Hiking Big South Fork Pt 2 - Tennessee Hammock Camping & Backpacking
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 2 ต.ค. 2024
- Join me for 3 days of hiking & hammock camping on a backpacking trip in Tennessee's Big South Fork Nat'l Rec Area. www.sintax77.com
For this backpacking adventure, I'll be breaking the hiking trip into two parts. Part 1 is mostly in the woods and at camp and is more of a hanging in the woods, conversational type video.
Part 2 covers days 2 and 3 where I traverse into the higher regions of Big South Fork, hitting the ridges for views of the Cumberland Plateau's sandstone bluffs and Big South Fork River.
For an easier read, check out my full blog post here: www.sintax77.co...
For more details on the first day of this trip, check out my Big South Fork Pt 1blog post and video: www.sintax77.co...
The gear list used for this trip along with discussion on each item can be found in my accompanying 2017 Ultralight Backpacking Gear List Blog Post and Video. • Ultralight Backpacking...
www.sintax77.co...
Trailhead and Parking Location:
Bandy Creak Visitor Center, 151 Stable Rd, Oneida, TN
37841
N36° 29.275' W84° 41.837'
Big South Fork Map used in the video amzn.to/2wVHxNX
Trails Used Day 2:
Break camp along the Laurel Fork Creek Trail
Continue north on the Laurel Creek Fork Trail
Make a left (east) onto the John Muir Trail (the next 2 miles will cover the bulk of the elevation gain for the day)
Make a right (west) onto the Fall Branch Trail
Setup camp along the Laurel Fork Creek Trail (less than a 100 meters after crossing the creek / bridge. There is a campsite immediately next to the creek as well)
Day 2 Total Mileage: 15.2 miles
Day 2 Gross Elevation Gain: 1,616 feet
Day 2 Gross Elevation Loss: 1,266 feet
Trails Used Day 3:
Break camp along Fall Branch Trail
Continue south on the Fall Branch Trail
Make a Right (north) onto the John Litton Farm Hike Loop Trail (heading south will ultimately bring you back to the parking lot as well).
Continue south onto the road (gravel, then paved) until you arrive back at the Bandy Creek Visitor Center Parking Lot.
Day 3 Total Mileage: 6.1 miles
Day 3 Gross Elevation Gain: 600 feet
Day 3 Gross Elevation Loss: 313 feet
Trip Grand Totals:
Total Mileage for Trip: 28.4 miles
Total Elevation Gain for Trip: 3,076 feet
Simplified Gear List:
Backpack
Backpack - ULA Ohm 2.0 www.ula-equipm...
Pack Cover - Dutchware Argon dutchwaregear....
Shelter
Hammock Body - Dutchware Half-Wit dutchwaregear....
Hammock Suspension - Dutchware Dyneema Beetle Buckle dutchwaregear....
Tarp - Hammock Gear Cuben Hex Tarp www.hammockgear...
Tent spike - Titanium amzn.to/2tHPGEB
Sleep System
Under Quilt - Hammock Gear Phoenix 30 www.hammockgear...
Top Quilt - Hammock Gear Burrow 40 www.hammockgear...
Storage
Bear Bag Line - Zing-it rope and Carabiner amzn.to/2uvcd6f
Cooking & Eating Utensils
Cook Pot - Toaks 750ml Titanium amzn.to/2uykkgR
Stove - Esbit DIY (made out of pellet tin) - tablet link amzn.to/2uV4NKR
Cookset Stuff sack (came with Toaks pot)
Matches - Coghlan's Waterproof amzn.to/2uUVZV5
Fire Steel - Light My Fire, Mini amzn.to/2vYlBgG
Pot Cozy , DIY Reflectix - materials amzn.to/2uywQNs
Spoon - backup, disposable
Spork - Sea to Summit Alloy amzn.to/2uyl5GJ
Windscreen - Vargo Folding Aluminum amzn.to/2uvx8WT
Paper towels squares and Sea to Summit Pocket Soap slivers amzn.to/2uvdj1U
Water Treatment & Storage
Water Filter - Katadyn BeFree amzn.to/2vGH8v7
Water Bottle - 1.5 Ltr, Disposable (2)
Spare water bottle caps
Tools
Compass - Brunton Classic amzn.to/2vYF0hB
Lighter - Eddie Bauer
Multi Tool - Tool Logic Card (appears to be sold under the SOG brand now) amzn.to/2uyRBbH
First Aid
First Aid Kit
Bug Spray - Ben's 100% Deet amzn.to/2uvjL8Y in a 3ml bottle amzn.to/2h18AjK
Sunscreen - 30 SPF in a 10ml bottle amzn.to/2h11EDw
Clothing (not worn)
Dri Ducks Rain Jacket amzn.to/2vGQA1i
Underwear - Synthetic (1 Pair)
Shorts, Synthetic workout style
Shirt, Long Sleeve - light weight synthetic
Shirt, short sleeve Champion amzn.to/2h0DMjc
Hat, Beanie - Lt Wgt Fleece
Socks, Wool - light weight 1/4 Darn Tough amzn.to/2uuO27W
Lighting
Headlamp - Fenix HL21 w/ battery - amzn.to/2vGTrrg
Toiletry Kit
Clothing Worn
Pants, Hiking - EMS convertible camp pants
Shirt, short sleeve Champion amzn.to/2h0DMjc
Underwear - Synthetic
Socks, Wool - light weight
Shoes, Trail Runners - Merrell Moab Ventilator
Optional Electronics
Spot Messenger Gen3 amzn.to/2h109VP
Garmin Oregon 650 GPS amzn.to/2h16hxp
It's come to my attention that Natn'l Rec Areas are under the jurisdiction of the NPS, which has a policy against operating RC aircraft as of 2014 (launching from outside and flying over is still legal). Please avoid any trouble and don't do it yourself. Fortunately, my footage was sent to me by someone who filmed it in 2013 / from outside the BSF boundaries.
Daniel Boone National Forest in KY is managed by U.S.F.S.
You have to get yourself and that drone back to the Red River Gorge!
Ahh, now that would be a nice legal spot indeed. National Geological Area, so it falls under NFS from what I can tell. Looks like I need to make a third trip to the RRG :)
That's what I thought when I went down there. But then I read a page today that said BSF was under the jurisdiction of NPS and that UAV's were temporarily banned. I don't know who's in charge anymore, haha. But i certainly don't want anyone else to get in trouble because of my vid. Link to page I found: www.nps.gov/biso/planyourvisit/conditions.htm
Come on @sintax77!!! Do not sacrifice the wholesome and simplistic nature of these videos for silly drone footage. It does not aid in my vicarious hiking experience to see the perspective of hobby aircraft.
Seriously, who clicked the thumbs down. ? There is something seriously wrong with you.
Oops, just realized I didn't pack up the GPS data and post it on my website yet. I'll throw it up tomorrow AM.
sintax77 yessss a late night fall asleep video!
GPS Data for the full trip is now available on the Blog Post www.sintax77.com/hiking-big-south-fork-pt-2-tennessee-hammock-camping-backpacking-trip
Great video as always. Regarding the question you raised (scenery vs equipment) mark me down for some equipment talk on every trip. I'd gladly trade 5 minutes of walking footage for a fireside chat / demo / opinion on any number of topics. You are knowledgable enough to make that a great little segment. Give us a top 5 chat or a favorite story or alcohol vs wood opinion. It felt a bit weird cutting from tasting sausage to the next morning. I actually backtracked thinking I missed something somehow. Missed chance to break things up with a little camp life commentary. You do that quite a bit and I think its a missed chance to offer an additional expertise on your part. I am nitpicking, but wouldn't do it if I wasn't a fan.
Thanks for the videos as always. Have you thought about doing a video about the various bug repellent options other than Deet that might be available? I had used Deet for quite a while but have switched to a Lemon/Eucalyptus repellent made by Repel. Works great and does not have the skin burn like Deet can have. Cheers!
Excellent - Loved the Clueless reference for the "Like" sequence.
If a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, oh wait....
Per the USDA FS website "It is named in honor of Daniel Boone, who is also known as Sheltowee (pronounced shell-toe-ee)". I'd go with that cause it's the easiest way I've seen it phonetically spelled. 😀
I'm up late making some last minute change in trip plans. How did you like the Big South Fork area? If not maybe another area somewhere around here. My first thought was the Cumberland Gap, but they only have 5 campsites that must be reserved and the sites are first come.
Another outstanding video. Nice balance on your content as far as I'm concerned. Leafs are turning here in Vermont and the temp is dropping. Take care, Al
Stepping up the game with a drone. Well done
if you ever go back to the gorge, let me know ... I'm about 1 hour from there and I have a lot of POI's videos on my channel from there....also, those trails you are on today I remember from hiking sheltowee trace trail ... might not be the exact same areas but I remember seeing those same signs and trail names.
I was thinking that it looked like the Red River Gorge before you said it! It also looked like fun with the wet muddy trails and trees falling...lol How much extra weight is the drone? Awesome footage and another great video! I'll give this video 7 likes.👍
hey man, thx for posting. i live about 3 hours from this location. I've seen signs for the park but never have gone there. thank you for TrailBlaZen. Get Trailkilla back on the Trails. .. Took my kid a couple of hour south of here to South Cumberland Park for his birthday.
+playAgainMe Trailkilla and I are actually working out the details on a fall trip, so there should be trip video with both of us in the next month or so. That's awesome that you're only a few hours away from BSF, you definitely should hit it up some time.
Hey bro! How do you get the away-cam audio? love the new drone action.. nice vid!
Hi, Sean. I use a Zoom H1 mic / audio recorder to get those shots and sync it up in post.
Hiking with a drone. I like the extra work to make the vids even better somehow!
Love your videos. Getting really professional with drone footage and music. . . But your diet, UGH
The 'like' count had me laughing in my cubicle. Well done :)
WHAT DO YOU USE FOR CHIGGER BITES? SOMEONE TOLD ME TO USE CHIGGEREX / 2X POWER / GOT IT AT WALMART WHERE THE CORTIZONE•10 IS. NOT A TUBE BUT A LITTLE WHITE TUB WITH RED LID! THEY ARE A PAIN IN THE BUTT TO GET RID OF / THE BITES.
THANK YOU FOR LETTING ME TAG ALONG WITH YOU THE SCENERY & VIDEOS ARE AWESOME! BETTER THAN READING BOOKS OR MAGAZINES !
The BSF is awesome …..no matter what part you hike. The next time check out the Twin Arches or Honey Creek Loop.
It's weird how a falling tree in the woods plays with your sense of distance. I was hiking and had a large tree fall around me. Scared the s#@t out of me. But was a few hundred yards away. At the moment I swore it was right next to me.
Love my Garmin 650T... Such a great tool. Never regretted buying it
Sin you need to go to burkesttvile and hike and camp near the blairwitch project ,lol but for real
Really enjoyed the aerial shots. Nice addition.
Doing a Knobstone trail through hike in a couple weeks. Come join us.
Hi !! Great video. Definitely some not-so-used trails !!! Bigfoot central !!! The rock formations and your aerial view were beautiful. If you like knives check out Smoky Mountain Knife Shop. Just south of Knoxville. I spent 2 hours in there !!! Thanks for the adventure. Look forward to your next outing. :)
+Ellis Downing Ha, when I was like 10 I used to read those Smoky Mountain Knife Works catalogues like they were comic books. Spent a good bit of my allowance ordering from them too, but never went there in person. Looks like I missed a good opportunity. Maybe next time :)
Jus saw a picture on Facebook. Check out Swimmers itch/ clam diggers itch. Looks similar to your sores
Uh-oh, kinda scared to, but I'll check that out...
Thank you again for capturing and sharing these trips with us! Let's see; mutant spiders with trail-spanning cobwebs, poor trail markers, falling rogue trees, hungry mosquito colonies, canned mystery meat and bubble-producing chiggers. Sounds like a nightmare to most, right? Then we see the glorious drone shots, hand-built bridges and millennia-old sandstone. Methinks it was all worth it! Hope the bites were a non-issue.....
+Denali 96 Thanks, D96. Man, those bites ended up being crazy by the time I got home :o All good now, though. It was a great trip.
Another Great Video looked like a great place to explore, Thanks
Hey ...just want to say, welcome to the Tennessee. Just about everything you went through and talked about is why I don’t like backpacking in the summer here in Tennessee. I’m sorry no one told you about all the pest we have here. I think you would had a better trip if it was late fall , winter or spring. Anyway love the video and I thank you for it.
+Tennessee Hangers That's alright, they tell me it builds character, haha. Seriously though, I had a great trip. I would really like to get back down there in the wall or winter some time, for sure.
Be careful in BSF. Tons of Copperheads there.
Those bug bites look crazy, more like blisters. I wonder if you got into something like giant hogweed maybe?
Where did you say you're getting the GPX files from?
+GQGeek81 I added them to my website's trip data page, as well as on the full blog post, linked in the vid description.
Hey what hiking shoes do you wear did you say? I just bought Merrell gortex Moab hiking shoes, there’s also the Moab non gortex which fits me better, and then the vent non gortex which sounds like what you said you wear, man that trail is super wet didn’t your feet get soaked? I’m brand new to hiking and seeing how what others wear helps, maybe non gortex with the right socks is still doable? If so I want to purchase the non gortex Moab bc they fit like a dream
Mine are Moab Venitlators, but I also own a gortex pair of Adidas tail runners if I'm expecting sloppy trails. If I remember correctly, I didn't really have an issue avoiding getting them too wet on this particular summer trip. One thing to think of though, while my non-gortex shoes get wet super easily, they also dry quickly while continuing to hike. The gortex on the other hand, will keep your feet dry on muddy rails and shallow crossings, but if water goes above the ankles, they're gonna take _forever_ to dry compared to the shoes like the ventilators.
But... when you scoop water from stream... than screw on the filter... than as you would... hold it up side down to squeeze the water.
But un-filter water is dripping down the water bag and very likely to filter head and into the drinking bottle.
+xxgg Yes, you have to be careful about that.
I think my comment was commented on in this video. ;-) So an update on my Katadyn Be Free. I contacted Katadyn and told them that the flow rate on my filter has really slowed. So they did send me a new one as a courtesy which is really cool. Well now the original one's flow rate is almost back to how it should be. I don't know why except that the source was different. So depending on the source your currently using will determine the flow rate at that time.
Hi, Alex. Glad to hear they helped you out, and that the original one made a comeback. Hey, for 4 ounces, you can bring both and play it safe ;)
Hey Sintax. Love your videos. I was wondering about your watch. Is there a video you’ve done about it? What brand and style? Do you like it? Would you get a different one after using it?
As a 215 area code transplant, East Tennessee is a backpackers paradise. Savage Gulf is another place to add to your bucket list. th-cam.com/video/C2rhFptpGm4/w-d-xo.html
+Roche Thanks, Roche! I'll have toI check that out.
Sweet video as usual. I love Big South Fork! Be careful with that drone in there, though. It's under NPS jurisdiction.
Thanks, good looking out. Guess NRA's are out too if they're ran by NPS. Good thing somebody else got that footage back in 2013. Oh, and they launched it from outside the boundaries. ;) I'll make sure to never do it myself though.
I'm sure you are aware of it but if not ebay has discounted the Olight HS2 to $41.97. I received an email this morning
No, I didn't realize that, but that's pretty awesome.
@sintax77 What ended up happening with those bites on your legs? Did you put any cream or go to doctors? Thanks for the response in advanced!
I pretty much just left them alone. The larger ones (they got way bigger than even this video shows) ended up rupturing and the itching subsided for a couple weeks if not more. Yikes.
There are a few natural arches in that area. Twin arches are pretty impressive.
Is there a trail that takes you from Nashville to Memphis?
Because you ate them in different areas, environment could also be a variable! haha! Great little scientific sausage chat! Great vid and trip, thanks for sharing.
+Jacqueline Haha - thanks, Jacqueline.
The only reason that you heard the tree fall is you were near it in the woods 😂
Awesome adventure I will catch up later
Great video! Now post that cheesburger at the end!
all the info you add to the video is cool !!!! Love the videos !!
nice video again, do you even want to make a video about your drone you're using. This seems to me to be intersant
Thanks, Trail75. I may have to do that some day.
If you ever go there again go to o&w cafe. They had cinnamon roll pancakes🤘🤘🤘
Good looking out :D
I really enjoy your videos - thank you !
You seemed a little under the weather during parts of it . Congestion-Allergies?
Nice Vertigo effect overlooking the cliff and thanks for leaving the "nervous" shot in during the just leaving camp morning hike.
Sin! Did you go Keto!? How do you like hiking in keto? I just made the switch and and am pretty i pressed by it.
Best video thumbnail of all your videos although some of the Ireland and Costa Rica were nice, this is the best. Really says fall hiking even if it still feels like summer.
Thanks, Greg. Also, thanks for being one of the 3 people who actually watched my Ireland and Costa Rica vids, haha. I put a lot of work into those, but a lot of my viewers seem to only care about nature if I'm sleeping in it overnight, lol.
The Costa Rica beach scene was as good as any cinematography as I’ve ever seen outside a AAA movie. I used it as an example along with a video of another TH-camr in an essay why income distribution on TH-cam should both increase overall but also be shifted down away from current top tier creators. I’m hopeful TH-cam red will in part make a difference as I think creators at your level and above should be able to make a living at what you do on TH-cam alone.
You seem to like 10 hour drives. Not me!!!!!
What kind of drone are you using?
Don’t ya love the “high clifts” signs? BSF is awesome. I love that John Muir Trail. I need to get back down there.
I always love seeing a good warning sign :D
Feeling it on the spiderwebs! I'm approximately 3 hrs east of BSF and hike in a local state Park daily. Most mornings from Spring to Autumn I carry a stick for miles to sweep the webs away. Rough when you hate spiders. Thanks for your great videos! Love them!
i look like a blind person walking down a webby trail. Waving a stick/ trekking pole the whole way up the mountain hahah
Pretty much describes me also. But I wouldn't trade how hiking makes me feel for all the sideways and head turns. Lol
I hear ya on that. No better feeling than making it to a summit after a grueling hike! haha
Looks like bigfoot territory at 7:42 ish
You gotta tell us what drone your using
Excellent video. In addition to the stunning beauty of the BSF area, the night sky lights up like nothing I've ever seen. The stars are so clear and bright, you can see the Milky Way. Oh, and Grand Gap Loop has several, fantastic overlooks. Thanks for doing the video...I really enjoyed watching both parts!👍🏼
+Jared Veronick Thanks, Jared. I'm glad you enjoyed the series. I'll have to keep the Grand Gap Loop in mind for a future trip.
Fantastic video, suburb camera work, what you produce is definitely documentary worthy, thanks you, you sure can tell you love the beauty of the outdoors!! and you said LIBERAL at the creek!!! LOL
Thanks, Marty :)
Just did a loop out there and loved it. A good bear encounter and total seclusion made an excellent trip.
Where did you get the dog hammock?
If a tree falls in the forest ........
Got a couple of Moabs myself.
Great video , and the effort to produced them dosent go unnoticed. Making skiing videos with my buddies i can appericated the production value and the hard work. Thanks for including us on your adventurs!
Thanks, Kevin. Glad to take ya along.
Did you flip your day 3 and total mileage in the description? Thanks for the video... planning to walk a good chunk of the JMT there in October.
I did! Thanks for the heads up. It's corrected now.
What drone you using?
Awesome scenery! Drone adds so much to a already wonderful video!
Very cool video thank you for sharing
+ONETIME OUTDOORS Dj Rayner You're welcome. Thanks, for watching.
Are you using a drone?
Scary about the tree!
I just got back from doing a loop down there. Man, those spiderwebs are no joke! My ninja skills got a workout!
Still going strong, yeah?
Cool trip.
Thanks for the video
Do you ever hike in idaho
Syntax...I'm about to do my first multi day trip with a buddy - I want to snag a gps unit - I've seen your review of spot - did I miss the garmin gps review? Also - what if the in reach explorer - sorta 2 in one? Great looking trip - we may duplicate it more or less come this weekend 10/6-10/9
I haven't done a stand alone vid on the Garmin Oregon 650 (although I probably should), but I can say that I do like it a lot. Phones are quite capable now days, but for my usage, I really like the features and run time of a dedicated GPS like the Oregon. The touch screen makes it much faster to use compared to my previous experiences with button based systems.
I haven't looked into the In Reach Explorer prior to today. I assuming it's like a Spot and a GPS in one package? Seems pretty cool to me.
sintax77 yeah - it is pretty neat - in reach for the same weight more or less - does the same as spit except you can do various text messages custom using the device or with your cell phone linked - has a viewer screen for gps map too - probably smaller that that unit you have - in milling about the purchase as we speak
Also - we (Buddy and myself) are gonna more or less duplicate your trip this coming 4 day weekend - we will have one added day so we may expand a tad
sintax77 here is some devil in the details for the charges - www8.garmin.com/outdoor/pdfs/inreachAUNZ.pdf
That's awesome! Have fun.
That trail used to be bikes on weekends only.
Ahhh, well there ya go. Thanks, that makes a bit more sense!
YESS!!!
Love the drone footage. Thanks for sharing.
Do you usually fill all 60 litters of the olm?
+consumedesign The only time had it maxed out was on my winter trip down in the Grayson Highlands. Usually though, I'm fine without the top fully expanded.
Live a little sintax, try out a new brand of shoes:)
Hmmm, maybe after the pair ;)
Snag used ones off eBay. I get pairs for $25-30 shipped, most if not all are almost new. I have 8-9 pairs now that would have cost me $100+ each. Some I thought I would like based on reviews and popularity but didn't.
Try the Fiery Gizzard Trail in South Cumberland State Park .
After watching this I think I'll push back a trip to Big South Fork
+Woden 4545 Awesome, thanks. I'll check that out.
👀📸👍👍👍👍📸
Great hike, Sean! Love the drone shots, too.
I had to laugh at the "like" counter lol -
Go merril"
My fav's to !
Love your videos man. Good studd
Esquestrian?
Hei great page ☺ Keep it up!
Great video! What drone do you use?
+Sarah Thurston Thanks, Sarah. I use a DJI Mavic Pro. Packs down small enough to fit in my ULA Ohm's side water bottle pockets for quick deployment. Love it. :)
sintax77 but you didn't use it on this trip, you know since ask those rules against it lol
Somewhere in here 👍🏻😬
You are slipping with the first!! I'm about 0 for 200 with the first comment on his videos. LOL
uptrail71 I know! Geez, what’s happening to me? ☝️😬
Have you ever looked at Mammoth Cave KY
No, I'll have to check that out. Thanks for the heads up!
Natural Bridge area was beautiful when I was a kid... sandstone you can burst with your hand, naturally tumbled quartz pebbles I wish I still had some of...
If you plan a trip to mammoth cave in the winter months let me know I could show you some cool off trail thing that most people will never see
Awesome trip ;)
3:20 there is music
Clifts?
Apparently that's how the plural is spelled.
First
Well done, good sir. Well done indeed.
Well its about time lol.
Yeah, still haven't had much luck with teaching my cat to edit the videos yet.
sintax77 Always worth the wait though!
This place was stunning
"It's kinda nice to hike along and feel submersed in nature". Please take your own advice, and leave the drone at home. Nothing kills the mood of relaxing in the backcountry like hearing some less-enlightened individual whirring their drone all around the area.
There's a reason flying a drone was rated the most shameful faux-pas of backpacking by Backpacker Magazine...
Your videos are great, drones might make them look a little prettier but they're not in any way necessary. And you're encouraging thousands of others to follow suit by featuring the footage.
Tennessee Represent! Good things are worth the wait! 😃
Yeahhh, man :)