Wayah Bald to Lake Nantahala

**El Gordo** · 08-01-2017, 21:55

The plan was a three-day hiking/packrafting trip, out and back, from the Wayah Bald parking lot on the AT to the top of Lake Nantahala using the Bartram Trail (BT), and then packrafting over to the west side of the lake to find a campsite. The BT is coincident with the AT going "south" for about a mile and a half from Wayah Bald before the Bartram continues west. It didn't quite work out that way.

This segment of the BT is about eight miles, with approximately a descent of 3,200 feet and an ascent of 1,500. This didn't sound too bad over an eight-mile stretch. I estimated it would take us about four and a half hours on the BT, leaving plenty of time to set up the packraft, paddle across the lake, and find a place to camp. The next day we would start back, camp overnight somewhere on the BT, and then have an easy finish back to the car on day three.

All I can say is that the last two miles are much steeper than it looked to me on the map. We were on the trail for over six and a half hours, with the last two miles being extremely tiring. Part of it was that we were each carrying over seven pounds more than we'd ever carried because of the extra gear. Moreover, this segment of the BT is not well maintained, and the locals we spoke to later were a little surprised that we had attempted it. Oh, and of course we were an hour late getting started. (It's rarely just one mistake that gets you.)

By the time we got to the lake, it was too late in the evening to set up the packraft and look for a campsite. Things looked dark

, but we became the beneficiaries of some wonderful NC hospitality. The manager of the Lake's End Grill and Marina offered to take us in one of his motor boats over to a campsite he knew about. So we managed to spend a night on the lake after all.

The next morning we inflated the packraft, and paddled back to the marina. Hangar Queen had hurt her (bad) knee on the long march the day before, and we really didn't want to risk more serious damage to it. Once again, the good folks at Lake's End Grill and Marina came to our aid, taking time out of their busy schedule (the place was packed at lunchtime) to give us a ride back to Wayah Bald.

We plan to return to Lake Nantahala, but it will be strictly a rafting trip next time.

(Pics to follow.)

**El Gordo** · 08-01-2017, 22:08

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If only the entire Bartram Trail looked like this!

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**TallPaul** · 08-01-2017, 22:10

Well it sounded like a good plan. Personally I have a habit of reading 'views' in a trail description then the rest is blah blah blah. Until I get on the trail I realize I should have read the rest.
Nice that the marina people helped out. And at least you got some more paddling in.

**Phantom Grappler** · 08-02-2017, 06:27

A three hour tour...

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**TrailSlug** · 08-02-2017, 06:57

As long as you had fun. That's all that matters. Sounds like you ran into some fine folks at this marina. There are still a few good people left

PS all of your pics need to be rotated. You can do this by opening them on PC and use the included Paint program to rotate them and save them.

**El Gordo** · 08-02-2017, 08:02

Originally Posted by TrailSlug

As long as you had fun.

We had "Skurka's Type 2" fun on the Bartram Trail: not fun while it is happening, but fun to talk about later.

Originally Posted by TrailSlug

PS all of your pics need to be rotated. You can do this by opening them on PC and use the included Paint program to rotate them and save them.

Thanks, but the problem is that the pics are on my iPad, and for some unknown reason I can't get them over onto my PC. I could, however, post them to HF from my iPad, but couldn't figure out how to rotate them when I did that. By the way, do you know why some photos that are posted on HF reproduce in the post as thumbnails to be clicked on, while others are full photos? I'm still trying to figure that out.

**AdventureMyk** · 08-02-2017, 08:33

The trip reminds me of my first backpacking trip. Fontanna Dam to a lake shore campsite then a 'little' climb up to Shuckstack tower. In the hottest week of August with a 50lb+ pack (no light gear, she had a tiny pack, I had a totally crammed 85liter). First night good. Climbing day? I never want to do that one again! Sounds like yours went a lot better!

NC and TN people tend to be very helpful. Most of us are enthusiasts too!

The pics uploaded here are thumbnails, the full sized are hosted on 3rd party sites (used to be photobucket until they jumped from free to $400 a year!). Even an iPad can rotate pics. If the standard pic software won't there are 3,000 apps that will. Its odd trying to look upside down to figure out your rafting shot when my phone keeps trying to turn it upside down again. Lol

**El Gordo** · 08-02-2017, 08:49

Thanks, AdventureMyk! I've just spent the last half hour discovering why I couldn't get the pics from my iPad to my PC. Solved that one (obscure - to me - fact about iPad settings), but the orientation still has me flummoxed. When I view the pics on my PC, they ARE in the proper orientation. Also, the packraft pic originally appeared right-side up on HF when I clicked on it, even though the thumbnail was upside-down. Now the expanded pic is upside down as well. I rotated the original on the PC so that it was upside down and posted it, but the pic was STILL upside-down when posted on HF. So, no matter the original orientation, it posts upside-down on HF!