Appalachian Trail - Wayah Bald to Cheoah Bald - January 27, 2002 - Member Trip Report
| Hike Name: | Appalachian Trail - Wayah Bald to Cheoah Bald |
|---|---|
| Country: | United States |
| State: | North Carolina |
| Trip Rating: |  |
| Trip Date: | January 27, 2002 |
| Duration: | 2 days |
| Trail Conditions: | Excellent |
| Trail Traffic: | Light |
| Trip Weather: | Sunny, Partly Sunny |
| Trip Winds: | Light |
| Trip Precipitation: | None |
| Trip Temperature: | High: 61-70, Low: 21-30 degrees Fahrenheit |
| Trip Report: | 1/27/02: Got up before sunrise to get an early start today since we had nearly 15 miles scheduled with a brutal hike up Cheoah Bald. Packed up most of my gear before breakfast, then joined the others down at the shelter for oatmeal. This was the first backpacking trip out since LASIK surgery, and it was nice to wake up without dry contacts for a change. I was the first one on the trail at 8:30am, and spent the first two hours hiking alone. Eventually DeLisle, Ewing, Moehlick and Woodward caught me at an overlook. Hiked with them the rest of the way to Wesser and took a short food break in route. Made it to Wesser by 11:15am and bought some batteries, some chilly, chips etc. Took a long break until 12:38pm when Moehlick and I hit the trail in the front of the pack. Porter, Brunn, and Towsma were the last to roll into the NOC, and they hit the trail a solid 45 minutes after us. It didn't take long for DeLisle and Ewing to catch me out of the NOC. Bracy, Ed, and Woodward did the same about three miles out of Wesser. Brunn, Towsma, and Porter finally caught me at the lookout just before Swim Bald. Hiked into Sassafras Gap with Brunn and read the register, got water, and used the restroom. Porter sent Tousma on to the summit, but left a few minutes before me (after he got water with Brunn). The sun set at 6pm during the hike out of Sassafras Gap. It took me an hour to walk the final 1.2 miles to the summit. The sky looked spectacular through the trees, and the sunset must have been even better from Cheoah Bald. Took a few pictures in from the trail, but none of them did the sky justice. Spent the last 15 minutes in near darkness and was tempted (but too tired) to pull out my head lamp. Finally arrived at the Bald around 7pm having tracked it on the GPS. The others had pitched camp and were preparing dinner. Put on some warm clothes, set up my tent, then joined the others for pasta and hot drinks. We didn't do a fire tonight but swapped trail stories and passed around a bottle of whiskey until around 10pm. 1/28/02: Watched the sun clear the horizon at 7:38am this morning from my bag inside the tent. The mob was up and posing for a photo on Cheoah Bald at sunrise. It was cold last night but 38 degrees this morning - three degrees higher than yesterday. Had some breakfast with the group, then packed up and headed out solo in the middle of the pack around 9:30am. The knees were screaming for the first mile off Cheoah Bald, and it was a long five mile hike off the bald via the Bartram Trail. There was a fair amount of rock hopping across a creek on the route, but I eventually made it to the road - albiet I came out at the wrong place. Bracy, Ed, Ewing, and Moehlick poped out at a different road crossing and had to retrieve a few of us that made a wrong turn. Fortunately, the walkie-talkies helped in the coordination efforts. Picked up the shuttle trucks at Wayah Bald, then drove to Franklin for some BBQ around 2pm. The restaurant closed at 2:30pm, so we barely made it for lunch. Rode back to Porter's house in his truck with Brunn and Towsma, then Brunn ran me back to the house by 5:30pm. |
Trail Map For This Area
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