Benton MacKaye ^[1] (rhymes with sky) was an environmentalist and conservationist back in the early 1900′s. In 1921, just after his wife’s death, he wrote an article titled An Appalachian Trail:  A Project in Regional Planning. In the article, MacKaye detailed a plan for creating a wilderness trail along the Appalachian Mountains from Georgia to Maine. While his idea eventually became what is now known as the Appalachian Trail (AT), MacKaye himself was involved very little in the AT’s development. The path that the AT now follows is not the path that MacKaye had in mind.

In 1979, the Benton MacKaye Trail Association ^[2] (BMTA) formed to build and maintain the Benton MacKaye Trail (BMT). The goal was to develop a long-distance hiking trail based on MacKaye’s original Appalachian Trail route – namely, heading northwest along the crest of the Blue Ridge from Springer Mountain. The Benton MacKaye Trail is now a nearly 300 mile long footpath running from Springer Mountain, GA to Davenport Gap, TN. Both termini connect the trail back to the current Appalachian Trail, allowing hikers to begin at Springer, hike the BMT along MacKaye’s estimated original route, then continue on from Davenport Gap along the AT to Maine.

The BMT differs from the AT not only in path but also in amenities. The AT features numerous shelters and privies along its course, allowing hikers a relative level of comfort on their journey. The result is the inevitable congregation of hikers in and around shelters each night. By design, the BMT is more primitive, having only two shelters along its 300 mile length. Additionally, hikers report that the BMT is steeper than the AT, choosing more direct routes to ascend and descend peaks than its more gradual hiking trail cousin.

I plan on starting some weekend section-hikes of the BMT in a couple of weeks, beginning at Springer Mountain. Here’s my tentative opening weekend itinerary:

Friday: Head out from the office toward Ellijay, GA and find the Crosstrails Parking Area for the AT:

Directions from East Ellijay, GA: From the intersection of U.S. 76 and the four-lane Appalachian Highway (GA 2, 5, and 515); take GA 2 West for 0.1 mile; after crossing the Cartecay River, turn right on GA 52; 5.3 miles later turn left on Big Creek Road; continue 12.4 miles to Doublehead Gap (church on left); turn right onto the unpaved FS 42; proceed 6.5 miles to Crosstrails. Limited parking is available here. Better parking is 0.2 mile further at the Crosstrails Parking Area for the Appalachian Trail ($2 parking fee).

Depending on time and sunlight (it will likely be dusk or worse by the time I get there), I’ll either camp near the parking area itself (hoping not to have to) or I’ll start  the 0.9 mile hike up Springer and camp near the AT shelter right next to the AT/BMT junction.

Saturday: Basic plan is to hike as far as I can until late mid to late afternoon. Since I have to turn around and hike back to my car on Sunday, I need to limit my distance to what I can cover on Sunday in a decent amount of time, realizing that going back (mostly uphill) will be more strenuous. I’m guessing I’ll most likely make camp either at Three Forks (if I’m being leisurely about it) or somewhere near “The Bald”.

Three Forks (2550′): The confluence of Stover, Chester, and Long Creeks to form Noontootla Creek gives Three Forks its name. FS 58 parallels Noontootla and Chester Creeks while the Appalachian and Benton MacKaye Trails parallel Stover and Long Creeks. The blue-blazed Duncan Ridge National Recreation Trail runs 36 miles from Three Forks to Slaughter Gap, sharing the route of the BMT to Rhodes Mountain (on Section 3). The entire area features a heavy growth of rhododendron as well as large stands of white pine, hemlock, and various hardwoods. Noontootla Creek is an excellent trout stream.

“The Bald” (3250′): a.k.a., The Helicopter Pad. This clearing was originally a rectangular man-made clearing for helicopter landing and take-off practice of the U.S. Army Rangers. It was enlarged in 1989 to serve as wildlife opening. Good views to the south include the Chester and Stover Creek valleys, Ball Mountain, and Springer Mountain. There is no trail marking in the middle of the clearing, and although the distance across is only 150 feet, use a compass azimuth of 300 degrees to reach the other side in the event of fog. A good campsite is situated on the northwest side of the clearing although there is no water nearby.

Sunday: Turn around and go back!