What's your impression of the Yellow Creek Mountain trail? Have you ever backpacked the thing?
It used to be the original Appalachian Trail before the dam at Fontana was built. You can still see some of the ancient AT trail steps and tree blazes.
Then the boy scouts got a hold of it back in 1971 and reopened it from the hiway 129 jct all the way to Walker Gap where it jcts the AT way above Fontana and just north of Cable Gap Shelter on the AT.
I backpacked the hellish YCMT back in 2003 on a couple different trips and it was a true hell slog with no maintenance and terrible briars. Then the boys rerouted the BMT and it's been abundantly improved. Here's some pics---
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Here's the mentioned FUGITIVE dam above Calderwood Lake in Tapoco.
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The new footbridge to the YCMT's trailhead---off of hiway 129(Meadow Branch rd) and close to Tapoco Lodge.
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Here's the old boy scout sign I found at the trailhead and pieced together.
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Tapoco Lodge as seen from the YCMT trailhead.
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The old boy scout steps from 1971.
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YCMT reaches Green Gap where this old trailsign used to be next to Lookout Rock---now removed. Pic taken in 2003.
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A good pic of Lookout Rock on YCMT in Green Gap and on the BMT just before the trail leaves Yellow Creek Mt and descends to Fontana.
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What's really cool and what every backpacker needs to know is if you stay on the old YCMT past Green Gap and continue straight for about 2 miles you reach the actual AT here in Walker Gap and just north from Cable Gap shelter. The BMT instead leaves the ridge and drops to Fontana---but just two miles straight ahead and they could link up to the AT in Walker Gap and avoid Fontana and the tough climb south of Fontana to Walker Gap.
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Sgt Rock's attempt at making sense of YCMT---and a map I used for water sources etc.
Btw, the overall length of the YCMT from Walker Gap to Hiway 129 is 9 miles.