Deep Creek

Got a good reason for taking the easy way out

Day 10, Poke Patch Campsite to Newton Bald Campsite

Sunday, April 16, 2023

I was woken up at 3:30 a.m. by the sound of a steady rain hitting my tent. Thankfully, it wasn't a thunderstorm, and I was able to fall back asleep. Rain was still falling when I woke up again, this time when my alarm went off. And again thankfully, the rain stopped a few minutes later.

Weather Early morning rain, then mostly cloudy skies with gusty winds; more rain in the late afternoon, and temperatures from the upper-50s to around 70ºF
Trail Conditions Some storm damage, washed-out sections where navigation was difficult
Today's Miles 11.0 miles
Trip Miles 146.6 miles

This hike was my first time using a tent I recently purchased, a Durston X-Mid Pro 2. Like other tents I've owned since I started thru-hiking, it's a single wall tent made of Dyneema Composite Fabric. The material is waterproof and extremely lightweight.

The tent is large enough for two people. My last one was a one-person tent. I missed having enough room to keep all of my gear inside, so when it was time to buy a new one, I went back to a two-person tent.

The Durston tent has two, large vestibules, giving it a larger footprint than my other tents. Polecat called it "The Bigtop" when he first saw it.

A single-wall tent doesn't allow much margin for error when it is set up. I discovered that when we had a lot of rain last week. I must have set it up better this time because no water puddled in a corner.

A flat section of trail near Deep Creek

There was no need to hurry this morning because our next campsite was just 11 miles away. During our planning for this hike, we had difficulty deciding which sites to reserve. Poke Patch Campsite, where we stayed last night, was the first on the Mountains-to-Sea Trail after Clingman's Dome. Though it would be possible to hike from that campsite to Cherokee, a distance of under 20 miles, it was farther than Polecat's comfortable distance, so we settled on Newton Bald Campsite.

That will leave a short distance to reach Cherokee tomorrow, where we'll stay in a motel and pick up resupply boxes. We dropped off a couple of boxes there the day before we started this hike.

After leaving the campsite at 8 a.m., we followed the trail along Deep Creek. At the start, the trail was flat and smooth. It was damp but not too muddy. We had heard this area had been battered by storms earlier this spring, but there were no problems at the start.

Crossing a small creek that flowed into Deep Creek

We soon had to cross two creeks that flowed into Deep Creek. The first was easy to rock-hop across, though some care was needed to avoid slipping on wet moss.

A narrow, rocky section of trail next to Deep Creek

Within the first hour, the trail became a little more tricky. It was narrow and rocky where it passed close to the creek. Again, some care was needed to avoid slipping on the wet rocks. Compared to what was ahead, however, this wasn't much of a challenge.

A washed out section of trail

Beetree Creek was the next feeder stream we had to cross, and it created a problem. The rain that fell last night and for a couple of days last week had swelled all of the streams. Water washed over the trail where the smaller creek flowed into Deep Creek. Downed tree limbs added an extra obstacle.

The only solution for this that didn't risk slipping and falling was to walk through the water.

Moss-covered rocks on the trail

Past the tricky stream crossing, the trail continued directly next to Deep Creek. The trail was filled with moss-covered rocks, so I walked slowly and carefully. If there had been any rocks to hop across on the next stream crossing, they were completely submerged.

Two young women passed me going in the opposite direction. They were the only hikers I saw this morning.

Polecat walking on the Deep Creek Trail

I found Polecat laying out his tent to dry at Nettle Creek Campsite. I did the same thing, though my tent didn't dry fast. Because of the tree cover and the clouds, there wasn't much sunshine. A few patches of blue appeared in the sky from time to time, and that was better than no sun at all.

Logs piled up on Deep Creek

When we repacked our gear and set off again, we didn't get far past the campsite before running into the storm damage we learned about from warnings posted by the National Park Service. The trail was partially washed out, and downed trees were piled up on the opposite bank. It was difficult to tell where the trail continued on the other side.

I think there may have been two stream crossings here, where the trail crossed the creek and then crossed back a short distance later. The trail was in such bad condition, though, it was hard to tell for sure.

Polecat trying to climb a slippery slope

Polecat chose to bypass this mess by climbing a slope, then bushwhacking his way back down to the trail. His route turned out to be much more difficult than he anticipated. First, the slope was steep and muddy, and he struggled to get up it. The rest of the way wasn't much easier because it was thickly covered in rhododendrons.

Polecat waits on the other side of Deep Creek

He always appreciates a challenge. Here, he was trying to avoid getting his feet wet. I waited and watched with amusement as he struggled to reach the other side. After about five minutes, he appeared there, proud to accomplish his goal.

By going this way, Polecat confirmed the trail made two crossings of the creek in a short span. Now I knew there was no need to follow his route. There was a much easier way.

I put on my water shoes, then forded the stream around the logjam to reach where Polecat stood on the other side.

A trail junction sign

Just before noon, we passed Pole Creek Campsite. I stayed there overnight in the fall of 2020 when I thru-hiked the Benton MacKaye Trail.

The Benton MacKaye connected with the Mountains-to-See Trail a short distance farther. They followed the same footpath for the next 8.1 miles.

A footbridge in Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Two more campsites were near Pole Creek Campsite. All were empty. The first footbridge we'd crossed since leaving Clingman's Dome yesterday went over a stream between them. We stopped at one of the campsites for lunch.

I was shocked when I realized it had taken us more than four hours to walk barely more than four miles. Stopping to dry our gear, trying to avoid slipping on mossy rocks, fording streams, and scrambling over blowdowns had taken more time than I realized.

Fortunately, we were about to leave Deep Gap and didn't expect to find any more storm-damaged sections of trail.

The trail begins to climb

After finishing our lunch, we began a long ascent. The trail climbed continuously for the rest of the afternoon. In the next seven miles, it went up more than 2,500 feet. Despite the sometimes steep climb, I maintained a good hiking pace and didn't need to stop for a breather.

A light rain began to fall when I arrived at the campsite at 4:15 p.m. Unsure it would soon get heavier, I didn't want to waste time. I quickly set up my tent, then went down a side trail to get water from Cooper Creek. Rain began falling harder just as I got back to my tent, though it stopped soon after I crawled inside.

When I realized it was stopped for good, I crawled back out and began preparing for dinner. The sun came out at about 5:50 p.m.

No one else camped at our site tonight.

Got a good reason 
For taking the easy way out 
Got a good reason For taking the easy way out now

She was a day tripper 
A one-way ticket, yeah
It took me so long to find out 
And I found out

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