Great Smokey Mountains – January 21 – 23

Paul,

I have a loop in the Smokies planned for that weekend if you are interested. It's just an overnighter though.

Abrams Falls – Gregory Bald Loop

This easy loop includes two icons of the Smokies, Abrams Falls and Gregory Bald. Campsite #14 is at a relatively low 2000 feet so it should be a few degrees warmer than at the higher elevations.

Saturday
…
Meet at the Abrams Falls Trailhead in Cades Cove. Hike 4.2 miles up the Abrams Falls Trail until you reach the Little Bottom Trail. Follow the Little Bottom Trail for 2.3 miles until it reaches the Cane Creek Trail. Follow the Cane Creek Trail for 0.9 miles until you reach Abrams Creek Campground. Walk to the other end of the campground and take the Rabbit Creek Trail 2.7 miles back to the Hannah Mountain Trail. Follow the Hannah Mountain Trail for 5 miles until you reach CS#14. Total Miles 13.2

Sunday

From CS#14 Hike 4.5 miles until you reach Parson Branch Road (closed). Cross the road and take the Gregory Bald Trail 4.1 miles to CS#13 and continue across the bald for 1.2 miles until you reach the Gregory Ridge Trail. Follow the Gregory Ridge Trail for 5 miles until you reach Forge Creek Road. Walk along Forge Creek Road for 3 miles until you return to the Abrams Falls Trailhead. Total Miles 17.8

From the Southern Appalachian Backpacking Light Facebook Page:

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=228683055956&v=app_2344061033&ref=mf#!/group.php?gid=228683055956

Hey Brad,

That loop sounds good to me. I planned my loop to go up to Gregory Bald as well! What time were you thinking about starting the hike on Saturday morning? The only reason I ask is because it would take me about 4 1/2 hours to get there from Charlotte. I just checked the parks website and one of the temporary closers they have listeed is Laurel Creek Road to Cades Cove. Hopefully that road will be open in a couple of weeks. Let me know your thoughts.

I would probably try and get there around 10:00am, but as of now it is just me and if you were interested and couldn't get there by then, we could start later. Laurel Creek Road is closed because of snow (Cades Cove has 8") but that should be gone by this weekend.

I'm definitely down for the hike. I could leave around 6:30am and get there around 11:00am. Google maps estimates it taking 4 hours and 45 minutes or so. Depending on the road conditions and how fast I drive it could take anywhere between 4:15 and 4:45. I'm sorry ahead of time if you have to wait for me a bit.

What type of shoes/boots are you going to wear? The only waterproof footwear I own is a pair of leather boots, and there's no way I'll hike that much in those. I thought about getting some gortex socks, but I'd rather just get some new lighter boots. I was thinking about the Inov-8 roclite 288 GTX boots. Someone mentioned them to me before, It may have been you, but not sure though. Do you know anything about this boot?

11:00 would be fine with me, and no worries if I have to wait a little, heck you might even beat me there, you never know about traffic especially going through Knoxville.

I am just wearing my trail runners (Salomon xa pro 3d ultra or whatever they call them now) I have worn them in a foot of snow and not had any issues. I do have the GT version as well, but I don't find them as comfortable as the regular version. I don't know anything about the Inov-8 288's but I did use the rocklite 295's for a couple of hundred miles. I loved the fit and the outsole was great, but they ended up giving me stress fractures so I went back to Salomon after six weeks in a boot. They are definitely a minimalist shoe, and apparently, my foot doesn't like that.

I just sent you a pm.

Brad.
It JUST occurred to me that you are the one who sends out all of the Facebook hiking invites. I am often reading your BPL posts and thinking "I should see if he wants to get together for a hike or something" and then I'll check my facebook (which is MAYBE twice a week) and think "GAHLEE, another trip planned from this Brad Rogers guy. I really wish I had the time to go!"

For some reason I am just now putting two and two together and realizing what, I suppose, has been blatantly obvious the whole time! Anyway, count me in!

Glad to have you along Clint!