Back TaThe Big South Fork

“Hey All,
Me and some folks are heading to the Big South Fork in March. I finally got most of the planning down with two or possibly three routes to choose from. Athena55 told me ta post a thread about so here it is. It is a extended trip 4 possibly five nights out. I will post a link to my pics and trial report after this is over. This is a get even sorta thing fer me as last time I was there I got some bad water (yep again) and had some hog problems. I expect to do much better this time around.
See ya later.
Randall”

“Hey all!

Looks like the email function is not working so, I’ll start posting stuff here.
As of today, 2/18/2009, the Charit Creek Lodge (the Hostel) has openings for the night of March 31 and April 1. We could make either nights, but I would be leaning towards the night of 3/31/2009.

Here is what I got from their website

Hostel-type accommodations are available for a maximum of 12 guests. We
are not able to provide a private unit for under 12 hostel guests. The hostel
rate includes use of showers and restroom facilities and use of the common
area except during full service meal periods. Kitchen privileges are available
with one designated cook from your party. Due to remoteness of our lodge,
we regret that refrigeration is not available. No meals are provided.
Hostel guests provide their own bedding.
Overnight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $20.00 per person
14.25% State and Local Taxes Not Included.

Indoor camping accommodations are available for a maximum of 12 guests.
We are not able to provide a private unit for under 12 “indoor campers”. This
rate includes use of the showers and restroom facilities and use of the common
area except during full service meal periods. Outdoor grills and sink are
available. Campers must provide all utensils and cooking supplies, as no
meals are provided. Due to the remoteness of our lodge, we regret that
refrigeration is not available. Campers provide their own bedding.
Overnight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $15.00 per person
14.25% State and Local Taxes Not Included

Payment Policy
Payment in full, including sales tax, is required to hold your reservation. If
your reservation is made between the 1st and the 15th of the month, payment
is due by the 1st of the following month. If your reservation is made between
the 16th and the end of the month, payment is due by the 15th of the following
month. Payment on reservations made less than 30 days before arrival date is
due when reservation are made. Payment is accepted by check, money order,
cash or credit card.

For reservation call or write:
CHARIT CREEK LODGE, 250 APPLE VALLEY ROAD, SEVIERVILLE, TN 37862
E-mail: reservations@charitcreek.com
www.charitcreek.com

Phone: 865.429.5704

I called and was told that the showers may not be available if it is below freezing.

Here are the meal costs:

Dinner Served at 6:00 PM Local time $18.09 Includes sales tax
Breakfast served at 8:00 AM Local Time $13.11 Includes sales tax

Reservations need to be made for both the beds and meals.

If ya want just beds, (that’s what I was gonna do) then the price is pretty reasonable.

I am gonna pack 2 ½ days worth of food and am planning on re supplying at the lodge. I will pack another 2 ½ days for my resupply even though the plan is to be done by mid PM Thursday. If ya don’t wanna resupply that is of course, up to you.

I will be shuttling the resupply to Charit Creek Lodge, Sunday, 3/29/2009, probably sometime in the early PM. If ya can’t meet me at Bandy Creek by that time, you could mail your resupply to me and I will bring it down when I come. You might be able to mail your resupply to the lodge, but I wanna make sure my stuff is there, so I won't be doing that.
See ya later.
Randall”

“Hey all
I called and checked on the resupply at the lodge. They will lets us put it there, but ya can't mail your resupply to the lodge.
There ya go!
I made 3 reservations for 3/31/2009.
That would be for me, Chin and Athena!!
If your thinking about this ya better do it soon.
See ya later.
Randall””

“I fergot!!
If ya make a resvervation, be sure ta mention that yer staying with Randall Redcur.
If ya want ta bunk with us that is...
See ya later.
Randall”

“Brother I was seriously looking at coming on this trip but man ya got it planned thru the middle of the week...I don't get a Spring Break!!!”

“Sorry bout that,
Maybe next time.....and I was gonna bring my guitar and harmonica...oh well
See ya later.
Randall”

“Chin!
Since yer bringing Mugsy, ya better think about a piece of rope at least 12 foot long ta lift him up the ladders!! Yep there’s gonna be some ladders ta climb!
See ya later.
Randall”

“Hey all!!
Just in case ya don’t know, ya need ta bring a way ta keep your food from the bears or hogs. I’m just gonna hang mine.. see ya later.
Randall”

“How many ladders? Most steps?”

“I just practiced with Mugsy wearing his pack. If he pulls his front feet forward the pack can slip off while I'm lifting him.

I can't figure out how to prevent this.

Is it just possible to just carry him up the ladder? Maybe I could climb the ladder, empty my pack, climb down, and load Mugsy in the pack.

If there are just a couple ladders this isn't too big a deal.

Suggestions?”

“how about a sling? wear him in a sling as you climb?”

“Hey Buddy!!
Gimme a call and lets talk about the resupply.
Also if you mail me your GPS I might be able ta download the route for ya.
See ya later.
Randall”

“Most of the ladders are fairly short, but the one up to the top of John Muir overlook is pretty hefty.”

“Hey all,
Ok, here is the food situation, you will need the following:
This needs to be in your pack!

1. Dinner for Sunday, March 29th
2. Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner for Monday, March 30th.
3. Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner for Tuesday, March 31 (Even though we are planning on eating Dinner at the lodge on Tuesday night, I am bringing dinner just in case)
This needs to be in your resupply that we will pick up at the lodge!
1. Breakfast, lunch and Dinner for Wednesday, April 1 (Even though we are planning on eating at the lodge on Wednesday morning, I am bringing breakfast just in case)
2. Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner for Thursday, April 2.
3. Breakfast and Lunch for Friday, April 3. (We may get out on Thursday night, but bring food for Friday just in case!)

Remember if you are going to use the resupply option, you need to mail your resupply to me or get to Big South Fork early enough to drop it off at Charit Creek Lodge.
I will be arriving at Bandy Creek Visitor Center early Sunday Morning, probably around 10:30 or so local time.
See ya later,
Randall”

“Randall...I got to Bail on this one man. I will be in Georgia that weekend Springer Mountain to give some Thru hikers a send off.
Be safe and keep the Moose off of ya.”

“Ok Fridge!!
Have a good time.
See ya later.
Randall”

“Mar 29 Sunday
Mix of sun and clouds. Highs in the low 50s and lows in the mid 30s.

Mar 30 Monday
A few clouds. Highs in the low 60s and lows in the upper 30s.

Mar 31 Tuesday
Showers possible. Highs in the low 60s and lows in the upper 30s.

Apr 1 Wednesday
Sunshine. Highs in the low 60s and lows in the mid 30s.

Apr 2 Thursday
Partly cloudy. Highs in the mid 60s and lows in the low 40s.

Hmmm....
Really, too far out to be of any help.
See ya later.
Randall”

“Hey all!!
Last Post fer me. I am heading out in the early AM fer Nashville,Tn. Then on to the Big South Fork on 3/29/2009. I'll take some pics and post em too!
See ya later.
Randall”

“have a good time all! wish I could join sounds like a great trip Randal
Later”

“Sorry that I had to bail on this one...Have a fun and safe hike!”

“I just got back late last night (actually early this morning). We (Randall, athena, and myself) decided to hike out yesterday to dodge the severe weather predicted for Thursday night. I don't know what weather they got but it rained dang near ALL the way home.

Did about 37 miles from late Sunday afternoon to Thursday afternoon, had wonderful weather, great views, and well-maintained trails. I want to thank Randall for the perfect planning to a place that is obviously underrated. The Big South Fork is def worth a return trip. More details later.

Did I just put the words "perfect planning" and "Randall" in the same sentence............?”

“Did I just put the words "perfect planning" and "Randall" in the same sentence............?”
LOL. Can't wait to see pictures!”

“Yeah, the BSF is a great place. Looking forward to the pictures.”

“Hey all!!

Ok here ya go!!

I got to BSF Sunday Afternoon and hiked our resupply the .8 miles downhill to Charit Creek Lodge. No problems and the hike there and back was good with the trial conditions a little wet, but very well maintained.

I drove back to Bandy Creek visitor center, got the backcountry permit ($5.00 total) and waited for Chin and Athena. They got there late due to some type of navigational error. I was getting pretty cold as the temps were in the low forties and the wind was whipping around pretty good. We hit the trail close to 4:00 Pm and made good time until the approaching dark forced us to camp on the trail near a good stream. We built a fire, ate dinner and hit the sack.

Monday morning brought much better weather with clear skies and temps heading towards the upper 60’s. We hiked close to fourteen miles on the John Muir trail and took a lot of pics along the way. The trails at BSF have greatly improved since I was last there 3 years ago. The trails were very poorly marked and blow downs were every where. Things have changed for the better with the majority of the trails sporting new signs, blazes and most of the blow downs removed for spring. We only had to step over about five logs on the entire 14 miles. A good campsite was what we were looking for, but we settled for a small hollow with a decent spring. I was beat and pulled my left calf checking out the spring. I thought I was done, but it got better after dinner and some Ibuprofen. We ended up the night by the fire, watching the stars, telling stories and playing harmonica. Later on that evening we were serenaded by about 5 owls and I finally had to shut them up as one was about ten feet from me. I needed ta sleep dammit!!

Next morning we ate breakfast, packed up and hit the trail heading towards Station Camp Creek. Along the way I saw some wild hogs, but they were quick to run off, good thing too, lol . We made the creek in good time and turned west towards Charit Creek Lodge. This trail was a dual use trail and had a lot of horse damage. Athena and I changed into our Crocks as we had to Cross Station Camp Creek 5 times in 3.4 miles. Chin left his trail runners on to see how fast they would dry. Hiking 3.4 miles in Crocs is not as bad as it might sound, but I still believe the best option is to leave your boots on and buck up. We made Charit creek lodge by early afternoon and spent the rest of the day lounging around. The lodge itself was very rustic with no electricity, but it did have showers. We all cleaned up and I even did some of my clothes. Brian, one of the lodge managers, cooked us dinner and we ate an almost rude amount of food. It was very good and even came with a desert. With the evening came rain and I stoked up the wood-burning stove to help speed the drying of our various boots and socks. It proved a little too efficient at heating so we opened up the door to cool off and listen to the rain.

The next morning came on bright and sunny with Brian serving breakfast at 8:00. We all managed to eat almost everything he cooked. Pancakes, Scrambled eggs, Canadian bacon, Grits, Apple Muffins, Orange Juice, Hot Chocolate and water. It was very good and well presented. We saved the apple muffins fer later and packed up. Brain even gave us some PB and J sandwiches, cookies, and trial mix fer lunch. Back on the trail, we headed to the Twin Arches. They proved just as spectacular as I remembered. Leslee finally managed to get a cell phone signal on top of the North Arch and we all called home to tell them we were not dead yet. The Twin Arches are very big and my little camera did not do them justice. After about an hour of doing the tourist thing, we headed west to Angel Falls. The weather was perfect and the trail to the falls was very scenic and well maintained with a great abundance of very mature Hemlocks. A word about the White Pines here, they are recovering from the attacks made by the southern pine beetle and there are thousands of saplings taking root everywhere. I guess this was my favorite part of the trip. The Falls made a great showing, having been bolstered up by last nights rain. They are close to 100 feet tall and we all got some great shots. Back to the hiking part, we headed top laurel Fork Creek and another night in the woods. Camp was made on the creek in what turned out to be our best site yet. After all that climbing around the Arches and the Falls we were pretty tired and hit the sack early.

Another bright morning greeted us and it was a little cooler down in the valley. I got the fire up and we did the whole morning thing in good time. We knew that the 3.4 mile long Laurel Fork Creek trail was going to be a wet hike with 18 stream crossings over 10 inches deep. Boots seemed the best choice so away we went. There was no possibility of keeping your feet dry and the temps were warm so we just hit each crossing with good attitudes and took a lot of pics. We did bump up 2 grouse along the way. Chin had been listening to the weather report and it did not sound that good. With that in mind we decided to get out by the early PM and head to town for dinner. We made the remaining 5.4 miles to Bandy Creek, took our showers and went to Oneida for Pizza.

Well that’s it, It was a great trip and the BSF has really improved. If ya get a chance ya really outta go!!

Check out the pics at
http://outdoors.webshots.com/album/570820895siPnUZ.

See ya later.
Randall”

“I can't get webshots to open :(”

“try this one!!

http://outdoors.webshots.com/album/570820895siPnUZ

See ya later.
Randall”

“Nice. That's where Kamper & I went on our first BP trip years ago. Gad to hear the trails have been cleaned up. It was a mess for a long time.”

“Nice lichen shots.

I haven't been to BSF yet. :(”

“Great Pics Randall great to see you out having a great time.”

“Here is the link to my slideshow of pics: http://s19.photobucket.com/albums/b186/ChinMusicIHSS/Backpacking/BigSouthFork2009/?albumview=slideshow

I'll post a few of my faves as well:

















View from my tent on day 4....freaking sweet.




The snow I had on Sunday morning as I left my house.
”

“Great picture Chin!”

“great pix guys!
sounds like it was a good trip randal!!”

“Atilla,
Yeah, it was one of the better ones that's fer sure!!

So you wanna do an Adena Trace thing towards the end of April??

I was gonna try and make it a hike/trail maintenance thing and take a Chain saw to the west side!! Gotta be careful though, don't wanna have the same experience as the Hoosier Hiking Council did!

See ya later.
Randall Roettger”

“Randall,

Nice pictures, and tr. Bearbag, and myself did part of your hike a couple of years ago. Some nice rocky areas, and creeks that reminded me a lot of the Smokies.”

“Salem,
Yeah it looks a little like the Smokies there. They have the moct Rock Houses that I ever seen, I knoe we passed more that 30.
See ya later.
Randall”

“Randall,

I was thinking of hiking the Adena soon too. Let me know what weekend.”

“Make it a float/hike trip!”

“system repeat
last edited: 4/13/09 9:46:04 AM”

“system repeat
last edited: 4/13/09 9:46:50 AM”

“I was talking to Attila and we were thinking about the first weekend in May!!

However the trail is still messed up and needs some work done on the west side.
The Hoosier Hiking Council had a maintenance day on it back in February, but they had a guy die on the trial when they were just getting started, so understandably, they didn’t get much accomplished. I was there, but started on the west side at the Causeway and headed south. I got as far as Wolf Creek. I did not have a Chain saw and there are a lot of places that could really use it!!

I could plan a hike/float/trail maintenance weekend if there was enough people willing to help out. I have two chainsaws and other logging stuff. If someone had a big boat that would make things a little easier.
If that does not seem like an option then, I was thinking of doing the Tecumseh Trail instead.
See ya later.
Randall Roettger”

“Randall,

The first weekend in May sounds good.”

“Salem, Windi
I'll set something up today!!
See ya later.
Randall Roettger”