BRT through hike

Trail Monkey and I finished our through hike of the BRT about 2:30 today. We are sitting at Point of View restaurant in Jasper having our victory steak dinners. I will post a trip report in the next couple of days.

Colt and Trail Monkey signing off and about to go to Gordon's Motel and sleep it off.

Good job guys. Ready to hear your report!

I wish I was there with you guys, on the trail, and at the point of view. I'm glad that you were able to do it in 3 days, and you had great weather. Now its time to learn all the new inside jokes.

Congrats!! Also ready to hear a trip report...

Lew

Where is our trip report?? I know your back, feet and legs are hurting but there shouldn't be anything wrong with your typing fingers...

Lew

Is Trail Monkey still alive??? You didn't leave him out there did you Colt??

Lew

AWWWW thanks for caring Lew hahahaha. I am here. Just been really busy since I got back with a few project plans for some CVS Pharmacy and a couple of warehouse buildings that I have to get some bids together for. I am working on a GPX file of the BRT though and will upload it when I get it finished.

I was wondering too . I know that they had a blast, but now its back to ork as usual, can't wait to hear how things went.

Ok… here is the trip report.
Wed. morning on Dec. 31st I picked up Colt and we drove up to Jasper. Got there in time to have one LAST meal at Point of View lol. Then off to Buffalo Adventures. Let me say this if you’re going up there for paddling or hiking and need either shuttle or rent boats you would be crazy to not at least give Bill a call. This guy is the greatest. After giving the both of us a once through to make sure we were prepared for the chilly nights and long hikes, he took us down to Boxley Trail Head. Stopping along the way to make sure we knew that the river was up and that any crossings would be next to impossible. Upon arriving at the trail head he stopped just short of actually driving up into it. Smith Creek (the first crossing) was high and we could not cross it at the normal spot. He helped up build a rock bridge in order to cross. Toting rocks as large as a basketball and logs he made sure that we could cross. Once we got underway and actually down the trail and almost out of site then he left. What a shuttle service lol. Ok.. back on the trail it was nice, easy going. Though I was getting a little ahead of Colt and having to wait for him to catch up. We hiked a few miles in down to Arrington Creek and camped the first night there as there are several fire rings built there and we were right next to the river. It was a good night and the temps were down to around 23 degrees. So next morning we were having trouble with our filters freezing up as we were using them. At least I was. Still got several litters filtered and out on the trail we went.
The first “OFFICAL” day on the trail was great and only ran into one other couple there on the upper end. They had tent camped right on the edge of the big bluff overlook. For those that know the area it’s the first one you come to. 10am and they were still strutting about in the camp lol. We got into the Ponca Low Water Bridge around noon and took a well earned rest. We finished the day out by getting to Steel Creek and camping by the actual Steel Creek. We had a hell of a time getting a fire going and once going trying to keep wood dried out. Everything was simply so soaked. The next morning I had to give up getting the fire back going. Temp got down to about 25 degrees that night
The next day I knew was going to be the hardest in both terms of distance and climb. But we hit the trail right at 7:15am and were soon at Beech Creek. For those that don’t know the area this is the best place to take a rest before making that climb to the Slatty Place. That’s simply one hell of a climb and it seems that it is never ending. But we soon were in Kyle’s Campground and out of water. We elected to use iodine tablets rather than wait on the gravity filters, and while it was getting going we took a well deserved rest as that climb out of Kyle’s is a knee jerker. Soon back on the trail and at the top of the Kyle’s Rd, it seemed as though it was no time till we were at shop creek where we decided to take a final rest for the day before making a dash on Erbie Campground. It was around here that I knew we would have to do a bit of night hiking and that is something that I really really hate. But I know the area extremely well and was hoping to make that last flight of stairs before actual nightfall. We didn’t lol. But we did make the Erbie Campground by 7:30pm. Tired and broken, we hauled our butts down to the walk-in sites. This night is where I made my first real mistake. I ate only a couple of tubes of trail mix and drank a couple of cups of Gatorade before going to bed. Later I would regret it. But it was to be the warmest night and the clouds had rolled in for the first time. Night Temp was about 40 degrees.
The last day was the hardest on me. Having not eaten a decent meal the night before and that topped with not eating my usual breakfast we still got started about 7:30. Soon I would find that I simply had NO energy and it was a huge chore to get my legs to simply work. I began a regime of peppermint candies that I knew the sugar load would help me feel better, and it did work. We were soon down at the Cedar Grove Picnic area and there we decided to call Gordans Motel in town so that we could at least get a good shower. We BOTH needed it at this point. Soon we were back on the trail and around 2:30 found ourselves at my Truck at Pruitt. Bill had came through and boy was it a welcome sight. Soon we were in Jasper; first stop was the little store there at the intersection where we both pigged out. After a shower there at the hotel we had to find Colt a laundry mat as he only had one set of clothes (I did think far enough ahead and brought a second set). We finished that night up at the Point of View and I had to pay up on a bet that I made Colt that if he finished by Sat. evening I would by him a steak lol. We stayed till the next morning and took a drive down to the Boxley Trail Head simply to get a better understanding of what we had done. My official reading on my MAPSGPS 60CSX was 36.8 miles. It was great and looking back the only thing I would do diff. is eat a good meal before bed on that last night. Other than that nothing. Hope everyone here gets to experience this trail in its entirety someday.

Sounds like you guys had a great adventure Eddie. Thanks for the trip report.

...since I haven't been able to get out and go lately, I really enjoy getting to at least read about everybody else's adventures.

Congrats, guys. Sounds like you had a great time. I'll have to keep Bill's information in case I need anything like that in the future.
UL

Congrats!! Good Trip report...

Eddie,

Great trip report!

OH

Trail Monkey wrote: I am working on a GPX file of the BRT though and will upload it when I get it finished.

TM - have you posted a link to the BRT GPX file? I'd like to take a look at it if you have it available. Just thinking about pitching the BRT to you and ARH next June rather than the ERL?

RB

I have not uploaded it yet. Got busy and forgot actually. I still have it somewhere. I have to find where I put it after all the computer problems I had. I will email it to you when I find it Red.
It wouldn't take much to get me to do the BRT lol. I will be up there end of Oct. as well.. You still doing Big Ben this month?

Thanks - I'm seriously thinking BRT the first of June. Either a through hike or a yo yo. I don't think I can get there for spring break so June is the only time. Big Bend is out - my hiking partner wasn't comfortable w/ his conditioning so that'll be another time.

To bad about that... I knew you had really wanted to do that one. I may seriously be interested in a YoYO BRT. Do a 5 or 6 dayier. Would end up being like almost 70 miles. Preacha would be the one to ask about the total miles. We would have potable water in all the campsites. Though I would prefer to camp on trail. Would be nice also to do the trail one direction then hit the Old River Horse Trail coming back the opposite direction also. Would be totally a different trail then. Just a thought.

I must really have some adjustments to make... I'm 23 and probably in the best shape of my life, and I hiked the boxley to ponca section yesterday and felt dead at the end. I don't know how you guys cover that much mileage that fast.

I was getting blisters too, despite wool socks and appropriately-fitted hiking shoes.

Heck east... the Boxley to Ponca is one of the easier sections, in my opinion. That stretch from The Slatty Place to just above Kyles is the A** kicker. But when you want a workout head on down to do the Eagle Rock Loop on the Little Mo river. Better yet do that one in 2 days like a few of us have done. That will take the hair off lol.

I think my pack could probably lighten up a bit, which would make the whole situation better. Plus, I was carrying 4L of water on this hike because I wasn't sure what to expect water-wise.

Also, I can't figure out how I'm getting blisters on relatively easy trail with good socks and good shoes. Maybe I need to start taping my feet beforehand from now on.

4L of water is a good bit. Even for the BRT. I prob would never carry more than about 2 but then I do know some extra places to get water from if I needed to. Maybe 3L max from Steele Creek to Kyles but never more than that.. guess it also would depend on where I was going to camp for the evening as some places is just plain hard to get water at. Ah blisters.. you got to love them... lol. There could be a entire thread about them and how to prevent them and how to treat them, but then that would take a lot of the fun out of them huh lol.