Benton MacKaye Trail: Smokies Backpack Day 1 - 3/16/19 – 12
Miles
Looking at my gear scattered around the bedroom floor, the
thought crossed my mind that I was in over my head. What.Have.I.Done.
I met Nancy several years ago through this blog. At that
time I knew her as a homeschooler, outdoors lover and blogger, and we would
comment on each other’s writings from time to time. Since then I’ve learned she is a very
accomplished hiker, backpacker, outdoor-advice-giver, search-and-rescue
volunteer, veterinarian, baker, spouse and parent – all in the same 24 hours
that the rest of us get each day. I had
never met Nancy in person, though, until she extended an invitation to folks in
GSHAG (Great Smokies Hiking Adventure Group, of which I am a lurking member) for
an adventure, backpacking the Smokies section of the Benton MacKaye Trail from
Big Creek to Fontana Dam. I was excited, to say the least, for the opportunity
to meet Nancy, enjoy a few days in my beloved Smokies, and hang with SAR
experts so I stood a good chance of emerging safely.
Many folks expressed interest but ultimately it boiled down
to four people in our group. There were voluminous
detailed emails flying around discussing weather, apps, maps, gear, logistics
of cars and shuttling. I haven’t hauled a backpack since June of last year and
these people hike every weekend. A couple of days before leaving home my
anxiety level was physical, a racing heartbeat and a nervous stomach.
I drove to Cherokee, NC on Friday to meet Lane and Chris at
Smokemont Campground in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, where Chris and I
left cars for our arrival on Day 3 (Monday). At that point I’d head home to
Charlotte. Nancy and the guys would pick up their resupply from Chris’s car,
change out some gear, indulge in a meal and adult beverages in town, spend the
night at the campground, then backpack several more days on the BMT to reach Fontana
Dam. They were all in and I was a
weekend warrior.
I had to make all my pack decisions before leaving my car at
Smokemont. We were spending Friday night at Nancy’s, shuttling early Saturday
morning. Do I have enough food? Most important, do I have enough clothes to be
warm? Is it all too heavy? Pressure!
My nervousness receded once I met Lane and Chris. Like me, they are both Smokies 900 Milers and
have spent many nights in the woods. Chris had recently completed an AT thru-hike
and was preparing for a PCT thru-hike. Lane teaches backpacking and other
outdoor skills, leads many hikes for GSHAG, and also is an SAR volunteer. He mentioned starting the SB6K challenge
sometime and I mentioned that we would pass right by one tomorrow (Big
Cataloochee) if he wanted to tag it. Lots of trail chatter as we drove to
Nancy’s home.
What a delight to meet Nancy and her husband (he’s a
cyclist, what a surprise!) More trail and gear talk, more weather speculation,
until I went to my room to rearrange my pack yet again. Sleep evaded me, as I knew
it would, the trail jitters ballooning to fill my head.
Saturday Morning
Nancy’s husband drove us to Big Creek, one of my favorite areas
of the Smokies in eastern Tennessee. Nancy and I shared a laugh when we saw that we wore the same Dirty Girl gaiters and teal-colored fleece jackets. We stepped onto the bridge spanning thundering
Big Creek…and we’re off.
Baxter Creek Trail, as we all well knew, is 6.2 miles long
and 4,000 feet elevation gain, all up, no relief, a reputation as the longest
steep grade in the Smokies. I’ve hiked down it twice as the last part of a long
loop and can tell you it’s a knee-breaker. Coffee and adrenaline swept over me,
though, and the grade didn’t feel as drastic as I anticipated – for about ten
minutes. Then my three new friends quickly moved ahead and I was alone with my
own self as reality settled in for the long haul.
Lane waited for me to catch up at about halfway, said I
wasn’t too far, and Chris and Nancy waited a little further up. We regrouped and started again, and I was
comfortable bringing up the rear. The second three miles was slower, as I was
determined not to get too winded.
The temperature dropped noticeably as the zone changed to
alpine spruce-fir forest, frost particles on the ground, hoarfrost along the trail
edges. I realized my phone battery was draining rapidly – I hadn’t anticipated the
cold when I decided not to carry a battery charger. I powered it off for much of the trip,
turning it back on judiciously for photos. Funny, I didn’t much miss it and
soon got used to just experiencing the hike rather than documenting all of it.
The final half-mile to Mount Sterling fire tower was the
steepest, especially above the side trail to the water source designated for the
campsite there (who would ever go get water there?)
We stopped at the campfire ring to eat but it was very
chilly. Nancy and Chris and I climbed to
the top of the tower – who knows when we’ll be there again on a blue-sky
day? The view was magnificently clear. We
could see the Cataloochee area and Hemphill Bald, and views far to the north and
south. Do you see Mount LeConte? Grandfather Mountain? Grayson Highlands, VA?
Looking down at the campfire ring
Leaving the fire tower, we walked half a mile on Mount
Sterling Trail to its junction with Mount Sterling Ridge Trail. Turning right,
the ridge trail slides about a mile-and-a-half down to Pretty Hollow Gap, where
Pretty Hollow Gap Trail rises up from Cataloochee to meet Swallow Fork Gap
rising up from Big Creek. In another month this little meadow gap would be
teeming with wildflowers.
From that junction, the ridge trail is about four miles of flat,
easy walking. I was still in last place, no longer breathless from exertion, now filled with joy on a cold day rambling on a mountain ridge. The trail gently curves around the slopes of
Big Butt and Big Cataloochee Mountains. Cold and damp: icicles, mushy wet
spots, some frozen, steady water flow from the high side of the trail where it’s
likely just a seep in the summertime. Curious observation: lots of green spruce
“droppings” on the trail, not cones, but bright green tips of branches.
Lane and Chris and Nancy had decided to tag the summit of
Big Cataloochee Mountain as part of the SB6K since they were in the neighborhood.
At the next junction they turned left onto Balsam Mountain Trail and hiked a
quarter-mile to Laurel Gap Shelter, our home for the night, to drop their packs
to go off-trail. There is no established trail up Big Cataloochee but the easiest
route (not to be confused with “easy”) starts from Mount Sterling Ridge Trail. On the tail end of winter, this was an ideal
time to bushwhack to the summit (6,155 feet).
They were ahead of me, of course, and I had no desire to
revisit the summit of Big Cat (read about my prior hike to Big Cat here). When I arrived at the shelter, they were just
getting ready to leave. Two other hikers had arrived, so my buddies had spread
out their gear to claim space in case others showed up (no one else did). I
made myself at home.
The two backpackers – a young woman from Tennessee and a young
man from Florida - were not together and were not interested in deep
conversation. I got water from the
source way down the hill (cold cold cold) and sat in a little patch of sunshine
waiting for my friends to return. Took
longer than I expected – they hiked 2.5 miles, not as straightforward as one might
expect – but they were happy. Another hiking challenge list started!
Laurel Gap Shelter sits at 5,500 feet and did I mention it
was cold cold cold? Cooking and eating and worrying about the dropping
temperature, not much leisurely end-of-day chatter. Park trail maintainers had put
up the customary heavy duty winter tarp across the shelter opening, which helps
to keep the wind out and a couple of degrees more heat in, especially with a
fire in the fireplace – but none among us was eager to build and maintain a
fire. All six hardy souls were cocooning
inside sleeping bags before 8:00 p.m.
Lane said he doesn’t like winter camping and had been
preparing for weeks for this trip. He makes most of his own gear, sewed his own
booties and sleeping bag, knows all the products and hacks. He loaned me toe
warmers that worked so well I was afraid they might burn my skin if I fell
asleep with them in my socks. After an hour, I returned them and Lane put them
into a sealed plastic bag; they will be good for more use. Just one of the things
I learned from these amazing folks!
15-degree sleeping bag
sleeping pad
silk liner for sleeping bag
short-sleeved tee shirt
long underwear top and bottoms
thick stretch ski pants
Smartwool medium weight half-zip shirt
heavy weight fleece jacket (thank goodness I chose to bring it despite the bulk!)
purple Marmot puffy coat
head band and fleece Liberty hat
neck gaiter
thick wool gloves
sleeping pad
silk liner for sleeping bag
short-sleeved tee shirt
long underwear top and bottoms
thick stretch ski pants
Smartwool medium weight half-zip shirt
heavy weight fleece jacket (thank goodness I chose to bring it despite the bulk!)
purple Marmot puffy coat
head band and fleece Liberty hat
neck gaiter
thick wool gloves
The only clothing I didn’t sleep in were my hiking pants, rain
pants and rain jacket. I remember waking from a dream at one point, so I must
have slept, but I was chilled all night long. Dreading night #2 in a campsite,
although sleeping in a tent is warmer – I hope.
“Cold! If the thermometer had been an inch longer we'd have
frozen to death.” ~Mark Twain
