Annie hikes the Balsam Mountain trail to Tricorner Knob on a stormy summer afternoon. This was on a section of the trail about two miles from the Tricorner Knob shelter on the AT. It's a great trail to hike in the summer months, with cool shade from the dense forest offering respite from the sun. For the most part, the trail traverses high spruce/fir forest as it winds and dips along the shoulders of several of the Park's 'sixers'.
We started the hike from Pin Oak Gap on the Round Bottom Road. The trail passes by the Beech Gap trail junction at 2.3 miles, and the Laurel Mountain trail shelter 2 miles further on. Right past the Laurel Gap shelter, the trail slabs around Big Cataloochee Mountain, passing the junction of the Sterling Ridge trail. A short distance later, the Porters Creek trail plunges off to the northeast into Big Creek, as the Balsam Mountain trail starts to climb higher into the range.
Tricorner Knob is reached at about the 10.2 mile mark of the hike. This is one of the finest high-country summer hikes in the Smokies, taking the hiker into one of the more remote regions of the Park.