State Line Trail [Nantahala FS 82] TR

“8:12am Sunday morning. I think the key thing to remember is that my alarm went off at Saturday 3am and I got “back to the farm” as I call it at nearly midnight that same day. To begin a trip report that casually mentions nearly eighteen hours of hiking, you know there has to be a great epic to share; and of course there is, as my day was spent exploring the State Line Trail in the Nantahala NF that essentially runs along the TN-NC state line between Sandy Gap and Sled Runner Gap, near the southern end of the Brookshire Creek Trail.

The Bald River watershed is “one of the true gems of the CNF” [Skelton, p341]. The USFS in its Southern Appalachian Assessment identified a total of 9,112 acres in the Bald River Roadless Area, now identified on maps as Upper Bald River Wilderness Study Area. State Line Lead Trail [not to be confusing, as I’ve heard the trail called several names actually] also comes from two “neither unexpected nor planned for” meetings with Muggles™ to discuss where exactly I was at the moment.

Like most of the NF trails in the area, it is “not marked” at either of these locations. Sign placards [as I’d be used to seeing in NPs are non-existent except at “deep in the woods” trail intersections – but the eighteen to twenty mile “backpacking loop” sounded reasonable for let’s go hiking with some “basic day pack essentials.” After all, 3am to 3pm gave me the twelve hours required as my drive time to the trailhead [one of three] in comparison to my available hiking time also sounded reasonable. To help illustrate the unbridled excitement this opportunity presents, I realized sometime Friday afternoon that I have enough of my work projects nearly completed that I could consider getting out for the day. What better way to spend the day than to pursue one of my passions in life?

That explains why my alarm went off at Saturday 3am, because I knew the day could easily stretch in a 10-12 hour hike, and I obviously wanted to achieve my commitment to go to the local hiking club meeting by 5pm that evening. Having time on weekends is not necessarily a rare occurrence as it applies to my work life, but certainly weighs against not having time on weekends as it applies to my social and financial responsibility to my wife and family. This is especially true as the holidays approach.

It is important to say that I had agreed to go to the local hiking club meeting to talk about an upcoming display of the wilderness cooking idea that I was fortunate to get approved with the USTPO, so why not go see for myself the general location of where I’m considering for that of wilderness cooking idea that we call Titanium Chef™? With all that said, let the trip report begin.

Waypoint 000 - N 35° 17.052 W 084° 09.985
East of the farm 21mi, it’s 5am and I’m verifying that every bit of those previously named “basic day pack essentials” are indeed in my pack and I know where to find them. A couple guys drive come by in a pickup truck with dogs, out doing some bear hunting. Clifford finds the barking dogs interesting, and does some barking of his own. Needless to say it’s time to get started and I’m headed down the Brookshire Creek trail with headlamp and dog by 5:30am.

Starting at FS 126 you immediately cross Henderson Branch, and then continue up Bald River [on right] going generally southeast. A dry crossing of Henderson Branch can be made most of the time, but this wasn’t going to be one of those moments; so I switched into my Keen™ water shoes for the stream crossing and then switched back into my Hi-Tec™ hiking boots for the next mile of easy hiking along the river, and then went through the same ritual when the trail crosses Bald River, which is normally a “wet” stream crossing anyway. I could hear the various waterfalls and cascades, but being about an hour before daylight still, and such beautiful views were not to be had.

A few more stream crossings, and the trail turns NW (right) up a steep embankment and generally follows an old logging grade for the next three miles. There’s mention [Skelton, p361] of old cabin sites, and rock walls, but again it was way too early to be doing much sightseeing. As the sun finally rises, I can see remnants of snow on the north faces of the drainages to my right – and before I know it I’m at the Intersection of BMT and Brookshire Creek trail.

Waypoint 001 - N 35° 16.276’ W 084° 08.326’
This intersection of the BMT and Brookshire Creek trails is not mentioned [Skelton, p361], but it would have been helpful to know how many miles I’d hiked. As the crow flies, its 1.80mi at a bearing of 119.89°, but I’m sure we are at least twice that by now, and it’s barely 8:30am. There have been some blowdowns but nothing too precarious or exceedingly difficult.
[video 1] http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=193867580700486

Waypoint 002 - N 35° 14.742’ W 084° 08.117’
Taking a break along the very scenic route to the Beaverdam Bald and Sled Runner Gap, and it’s nearly noon – so I’ve already been on the trail six hours. Found some wildlife evidence and wanted to capture it. [video 2] http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=193859560701288

Waypoint 003 - N 35° 15.001’ W 084° 07.505’
Although my magic “back at the car” by 5pm is not going to be feasible, I’m enjoying a perfectly gorgeous day and about to journey the nearly seven miles of the state line trail as soon as I can find the trailhead. [If you happen to notice, waypoint 003, and waypoint 005 are basically the same. Enough said?]

Waypoint 004 - N 35° 17.052' W 084° 09.985’
At mile 6.5, there is a saddle that makes a good campsite for those who want to backpack this loop. Also there is water below FS 24 about 500’ east of the edge of the clearing where FS 24 enters it. [video 3] http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=193855004035077

There is some confusion on my part as to exactly where Sled Runner Gap was at this point, so I’m fortunate to ask a passing muggle for my whereabouts. I discover that I’ve long passed Sled Runner Gap and if I don’t turn around I’d be climbing Unaka Mountain quite shortly.

Waypoint 005 - N 35° 14.597’ W 084° 07.556’
I have returned to where I should have been two hours ago.

Waypoint 006 - N 35° 17.777’ W 084° 08.457’
“There is no water source [Skelton, p366] on FS 82.” I happened to some blue diamonds as another hiker named Andy came up the trail. Although the exact location was not captured, I have pictures to show that there indeed is a water source somewhere between waypoint 006, and waypoint 007.

Waypoint 007 - N 35° 14.786’ W 084° 09.314’
Taking a break along the very scenic route from Sled Runner Gap to Sandy Gap, and it’s nearly three – so I’ve already been on the trail twelve hours. Due to the sometime very obvious and certainly illegal ORV paths, it gets really weird at times.

One such place is east side of Hazlenut Knob where such an ORV trail comes up from the south, and shortly after, the trail makes an obscure V turn [not a U turn] to the north. At Moss Gap, an unofficial trail continues through the gap up the ridge, while another unofficial trail descends from the gap to the left. There are several intersecting and paralleling ORV tracks around the high point of Nit Top. At Round Top, ORV tracks are obvious here going south and southeast. Although the trail is marked exceedingly well with white diamonds, there were times when I was basically moving [eastern] in the general direction of where I thought the trail should go.

Waypoint 008 - N 35° 15.777’ W 084° 11.105’
Sandy Gap and it’s soon to be dark. By now the hours on the trail are starting to set in, as my foot are sore and my legs are beginning to ache – and yet, I am about to begin a 5mi journey in the darkness back to my car. Although I’ve got a good headlamp, negotiating stream crossings are tricky in the pale moonlight. [This segment of the journey took nearly four hours.]

Please feel free to comment any of the links to photos/videos that accompanies the “State Line Lead” [Nantahala NF Trail 82, length 6.7mi] trip report.

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.193871724033405.50515.100002317372682&type=1”

“Wow quite a day for you. I enjoyed reading it, thanks for sharing.”

“Keep talking buddy, reassessing my comfort level in hiking with you. Clifford is fine, you make me tired! LOL”

“LOLz.. my feet are still tired this morning at work.”

“I've never read a TR like this one. Glad you got out & hiked. Hope you get another hike in soon.”

“toejam -- oh.. you got that TR?.. oh I meant to post THIS one:

State Line Trail [Nantahala FS 82] TR
Nice day. Good views. Did about 20 miles.”

“Great report! I like that you included the waypoints. Looks like a great area. I guess you have to have a Facebook acct to look at the pictures?”

“facebook account and also on my friend list.”

“Hah TD, i like the second TR too .

How's Clifford holding up?”

“Clifford is ready to go again, to be honest.”

“I meant to ask you before, does he carry a pack? Probably not on a day hike...”

“No dog pack yet.. might migrate to that eventually. I currently carry all my stuff and all this stuff.. the only caveat is that water is plentiful.”