The story starts off about six months ago while Braveheart and I (Tidy) were talking about doing a longer backpacking trip than we normally take. We contemplated on many routes and finally decided on the Standing Indian Loop also known as the Nantahala Headwaters Loop along the Appalachian Trail (AT) in North Carolina. The loop is about twenty four miles long and we would start out on the Long Branch Trail then follow the AT to the Lower Ridge Trail and take it back to the car. We also decided on the dates of Oct. 5-9. Once the loop was decided upon we started the planning. It started out just being Braveheart and I, then it multiplied to Safety, Giddy, and Wandering Waterer aka Throttle. As you can tell I am using trail names, I will get to that story a little later on. A trail name is something that is earned or given to you while out on the trail some people also choose their own but I like the ones that are earned the most. Back to the planning, the original plan was to leave after work and camp out at the trailhead or sleep in the car near the trailhead. That turned into a night at the Days Inn in Clayton, GA and a enormous breakfast at The Dillard House in Dillard, GA, by the way if you are close to Dillard, GA The Dillard House is a must stop. It is not only a hotel with a wonderful restaurant, but a petting zoo and other activities as well. Well let’s get the trip started!
Oct. 5, 2011
Trail Miles: 0
After a long day at work for the five of us meet up at Safety’s house around 5:30. Somehow I ended up being the last one there when I originally wanted to be the first. I was a little late because I wanted to meet my mom and get the Emergency Roadside Kit that has an air compressor, light, inverter, and jump starter. After given a hard time about being a little late we proceeded to load the car. Everyone had their packs loaded except for Wandering Waterer aka Throttle. This was his first backpacking trip and was a last minute decision to come with us. I let him borrow my Gregory Z55 and he borrowed some more stuff from Safety to have everything he needed. About five and a half hours later, an Arby’s stop and driving a few miles past the Days Inn, we made it!
Oct. 6, 2011
Trail Miles: 8
Total Miles: 8
After a restless night of sleep partially due to the excitement of hitting the trail and the other half not getting any sleep due to Wandering Waterer aka Throttle’s snoring or should I say cutting some red woods down. We all woke up around 0500 and took our last showers for the next few days. We arrived at The Dillard house at 0700 and walked right in and sat down. After sitting at the table a few minutes we began to wonder how the service was going to be since they only took our drink order. Not knowing a few minutes later we would have the largest breakfast I have ever seen put in front of us. They don’t let you choose from the menu they bring the whole menu out. Keep in mind the following plates feed five grown men and still had leftovers. They brought out biscuits, cinnamon rolls, muffins, pancakes, eggs, grits, bacon, sausage, ham, pork tenderloin, fruit, sugar coated apples, hash rounds, and all the necessities like gravy, jelly, and syrup. Needless to say when we all left we were worthless. We then left the restaurant and headed to the trailhead. After arriving at the trailhead we made a bathroom break and put our packs on. After pacing back and forth looking at Braveheart and my GPS’s we finally found the Long Branch Trail. As soon as we found the trail, Wandering Waterer aka Throttle, took the lead followed by Braveheart, myself, Giddy, and Safety. The Long Branch Trail runs directly into the famous AT and is well marked and in great condition. At the intersection of the Long Branch Trail we took a quick break and checked our GPS’s, I then realized my GPS had cut off. I changed the batteries and cut it back on and it immediately cut off again, needless to say my GPS is worthless this trip, thank goodness Braveheart had his. Our first pit stop was at Big Spring Shelter for some of the guys that was their first time seeing a shelter. We relaxed a few minutes and also read a little bit of the Shelter Journal, by the way the journal is full and needs a pin. After the pit stop we made it to Albert Mountain Fire Tower which had a wonderful panoramic view. We ate lunch, took a view pictures and made one last phone call to the wife’s. That was the only place we had cell phone signal the entire loop besides on top of Standing Indian Mountain. After lunch we started the steep decent down Mt. Albert and set up camp at Betty Creek Gap. Our campsite was really nice except for the fact it was within twenty-five yards of a forest service road, we were all hoping that some crazy hillbilly wouldn’t crash our party in the middle of the night. We all setup camp, gathered firewood and water, ate supper, and hung our food. After a few hours around the fire we all retired to the tents and hammocks for a long night sleep.
Oct. 7, 2011
Trail Miles: 11
Total Miles: 19
After a great night’s sleep in my hammock I woke up and made a cup of coffee as I’m making the cup of coffee I look up and see Safety in his spandex thermals he slept in the night before. I have to say I needed a few cups of coffee before I saw that. After coffee and breakfast we packed up all our gear and hit the trail. Our first pit stop for the day was a nice overlook on a side trail of the AT. We stopped took a few pictures and ate a snack. While we were stopped another group of three guys stopped and enjoyed the view as well. After talking to them a little while we found out they were also planning on camping around the top of Standing Indian Mountain as well. So Braveheart and I thought of it as a challenge to beat them to the top of the mountain. After finding this out we threw our packs on and headed down the trail. After a few miles of hiking we stopped at Carter Gap Shelter to refill our water bottles. As soon as we sit down the three gentlemen came strolling up behind us. Then a few minutes later Giddy, Safety and Wandering Waterer aka Throttle showed up and filled their water bottles as well. As we were about to hit the trail another group of guys made it to Carter’s Gap shelter and told us they were headed to Standing Indian Mountain as well. So Braveheart and I looked at each other and see another challenge. We immediately hit the trail again and head toward the mountain. After hiking uphill for the next few miles Braveheart turns around and lets us know it’s time to stop and eat before he passes out due to the amount of calories we had burned climbing up the mountain. Once we get the snack down we hit the trail again. After a few more miles uphill we finally make it to the top of the mountain and wait on Giddy and Safety to catch us. Once together again we take a look at the map and GPS and think we have about a mile to go. We hit the trail and about a half mile down the mountain we run into an older gentleman heading to Standing Indian Mountain to camp for the night. We then realized we were headed the wrong direction and had missed the side trail to the knob where you can camp on top of the mountain. So we follow the older gentleman back up and he shows us the correct path which was right behind where we stopped to take a break. When we got back up to the top of the mountain near the intersection we passed the three guys we had met earlier on the trail and made it a challenge to beat. Ultimately we beat them! Once up the side trail we set our packs down to enjoy the wonderful mountain top view. After a few minutes rest I followed the older gentleman back down the side trail to the AT. Then we hit another side trail that leads to a black corrugated pipe that is connected to a natural spring where the campers could get water without having to climb down the entire mountain again. I gather water for myself and Bravehheart and also fill up the gallon jug for everyone’s supper and morning coffee. Once I got back up to the top we contemplated on camping on top of the knob or walk a few yards back down and camp near the intersection of the AT and the side trail. We decide to camp down at the bottom and once we got there another two guys had taken the campsite we were going to set up in. So we then changed our minds and decided to camp on top of the mountain. After we got everything setup. Another group of hikers from GSU lead by Two-Speed show up and camp on top of the mountain as well. In the mean time Wandering Waterer aka Throttle decided he wanted to go get some water for everyone else so he hits the trail in search of water. Braveheart, Giddy, Safety and I stay behind making the final touches to our sleep systems and enjoy the view. About an hour later we realize Wandering Waterer aka Throttle is still not back from gathering water. So Giddy, Safety and I head out to look for him. We walk down to the water spout and Wandering Waterer is not there. We walk back up to the AT and head down the Lower Ridge Trail a few hundred yards and still don’t see him. After yelling his name a few times we headed back to the campsite and consult with Braveheart as what to do next. We decide to grab a few flashlights since it was starting to get dark and we were going to go hike down the Lower Ridge Trail in search of Wandering Waterer aka Throttle. As soon as we were about to leave we looked over and see Wandering Waterer aka Throttle’s yellow bandana he had been wearing all day, boy was that a sigh of relief! Instead of him coming to the group to ask where the water was he asked the old man that originally showed me where it was. He didn’t want us to know he didn’t find the water or come back without the water. Once I realize he’s not coming back over to us I head down the side trail chasing after them. Once I caught up with him I let him know we were about to send a search crew out after him. I then take over leading him to the water spout. As we were gathering the water he lets me know he had walked a few miles down the Lower Ridge Trail instead of the other blue blazed trail that lead to the water. Keep in mind we have already hiked about 11 miles today and the lower ridge trail is a decent down Standing Indian Mountain, needless to say he was worn out! After gathering the water we headed back to camp and cooked supper and enjoyed a beautiful sunset view from the top of Standing Indian Mountain. The original plan was to spend two nights on top of the mountain, but we decided to head to the car the next day and find a place to car camp and fish for the last night. Once the sun set we gathered around the fire with the other campers that were camping on top of the mountain had a few drinks and retired to bed.
Oct. 8, 2011
Trail Miles: 5
Total Miles:24
After another great night sleep I woke up and fixed my morning cup of coffee and had my cliff bar. Once everyone was up Wandering Waterer appears out of know where and tells us to follow him. We follow him down the knob, in the opposite direction we came in from, to a rock overhang that had another great view of the mountains. We relaxed out there a while and talked about the days plan which was to hike back to the car, find a restaurant to eat at, and a campground were we could stay for the night. Once we got the plan together we headed back to where we camped and started packing all of our gear together. We hit the Lower Ridge Trail and made it back to the car a little after lunch. At least the hike today was all downhill and not uphill like the day before, this made for an easier hike. I have to say I would rather climb uphill then have to make a steep decent, the decent is much worse on the joints. Once we got back to the car we headed to the Subway in Franklin, NC and searched our smart phones for a campground nearby where we could fish and stay for the night. After making a few phone calls and actually stopping by one campground we decide to head to a local outfitter shop named Three Eagles Outfitters. Wandering Waterer aka Throttle asked the gentleman behind the counter a nice place we could camp for one night and fish. He told him about a place past Highland’s that had campsites along the wilderness road we could stay at and a great stream to fish in. We all discussed the option and decided to head towards Highlands, NC. After driving through Highlands we hit a long dirt road and went over a skinny bridge which underneath had a beautiful waterfall. We then stopped at a pull off that had a trail going down to the bottom of the canyon in which the stream was located. We walked down that trail a few hundred yards and then headed back to the car. We then drove a little further down the road and found a very nice campsite with a gravel pull off and picnic table. We setup camp and made the decision to drive back to Highlands to call the wife’s and let them know of our new plan. We also grabbed a quick supper at the only fast food place in Highlands, NC which was a Subway. In the mean time Wandering Waterer aka Throttle decided to stay back with our stuff and guard our campsite. I’m glad he did because while we were gone a guy on a motorcycle pulled in where we had our stuff set up and once he saw Wandering Waterer aka Throttle he left. After we ate we headed back down the mountain and dirt road to our campsite. While on the dirt road Braveheart started to smell smoke in the vehicle I immediately hit the brakes and realized it was coming from my inverter that was charging my cell phone. I threw the inverter on the ground and once it stopped smoking I put it back in the car because I didn’t want to leave it in the middle of the dirt road. We finally arrived at the campsite and gave Wandering Waterer his sub and told him thanks for guarding the campsite. After supper we gathered around the fire and had a few deep conversations, and then hit the sack for the night!
Oct. 9, 2011
After a long night sleep we eat breakfast and had our morning coffee and packed our gear up. The plan for today was to fish beneath the bridge. On the way back to the bridge we decide to stop at the pull off where we stopped the day before and hike down that trail to the stream. Wandering Waterer aka Throttle and I headed down the trail. The trail is a constant decent then it turns into a vertical decent. We climbed down the decent and wandered around the creek a few minutes and then headed back up to the car to meet Braveheart, Giddy, and Safety. Little did we know we were down in the canyon for around forty minutes and Braveheart was beginning to wonder if we were ok. He walked down the trail to where it got vertical and yelled our names then headed back to the car. He was wondering if we were ok and if he needed to gather some rope to be able to pull us out of the canyon if we were injured. A few minutes later we show up to a mad Braveheart wondering what took us so long. For our sake we didn’t realize we were gone that long and apologized for our miss judgment. I also thank Braveheart for his kind heartedness wondering if we were ok. After our little adventure down the canyon we headed to the bridge to fish, I ended up catching a small rainbow trout and hooked another but it fell off the hook, Braveheart caught three a little further down the stream, Wandering Waterer also caught one as well, and Giddy and Safety fell empty handed. After the short hike back to the car we all changed cloths to our clean drive home cloths I went to start the car and the battery was dead, luckily I had the emergency road side kit. After starting the car we hit the road home.
The Standing Indian loop was a great adventure. The weather could not have been any better and we all had a great time together. Now back to the story of our Trail names.
Myself Tidy, everyone agreed I was a little OCD about my gear I had made a large spreadsheet with the entire trip laid out as well as all of my gear and weights I also had all my food organized, labeled and weighed for each day. So they started calling my Tidy.
Braveheart got his trail name from his five years of military service. We all sincerely thank him for his service!
Wandering Waterer aka Throttle has two trail names Wandering Waterer came from his search to find the water on top of standing Indian Mountain. Throttle came from his hiking speed he would be at the front of the pack racing along the trail or we would lolly gag around the back it was like an instant on or off speed!
Giddy got his trail name from around the campfire the night on top of Standing Indian Mountain he had several adult beverages and began to giggle and become a little more talkative so the name giddy stuck!
Safety got his trail name from always being the caboose of the hiking line. He was always the last one to get everything packed up and also liked to follow behind the pack just in case one of us dropped something, hence he was our Safety!
