Hiking w/ Cabin Overnight : BMT -Sec 5&6(&7)

   Debbie Hayes has kindly volunteered to host the AOC for a weekend in her cabin in the Blue Ridge Mountains. We will use this opportunity to hike sections 5-7 of mighty Benton Mackaye trail. Section 7 will be an optional hike. Since section 7 is primarily a road-walk, it will mostly be of interest to those attempting to complete the entire BMT (though anyone is welcome to join of course). Alternate activities will be provided for those not wishing to roadwalk. Please note, if you complete the optional saturday afternoon road-walk, this will be a D6 event for you (25 miles total).

   Dinner and Breakfast will be provided by the event organizers. We will be asking everyone (except Debbie) to chip in for groceries. Please bring $10 per person food money in addition to your carpool money. If you wish to prepare and bring an additional dish, please feel free to do so. You will need to bring your own trail lunches and trail snacks.

   There will be room for two two-person tents. If you are interested in camping please e-mail the event leaders when you register. Everyone else will be sleeping in the cabin. There are some beds, but you are not guaranteed a bed or a private room. Space should be adequate, though cozy.  The cabin has bathrooms, a refrigerator, and other modern amenities.

   Parking at the cabin is limited, so please carpool if you can. Also, low-rider cars may have difficulty with the driveway to Debbie's cabin. Directions to the cabin will be provided at the carpool.

Itinerary:

 SaturdayMorning - BMT Section 5 - 7.6 miles: We will arrive at Wilscot Gap around 8:30. It will take approximately 30 minutes before the hike to shuttle at least one car to our end point at Shallowford Bridge Road.  This section of trail runs east and west along the Wilscot Mountain Range. Elevations range from 3147' on Tipton Mountain to 1774' at Shallowford Bridge on the Toccoa River. Five peaks dominate this section, of which the Benton MacKaye Trail (BMT) crosses two: Tipton Mountain and Brawley Mountain. The westernmost half-mile follows an unpaved county road along the banks of the Toccoa River. The difficulty of the hike along this section is "More Difficult". The land is dominated by hardwood forest with occasional stands of white pine. It is managed as a general forest area and is subject to timbering.

 Saturday Afternoon - Optional BMT Section 7 (ROAD WALK) - 8.4 miles - After breaking for lunch at Debbie's Cabin, anyone who is interested will be able to join this road-walk. This hike will primarily be of interest to those wanting to complete the entire BMT, though anyone is welcome to join. This section runs east and west across numerous ridges and valleys where the Hayesville Fault crosses the Western Blue Ridge. Elevations on this section begin at 1920' at Weaver Creek Road, descend to 1540' at Cherry Log Creek, climb to 2070', drop to 1620', and finally reach a high of 2090' at Bush Head Gap. The lowest point on the Benton MacKaye Trail in Georgia is at the crossing of Cherry Log Creek (1540'). With the exception of the 0.4 mile nearest Weaver Creek Road, the trail is on private property or public roads. PLEASE STAY ON THE TRAIL ACROSS PRIVATE PROPERTY.  This section is rated "Easiest".

Saturday Afternoon - Alternate Activities - For those who do not wish to participate in the section road-walk, there will be opportunities to play games or socialize at the cabin. There may also be opportunities to build a campfire.

Saturday Evening - Dinner to be provided by event organizers. Games and chit-chat for the rest of the evening. Quiet hours will be from 11pm to 7am. If you wish to stay up later, you may, but you will need do this outside and an appropriate distance from the cabin or any tents, to allow others to sleep.

Sunday Morning - BMT Section 6 - 9.5 miles

We plan to give a wake-up call around 7:30. Breakfast will provided around 8am, heading for the trail-head around 9am. We will then complete the final section 6 from Shallowford Bridge Road to Weaver Creek Road. Once again, a car shuttle will be required.  This section of trail runs west along Stanley Creek before turning north along the northern reaches of the Rich Mountain Range. Elevations range from 1774' at Shallowford Bridge to 3260' near Davenport Mountain. This section begins with road walking along the Toccoa River and Stanley Creek. It then ascends along footpaths on Forest Service lands past Fall Branch Falls to intersect the Stanley Gap Trail (formerly the Rich Mountain Trail). The combined Stanley Gap Trail / Benton MacKaye Trail skirts the east side of Rocky Mountain. After leaving the SGT, the BMT follows the Tennessee Valley Divide northwest to Scroggin Knob. From there it begins a long descent to the Weaver Creek Valley and Weaver Creek Road. This section is rated as "More Difficult" (moderate) for its length and several long, steady climbs (in each direction).

About The Trail:

The Benton MacKaye Trail (BMT) is a footpath of nearly 300 miles (480 km) through the Appalachian mountains of the southeastern United States. It is designed for foot travel in the tradition of the Appalachian Trail (AT).

Running from Springer Mountain in Georgia to Big Creek Campground on the northern edge of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park the BMT passes through some of the most remote backcountry in Georgia, Tennessee and North Carolina, including eight federally designated Wilderness and Wilderness Study Areas. Online trail guides can be found here:

http://www.bmta.org/FreeDownloads.htm