Hemphill Bald and Cataloochie Area

“I've posted a tentative itinerary for your consideration. There is a two day and a three day version depending on the wants/needs of the group. Also, if you happen to want to suggest a better route, please speak up.

By the way, would anyone happen to know if there is a manway, bear trail or any sort of connector between the Cataloochie Divide Trail and Boogerman Trail?”

“hmmm....traildays weekend....”

“if that is the same weekend as Trail Days I am out”

“I can move it. I just picked it at random. I changed it to the first weekend in May.
last edited: 12/20/07 12:07:07 PM”

“pick another date

• Balsam Mountain
Closed for the winter. Will reopen May 9, 2008.”

“I won't need to, Eddy. The gate is PAST the campground. I revised the itinerary to exclude CS42. So I won't need to wait. We could go next weekend actually.”

“your right. I forgot the 1st part of the road isn't the Balsam Mtn Road”

“I could be wrong but I remember the Rough Fork Trail from CS40 to Caldwell Fork trail (and presumably above Caldwell Fork Trail) to be a steep uphill climb not a railroad grade.

Either way, I should be able to go on this trip. It is easier for me to take a Monday off than a Friday.”

“I am back in and Mocs is right about the climb. I will just do it as a 2 day trip since I have to work Monday.”

“I'm fairly sure I can get the extra day off.. so maybe we can keep the basic plan, and Mocs and me might use our extra day. Also, Saturday night would be a /fairly/ easy walk if someone decides they want to come hang out for the day.”

“2 day for me also...and i'm a strong maybe.”

“Have a good hike. Keep your eyes and ears open looking and listening for some of my memories.

From CS#40 it is only about 1.5 miles uphill. It is not too bad, if you take your time. The steepest part of the trail is probably right after you leave CS#40.
last edited: 12/22/07 11:28:12 AM”

“Here is a listing of the oldest known Poplar trees in the eastern US. Notice how many are on the Boogerman Trail.

http://people.eku.edu/pedersonn/oldlisteast/Spp/LITU.html”

“Crawldad posted this: "Don't know of any manway, but I'd thought of trying to use Den Ridge or Den Branch to get to Cat Divide. Traveling the ridge one would gain about 600 feet and travel 3/4 mile."



Looks very doable.. ?”

“I got out my Murlless and Stallings book, and in it's description of Boogerman trail: "just before the clearing (2.0mi), as the trail tops the ridge, an old manway runs left to Panther Springs Gap at the park boundary. This is presently grown over."

(By the way, I dont know what happened to the map I posted above. It changed from what I posted originally.)
last edited: 12/23/07 7:15:41 PM”

“towndawg, you know where to get a hardcopy of a trailmap that corresponds closest to the little blue book?

I see that the NP has a 1981, but can't find it, and there has to be an official one from close to 197?ish.”

“TD - I'm watching this one.”

“I have a 1973 park map and the blue book from that yr but it doesn't show the manway to Panther Springs Gap
last edited: 12/24/07 7:08:28 AM”

“where can one find the 1973 park map? Anywhere in print?”

“OPIE - I would think you might be able to find it. Check some online places maybe, and some mom and pop hiking stores?.. I don't know.. if you got a way to copy mine, I'd send it your way.

As you know, I got mine with the book. (Remember me mentioning that when you bought yours?)

Ewker - You are right. It doesn't show the manway, it only mentions it in the verbiage of the trail description. I checked that online topo though, it is was kinda obvious the route that once existed.”

“TD you didn't have to change to date so that we could celebrate my birthday! Thanks...that was really sweet of you ;-)”

“mine didn't come with a map, and i didn't see you say that. hmmmmm.

Dayhiker, you still good at copying maps if i can't find one online *grin*”

“Opie/Dayhiker - Yeah.. I could mail my map to John, and he might be persuaded into making a few copies

Dee/Crazygurl -- of course!..”

“opie - you know I was responsible for the reproduction of your prized map? I still wish I could convert that dang thing into pdf.”

“Let me know John.. we can help Opie out if ya want.. as long as I get it back.
last edited: 12/25/07 2:57:42 PM”

“What size is it? The previous one I did was before full size color scanners were as common as they are now. It was pretty expensive to take it somewhere so I just did it in 8.5x11 segments and pieced them back together in Autocad of all places. I think one of my clients now has a scanner that will do color up to 30x42. I don't know that for a fact, but they've emailed me markups of my own drawings where their comments were in red ink.....maybe fax size were in red and full size were still b&w. I'll do some checking.”

“Do you even go back to work before the 2nd? Like I said, if you want to take a shot at it, let me know. I'll mail it to you.”

“Yep, I'm at work now.”

“Yes i know john, and i have an additional place marked on mine now.....outside the wilderness area....

let me know guys, i can pony up some shipping and materials cost.”

“Is it the place the three of us were supposed to go to and I never got it on my calendar?”

“I was going through and calculating mileages and I think I have the 3 day trip figured out, but I am confused on the two day trip. Big Poplars is the opposite direction on the Caldwell Fork Trail than the Big Fork Ridge Trail. Campsite 40 is near the Chattahoochee side of the Rough Fork Trail near where the Big Fork Ridge Trail intersects the Rough Fork Trail at Chattahoochee Road, so I am assuming that that is the way you are looking at. (Day 2 would be ~11 miles) It appears that the Topo! Map is showing taking the Caldwell Fork Trail past Big Poplars and Rough Fork Trail back to Polls Gap (avoiding Big Fork Ridge Trail and Campsite 40) for a Day 2 total of about 5.2 miles.

I am not sure if I will do the 2 or 3 day yet, but I am looking forward to this trip.

BTW Here are the mileages for the 3 day trip

Day 1 8.75miles
Day 2 13.15miles
Day 3 5miles

After getting back to my books, nowslimmer is correct and Rough Fork trail does flatten out above the junction with Caldwell Fork Trail, but I remember the section from CS 40 and Caldwell Fork Trail being pretty steep (we were going down).

Here is a pic of Big Poplars and trust me the picture doesn't do this tree justice.


last edited: 12/27/07 7:33:38 AM”

“If I go I will do 11 miles the 1st day (Hemphill Bald to McKee Branch to Caldwell Fork then to CS 41) and 5.2 the 2nd day (Caldwell to Rough Fork and out)”

“I'm with Ewker on that plan.”

“BTW-couldn't they have named the spring somthing else? Maggot Spring just doesn't sound too apealing to me.”

“heres an old map, it doesn't show a connector to the boogerman trail but shanty mountain has an old manway
click on the map
click on full size



last edited: 12/27/07 9:01:15 AM”

“TD-

The dates are a Friday-Sunday but your itenerary is Saturday-Monday? I am assuming that this trip is still flexible on the date.”

“Mocs123 - Friday is my travel day, assuming a two day itinerary..

Chili/Ewker -- Roger that.

smokies22 -- THANKS !!”

“Thanks TownDawg, I was just mapping out my vacation days for 08”

“Fellars I am interested in this trip but am slightly confused...when is it?”

“Posted Dates of the trip on Trip Page are: 4/25 - 4/27.

Oops. Please note that the 2008 Open and Close Dates for the Balsam Mountain Campground are: 5/9-10/14. Jeez, imagine that, will ya!

Have fun.
last edited: 12/29/07 7:25:11 AM”

“Thanks NS -- I will attempt to contact the campground.. and if it is not open, will determine an alternative place to meet. I assumed that the road was my problem, I didnt consider the possibility that the campground might not be open yet.

Spam -- Drive in Friday, leave out Sunday. That's meeting Friday afternoon/night, starting from Polls Gap Saturday morning, and completing the two-day itinerary on Sunday afternoon. Should we decide that we want a three day, we have several options -- one would be to dayhike the Caldwell Fork / Boogerman Loop on Friday, or Monday.

Hope that helps. Happy to see everyone's interest. Looks like a good group that would like to go.

Crazygurl -- Do you want a birthday cake?.. or just a nice lunch and hugs from everyone?
last edited: 12/29/07 10:00:39 AM”

“Just let me know, I could do this trip in April or May, it makes no difference to me.”

“Thanks I think I got it now!”

“Scroll Down a little.

Frontcountry Camping - Backpacking

Weather”

“TD - the guy we get plotter supplies was in the office the other day. The time I looked into scanning a map ( the one Opie is talking about) it was about $60. It's now $15 or so. Send it on if you want it scanned. They'll either burn a cd or email a pdf. I need to find out the format, my guess is pdf or tiff.”

“let me know i'll send you guys some cash, and such. I found a place to download the jpg2000. But the viewer i dl'ed for it kept crashing.

what about this

http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/D?gmd:2:./temp/~ammem_6WUH::”

“I found us a place to meet:

Mile High Campground
RV Parking - Bunk House Cabins - Hot Showers - Clean Bathrooms - Primitive Camping - Incredible Views - Cherokee Owned and Operated

Just off of the Blue Ridge Parkway, take the Balsam Mountain Picnic Area exit.

”

“Looks lie a good meeting place for Friday night. It should still be a fairly short drive to Polls Gap.”

“yeah i think it will actually be better.. (hot showers).. the campground is only a mile up the road.. I'm not sure how far up the road Polls Gap is, but from what I can tell must be really close (Leave BR Pkwy milepost 458.2 on Heintooga Spur Road. Park in GSMNP at Polls Gap 6.1 mi.) to there.

So it should work out fine. I will make some reservations for us.
last edited: 1/02/08 10:28:58 AM”

“Is Mile High CG closed until April or thru April?”