Okay boys and girls---I return from a Nov/Dec backpacking trip to the mountains of TN/NC---and pull these main trails in Citico Creek and Kilmer/Slickrock wilderness---
**Flats Mt from top trailhead down to Citico Creek.
**Pine Ridge up to Fodderstack Ridge trail and Crowders.
**Big Stack down to Slickrock Creek.
**Upper Slickrock aka Nutbuster trail to Naked Ground Gap.
**Naked Ground trail down and up (do this trail twice).
**Seven Mile Ridge to Bob Bald down to South Fork.
**Last days on Flats Mt.
My trip begins on November 19 at the top trailhead to Flats Mt in TN---a perimeter trail in Citico wilderness. My McHale pack is extra heavy because I have to carry full water on Day 1 to a dry camp on top of the 4,000 foot mountain. Pack weight around 105+ lbs.
ACCOUTREMENTS OF IDIOCY---left blue sack is my winter warmth layers---down vest and beefy Feathered Friends down parka. Bottom red is my Hilleberg tent. Green sack is 3 rice cake packages. Right red is ccf pad (behind is Thermarest Trail Pro pad).
I see my first backpacker on Day 3 as he traverses the 6.3 mile Flats Mt trail---he's heading up while I'm heading down. Davy Haynes from Alabama.
I finish Flats Mt trail down to Citico Creek and burn one of my books on Day 3. This CS positions me right next to Pine Ridge trail which climbs 2,600 feet to Fodderstack Ridge.
On Day 4 I leave Citico Creek on Pine Ridge trail and my pack is extra heavy cuz I'm carrying full water for another dry camp.
Near the top of Pine Ridge trail I stop to pump water for a dry CS. This is where a pump filter comes in real handy---to suck up water from a tiny source vs dipping out cupfuls into a gravity filter container. Pumping greatly reduces the amount of silt you gather the other way.
I have a revelation on this trip---use my Kahtoola microspikes on bare ground (dead dry leaves) to keep from slipping with my enormous pack weight. THEY WORK GREAT. Golfers wear cleats, football players wear cleats, track and field wears cleats---so why not backpackers???