Cabin Flats Backpack Day #2

Date: 7/26/15
Distance: 18.2 miles

On Sunday morning, we packed up camp for another tough day of hiking.  I set out a few minutes before the rest of the group because I had plans of adding on a few miles up at Hughes Ridge.  I backtracked down Cabin Flats to Bradley Fork and then about 8:30 started up the mountain.

Bradley Fork is tough.  It is a big 2000' climb in only 3.3 miles.  The trail is a rocky old road which made it even tougher.  Even though it was early and cooler than it would be later in the day, I was sweating buckets before reaching the top.

 Up at Hughes Ridge, I turned left and hiked out to Pecks Corner and then beyond to the AT for a total of 2.2 miles.  It had a few climbs that seemed tough after climbing Bradley, but were no more than a few 100' of elevation change.

At the AT, I turned around and returned to Bradley where I found the rest of the group who climbed the mountain at a more reasonable pace.

I continued on down Hughes Ridge for an additional 2.8 miles before turning down the mountain on Chasteen Creek Trail.

 Chasteen Creek is another old road that was full of rocks on much of its 4.4 miles.

Chasteen returns to Bradley Fork after losing 2600'.  The day got hotter and hotter as I trekked down the  mountain.  The elevation change made a big difference in the temperatures.

Back at Bradley, I turned right and hiked the 0.5 miles over to the Smokemont Loop trail in order to completely finish the trail.  I then turned around and walked my way back to the campground.  I made it out about 2:40 and pretty quickly headed for home.  It felt great to sit in the Air Conditioning in the car after a long day of heat.

The hiking was tough but really enjoyable.  There were a really nice assortment of summer flowers along the way and some good company at camp.  Not to mention, I marked off a large section on my 2nd Map pushing it over 200 miles.

My pack didn't seem to be as much as a burden as in the past.  I carried the Hammock and Tarp for the 1st time and I believe that dropped me a pound or so.  I also carried the bare minimum clothes since it was summer.  I carried a bit less water knowing that there were plenty of creeks along the way.