Twig Adventures

Thursday, May 9th, 2024, 0700-1830Hitch to Robinsville 6 mile road walk on the Cherohala Skyway The weather forecasters weren’t kidding when they posted multiple warnings for the night: severe thunderstorms, flooding and a tornado watch. Check, check and check. The thunderstorms hit just before midnight and lasted through dawn. There were multiple confirmed tornadoes that touched down in Tennessee, west of where I was. Rainfall was reported to be 5 to 9 inches throughout the area. The good news was that my miraculous site next to the skyway bridge proved to be a winner. Only a few of the strongest gusts of wind reached me, as opposed to if I’d camped on the bald, where I probably would have gotten[…]

Wednesday, May 8th, 2024, 0700-1950Sandy Gap to North River rd, mm 16627 miles, Gain: 6850′, Loss: 5130′, elevation 4275′ This was another day I went the whole day without seeing any people. Who knew there were still such isolated parts on the east coast? Travel a day on the BMT and you will experience some remoteness and isolation, I can almost guarantee it. It sprinkled just a little overnight but my tent was dry in the morning. After hiking just a mile further to another campsite, I was glad I didn’t push on the day before. The site was immersed in fog and dripping wet. The fog persisted through the morning and the trail became somewhat of a car wash.[…]

Tuesday, May 7th, 2024, 0715-1830Loss creek camp to Sandy Gap, mm 140.521 miles, Gain: 5010′, Loss: 3360′, elevation 2600′ I had a great sleep next to the creek and my tent was mostly dry in the morning…no rain overnight! I left my camp shoes on to ford the creek, then changed into my trail shoes. The remaining trail along the river was much easier than the day before. There was one small climb with a nice view of the canyon then back to the river for a final spell and a large creek crossing, but this time with a bridge. I almost ate it on the bridge though, since the wet wood was very slick. My trekking poles saved me,[…]

Monday, May 6th, 2024, 0715-2030No name site to Loss Creek camp, mm 121.618 miles, Gain: 3600′, Loss: 3300′, elevation 920′ It rained a little overnight again, which was no big deal. I hit the trail and made it 4 easy miles along some old road beds following a ridge. I missed the trail at a junction, but was rewarded with a short dirt road walk that probably actually saved me some time. I descended into the Lost Creek valley, where the heavens opened up again, letting out some torrential downpours. I began a pleasant and flat 3 mile trail along Big Lost Creek…that is it might have been pleasant if it wasn’t hammering rain and the lightning wasn’t crashing all[…]

Sunday, May 5th, 2024, 0715-1930Lost Cove Camp to no name site, mm 10327 miles, Gain: 5060′, Loss: 6400′, elevation 1650′ A thunderstorm hit around midnight but thankfully the bulk of it skirted me. I saw a lot of lightning as it approached but none hit nearby. Whew. In preparation, I got out to tighten all my lines and sink my stakes real good, but there was very little wind. The rain was moderate and all my stuff stayed dry, which is more than I could say for the shelter the night before. Go figure. The morning held mist and the trees continued to weep for hours, but I could see blue skies at sunrise. A USFS campground was only 15[…]

Saturday, May 4th, 2024, 0510-1800Indian Rock Shelter to Lost Cove Camp, mm 78.431 miles, Gain: 6230′, Loss: 5020′, elevation 2980′ What should have been a really nice night in the shelter wasn’t so much. We all went to bed early and the drum of the rain lulled me to sleep quickly. It rained really hard for awhile and I was so glad to be under a roof. But I woke to some noises around 2 pm. One was someone’s water bottle tipping over. I sat up to check on things and noticed that there was water on my quilt. Upon further investigation, it was all under my pad and ground tarp. I thought the water bottle must have spilled, but[…]

Thursday, May 2nd, 2024, 0710-1930Wallalah Mt. to Fall Branch Falls, mm 4221.5 miles, Gain: 4600′, Loss: 5500′, elevation 2190′ It was such a wonderful night on top my little mountain. There were some distant farm sounds like dogs barking, but I felt so far above everything else. In the middle of the night, I heard something crashing through the forest below, snorting as it went … probably a deer. But I felt like I was at the top of a castle and that nothing could get me. I woke to watch a beautiful sunrise while packing, then started down the trail. It followed a series of ridges to another mountaintop: Lick Log. Then more ridges which seemed to go on[…]