Smokey Mountain Park Deep Creek

“First time hiker planning a one nighter in Smokey Mountains Deep Creek area. Any advice would be great.

Bri”

“Hang your food.
Be careful with food, don't leave any laying around to get a bears attention.
Allow time for elevation gain.
Allow time for creek crossings.
Take your time.
Enjoy the Smokies, it's a special place.”

“the smokies are great this time of year...just have fun...plan for rain, even for a one nighter...it's hard to predict in the park”

“robert....what kinda shape are you in...cause unless you shuttle...he who goes down into deep creek...must hike out...and if you start at NFG road..it can be a hump

i can suggest a loop..for one night..it's 22 miles though”

“one thing about hiking the smokies, its gonna kick your butt either on the way in or on the way out, sometimes both.

But its worth the effort.

Have fun!”

“dude..do this..park at cosby camp ground..take gabes mtn to cs #34, stay the night, and then come out the same way. you get to see some nice stuff, waterfall, a big creek, and a beautiful campsite..it's 6 miles in and 6 out..but it's mostly level”

“..but it's mostly level”
~OPIE

Say what?
The dude wants a Smokies experience, not some namby-pamby westernesque wussypaloosa!
heheheeeeeeeee!”

“Hang your food: As this is my initial run I was thinking of only bringing packaged food such as jerky and trail mix. Do I still need to hang it if it is un-opened?

What kind of shape are you in: I am in fair shape, I walk a couple miles a couple times a week, but I live in Florida so it is all level and does not include a pack.

What is the NFG road? I plan on having someone drop me off at the Deep Creek ranger station and heading up toward camp 60 and if I do well as far as camp 59.


I can suggest a loop for one night it's 22 miles though: Seems a bit far for my first attempt, thanks though.


Park at Cosby camp ground, take Gabes mountain to cs #34: I will be staying in Dillsboro which is pretty close to Deep Creek, also there is Indian Creek Falls on the way, maybe next time though.

Seeing this is a first trip and only over one night what would you suggest gear wise? I am looking toward the future and have decided that the most I will do is two nights three days, what should I go for as far as a pack? I was looking at the North Face Terra 40. Also what about a quick list of what I should have for a first trip besides Pack, tent and boots keeping in mind that this is a one nighter?

Really thanks so much for all you help!”

“NFG = NewFound Gap

You should be ok, but expect to go 1 to 1.5mph on the uphill sections. Allow for rest time and goof off time.

Someone else has a gear list thread going now. You might want to browse those suggestions.”

“always hang ALL food, regardless if it's unopened or not...bears have good snifers and you don't want to take the chance...most, if not all, back country sites in the park have bear rigs...there should be a wire strung between two trees with 3 or 4 pulleys on it...i just hang my whole pack

also you said you are just bringin stuff like jerky...are you not bringing any actual meals?...i'm not sure when you plan to start and finish but you will need at least one actual meal for an overnighter...if you're worried about the weight just get one of the freeze dried things...they're not bad
last edited: 5/16/06 11:52:56 AM”

“Deep Creek was my first bear county hike also, we started at Fontana Dam and finished at Deep Creek. Fontana dam up Shuckstack mountain almost killed us. I have heard bears will go into a tent for a tube of toothpaste, anything edible or that smells edible should go up. No vanilla extract perfume behind your ears. ha. Hope you enjoy it as much as I did!”

“i just realized i got you confused with another "newbie"...i was assuming you have a stove...do you?...if not and you don't want to buy/borrow one take some foods that you don't have to cook...PB&J is one of my all time favorite trail meals...you could build a fire and cook on it but fire wood can be kinda scarce around the camp sites so i wouldn't want to rely on it for a cooking source

i too "popped my cherry" in the smokeys...it's a great place...sorry for the crude expression
last edited: 5/16/06 12:05:15 PM”

“Summer sausage, cheddar cheese, and Ritz crackers make a great non cook supper”

“WTF is dayhiker talking about. This is the guy who cooked a pizza in the Ozarks. He also had cans and cans of food.

The next day we saw bear scat everywhere down the trail.

Summer Sausage and cheddar cheese.......he never eats that for supper.”

“Robertsbri, take extra imodium and gas tabs with you. The elevation change of going from Florida to the Smokies will affect your guts after a day or two.”

“Hmmm, is that treebaits way of politely saying us folks in the mountains are always full of #&%!$?”

“True, but the Ozarks is a walk in the park compared to the Smokies. The harder the hike the fewer cans I carry in my pack.”

“my gear lisT:
tent (zen or hennessy)
z-rest sleeping pad
pack (ULA p2)
esbit stove/3 tabs
enertia meal
sleeping bag (WM)
headlamp (pikka)
first aid kit
tolietries
small lock blade
compass/map
bandana
lighter
small titanium pot (evernew)
aluminum stove reflector
trekking poles (komperdales)
running shorts(pull duty as spare bottoms, swimsuit, nite clothes, chaff protection)
spare socks
small fm radio if going solo or during football games, for my wife
WEAR:
zip off nylon pants
nylon jersey t-shirt
ingenus socks
trail runners
leg gaiters



put all your food, toothpaste, any snack or item with scent into a ditty bag, stuff into your pack...cinch up all the straps close and to each other...wrap with your pack rain cover...and hook to bear cables, haul up and hook to tree.


and mano, try to make campsite 59...it's not much further, and a better site...it's all along a horse trail...so you may get some......*grimace* overly used trail/camps”

“Hiking from the bottom trailhead to CS#60 is easier than from CS#60 to CS#59. CS#58 is nice, too, and it's only 15 to 20 minutes further after CS#59.

First trip! Try it out by just going to CS#60. Travel as light as possible. Take only food that does not have to be cooked. I like the tentsite at the upstream end of the area.

Actually, you could hike in during the evening after supper and come out in the morning before your breakfast. All you will need is your bedroll, toothbrush, toilet paper and something to dig up the soil and, maybe, a small flashlight. With some straps you could use a daypack. For your first adventure, make it as easy as possible for yourself. Good luck.
last edited: 5/17/06 1:37:38 PM”

“??? Trip Report ???”

“Thanks for all your input guys/gals. I leave Monday June 5th and will hit the trail sometime later in the week. I am bailing on the over-night. Just going to walk as far as I can till lunch(around 1PM then head back. I am going with a Northface Terra 40 for now and am going to buy more as I get into it. Summer is not the best time for hiking in Florida but if this takes I will be hitting the Florida trail once the weather cools off. Again thanks for all your help. I will post again when I get back.”

“have a good trip”