18 Days on Brush Mt Trail

[Tipi Walter]

I just finish an October 2021 backpacking trip in the mountains of TN/NC and hook up with backpacking buddies Rob Bush and John Quillen and others.

I also get to twice backpack the "hardest" trail in Citico Creek Wilderness---Brush Mt.

All trip pics here---
https://tipiwalter.smugmug.com/Backp...rush-Mt-Trail/

TRAILS
Entrance at Beech Gap on Benton MacKaye Trail---
**BMT to Cold Spring Gap and Trail 149 to North Fork up to Cherry Log Gap.
**Fodderstack Ridge to Snow Camp down BMT Connector to Barrel Gap (with Rob Bush).
**31st Backpack of Brush Mt down to South Fork Creek with Rob Bush.

**SF Trail and up North Fork Trail all the way to Trail 149.
**Trail 149 south to BMT Connector to Snow Camp up to Bob Bald and Hangover Mt.
**Hangover Backtrack to Bob Bald down 54A to BMT Connector to Trail 149.

**Brush Mt down 32nd backpack.
**Play around South Fork/North Fork Creek.
**South Fork trail out to Citico Creek Roadwalk to Indian Boundary Lake and OUT.

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My first night is about 4.5 miles in from Beech Gap and along the way I pass the top trailhead to Brush Mt. Left is Brush and right is 149 (a trail which leaves the BMT in Cold Spring Gap and travels north in 3.5 miles to North Fork Creek). Pack of choice is McHale with about 100 lbs of crap.

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Trail 149 gets me to North Fork trail which climbs hard up to Cherry Log Gap on Fodderstack Ridge. The upper part of NF trail is actually in the creek. This is where full leather goretex boots come in very handy.

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I leave the creek portion of NF trail and set up camp at the beginning of the bowl section which is the steepest part of the whole trail. Oddly this little flat place is in the bowl.

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I finish North Fork and climb up to Fodderstack Ridge where I meet Rob Bush pulling a 5 day trip---Up North Fork to Bob Bald---Down Nutbuster to Wildcat Falls---Up Fodderstack where he meets me to Barrel Gap---Zero in rainstorm---Down Brush Mt with me on my Day 5. He's carrying a vintage Dana Designs Astralplane pack.

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We leave the ridge and take the BMT Connector down to Barrel Gap and stop at Birch Creek to cook lunch as Rob forages several mushrooms to fry up.

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We make it to Barrel Gap and Rob set's up a strange hammock tarp made by a company called Dutch (?).

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Rob's wife Beth and daughter Skyla show up in Barrel Gap after a night hike from Beech Gap about 3 miles away.

[Tipi Walter]

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Day 4 turns out to be in a cold rainstorm so we decide to Zero out the day---we were going to all backpack down Brush Mt together but decide the trail is too difficult to do in rain. Rob strings up his green Hilleberg tarp with my Hilleberg Keron visible in back.

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Rob goes foraging for wild mushrooms and comes back with Lion's Mane which he slices up and fries with peppers.

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When the girls came in the day before temps were 84F---now it's 34F in a cold rain so they decide to bail back to Beech Gap and drive home to Atlanta. Rob's tent is also a Hilleberg---a Nammatj GT. Rob sticks around and decides to backpack with me down Brush Mt on Day 5.

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We leave Barrel Gap and reach the top trailhead to Brush Mt to begin our hard 6 hour journey down the hardest trail in Citico.

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About midway down Brush Skull Trail we stop at a little creek and Rob consults his phone maps which are generally wrong.

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Brush Mt trail eventually reaches Brush Creek aka Ike Creek and crosses 7 times---this is the last of the seven which Rob rock hops in his boots. I have to change into crocs to keep my socks/boots dry.

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We finally reach the end of Brush trail on South Fork Creek which has to be crossed so I watch Rob take off to SF trail back to his car. I camp on this side of the creek and will cross the next day.

[Tipi Walter]

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I cross South Fork Creek and connect to North Fork trail and climb all the way back to Trail 149 jct on my way to Bob Bald and Hangover Mt. Here is a pretty spot on North Fork Creek.

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North Fork trail has about 23 crossings---7 major and about 16 minor and here is a minor crossing above Death Falls---which 10 minor crossings above Old Goat Falls.

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North Fork punches me out on 149 which I take up to BMT Connector to Bob Bald and head East on Seven Mile Ridge to Hangover Mt. This is a scene on the ridge walk.

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Uncle Fungus atop Haoe Peak at 5,240 feet---and just west of Hangover Mt.

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I make it to Hangover Mt where I meet my buddy John Quillen with his Southern Highlander crew.

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All of John's crew is on Hangover Mt so I go west back to Haoe Peak and find this little spot just big enough for my tent.

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John Quillen on Hangover Mt's overlook rocks with the best view in the Southeast.

[Tipi Walter]

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Atop Hangover Mt with some of John's friends.

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Kelsi and friends pulling an arduous dayhike off Hangover Mt---down Haoe Lead and back up Deep Creek. (Part of John's crew).

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While camping on Haoe Peak I run into the Legend of Graham County---Marshall McClung---who knows more about these mountains than anyone except the Cherokee Indians (and he told me he's talked to a few of them too).

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I leave Hangover Mt and swing west on Seven Mile Ridge and meet Gregg and his son David camping on Bob Bald. Gregg incredibly also is carrying a Dan McHale pack.

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Gregg's McHale SARC pack.

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I leave Bob Bald and swing back down to Trail 149 and decide to backpack Brush Mt again---for the 32nd time.

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A pretty spot in the middle of a hellish trail.

[Tipi Walter]

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Once again I have to squeeze thru the Mother Blowdown on Brush Mt but this time I leave the pack on and get seriously stuck so I unclip somehow and the pack drops away from my body and we both get thru eventually.

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I finish Brush Mt and pop out on South Fork Creek as shown.

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Somewhere on South Fork trail near Citico Creek.

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I spend my last couple nights in a long rainstorm on Citico Creek.

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Sign post near my CS on Citico Creek.

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Day 18 October 30 and a long 5 mile hike in the rain to meet my evac ride out at Indian Lake.

[Slugg]

Enjoyed the informative report as always, thanks for sharing. Two Brush Mtn Trail hikes in one trip..Epic.

[mississippi_dan]

As always, thanks for sharing. Enjoyed the photos. Nothing like the southern mountains.

[Mockernut]

Always envious of your trips. Beautiful area....wish I was there right now.

[JNI64]

Beautiful pics tipi thanks for sharing. 84 degrees to 34 degrees and rain that sucks. Looks like you had great company on this trip. Ah the good life!