This short backpacking trip starts on Nov 28 in Beehouse Gap on Citico Creek road in TN and includes these trails---

Pine Ridge in Citico Creek wilderness.
Fodderstack Ridge Heading North/Backtrack heading south to Cherry Log Gap.
Trail 149 Connector to Cold Spring Gap on the BMT.
Skyway roadwalk to Flats Mt, backtrack to Skyway and out.

With trip length at 15 days, it rained 169 hours out of a trip total of 360 hours. So I pulled a total of 6 zero rain days in my tent.


I get dropped off in Beehouse Gap to start a short downhill roadwalk to Citico Creek and my first CS. Pack of choice is a Dan McHale at around 95 lbs.


Some of my food load---Good To Go meals (terrible!)---tubs of hummus and a couple blocks of organic cheese.


I spend my first night on Citico Creek and then Day 2 climb Pine Ridge with a full water load and stop here at Pine Ridge Camp for a big all night storm---my first rain event.


I leave PR Camp and tool up the ever climbing trail and dig thru some dead leaves to discover Pine Ridge's hidden spring water source for my next CS up on Fodderstack Ridge. A pump filter comes in real handy here.


I reach the end of brushy Pine Ridge trail where it jcts Fodderstack Ridge and set up camp in a butt cold wind.


I use to curse Hot Hand packets but now love them---and so I pop them open for hand warmth when packing up.


The trail heading north on Fodderstack Ridge from Pine Ridge jct is dangerously steep and very narrow so I slap on my microspikes for traction to get me down to Mill Gap without falling and snapping an important bone.