NC Mountains: Chunky Gal Trail to Tusquitee Bald

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NC Mountains: Chunky Gal Trail to Tusquitee Bald

The Basics:

Event Type:

Explorer

Event Location:

Hayesville, NC

Date(s) & Time:

Wed, Feb 23 2011 7:00 am >> N/A (Carpool Departure: 7:15 am *log in for location*)

Registration Opens:

Mon, Feb 21 2011 10:00 am

Registration Cut Off:

Tue, Feb 22 2011 10:00 pm

Event Duration:

per itinerary

Difficulty Rating:

D5: Difficult

Trip Leader(s):

Tony C

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Member Cost:

None

Participant Info:

Who's Invited:

Members Only, 21 And Older Only

Maximum Group Size:

Minimum Group Size:

Number Registered So Far:

3 / 0 (To see who's signed up, log in to the Member Area)

Are Dogs Permitted:

Itinerary:

I've long admired the Tusquitee Mtns from Brasstown Bald, Tray Mtn, Bell Knob, etc...they are the range just across the NC border past Hiawassee. They look very impressive and always wanted to get up there, so lets give it a shot.

Tusquitee Bald (5420') is the highest point in the range (actually with its sister peak Signal Bald) and will be the main focus of this hike. I know where the trailhead is, but here isn't much information online about current conditions. So this is definitely an "Explorer" hike....probably no bushwhacking required although if the trail isn't very well maintained, then it may feel like it at times. But we'll just get up there and figure it out and enjoy the adventure of doing so.

We will start at the trailhead near the Bob Allison campground, at 3025' and jump on the Chunky Gal up to Tusquitee Bald. (The Chunky Gal trail starts near Deep Gap, close to Standing Indian mtn and ends up near Tusquitee Bald, so we will just be hiking one short section of it). The hike up is just 3.4 mi, so that means it gains about 700' per mile..so should be a fairly steady climb.

Once we reach Tusquitee Bald, we will admire the views (if there are any) and there will be some other peaks nearby Balds that we may check out as well.: Weatherman, Potrock and Matlock. Again, I don't know how "bald" they really are and what kind of views we'll get up there. But they are all are within a mile or two away along the Fires Creek Rim Trail so we should be able to visit at least a couple of them.

But we will play it by ear and just try to make the most of the day...it is a 2+ hr drive up there, so we are going to spend the whole day exploring and won't head back until around sunset.

It's tough to estimate total distance but I would say just be sure you can do 10-15 miles and over 3000' of total ascent...solid D5 numbers there. So it should be a challenging hike but also a rewarding and satisfying one.

Required Items to Bring:
at least 2 liters of water
clothing appropriate for weather

Recommended Items to Bring:
Use our Event Checklists to make sure you have everything you need.
trekking poles
camera

How to Get There:

Event Directions:

given via email if meeting at event

Carpool to Event Distance (round trip):

210Mile(s)

Carpool Departure Time:

7:15 am

Carpool Location:

Carpool Directions:

Carpool Cost:

Estimated cost per vehicle for this event is $84.00 using a reimbursement rate guideline of $0.400 per mile. The total amount should be divided by the number of people in the vehicle, including the driver. This is a guideline, not a rule, for drivers but the cost should not be higher unless there are extenuating circumstances.

Notes:

PLEASE NOTE: If you have not very recently completed some AOC D5 hikes, we will be contacting you to determine if this is the right hike for you.

* We encourage all members to follow our Etiquette Guidelines while participating in AOC events.

Cancellation/Partial Attendance: Please review the AOC cancellation policy.