Park car here and shuttle to Allen Gap for $55 – Grim Uncle Johnny's 151 River Road, Erwin, Tennessee, 37650 423-735-0548 unclejohnnys2000@yahoo.com
Allen Gap—Paint Creek is 350 yards west, but water quality is questionable.
Little Laurel Shelter (1967)—Sleeps 5. Privy. Water source is 100 yards down a blueblazed trail behind the shelter.
Jerry Cabin Shelter (1968)—Sleeps 6. Privy. Water source is on a small knoll, up a path found on the opposite side of the A.T. CMC member and honorary ALDHA life member Sam Waddle was the caretaker of this shelter and 2.9 miles of the Trail, from Round Knob to Big Butt, for 26 years until his death February 1, 2005. Sam had a good sense of humor and was responsible for a light bulb and telephone installed on the shelter wall. Sam’s volunteer efforts transformed this shelter from “the dirtiest shelter on the entire Trail to one of the cleanest,” according to Ed Garvey, by hauling out an estimated 20 bushels of litter. He was devoted to the A.T. and an inspiration to all volunteers who share the commitment it takes to make a difference. The electric outlet and telephone may be gone, but Sam’s legacy will live forever.
Flint Mountain Shelter (1988)—Sleeps 8. Privy. Site of one of the more unusual animal encounters in Trail history. In 1994, a sleeping thru-hiker was bitten on the hand by a fox in the middle of the night, despite the presence of other hikers and two dogs. Water source is on the A.T. north of the shelter.
Hogback Ridge Shelter (1986)—Sleeps 6. Privy. Water source is a spring 0.3 mile on a side trail near the shelter.
Big Bald—True to its name, Big Bald offers 360-degree views at an elevation of 5,516 feet. From 1802 to 1834, the bald was inhabited by a cantankerous hermit named David Greer. Spurned by a woman, he retreated to the mountaintop where he lived in a small, cave-like structure (no longer visible). He declared himself sovereign of the mountain and eventually killed a man, only to be acquitted on grounds of insanity. The life of “Hog Greer,” called so by the neighbors because he lived like one, ended when a local blacksmith shot him in the back; the blacksmith was never charged. Greer Bald eventually became known as Big Bald. A golf and ski resort, Wolf Laurel, is clearly visible from the summit of Big Bald. A spring and campsite can be found by following the A.T. 0.2 mile north of the summit to a dirt road and then walking west 0.3 mile down the dirt road.
Bald Mountain Shelter (1988)—Sleeps 10. Privy. This shelter is one of the highest on the A.T. (5,100 feet), and the area surrounding the shelter is too fragile for tenting. Water source is a spring located on the side trail to the shelter.
No Business Knob Shelter (1963)—Sleeps 6. No privy. Surrounded by large Fraser magnolias and mammoth hemlocks, this concrete-block shelter was built by the Forest Service. Reliable water is found 0.2 mile south of the shelter on the A.T.
Daily Plan:
Allen Gap to Spring 7.9 miles (Day 1) *climb*
To Campsite 10.6 miles (Day 2)
To Low Gap 14 miles (Day 3)
To Campsite 9.2 miles (Day 4) *climb* *perhaps go a bit more to shorten Day 5*
Option for morning pickup at Spivey Gap
To Erwin 11.7 miles – Option for pickup at Chestoa Bridge, Nolichucky River (Day 5) *descent*
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