Once again I ended up in the Smoky Mountains because they have captivated me since the first time I ever stepped foot in them back when I was around twelve.  Each year I try to go at least a few times and it seems that as they years progress I want to go more and more throughout the year. I have visited the Smoky’s twice this year already and still can’t get enough.

Back on 2/27/15 I did a backpack loop out of the Cosby campground that took me up Snake Den and down Gabes Mountain see Here that was a beautiful and very tough hike in lots of snow and cold temps.  Then I went back in March and hiked to Mt Leconte Lodge via the Rainbow Falls Trail see here for a night on the mountain in one of their cabins.

It was questionable whether this hike would pan out because of bear problems at campsite 38 – the park had officially closed the campsite on 5/26/15 and it was unknown when exactly it would reopen.  Total bummer because by that time I had already read a small article on one of the trails in this hike and it stated the Baxter Creek Trail as having some of the best highlights of the entire Smoky Mountains. As of 6/20/15 I was advised by the backcountry office that campsite 38 was still closed and probably wouldn’t reopen for our trip because they still hadn’t caught the bear that was hanging around the site.  So, it looked like we would be staying at campsite 37 for both nights.

I’m home from the hike on 6/22/15 and oh the stories to tell.  This hike proved to be both incredible and scary for so many reasons.  First off, campsite 37 is now one of my favorites because the area and the setting is nearly perfect.  We found virtually zero trash near and in the campsite area and that alone put it very high on my list of favorites.  I really want to stay at campsite 38 sometime too after briefly visiting it on Sunday.  We hiked through 38 as we did a 16 mile loop.  Unfortunately, there was an aggressive bear at campsite 37 and we had several run-ins with it starting at dinner time on Sunday.  It approached us while the six of us ate our dinner and it took us and our neighbors a good half hour to scare it off and I use the term scare loosely.  This bear appeared to be a 2 or 3 year old and had very little fear of humans which made it extremely dangerous for us.

We dealt with it on Saturday evening and then it came back on Sunday morning.  It approached to within 50 feet of us as we sat near our campsite on Sunday morning.  I had to use my bear spray on it because it charged me as I pushed it away from our campsite. We left camp around 9am and when returned after our day hike up to campsite 38 it had destroyed one of our tents, tore a tarp up and ate through a few random dry bags.  We had all of our food and smelly stuff hanging because we are all experienced backpackers.  Unfortunately, it didn’t make a difference with this bear.  Shortly thereafter a ranger stopped by and officially shut down campsite 37.  We went ahead and hiked out since two of my companions no longer had a tent to stay in on Sunday night.  We decided it best to pack up and head to the main campground located at the trailhead by our vehicles but as soon as we got all packed up it unleashed a storm that continued for half the night.  Needless to say we ended up in a hotel that night and headed back home first thing on Monday morning.

Trip Summary:  It needs to be said that this is one of the most beautiful areas I’ve hiked in the Smoky Mountains, or in the East for that matter.  Big Creek, although fairly crowded at the lower section, is absolutely beautiful and in my opinion it is the epitome of the type of creek that is fun to explore and swim in.  With various small waterfalls that make great slides and just picturesque to look at but that’s not all.  One of the reasons I went to this area was because of everything I’ve read about the Baxter Creek Trail both online and in Backpacker Magazine.  After seeing it I understand why it’s talked about in such a wonderful manner.  The upper parts of the trail are loaded with moss covered boulders and outcroppings that give one the feeling of being in a medieval forest.  Absolutely beautiful!  I will be going back there sometime soon which will most likely be in the fall or winter because I imagine this area gets even better with snow.

After all was said and done I hiked a total of approximately 22 miles on Sunday with a pack on(less 4lb tent for around 11.5 miles of it.  This was quite a bit further than I ever hiked up until then and with a total elevation change totaling 9,500 feet it was quite a day.  Not something I like to do on every trip but definitely something to talk about.

GEAR TEST: I was able to test out my Evernew Titanium DX Stove with the alcohol insert from my Solo Stove on this trip and it makes a pretty lightweight combination.  It worked flawlessly in conjunction with my Snow Peak Titanium Mini Solo Pot which is fairly small so I’m very happy with this setup overall.  However, I do intend to get the Evernew Titanium Alcohol Insert in the future though because it will save me quite a bit of weight.  This will be my warm weather alcohol stove setup and my Solo Stove will be my winter alcohol stove setup because it is basically like having a small campfire so I can stay warm while I cook my meal.

 

 

HERE IS MY ORIGINAL ITINERARY BEFORE CAMPSITE CLOSURES DUE TO BEARS: 

 

Due to bear issues and campsite closures here is final itinerary:

GEAR LIST

FOOTWEAR/BACKPACKS/CONTENTS	WEIGHT OUNCES
SHOES/BOOTS NOT INCLUDED IN PACK WEIGHT
SALOMON XA PRO GORETEX HIKING SHOES	25.20
TREKKING POLES NOT INCLUDED IN PACK WEIGHT
BLACK DIAMOND FL ULTRA DISTANCE TREKKING POLES	16.00
BACKPACKS
MOUNTAINSMITH LOOKOUT 45 BACKPACK	66.00
TENTS
MSR HUBBA NO FLY WITH FOOTPRINT AND POLES	42.00
SLEEPING BAGS
COLUMBIA LINER BAG	10.20
SLEEPING PADS
THERMAREST RIDGEREST SOLITE REGULAR CUT DOWN TO 20X60	12.00
THERMAREST NEOAIR TREKKER LARGE	26.00
TARPS
SEA TO SUMMIT SILNYLON PONCHO TARP	12.90
KELTY NOAH 9X9	28.48
FOOD
2 NIGHT FOOD – LOKSAK ODORPROOF BAG/ZPACKS BLAST FOOD BAG	92.00
BASICS
BODY GLIDE-REPEL LEMON ECULYPTUS-SUNTAN LOTION IN ZPACKS CUBEN FIBER BAG	3.00
BEAR BAG KIT-CORDAGE/BLACK DIAMOND NEUTRINO CARABINER	4.50
STAKES/CORDAGE FOR TARP	6.00
MINI COMPASS AND TEMP GAUGE	0.70
ZPACKS CUBEN FIBER ZIP WALLET	2.00
SAWYER FILTER MINI(2OZ), PLATYPUS 1L PLUSBOTTLE(1.5OZ), SAWYER SQUEEZE POUCH(1.5OZ), SCOOP CUP(2OZ) MESH BAG	7.00
SAFETY LANYARD – BG COMPACT SCOUT KNIFE/ADVENTURE MEDICAL RESCUE HOWLER/NITEIZE FLASHLIGHT/PEPPER SPRAY/LEATHERMAN SQUIRT PS	5.20
TOILETRY KIT – MEDICINE/TOOTHBRUSH/TOOTHPASTE ETC IN ZIPLOC	10.00
FIRE KIT: DRYER LINT/LIGHTER/LIGHT MY FIRE FIRESTEEL/MATCHES	4.90
POTTY KIT – DEUCE OF SPADES, TOILET PAPER, HAND CLEANER BOTTLE/HOLDER IN NYLON SACK	4.30
CLOTHING
MARMOT DRICLIME WINDSHIRT	12.00
MARMOT ION WIND JACKET	5.50
SUMMER CLOTHING BAG – SWIM TRUNKS/SHORTS/SOCKS IN CUBEN FIBER SACK	19.80
VIVOBAREFOOT ULTRA SHOES	6.00
NIKE RAIN PANTS	12.40
RAB LATOK GAITERS LOW	5.50
COOKING
EVERNEW TITANIUM DX STOVE/SOLOSTOVE ALCOHOL BURNER/ALCOHOL/SNOWPEAK MINI POT/FOLDING VARGO TITANIUM SPOON	16.00
WATER BOTTLES – BLADDERS
CAMELBAK PODIUM BOTTLE 24 OZ WITH EDDY SIP LID FULL	29.00
LIGHTING
UCO MINI LANTERN	4.30
BLACK DIAMOND IN HMG NANO CF8 CUBEN STUFF SACK	4.30
TOOLS
MISCELLANEOUS	20.80
UDAP 7.9 OZ BEAR SPRAY	12.10
MIRROR / COMPASS / MOUNTAIN LAUREL DESIGNS CUBEN FIBER BAG	1.50
EXTRAS
FISHING REEL/ROD AND LURES	8.90
SUNGLASSES	1.40
MP3 PLAYER; EARPHONES; BATTERY IN HMG NANO CF11 CUBEN STUFF SACK	5.30
TOTAL SUM OF WEIGHT OUNCES	501.98
TOTAL SUM OF WEIGHT POUNDS	31.37

 

This is a very easy trailhead to get to because it’s a very short distance right off I40 East.  The parking lot isn’t very big so it may be necessary to park at the horse trailer lot and hike to the trailhead which is about a tenth of a mile.

 

The Big Creek Trail follows alongside of Big Creek for most of the trail up to campsite 37.  It’s loaded with one swimming hole after another so if you’re like me and enjoy swimming in creeks it’s right there.  The creek is also loaded with trout and the further you get up the creek the more apt you are to finding a nice spot to catch a few.  This is a trail for people and horses so the trail is somewhat rough due to rocks as well as the occasional land mine of horse droppings.

The star attraction of this place to the public is the car camping campground by the parking lot and the Midnight Hole which is approximately 1.5 miles from the parking lot, there are a quite a few people that walk up to it just to swim so it’s always packed with people.  Those of us that like the peace and solitude of the backcountry just have to push past that and continue on to one of the most beautiful areas I’ve ever seen in the Smoky Mountains.

 

We found a great swimming hole another 1-2 miles up the trail from Midnight Hole that worked quite well for our little group.  It’s not as deep but has a really great little swimming area and there are no people because it’s a little further than most non-hiking/backpacking people want to go.

 

 

 

Mouse Creek Falls is a little further up the trail from Midnight Hole and is quite a view.  It’s a good distance from the trail and you have to venture across Big Creek to get to it so we just didn’t have a chance to do that.  I’m sure I will get a closer view of it on a future hike but just didn’t have the time on this hike.

 

 

 

 

Here is my MSR Hubba 1 Tent and Kelty Noah 9×9 Tarp setup at campsite 37.  I’m right above the bank of Big Creek which is right behind me.  This creek and area is outstanding and one of the prettiest I’ve seen in the park to this day.

 

 

 

 

 

 

We were only at our camp for a short time before our neighbors told of us this Timber Rattlesnake that they had found while scrounging for firewood.  I’d say it was close to four feet This was an awesome snake!

 

 

This black bear first approached within 100 feet of our six person group at campsite 37 while we ate dinner at around 6:00PM on Saturday, 6/20/15.  We attempted to scare it off and it became quite apparent it was not going to be easy to discourage the bear.  At this time there were several campsites and a shelter closed in the park so this was definitely not something different than anything else that was going on.

This bear kept coming back and trying to get into our camp from different directions.

The following morning he came back and approached within 50 feet of us while we sat at our campsite.  We weren’t even eating yet at that point.

 

 

We managed to scare it out of our campsite but it harrassed the other campers at campsite 37 repeatedly.  Unfortunately this bear proved to be too persistent and they ended up closing campsite 37 on Sunday evening.

Another one of the many many mushrooms in the Smoky Mountains!  But this one really stood out with what looked like gills but on top of the mushroom as opposed to the bottom of the mushroom.

 

After breakfast on Sunday we left our campsite  and went for a 18 mile loop hike on Sunday that took us up to campsite 38 and down Baxter Creek Trail.

The trail going up to Mt Sterling is not bad at all and just a slight grade for a pretty good distance but toward the top it gets a little steeper but never very tough at all.

 

 

Once we reached the intersection where the Swallow Fork Trail, Mt. Sterling Ridge Trail and Pretty Hollow Gap Trail all converge there is a beautiful little grassy area that’s flat and perfect for a break.  It’s a gorgeous little spot!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here is the unfortunate sign for the closure of campsite 38.  This was a bummer because this is the highest campsite in the Smoky Mountains and I was really looking forward to camping at this location.

I spoke to the ranger and they said they wouldn’t open it until they were able to catch and relocate the bear.  Such a shame.

A few of my group climbed the fire tower once we reached the campsite 38 but I was one to stay on the ground for several reasons.  One being the tower is very high and I was tired!  There were a few people up there and it looked awesome but I decided to stay on the ground and keep an eye on my pack because of the aggressive bear in the area.

 

 

 

Yes, there is water 700 feet from campsite 38 but we opted to skip it and continue hiking until we could find water.  This proved to be a mistake because there is no water on Baxter Creek Trail until you get at least 4 miles down the trail.  Bummer!

The good part was this was one of the most amazing trails I’ve ever hiked.  It’s absolutely beautiful!

We finally found a water source!  Please make note that there is zero water from the source near campsite 38 until you reach about 2000 ft elevation on Baxter Creek Trail.  So, water up at the campsite 38 water hole.

 

he Smoky Mountains are chock full of history like this old chimney on Baxter Creek Trail that is not too far from the picnic area.