RSS Feed
« Richard Louv Keynote Address
Excerpts from his talk at the 2006 NAI National Workshop |
Main
| Gatlinburg, Tennessee Hosts First Listening Session on $3 Billion National Park Centennial Initiative »
March 11, 2007
Benton MacKaye Trail Dayhike
Benton MacKaye Trail Overview Map - Click map for full-size image file (412K)
The red line is the BMT. The broken orange line is the Appalachian Trail
Map courtesy of the Benton MacKaye Trail Association
Four years ago next month, I completed a thru-hike of the Benton MacKaye (pronounced Mac-Eye) Trail (BMT) from Springer Mountain, Georgia to the Ocoee River in SE Tennessee. At the time, the trail was 93 miles in total length.
Since then, the trail has been extended north through the Cherokee and Nantahala National Forests, and into Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The trail is now nearly 300 miles in total length! In addition to the 93 miles that I walked in 2003, last March I walked a 28-mile segment of the Benton MacKaye Trail in the Smoky Mountains. That segment of the trail is dual designated as the Lakeshore Trail. Combine the 93 miles from 2003 with the 28 miles from 2006, along with the 17 miles from yesterday, and I have completed nearly half (138 miles) of the entire trail. My goal is to walk the remainder of the trail in 2007.
Our hiking day began at 8:20 AM at the Ocoee #3 power station along the Ocoee River. Earlier my hiking partner Randy & I had dropped off my car at the Hiwassee River in Reliance, Tennessee. It took about 25 minutes to drive around from Reliance to our starting point.
The initial climb up the Benton MacKaye Trail occurred on the dual designated Dry Pond Lead Trail. I was initially a bit apprehensive, as I haven't hiked much recently, and our planned 17-mile hike seemed like a daunting challenge. Plus, I'm just getting over the flu, and I've been battling a persistent cough for about two weeks. Soon however, we had gained the ridge and my sweating and breathing slowed as we walked through a beautiful hardwood forest on a level trail.
The Benton MacKaye Trail skirted the Little Frog
Wilderness for the first few miles of our hike
We moved steadily throughout the day, taking a few breaks, but maintained a 2 MPH pace throughout. During our hike we flushed two large flocks of Wild Turkey. Although we saw no mammals, we saw plenty of sign, including lots of scat (including Bobcat scat), some Bobcat scrapes (on a closed logging road) and many different tracks. We were hoping to encounter a Black Bear, but unfortunately, that didn't pan out. Below you can see a photo I took along the road of Coyote and Bobcat tracks in the same place. I verified the tracks with Kim Cabrera who is a charter member of the International Society of Professional Trackers. In fact, she's going to add the photo below to her website to demonstrate the difference between a bobcat and a coyote track. How cool is that?
Coyote tracks (with nail marks) heading left, and smaller Bobcat tracks (lighter colored) heading right. Photo was taken in a dried mud puddle on a logging road.
Click on the image to see the tracks in greater detail
Continuing along, we eventually reached the Lost Creek Campground at around 3:30 PM. This marked the 13 mile mark of our hike. We sat at one of the picnic tables, ate the last of our food, and then continued on the final 4 miles towards my vehicle. Three of the last four miles followed beautiful Lost Creek. The trail was flat and the creek was never more than 50' off the trail to the right.
A small cascade along beautiful Lost Creek
Finally, we reached a trail junction where the Benton MacKaye Trail climbed steeply out of the Lost Creek watershed. There was only one mile to go to reach my vehicle and the end of the hike. As we climbed away from the creek, the sweat flowed, the muscles creaked, but the knowledge that the hike was almost complete propelled us onward. When we reached my vehicle at about 5:15 PM, it was a good feeling!
Self portrait at the 16-mile mark. Notice that Tennessee has a John Muir Trail too!
If you're interested in learning more about the Benton MacKaye Trail, please visit the Benton MacKaye Trail Association's website. The BMT is a great trail! If you plan to hike it, I strongly encourage you to bring a map, and consider hiking with someone who knows the general area. Unlike the Appalachian Trail, the BMT is a primitive trail and trail blazes can be scarce in places. That being said, the experienced hiker should have no difficulty following the trail.
Great Places to Hike | By Jeffrey Hunter | 10:25 AM
