You guys may be interested to know of the rumor-mill info that the Bartram Trail has a Western Extension which enters the Snowbird Backcountry and travels up Snowbird Creek all the way to Hogjaw Gap and Laurel Top and reaches Big Junction on the Cherohala Skyway and veers up on a foot trail to Haw Mt and down to Whiggs Meadow where the Bartram will junction with the BMT.
I hiked part of it in November and the Crosscut Mountain Boys cleared much of the Snowbird/Haw Mt section. There are two ways to find this---
** Hike off the Whigg towards Mud Gap and right past the Whigg look for a ribboned logging cut going to the right which will take you to the top of Haw Mt (good camping except for the summer when the motorcycle motards are out screaming and roaring). Then head down to Big Junction.
** Park at Big Junction as you head east in NC and stand facing off the road and looking at the overlook view. To the left is a newly cleared trail to the top of a ridge and here the Upper Snowbird Creek trail begins---all newly cleared and switchbacked. Excellent humpage potential.