Poof and I continue training for the Greenbriar and Katy Trials; this time riding form Soco Gap on the Blue Ridge Parkway to the Tribal Fish Hatchery near Cherokee,NC.
Our first 11 miles is climbing up the up the Blue Ridge to the eastern entrance of GSMNP; there we get on the Heintooga Road and Balsam Mtn.Road toward Cherokee.
We pass Great Smoky Mountains Nat.Park's highest campground-it's closed for winter, then head downhill and find a stealth campsite (illegal in the park), water, and trees that are hammockable.
The PapaSmurf Dangerbird Hammosk's overcover saves me from a leaking tarp, we play with several stove:
the el-mini, the newest from Emberlit Stoves
the ETA Primus-the fastest stove I've ever seen
the Evernew Ti 0.9 wet baking (worked at home, failed because I forgot the simmer ring and tried to improvise)
the Evernew alcohol burner with Clikstand-perfect for cooking eggs
We were lucky the Blue Ridge Parkway was closed in the section we were cycling=no cars...also no rain while biking, only during camping.
Lots of calories burned and 3000 feet of total climbing with camping kit on the bikes which was great training for the Katy Trail coming up.
This area of the park is rarely scene because the road is umimproved and only open to cars for the warmer months=great biking conditions.
Thanks to PapaSmurf for developing the Dangerbird.
Thanks to CaribouBentSpoke for roching me into a Clikstand-great stove setup.
Thanks to Hangnout for roching me into the Sawyer filter...this is a FAST gravity filter.
Thanks to the Park Service for all the closed gates
That made 62 miles this week paid to the Katy: