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trips - Joyce Kilmer on President's DayTrip Info
DescriptionJoin us for a great President's Day week-end trip. http://gorp.away.com/gorp/resource/us_wilderness_area/nc_joyce.htm A walk through Joyce Kilmer Memorial Forest is a journey back in time through a magnificent forest with towering trees as old as 400 years. Some enormous yellow-poplars are over 20 feet in circumference and stand 100 feet tall. The floor is carpeted with a garden of wildflowers, ferns, and moss-covered logs from fallen giants. 400 YEAR OLD TREES!! One thing about Kilmer... it's hilly anyway you do it Day 1 - Trailhead at Memorial Forest take Stratton Bald Trail to end possibly camp at the Bob Stratton Bald which I have seen described as the finest campsite in Kilmer but the spring is intermitent also its at 5200 feet. If spring isn't running take Fodderstack trail into Citico Creek Wilderness Area and camp on the South Fork of Citico Creek trail. 9 miles if we go all the way into Citico Creek, 7 if we stop at the bald. It's just less than 3000 feet over 6.5 miles to the bald and then 1500 feet from the bald down to Citico Creek. Day 2 - Cold Spring Gap Trail to Fodderstack Trail to Big Stack Gap Branch Trail. Camp at the junction of Slickrock Creek Trail and Big Fat Branch trails. 11 miles 1500 foot elevation loss for the day. Campsite at 2000 foot elevation. Day 3 - Big Fat Branch to Hangover Lead Trail to Haoe Lead Trail to Naked Ground. Take Naked Ground Trail back to parking lot. On the way down we will be able to take the Joyce Kilmer Memorial Loop (adds two miles to the trip) which contains the biggest trees in the whole area. 8.5 miles plus the memorial loop. Its nearly a 3000 foot climb from the campsite to the summit of the Haoe in about 4 miles. Then its a 3000 foot descent down Naked Ground to the car. This would take us by all of the "must see" areas of Kilmer. We would also hike every major trail in the place except Slickrock Creek (which requires about 13 fords). Lots of climbing but there is no avoiding it.
 = Yes,  = Maybe
Trip Attendees
Picture Albums Joyce Kilmer (5 pics) - jimh
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