Backpacking/camping anyone?

[peejman]

Yeah it's just been too blazing hot to do a whole lot of camping or hiking.

Fall/winter is hiking season for me. It rains too much in the spring, and its too hot/too many bugs in the summer.

[whiskey]

I'm still in. I was looking for this thread the other day to bring it back up, but got side tracked. I will be doing a couple more summer hikes. Under 90 for a high is ok for me. I like to jump in the mountain streams and waterfalls while it's still warm.

I did a hike at Big South Fork last week and I will get a couple more in before the end of September. It's a great wilderness area with lots of trails and not lots of people. Close enough to Nashville and Knoxville. Certainly worthy of discussing as a spot for the group trip.

[Guest bkelm18]

I'm still in. I was looking for this thread the other day to bring it back up, but got side tracked. I will be doing a couple more summer hikes. Under 90 for a high is ok for me. I like to jump in the mountain streams and waterfalls while it's still warm.

I did a hike at Big South Fork last week and I will get a couple more in before the end of September. It's a great wilderness area with lots of trails and not lots of people. Close enough to Nashville and Knoxville. Certainly worthy of discussing as a spot for the group trip.

BSF is great. Definitely a great area for backpacking. You can plop down and set up camp pretty much anywhere you want, as opposed to GSMNP where you have to camp at designated sites.

[Erik88]

BIg South Fork is also nice for those of us who want to bring our dogs. My Husky loves going hiking with us!

[Guest bkelm18]

I haven't explored BSF as much as I'd like to. Mainly due to the long boring drive to get there. Hopefully I'll get the chance to do some more hiking up there soon.

[Guest bkelm18]

If anyone has any ideas for an overnight hike/camp, feel free to post them up. No reason we can't get the ball rolling while we wait for cooler temps.

[BBill_TN]

In interest of not waiting:) somebody can come kayaking or canoeing with me while we wait for hiking weather.

That being said, I'm down for a hiking trip when cooler temperatures arrive pretty much anywhere in the state or W. NC.

Also am going to try a fall paddling trip to Eagle Creek in the Smokies...would be a hike in or paddle in trip.

[Erik88]

I haven't explored BSF as much as I'd like to. Mainly due to the long boring drive to get there. Hopefully I'll get the chance to do some more hiking up there soon.

oh you big drama queen The drive isn't that bad. The reward is definitely worth it! After living in Florida I would give anything to be able to drive 2 hours and be in the mountains.

Maybe the timing will work out and I can join you guys on a hike! I'll keep an eye on this thread.

I would check out this trail for a weekend hike. Take your time and enjoy it.

http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2012/jan/05/hike-of-the-month-big-south-fork-loop-trail/

[Moped]

Oh come on BK! You live maybe an hour from BSF if you live in Oak Ridge! Heck, I live in Fountain City and I can be there in around an hour and a half!

[Timestepper]

Well, this never really panned out, but once the weather cools off, I'm getting back out on the trail. Perhaps there is still some interest? Perhaps it could be done in conjunction with one of these new-fangled survival get togethers.

I'd be up for it sometime, but I doubt that my old fashioned new-fangled stuff would fit in very well.

[Guest bkelm18]

Hey, I'm a proper city slicker drama queen. It's a touch over an hour from OR, same with the Townsend area of GSMNP, but that's a nice, scenic drive. Getting to BSF is just and hour or so of driving through sleepy little backwoods communities with little to actually look at.

Grand Gap Loop looks like a good possibility.

Timestepper- I'm not intending this to be fancy or anything like that. Just a get together to traipse through the woods and sleep among the bears. Personally, the primitive style isn't for me, but I certainly wouldn't want that to stop anybody from choosing to do it.

[Timestepper]

Cool. Actually, I don't really think of what I do as ''primitive'' so much as just ''exceedingly basic.''

Got no problems with modern stuff - even own a real live back pack - but I've done the ''exceedingly basic'' stuff for so long that carrying a bunch of extra stuff that I'll use once a trip or not at all makes my feets hurt just to think about it.

Oh, and while I've hunted 'em, argued with 'em, chased 'em away and even discreetly avoided them a few times, I've never actually slept among the bears... but I'll happily pick a spot a few yards away and let you sleep with 'em all you want.

[Guest bkelm18]

Cool. Actually, I don't really think of what I do as ''primitive'' so much as just ''exceedingly basic.''

Got no problems with modern stuff - even own a real live back pack - but I've done the ''exceedingly basic'' stuff for so long that carrying a bunch of extra stuff that I'll use once a trip or not at all makes my feets hurt just to think about it.

Oh, and while I've hunted 'em, argued with 'em, chased 'em away and even discreetly avoided them a few times, I've never actually slept among the bears... but I'll happily pick a spot a few yards away and let you sleep with 'em all you want.

Bears need love too.

[Moped]

If you take the long what to BSF from OR and go through Rugby and Jamestown, that's pretty scenic!

[DaveS]

Bears need love too.

Well, you just go right on and help yourself....you can even have my share!

Dave

(931)494-1626

Sent from my Dell Desktop using the Keyboard.

[whiskey]

I imagine we will have some that don't want to hump all their gear 10 miles a day for 3 or 4 days. I found a nice parking area that allows a couple of short hikes to a near by creek with camp sites, but offers some nice longer loop hikes for those of us that don't mind the extra mileage. I have a good map and a guide book for BSF, so when we get close we can plot a couple routes to choose from.

[whiskey]

BIg South Fork is also nice for those of us who want to bring our dogs. My Husky loves going hiking with us!

My pup will be going with me. She has turned into a great hiking buddy.

Here are a couple shots from 4th of July at BSF.

Edited July 14, 2012 by whiskey

[Erik88]

Whiskey, which trail was that?

[Guest bkelm18]

I imagine we will have some that don't want to hump all their gear 10 miles a day for 3 or 4 days. I found a nice parking area that allows a couple of short hikes to a near by creek with camp sites, but offers some nice longer loop hikes for those of us that don't mind the extra mileage. I have a good map and a guide book for BSF, so when we get close we can plot a couple routes to choose from.

I would be one of those people. I'm far too out of shape to do serious backpacking at the moment, but 10 miles total for a single night trip I could do.

[Timestepper]

Bears need love too.

Love 'em all you want, I prefer my relationships with bears to remain platonic.

I remember the following "Bear Warning" that I first saw many years ago out West - doesn't necessarily apply to our area, but it's a good read nonetheless.

When engaged in activities in bear country, officials advise wearing little bells to warn bears of your presence so as to surprise them, and to carry pepper spray to use in case of a close encounter with a bear.

To tell if you are in black bear or grizzly bear territory - check the scat. Black bear scat contains little berries and sometimes bits of fur. Grizzly bear scat contains little bells and smells like pepper spray.

One other thing to note: If you see a bear and aren't sure if it's a Black bear or a Grizzly, the best thing to do is pick up a large rock and hit the bear in the snout then immediately climb a tree - If the bear climbs the tree and eats you, it's a Black bear. If the bear knocks the tree down and eats you, it's a Grizzly.

Edited July 14, 2012 by Timestepper

[Timestepper]

On another note, I've seen several mentions of canoe/kayak trips. I think maybe Spots and I are going to try to do a two day float on the Nolichucky sometime in the not-too-distant future with a primitive campout in between, if anyone is interested?

[whiskey]

Whiskey, which trail was that?

I left out of the Bandy Creek campground, went out the littleton-slaven trail, to the falls branch trail, to the JMT. It was 10 miles day one and I camped half down the JMT, between the falls branch and Laurel Fork trails. That was 10 miles day one. I planed to make a loop back to the Bandy Campground using the Laurel Fork and West Entrance trails, but it was hot, dry, and the deer flies were terrible, so I just backtraced the next day. It would have been 16 more miles to complete the loop. I planed to camp after 8-10 miles the second day, somewhere along the laurel creek trail. Next time I plan to do the loop in reverse. The problem with the reverse route is a long steep climb coming from the laurel creek to the JMT at Station Camp area.

[analog_kidd]

I was considering a backpack trip earlier in the summer before it got too hot. I was going to take my wife on her first backpacking trip, so I was looking for something mild. BSF fit the bill perfectly. They have any kind of hike you could want. Easy, hard, short, multi-day, anything you want. And the views are spectacular. Camping is allow just about everywhere, with a few minor exceptions.

One thing I did just learn, however, is the BSF is now requiring back country permits for all camping. They charge a small fee for them, and you can get them at the ranger stations or I think even online. They will ticket you if you are caught without a permit.

[Guest bkelm18]

One thing I did just learn, however, is the BSF is now requiring back country permits for all camping. They charge a small fee for them, and you can get them at the ranger stations or I think even online. They will ticket you if you are caught without a permit.

Yes they are $5 I believe and I think you can include up to 5 or 6 people on the same permit. They can be bought online.

[Paladin132]

BSF??? I could not find which park that is.