17 - APPALACHIAN TRAIL - NORTH CAROLINA - Sección 2.3 - Great Smoky Mountains - Mollies Ridge Shelter a Derrick Knob Shelter
Trail photos
Author
Trail stats
- Distance
- 12.05 mi
- Elevation gain
- 3,435 ft
- Technical difficulty
- Difficult
- Elevation loss
- 3,114 ft
- Max elevation
- 5,525 ft
- TrailRank
-
91
5
- Min elevation
- 4,019 ft
- Trail type
- One Way
- Time
- 7 hours 54 minutes
- Coordinates
- 1752
- Uploaded
- May 5, 2016
- Recorded
- May 2016
near Proctor, North Carolina (United States)
Viewed 1482 times, downloaded 23 times
Trail photos
Itinerary description
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Stage 17
⇐ Link to previous stage: 16 - APPALACHIAN TRAIL - NORTH CAROLINA - Section 2.4 - Great Smoky Mountains - From Fontana Dam to Mollies Ridge Shelter
⇒ Link to the next stage: 18 - APPALACHIAN TRAIL - NORTH CAROLINA - Section 2.2 - Great Smoky Mountains - Derrick Knob Shelter to Double Spring Gap
⇒ Link to the complete itinerary in North Carolina: 257.5 km - Appalachian Trail in the State of North Carolina (complete itinerary)
Tour of the Appalachian Trail , as it passes through the states of North Carolina and Tennessee (United States), from south to north, through the Great Smoky Mountains National Park , which With its 2,108 square kilometers (a surface larger than that of the entire province of Guipúzcoa, and very similar to that of the entire province of Vizcaya, in Spain), it represents one of the largest protected areas in the eastern United States, and was declared a Biosphere Reserve by Unesco (1976) and a World Heritage Site (1983).
The Appalachian Trail runs through this great National Park, along about 115 km, between the Little Tennessee River, at Fontana Dam, and Davenport Gap, being necessary to complete this route, six to seven days of walking, with very few options exit for provisioning in towns close to the route.
To spend the night in the park it is mandatory to do so in the existing shelters, with prior reservation, obtaining in advance a permit issued by the National Park Service. Camping is only allowed for "thru-hikers", also subject to prior permission and certain restrictions.
Today's stage starts from the Mollies Ridge Shelter, ending at the Derrick Knob Shelter, and corresponds to section 2.3 of the trail, according to the official distribution of stages in Georgia and North Carolina, although it is also identified in the official guides as section 18.3 of North Carolina and Tennessee.
This duplicity is due to the difficulty in determining through which state the Appalachian Trail runs in this border area between the states of North Carolina and Tennessee, since most of the route through the Great Smoky Mountains National Park follows precisely the dividing line between both states, through the crest of the mountain range.
We start the day very early, with the first light of dawn.
Mollies Ridge Shelter (4,570 ft). In the early hours of the day, after a night of heavy storms and rain
The shelter was full, and the continuous rain and storm of the afternoon and night before, had been taken advantage of by many to rest and sleep many more hours than usual, so that at six in the morning, and even before, nobody I wanted to continue inside the bag.
Little by little, the first courtesy red lights began to be seen, for the early risers, and then, as if someone had given a reveille touch, the sound of the mats deflating began to be heard, one after another. All rise!
Still without saying a word, only with a silent good-morning gesture with their heads or hands, everyone got to work preparing their breakfast and their belongings.
The weather forecast for the day was not very rosy, and the profile of the stage was long and quite difficult, with many ups and downs, despite the fact that we were already at 4,570 feet of altitude.
An initial slight climb to Devils Tater Pach (4,775 ft) warmed up the muscles before descending to Little Abrams Gap (4,120 ft) , the lowest elevation of the entire stage.
From this col, we begin a continuous and gradual climb of three miles, interrupted only by a brief stop at the Russell Field Shelter, until we reach the intermediate summit of Mt Squires (5,070 feet) .
Trail uphill to the top of Mt Squires
For a mile past Mt Squires, the trail follows a relatively flat, gently rolling course below 5,000 feet. It is the area of Spence Field, bald terrain, sparsely wooded and covered with thick grass, which forms a type of prairie characteristic of the higher areas of the Appalachians.
Spence Field. Grassy bald spot. staggered climb
Until the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Spence Field was roughly the center of a 25-mile stretch of grassland stretching through the Smoky Mountains from Gregory Bald (west) to Silers Bald (north). east), and which brought together thousands of heads of cattle (cows, horses, sheep and goats).
The creation of the National Park, in the 1930s, meant the slow disappearance of a good part of these prairies, and since then the scrub and the woods have been gaining ground, as also happened in this part of Spence Field.
Currently, the Forest Service is still grassing the Gregory Bald and Andrews Bald areas, and is trying to facilitate grassland recovery in all other areas.
The climb to the top of Rocky Top (5,441 feet) , from Spence Field, involves one kilometer of distance and an additional 500 foot drop, with a small intermediate summit. Needless to say, the slopes are still very steep in some sections, although the path is well cared for and has steps where it is needed.
The Rocky Top is the first of the peaks that we find, once the highest part of the mountain has been reached. From it there is a spectacular panoramic view, which allows you to see even the very distant Fontana Lake.
Rocky Top (5,441 feet)
At a very short distance, and on the same level as the summit, another rocky group with old graffiti (from the 19th century) forms a kind of second peak, which some call Rocky Top Two , and from which there are also stupendous views. .
Another little top and views. Ancient graffiti on the rocks
And finally, also on the same plain; a short distance from the latter; and like a great crown with three points, we reach Thunderhead Mountain (5,527 feet) , surrounded by a dense grove of rhododendrons that prevent clear views of the surrounding valleys and mountains. Next to the plate that indicates this geodesic vertex, someone piled up a few rocks with the intention of serving as an improvised lookout, to be able to see the landscape above the thicket of bushes.
Summit of Thunderhead (5,527 feet), among rhododendrons. Trail and plaque at geodesic vertex
The descent from Thunderhead Mountain is short (about a kilometer), but quite steep, and upon reaching the base, the trail again climbs a small hill with no known name, at the top of which we find a new geodesic apex plate (5,040 feet).
steep and rocky climb
From this point, and after two kilometers of a continuous up and down through small hills, with quite steep and rocky sections, the AT reaches the top of Brier Knob (5,210 feet) , whose descent of one kilometer, until Starkey Gap (4,500 feet), has an even steeper slope and with many stones, the result of the erosion of the path itself, which with heavy rains becomes an occasional gully in some sections.
In the final three kilometers of the stage, a new climb and its corresponding descent to Sugar Tree Gap (4,435 feet) await us, and to finish off, a steep slope to Chestnut Bald and Derrick Knob (4,868 feet), where stands the Derrick Knob Shelter .
Sugar Tree Gap (4,435 ft)
As we had anticipated, the stage had the profile of a great roller coaster, and although the distance traveled was not excessive, so much up and down, with weight, it was inevitably tiring.
Luckily, the weather helped during the march, and although the clouds were lurking and hinted at some downpour and storm, for the moment we were already covered in a shelter very similar to the one from the night before, although with a protective canvas.
The twelve pitches at the Derrick Knob Shelter were quickly filled, and many other hikers camped nearby.
Derrick Knob Shelter
Already at night, a passing storm unloaded a brief downpour.
PPI Index: 110 HKG
Total distance: 19.31 km
Desn. cumulative ascent: 1140.7 m
Desn. cumulative descent: 1051.7 m
Maximum height: 1678.1 m
Minimum height: 1244 m
Total time: 7:54:13 h
Moving time: 5:52:26 h
Stopped time: 2:01:47 h
Total average speed: 2.44 km/h
Average moving speed: 3.29 km/h
IBP index. IBP index is an automatic assessment system that rates the difficulty of a route traveled
⇐ Link to previous stage: 16 - APPALACHIAN TRAIL - NORTH CAROLINA - Section 2.4 - Great Smoky Mountains - From Fontana Dam to Mollies Ridge Shelter
⇒ Link to the next stage: 18 - APPALACHIAN TRAIL - NORTH CAROLINA - Section 2.2 - Great Smoky Mountains - Derrick Knob Shelter to Double Spring Gap
⇒ Link to the complete itinerary in North Carolina: 257.5 km - Appalachian Trail in the State of North Carolina (complete itinerary)
Tour of the Appalachian Trail , as it passes through the states of North Carolina and Tennessee (United States), from south to north, through the Great Smoky Mountains National Park , which With its 2,108 square kilometers (a surface larger than that of the entire province of Guipúzcoa, and very similar to that of the entire province of Vizcaya, in Spain), it represents one of the largest protected areas in the eastern United States, and was declared a Biosphere Reserve by Unesco (1976) and a World Heritage Site (1983).
The Appalachian Trail runs through this great National Park, along about 115 km, between the Little Tennessee River, at Fontana Dam, and Davenport Gap, being necessary to complete this route, six to seven days of walking, with very few options exit for provisioning in towns close to the route.
To spend the night in the park it is mandatory to do so in the existing shelters, with prior reservation, obtaining in advance a permit issued by the National Park Service. Camping is only allowed for "thru-hikers", also subject to prior permission and certain restrictions.
Today's stage starts from the Mollies Ridge Shelter, ending at the Derrick Knob Shelter, and corresponds to section 2.3 of the trail, according to the official distribution of stages in Georgia and North Carolina, although it is also identified in the official guides as section 18.3 of North Carolina and Tennessee.
This duplicity is due to the difficulty in determining through which state the Appalachian Trail runs in this border area between the states of North Carolina and Tennessee, since most of the route through the Great Smoky Mountains National Park follows precisely the dividing line between both states, through the crest of the mountain range.
We start the day very early, with the first light of dawn.
Mollies Ridge Shelter (4,570 ft). In the early hours of the day, after a night of heavy storms and rain
The shelter was full, and the continuous rain and storm of the afternoon and night before, had been taken advantage of by many to rest and sleep many more hours than usual, so that at six in the morning, and even before, nobody I wanted to continue inside the bag.
Little by little, the first courtesy red lights began to be seen, for the early risers, and then, as if someone had given a reveille touch, the sound of the mats deflating began to be heard, one after another. All rise!
Still without saying a word, only with a silent good-morning gesture with their heads or hands, everyone got to work preparing their breakfast and their belongings.
The weather forecast for the day was not very rosy, and the profile of the stage was long and quite difficult, with many ups and downs, despite the fact that we were already at 4,570 feet of altitude.
An initial slight climb to Devils Tater Pach (4,775 ft) warmed up the muscles before descending to Little Abrams Gap (4,120 ft) , the lowest elevation of the entire stage.
From this col, we begin a continuous and gradual climb of three miles, interrupted only by a brief stop at the Russell Field Shelter, until we reach the intermediate summit of Mt Squires (5,070 feet) .
Trail uphill to the top of Mt Squires
For a mile past Mt Squires, the trail follows a relatively flat, gently rolling course below 5,000 feet. It is the area of Spence Field, bald terrain, sparsely wooded and covered with thick grass, which forms a type of prairie characteristic of the higher areas of the Appalachians.
Spence Field. Grassy bald spot. staggered climb
Until the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Spence Field was roughly the center of a 25-mile stretch of grassland stretching through the Smoky Mountains from Gregory Bald (west) to Silers Bald (north). east), and which brought together thousands of heads of cattle (cows, horses, sheep and goats).
The creation of the National Park, in the 1930s, meant the slow disappearance of a good part of these prairies, and since then the scrub and the woods have been gaining ground, as also happened in this part of Spence Field.
Currently, the Forest Service is still grassing the Gregory Bald and Andrews Bald areas, and is trying to facilitate grassland recovery in all other areas.
The climb to the top of Rocky Top (5,441 feet) , from Spence Field, involves one kilometer of distance and an additional 500 foot drop, with a small intermediate summit. Needless to say, the slopes are still very steep in some sections, although the path is well cared for and has steps where it is needed.
The Rocky Top is the first of the peaks that we find, once the highest part of the mountain has been reached. From it there is a spectacular panoramic view, which allows you to see even the very distant Fontana Lake.
Rocky Top (5,441 feet)
At a very short distance, and on the same level as the summit, another rocky group with old graffiti (from the 19th century) forms a kind of second peak, which some call Rocky Top Two , and from which there are also stupendous views. .
Another little top and views. Ancient graffiti on the rocks
And finally, also on the same plain; a short distance from the latter; and like a great crown with three points, we reach Thunderhead Mountain (5,527 feet) , surrounded by a dense grove of rhododendrons that prevent clear views of the surrounding valleys and mountains. Next to the plate that indicates this geodesic vertex, someone piled up a few rocks with the intention of serving as an improvised lookout, to be able to see the landscape above the thicket of bushes.
Summit of Thunderhead (5,527 feet), among rhododendrons. Trail and plaque at geodesic vertex
The descent from Thunderhead Mountain is short (about a kilometer), but quite steep, and upon reaching the base, the trail again climbs a small hill with no known name, at the top of which we find a new geodesic apex plate (5,040 feet).
steep and rocky climb
From this point, and after two kilometers of a continuous up and down through small hills, with quite steep and rocky sections, the AT reaches the top of Brier Knob (5,210 feet) , whose descent of one kilometer, until Starkey Gap (4,500 feet), has an even steeper slope and with many stones, the result of the erosion of the path itself, which with heavy rains becomes an occasional gully in some sections.
In the final three kilometers of the stage, a new climb and its corresponding descent to Sugar Tree Gap (4,435 feet) await us, and to finish off, a steep slope to Chestnut Bald and Derrick Knob (4,868 feet), where stands the Derrick Knob Shelter .
Sugar Tree Gap (4,435 ft)
As we had anticipated, the stage had the profile of a great roller coaster, and although the distance traveled was not excessive, so much up and down, with weight, it was inevitably tiring.
Luckily, the weather helped during the march, and although the clouds were lurking and hinted at some downpour and storm, for the moment we were already covered in a shelter very similar to the one from the night before, although with a protective canvas.
The twelve pitches at the Derrick Knob Shelter were quickly filled, and many other hikers camped nearby.
Derrick Knob Shelter
Already at night, a passing storm unloaded a brief downpour.
PPI Index: 110 HKG
Total distance: 19.31 km
Desn. cumulative ascent: 1140.7 m
Desn. cumulative descent: 1051.7 m
Maximum height: 1678.1 m
Minimum height: 1244 m
Total time: 7:54:13 h
Moving time: 5:52:26 h
Stopped time: 2:01:47 h
Total average speed: 2.44 km/h
Average moving speed: 3.29 km/h
IBP index. IBP index is an automatic assessment system that rates the difficulty of a route traveled
Waypoints
Wilderness hut
4,591 ft
Mollies Ridge Shelter (4.570 pies). En las primeras horas del día, después de una noche de fuertes tormentas y lluvia
Mollies Ridge Shelter (4,570 feet). In the early hours of the day, after a night of heavy storms and rain
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Photo
4,769 ft
Sendero en subida hacia la cima de Mt Squires
Sendero en subida hacia la cima de Mt Squires
Intersection
4,926 ft
Spence Field (1.510 m.) Sendero y vista. Intersección: al W Bote Mt.Trail; al E Eagle Creek Trail y Spence Field Shelter
Spence Field (1,510 m.). Trail and view. Intersection: to the west the Bote Mountain Trail, and to the east the Eagle Creek Trail and the Spence Field Shelter
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Photo
4,926 ft
Spence Field. Calva cubierta de hierba. Subida escalonada
Spence Field. Calva cubierta de hierba. Subida escalonada
Panorama
4,994 ft
Intersección del AT con el Jenkins Ridge Trail. Pequeña cima despejada y vistas
Intersection of the AT with the Jenkins Ridge Trail. Small clear top and views
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Summit
Panorama
5,469 ft
Otra pequeña cima y vistas. Antiguos grafitis en las rocas
Otra pequeña cima y vistas. Antiguos grafitis en las rocas
Photo
5,526 ft
Cima de Thunderhead (5.527 pies), entre rododendros. Sendero y placa en vértice geodésico
Top of Thunderhead (5,527 feet), among rhododendrons. Path and plate in the geodesic vertex
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Photo
4,995 ft
Sendero y otra placa en vértice geodésico (5.040 pies)
Sendero y otra placa en vértice geodésico (5.040 pies)
Panorama
4,862 ft
Beechnut Gap (4.884 pies). Vista hacia North Carolina, desde un corto desvío lateral
Beechnut Gap (4,884 feet). View towards North Carolina, from a short side detour
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Panorama
4,998 ft
Bajada empinada desde el Brier Knob, y vista
Bajada empinada desde el Brier Knob, y vista
Mountain pass
Photo
4,722 ft
Subida muy pronunciada hacia el Derrick Knob
Subida muy pronunciada hacia el Derrick Knob
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Information
Easy to follow
Scenery
Moderate
Una experiencia inolvidable. Ruta muy recomendable