Perspective From A Failed Thru Hike Attempt - Benton MacKaye Trail

I tried to thru hike the 300 mile Benton Mackaye Trail, and it didn't really end well. Not every thru hike can be successful, and though I could have gritted it out and pushed through just to say I did the thing.... it seemed like my time was better spent elsewhere!

I don't want to do something just to say I did it, I want to enjoy what I am doing! So I went back to my car, changed plans and headed off to hike the Foothills Trail of South Carolina instead :)

Check out these backpacking meals from Bowl & Kettle! I was really enjoying them on this trip, different styles of food in the best possible way! https://bowlandkettle.com/

My Favorite Thru Hiking Gear:
Tent - http://tinyurl.com/bdxm9229
Quilt - http://tinyurl.com/4fm96rt4
Backpack - http://tinyurl.com/ykhnu4fh
Pack Liner - http://tinyurl.com/2p8uvn7w

Rain Jacket - http://tinyurl.com/bdadk452
Fleece - https://tinyurl.com/ucd7ypdr
Puffy - https://tinyurl.com/29966jbw
Socks - https://amzn.to/3tUDH6U
Bug Head Net - https://tinyurl.com/2vrwsd26
Smart Watch - https://amzn.to/3mz7ePp

Stove - http://tinyurl.com/58r2rys8
Pot - http://tinyurl.com/hn32nxxp
Battery Bank - http://tinyurl.com/47x276b3
Flashlight - http://tinyurl.com/5n6jkrmd
Camera - https://amzn.to/4axYKgb
Lens - https://amzn.to/41Xjlqg

The Benton Mackaye Trail is a 300 mile long distance hiking trail which passes through the states of Georgia, Tennessee, and North Carolina. It starts at the same southern terminus as the 2,193 mile Appalachian Trail near Amicalola Falls State Park, at Springer Mountain. And then it winds its way north, sharing some trail with the AT along the way, and crossing the AT a handful of times to create an S shape, with the AT running through the middle.

The Benton Mackaye Trail is also cool in that it spends a lot of time on lesser known trails in the Great Smokey Mountains! Following along the shores of Lake Fontana and walking passed Fontana Dam. Then traveling through the park for roughly 100 miles in places that most people will never go. I really looked forward to this aspect! Getting to see the Smokeys in a whole new light.

Unfortunately on this trip I was not successful. To start I got a bit unlucky with weather. I knew going into this hike I would be in for three days of rain, but from there the forecast looked clear and good! Well that three days in the end turned out to be eight or nine days of rain! I had quit before the 8th day, but it's still worth noting maybe that it was not going to end. It made filming and photography difficult, I was always on edge with thunder and lightning when climbing mountains or on ridge lines, and I was just getting progressively more wet. I could have spent more time in towns drying off, slowing down when I am on trail and spending more time in the tent. I did have a nice rain jacket and umbrella... but it just made the trip less fun.

My next problem was a lingering injury from when I thru hiked the Florida Trail just a couple months prior. I have shin splints in one leg, and it was starting to cause me problems on this hike. I would hobble around in the morning, and then be good for a few hours, but around 1pm every day it would start to hurt quite bad. I had thought maybe this problem had gone away, before starting this hike, but it was beginning to really bother me.

My final problem was that on this trip I had wanted to have fun! I had brought a small ultralight fly fishing kit, which I was going to use in rivers and streams along the way. I had spent a couple hundred dollars on fishing licenses for the different states. I was super excited for the fishing! It was going to be my daily fun thing. Marked on my map I had gone through and saved all the rivers along the way which I thought would be good... and then I lost my fly fishing gear. I left it sitting next to a log when I had stopped to put on my rain jacket. So now I had my tenkara fly fishing rod still, but no way to use it! No line, no flies, nippers, forceps, no tippet. These things could have been replaced later down the trail, but it was just another problem adding to the other problems.

In the end I made it nearly halfway. I think I quit around mile 130. I really did enjoy what I saw of the Benton Mackaye but it wasn't my time.

Hiking Essentials Shirt! http://jupiterhikes.com/product/hikin...

THE BACKPACKING GEAR I USE:
http://www.jupiterhikes.com/gear/

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