderness. Unfortunately some idiots pull out the Brush Mt trailpost and throw it off into the woods. What's wrong with people? I spend 30 minutes re-digging out the post hole and reseating the thing and hammering in several wooden stakes to keep the thing secure.



Brush Mt trailpost fixed!! Notice all the stakes around its base. The Quest of Brush Mt now begins as the trail leaves the trailpost and passes under that blowdown in the background. It's the most remote and rugged trail in the Citico wilderness and my favorite.



Once on the Brush Mt trail I travel along the ridge and stop at my favorite rock on the trail.



As I tool down the Brush Mt trail I hit this awful blowdown which takes me 30 minutes to clear and lucky me I have my corona folding saw and Felco pruners.



Blowdown fixed!!! Step over the beast and move on.



The Brush Mt trail finally drops you down to Brush Mt Creek with its 7 crossings and I stop at crossing 3 at my favorite slanted rock.



A view of Brush Mt Creek as seen from the trail. This creek soon merges with the South Fork Citico Creek where you have a mandatory big crossing.

[Tipi Walter]

As I'm humping down Brush Mt I finally step on my hipbelt buckle and snap it in half. Luckily I always bring a spare hipbelt buckle and so no problemo. Fixed in a jiffy. Always carry a spare, boys.



I finish the Brush Mt trail by crossing this creek, the South Fork. Then I head up the SF trail to camp.



After one night on the South Fork I take a "secret" Clemmer Cove detour away from the South Fork and get on the Grassy Branch trail which its 9 Grassy Creek crossings.



The Grassy Branch trail punches me out in Grassy Gap and it's a 2 mile hike up to the top of Flats Mt at 4,000 feet where I spend my last night in a windstorm. My tent peg stuff sack gets blown off this bald a couple hundred feet but I find it.



On Day 19 I leave Flats Mt and do a short roadwalk on the Cherohowler Monkey Septic Skyway Screamway Scarway which pops me out at my evac point to wait for my ride shuttle home. Goodbye Trip 180.

[V Eight]

Another great report Tipi.
One thing about the foot trail becoming a road, the Forest service boys up here in VA are going to do the same thing on a few trails. The fires last year have them a little nervous. Up here the plan is to have most of them gated and closed to public traffic.

V8

[tvance0645]

Love the trip reports and the photos. Hoping to be somewhere from Bob Bald to the Hangover Saturday after I finish work.

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[Tipi Walter]

Love the trip reports and the photos. Hoping to be somewhere from Bob Bald to the Hangover Saturday after I finish work.

Sent from my XT1650 using Tapatalk

I haven't been on the high ground (what I call Four Mile Ridge between the Bob and the Hangover) for several months since the fires of November. I hope to be up there sometime in mid March or later.

[blue indian]

Man, we must have been within a few miles of each other at some points. Maybe one day I will run into ya!

[PatmanTN]

Great Report my friend. After reading that you were sick, I'm not sorry I missed you. Due to work projects I had to stay on the high ground / within cell contact for several recent weekends. On your day 9 and 10 I was actually on Bob mountain myself. I did go part way down Haoe lead and it's a burned out mess. They have actually placed a sign on Haoe peak warning that the trail is not safe for travel and to find an alternate route. (But I think HootyHoo has already walked the length of it since the burn; he did say some parts were hard to follow). The burns that I saw on Four Mile Ridge seemed like they were man-made control lines to me.

[PatmanTN]

Also meant to tell you someone has done the most comprehensive and paranoid flagging job I've ever seen on the old logging cut from Cold Springs gap down past the Wedge camp to the forest road. There is pink tape literally every 10 feet. Someone spent a loooong time tying that stuff to every tree and bush on the trail; freaky.

[Tipi Walter]

Also meant to tell you someone has done the most comprehensive and paranoid flagging job I've ever seen on the old logging cut from Cold Springs gap down past the Wedge camp to the forest road. There is pink tape literally every 10 feet. Someone spent a loooong time tying that stuff to every tree and bush on the trail; freaky.

Probably the forest service getting ready to turn it into a drive-able road and/or log the wedge.

[Cadenza]

Another fine report, Tipi.

Pending my move to Tellico in a couple months I expect to run into you a little more often.
Maybe a LOT more often.

[tvance0645]

Great Report my friend. After reading that you were sick, I'm not sorry I missed you. Due to work projects I had to stay on the high ground / within cell contact for several recent weekends. On your day 9 and 10 I was actually on Bob mountain myself. I did go part way down Haoe lead and it's a burned out mess. They have actually placed a sign on Haoe peak warning that the trail is not safe for travel and to find an alternate route. (But I think HootyHoo has already walked the length of it since the burn; he did say some parts were hard to follow). The burns that I saw on Four Mile Ridge seemed like they were man-made control lines to me.

Patman, I'm heading up there this weekend bit I'm new to the trail. I was planning on Hammock camping at Naked Ground. Based on what you saw would staying back at Bob Bald be a better choice?

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[chrisj1567]

95 pound pack to start... wimp

[PatmanTN]

tvance0645,

Naked Ground is just fine; not burned out at all.

[eggymane]

Awesome write up Tipi! I have a fascination with the BMT

[-Rush-]

Nice trip report Tipi. Always cool to see a well-prepared backpacker taking care of business. I know you're against fires, but I'd have started one in that old chimney to appease any spirits wandering nearby.

[Praha4]

Tipi we love your trip reports and photos, another awesome report. Sorry to hear you had to deal with the crud, no fun.

if you ever get a chance, would really like to see your clothing list for a typical 3-season vs. winter hike.

saw your new Patagonia Capilene Thermal weight zip-neck hoody, looks nice... it appears to be similar to their old Capilene 3 or 4?

curious about your other baselayers, midlayers and/or shell. Fleece, down, synthetic, merino ...what do you take/mix in winter vs. 3-season hikes?

[johnspenn]

Great report. Also really cool that you repair trail signs and clear blow-downs along the way.

[Tipi Walter]

Tipi we love your trip reports and photos, another awesome report. Sorry to hear you had to deal with the crud, no fun.

if you ever get a chance, would really like to see your clothing list for a typical 3-season vs. winter hike.

saw your new Patagonia Capilene Thermal weight zip-neck hoody, looks nice... it appears to be similar to their old Capilene 3 or 4?

curious about your other baselayers, midlayers and/or shell. Fleece, down, synthetic, merino ...what do you take/mix in winter vs. 3-season hikes?

I posted this in my trail journal on a recent winter trip---

MY WINTER CLOTHING DEFCON LEVELS
** T-shirt and shorts with smartwool socks.
** T-shirt over long sleeve silk top with shorts.
** Added merino leggings under shorts, fleece gloves. (Or remove shorts, add rainpants).
** Add Patagonia capilene tops (midweight under thermal weight hoody with turtle fur hat and hood).
** Add rain jacket over all this with nilas down mittens and Icebreaker balaclava with turtle fur hat and hood. This completes my max hiking outfit.


FOR CAMP
** Remove rain jacket and add arcteryx fleece jacket.
** Add Icefall down parka.
** Remove rain pants and add WM down pants, double socks.


Defon 1-5 is for hiking, defcon 6-8 is for camp. The capilene tops are midlayers, the arcteryx polartec fleece jacket is outer layer and the down parka is extreme outer, surely needed on this trip. We've been thru all this before. Just carry the stuff and the extra weight and don't complain or squirm or stay at home or run screaming from temps below 40F or whatever else. Just carry this extra weight and be happy you have two legs and two knees to get outside at all.

Difference between winter and 3 seasons?
** I use a winter bag vs a summer bag.
** Same sleeping pad all year long.
** Gloves and hats? I always take two pairs of gloves---a cheap pair of $6 walmart fleece gloves AND this is important: Bring some MLD eVent shell mittens to cover these gloves in cold weather---just to keep the fleece gloves dry when moving or when packing up a wet tent.

** The other pair are Nilas down mittens made by Mt Hardwear---very nice.

HATS
** Very important in the winter.
** My usual crushable hiking baseball cap.
** Turtle Fur fleece hat.
** Hood over this from my patagonia thermal weight hoody (replaced the old category 4 weight capilene).
** Deep cold balaclava from Icebreaker---merino---worn as first layer under turtle fur and hoody.