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kevinumberger 
Group: Members
Posts: 3636
Joined: Dec. 2005
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Posted on: Nov. 18 2012, 8:06 pm |
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Got back from joyce kilmer a bit ago.....hope to post pictures later in week but right now i have a couple of questions....
-----theres a trail leading out of the backside (dead end part) of big fat gap parking lot.........what trail is this?
-----also.......both the map and homans book list a short spur of a trail off of slickrock creek maybe halfway ish between nichols cove and naked ground.......anyone ever been up it? And i seemed to miss it----where would it be at?
What a trip........id like to thank ashe for suggesting this ball buster route 
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kevinumberger
Group: Members
Posts: 3636
Joined: Dec. 2005
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Posted on: Nov. 19 2012, 2:23 am |
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Ok......found the answer to the first one....
The ngs map (which i was lookkibg at when i posted) doesnt have big fat gap trail on it but rather windy gap trail.......homans book has both.....
Also.....wheb i got to naked ground fter coming from.hangover, i took stratton bald trail outta naked ground heading west.......then about 10 minutes later, i came across haoe lead trail.....
If i would have taken this left onto haoe lead trail, would that have taken me back to naked ground? Basically paralleling stratton bald trail?
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ashepabst
Group: Members
Posts: 1009
Joined: Jul. 2008
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Posted on: Nov. 19 2012, 8:27 am |
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the way i understand it, you were still on Haoe Lead Trail coming out of Naked Ground. The next intersection you came to, near the bald, was Stratton Bald Trail coming in from your left, which leads back towards Wolf Laurel and eventually to the memorial forest.
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| Post Number: 4
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kevinumberger
Group: Members
Posts: 3636
Joined: Dec. 2005
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Posted on: Nov. 19 2012, 10:56 am |
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Stratton bald trail is what i took outta naked ground......
I hooked a brief right at the bg campsite and found the sign ay intersection with slickrock........then took that out towards the bald and saw the lead trail on ledt......
Oh......and the bald----im guessing its overgrown as i didnt exactly come to a wide open grassy area of anything like that....
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| Post Number: 5
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ashepabst
Group: Members
Posts: 1009
Joined: Jul. 2008
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Posted on: Nov. 19 2012, 11:42 am |
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how far down did you go? did you go through a small patch of seemingly-out-of-place fir trees? there's still a pretty good sized clearing on The Bob, divided into two areas. it's not huge, like Gregory Bald, but closer to the size of Andrew Bald. what they have labeld as "Stratton Bald" on the natgeo map is not bald anymore ... bald area is what they have labled "Bob Bald" on the screenshot i posted above.
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kevinumberger
Group: Members
Posts: 3636
Joined: Dec. 2005
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Posted on: Nov. 19 2012, 1:02 pm |
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I went a half hour west of naked ground.....
And yeah......meant to say stratton bald instead of bob bald......
It was late in the day when i got up there so after going half hour past naked ground, i found a smal little campsite to right of trail on a rock ledge just beneath trail......overloomed into loudon area.........on ridgeline......
So i dont think i made it to bob bald but should have passed through stratton bald.....
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ocdbackpacker
ocdbackpacker
Group: Members
Posts: 108
Joined: Jul. 2006
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Posted on: Nov. 30 2012, 6:23 pm |
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Hi Kevin,
There are 4 trails that exit from the Big Fat Gap parking area. If you are standing at the sign. Straight down the hill goes down to Slickrock Creek. Up the hill to your left is a 1.2 mile hike up to the Haoe. Directly behind you the trail goes out and if you take it straight it puts you over by the parking area at the top of the paved road that dead ends. The road starts down by the 4 way intersection by the campground/ Memorial Forest area. The 4th trail goes out to the right and that is the BMT. It intersects the Slickrock Creek Trail before it gets down to the lake by 129. I think it is called Ike Branch? There are several really good loops you can do. The climbs are tough in this area. I usually try to stay out of there during bear hunting season. This is Brian from Lenoir City. I ran into you a few months back up at Russell Field. Tired of the Smokies? Have fun in Joyce Kilmer. It is one of my favorites. Happy trails,
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kevinumberger
Group: Members
Posts: 3636
Joined: Dec. 2005
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Posted on: Nov. 30 2012, 8:57 pm |
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Hey Brian....
Oh yeag.....i remember ya from russell field .....
Not tired of smokies but rather wanting to continue my goal of not staying in the same place twice and since ive stayed at all the open BC sites in Park, now is my time to branch out......
Ill be spending a bunch of time in joyce kilmer in next few months if yer game......
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| Post Number: 10
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kevinumberger
Group: Members
Posts: 3636
Joined: Dec. 2005
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Posted on: Nov. 30 2012, 9:07 pm |
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Hey Tipi....
Thanks for the info.....
Interesting enough----the new version of the map has the connector trail on it but not windy gap.......
Thats the map i was using when i was at big gap trying to figure out the dead end trail......homans book had it in there and figured it out once i got back home.....
As for that little spur----is it even hikable now?
I think i know the area of where its at........basically around the area where the trail woyld veer away from the creek.......
Packing right now and heading down to JK in the morning.....
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kevinumberger
Group: Members
Posts: 3636
Joined: Dec. 2005
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Posted on: Nov. 30 2012, 9:36 pm |
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Hmmmmmmmm.........now ill have to look for that signless tree.......
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