Top: Paul pauses atop a huge fallen hemlock on the side of Hyatt Ridge during a bushwhack down into the Right Fork drainage, about a mile below Thicket Branch. The first time that I did this off-trail jaunt, it took me over 8 hours to figure out a route that would take me a little over 1/2 mile from the top of the ridge to the stream below, and then back again. To make the trip back out a bit easier and safer, I often mark my route in with surveyors ribbon, and then remove the ribbon as I travel back out again. As a rule, once I've traversed an off-trail route twice, I can remember it well enough to find my way over it again without any trail markings. I carefully record the route on a 7.5 minute topo as well, and before heading in, I leave a detailed route description, along with a map showing my expected route, with my wife. This is some seriously rugged country, and there are a lot of ways to get injured or killed while exploring it. Before deciding to venture off-trail, a hiker should have their map-reading and route-finding skills nailed down. This is not the place to practice - do that in a front country area where you're sure of being close to help if it is needed. Carry some sort of water purifying gear, either a filter, or some of the iodine tabs. I used to hate using iodine, but after trying the type that include vitamin C tabs to remove the iodine taste, I'm hooked on the ease of the method. The little package of iodine/vitamin C tabs can be purchased for about $3 at a variety of outdoor supply stores.

Below, construction continues this spring on what appears to be a pretty large bridge that will replace the old ford across Straight Fork at Round Bottom. The one-way dirt road that drops down from the Balsam Mountain campground to the crossing at Round Bottom has been closed to auto traffic for quite a while now after being heavily damaged in one of the big storms that dumped huge quantities of rain on the Great Smokies.