In September 2020 I spent 3 days backpacking the northeast corner of Great Smoky Mountains National Park. This was my first trip back in a hammock after a couple t*nt outings in Yellowstone. I always appreciate my hammock more after going to ground! Tropical Storm Zeta ended up having a heavy influence on my plans.

On Day 1 I started at the Chestnut Branch trailhead and knocked out a short road walk before beginning the real fun - a climb up the Baxter Creek Trail to the top of Mt Sterling. Weighing in at 4000' of elevation gain over ~6 miles this is widely regarded as one of the most difficult trails on the East Coast. As rewarding as it is challenging, the view from the Mt Sterling Fire Tower may be the best in the Smokies.

After enjoying the scenery on Night 1 I woke up to more precipitation on Day 2. All the rain did lead to a beautiful hike descending Swallow Fork Trail. Following Swallow Fork as it grew from a small stream to a full-fledged river was one of my favorite aspects of the trip. Once I reached the end of my descent for the day, at Big Creek, I ate lunch in the Walnut Bottom area. An afternoon climb brought me up to the Appalachian Trail and Cosby Knob, home for the night.

I had expected the weather to break on Day 3 but the rain continued to come down. Fog obscured my view from Mt Cammerer which was a bit of a disappointment, as I had planned the entire trip around visiting Cammerer. Oh well, something to look forward to in a future adventure. With no sign of the rain abating I decided to call it a trip after 3 days and headed back to the car.

Enjoy the gorgeous natural sights and in-the-wild commentary from my 3-day adventure in the Great Smoky Mountains! Thanks for watching.


Layne