Alternate Trip Titles:
I Turn 70 With A 95 Lb Pack
78 Creek Crossings: The Cleanest Feet in North Carolina

I leave home at 85F and get to Hooper Bald (5,430 feet) in NC at 64F---it's my festive welcome to Trip 205 and Snowbird wilderness.

All trip pics can be found here---
https://tipiwalter.smugmug.com/Backp...s-Me-the-Bird/

MISS NATURE
SHOOTS ME
THE BIRD
TRIP 205
June 26--July 13, 2020

HIGHLIGHTS
** 18 DAYS IN SNOWBIRD WILDERNESS
** 78 CREEK CROSSINGS: THE CLEANEST FEET IN NORTH CAROLINA
** 18 DAYS WITHOUT A SMARTPHONE
** I TURN 70 WITH A 95LB PACK
** 3 DAYS ON TRAIL 154
** 12 DAYS ON SNOWBIRD CREEK
** 7 CONSERVATION CORPS NC IN SASSAFRAS CAMP
** 3 DAYS ON KING'S MEADOW TRAIL
** PATMAN MEETS ME ON SNOWBIRD CREEK
** HAW MT BACKPACK
** BACKPACKING BUDDY GONZAN POPS IN ON WHIGGS MEADOW
** BACKPACKING BUDDY BRYAN DELAY PASSES THRU COLD GAP
** BMT THRUHIKER BRAD GIBSON IN COLD GAP

TRAILS
Entrance at Hooper Bald
Hooper Trail/King's Meadow Trail(gravel road) Down
Trail 154 Heading Southwest
**154 Grass Camp**
Trail 154 Down
**154 Cove Camp**
Trail 154 to Snowbird Creek Jct
Snowbird Creek Trail Down
**Crossing 7 Camp**
Snowbird Creek Trail Down
**Middle Falls Camp**
Snowbird Creek Trail Up 1 Crossing
Burnt Rock Trail Up and Over
**Sassafras Creek Secret Camp**
Sassafras Creek Trail Down
Snowbird Creek Trail Down to Junction and King's Meadow Trail
**Owlcamp Footbridge Camp**
King's Meadow Trail Up
**Deep Gap**
King's Meadow Trail Up
Trail 154 Southwest to Snowbird Creek Jct
Snowbird Creek Trail Up
**Little Bird Camp**
Snowbird Creek Trail Down 13 Crossings
**Burnt Rock/South Bank Camp**
Burnt Rock Trail Up to Ridge
**Burnt Rock Ridge Camp**
Burnt Rock Trail Down to Sassafras Creek
Sassafras Creek Down
Snowbird Creek Trail Up to Footbridge
**Mouse Knob Creek Camp by Footbridge**
Snowbird 64A Alternate Trail
Snowbird Creek Trail Up
**Meadow Branch Camp**
Snowbird Creek Trail Up 11 Crossings
**Little Bird Camp**
Snowbird Creek Trail Down 6 Crossings
**Camp 7**
Snowbird Creek Trail Up 6 Crossings
Trail 154 Heading Northeast Up
**154 Cove Camp**
Trail 154 Up
Old King's Meadow In-The-Woods Trail Up to Hooper Bald
Skyturd Roadwalk from Hooper Bald to Big Junction
Haw Mt Trail Up and Over
BMT/Mud Gap Trail to Whiggs Meadow
**Whiggs Meadow Camp**
BMT/Mud Gap Trail Down
Skyway BMT to Beech Gap
BMT North to Cold Spring Gap
**Cold Gap Camp**
BMT South to Beech Gap
Skywad Roadwalk to Jeffrey Hell Trailhead and OUT.



All trips start with a map and this one is from the Hooper Bald kiosk where I start my trip going down 63 and cutting southwest down 154 to Snowbird Creek.


After dropping off Hooper Bald I get to this trailpost on Trail 154 and so begins my June/July adventure.


Before the trip I steamed up a bunch of sweet potatoes (and red potatoes) and dehydrated them to mix in my quinoa backpacking meals.


I finish Trail 154 to where it junctions Snowbird Creek Trail 64 and head downstream 6 crossings to a campsite and another 5 crossings to Middle Falls.


This is Crossing #4 from 154 jct---one of 78 total creek crossings I do on this trip. Snowbird Creek itself has exactly 25 creek crossings from top to bottom---or 11-12 crossings if you take the 64A detour trail around Middle Falls.


After 6 crossings in crocs I reach Camp 7 (right next to crossing 7) and set up my 8 lb 10oz Hilleberg Keron 3 tent---a perfect solo backpacking tent.


I leave Camp 7 and pull 5 more creek crossings down to Middle Falls where I set up the tent right on the trail by the falls.