You are unique, Bryan. Simplicity, beauty, and gems...

@BryanDeLay

Жыл бұрын

Thank you very much Nato!

I’ve got to get out to that area soon, thanks for showing the shots of the trilliums. What a great area to hike in. Thanks Bryan, greetings from KY.

@BryanDeLay

Жыл бұрын

You're welcome Mark! It's a great place and no permit to buy and you don't have to pay to park.

Somehow, I always manage to miss you on the trail. I've bumped into your son several times, but never you. I really enjoy your videos.

@BryanDeLay

Жыл бұрын

Thanks emsdad18! Nahan has mentioned that he met someone who watches my videos. If you ever see me out on the trail please say hello.

It was great to meet you on the trail today Bryan. I really appreciate your knowledge of the trails. These videos are great, very helpful! Thanks, hike on!

@BryanDeLay

4 ай бұрын

Hey Angela, really enjoyed talking with you yesterday. Thanks for the kind comments. Driving home I realized that we changed from talking about the SF Citico Trail to the NF Citico Trail, and I should have mentioned the 3rd crossing on the SF Trail. Fortunately you chose the right video to watch. The 3rd crossing, as depicted at 4:26, can be a little tricky and is required since there is not a bypass trail around this crossing. If you hiked up that far yesterday you probably noticed this. If you have any more questions just let me know.

Beautiful and peaceful place amazing view of nature thanks for sharing

@BryanDeLay

Жыл бұрын

You're welcome Jef!

Nice video, Bryan....your "easy going, enjoying the process" vibe comes shining through. Thanks for letting us tag along. Tom

@BryanDeLay

Жыл бұрын

Thanks Tom! After lots of backpacking in the last 35 years and 70 laps around the sun, you learn to take things as they come.

Glad you had some nice weather, Bryan. Looks like spring. Thanks for sharing.

@BryanDeLay

Жыл бұрын

Oh yes, spring is here!

absolutely beautiful Brian. So much solitude and stunning scenery, wonderful water features. You do a great job filming the crossings. Awesome campsites too. Great music.

@BryanDeLay

Жыл бұрын

Thank you very much Nicole! Citico Creek Wilderness is just south of GSMNP, without the crowds.

W❤️W! Absolutely Stunning And Breathtaking Adventure! Cheers!🥂❤️✨

@BryanDeLay

Жыл бұрын

Thank you Juan!

Well filmed and edited, finally got to see the upper reaches of the creek

@BryanDeLay

Жыл бұрын

Thanks Arctic! Glad you enjoyed the video.

Looked like some good solitude. I enjoyed the spring forest and streams. Thanks for another quality video, Bryan.

@BryanDeLay

Жыл бұрын

Thanks Tangent Trails! Spring is popping up everywhere.

What a awesome adventure, very beautiful scenery. Enjoyed your journey.

@BryanDeLay

Жыл бұрын

Thank you very much! Glad you enjoyed the video.

Pretty country , great videos as usual . Thank you.

@BryanDeLay

Жыл бұрын

Thanks Mark! Glad you enjoyed this video.

Another beautiful adventure and video capturing it. Those rivers call to me. Love seeing all the rhododendron I think that is one of my favorite parts of the Appalachians, , the rhododendrons.

@BryanDeLay

Жыл бұрын

Thank you very much Kara! Yes, the rodo's are awesome. About 15 years ago the hemlocks were another great feature of the Appalachians and it's a shame most of them are dead now.

Hi Bryan I really enjoyed your video! Citico Creek is a beautiful place. Thanks for the adventure! 🦉

@BryanDeLay

Жыл бұрын

You're welcome Danny! Citico Creek is a very beautiful wilderness.

Really nice trip Bryan! Always good to have a Plan B lined up! The Citico Creek Wilderness is very peaceful and the main trails look like they are very well maintained. I would assume that the creek crossings were super cold- good to hear it wasn't that bad. In our area most of the creeks are ice / snow melt so they are cold. The weather sure changed a lot over the three days, and it probably wasn't as much fun to hike in the mud the last day. Really enjoyed seeing the plants and trees, and the first flower you found... and its always wonderful to see and hear the creeks! Take care ~ Jennifer

@BryanDeLay

Жыл бұрын

Thanks Jennifer! Citico Creek is like home to me and I've hiked all the trails in the wilderness many times, so coming up with Plan B was pretty easy. I thought the water would have been colder too, but we didn't have much rain in April and the water levels are much lower than when I was at first crossing in February. So maybe that's why.

@JenniferLupine

Жыл бұрын

@@BryanDeLay That was a bonus! It's a really pretty area!

Gorgeous presentation my friend, this looks amazing! Such a great piece of content!

@BryanDeLay

Жыл бұрын

Thank you very much Ervinslens! Glad you enjoyed the videol

What a timely video previewing the area for me!

@BryanDeLay

Жыл бұрын

Hope this video helps with your plans John.

@DrJohn493

Жыл бұрын

@@BryanDeLay It do!

Great plan B Bryan. Beautiful creek. 👍

@BryanDeLay

Жыл бұрын

Thank you Tom!

As always, nicely done Bryan! Enjoyed the variety of scenery in this hike. Impressed with your "water-wading" ability.. 🙂 Thanks!!

@BryanDeLay

Жыл бұрын

Thanks Ken! With as many creeks as I've crossed hopefully I've figured it out by now, although even with a lot of experience one wrong step and you butt is in the creek.

@kenwbrenner

Жыл бұрын

@@BryanDeLayDo you mind an email, I have some thoughts to share with you for comment...

@BryanDeLay

Жыл бұрын

Ken if you are on Facebook you can send me a DM here: facebook.com/bryan.delay

Great little trip there. Nice video as usual Bryan

@BryanDeLay

Жыл бұрын

Thanks Wes! Citico is one of my favorite places.

I love the area and beautiful creek. Nice, April fools change of plans. On the same day I was almost attacked by a wild boar. No joke. Lol.

@BryanDeLay

Жыл бұрын

Hey Leon! I didn't know you had wild boars out there. We have lots of them here and there many places where they have rooted up the ground. I've run across them on trail and had them come into my camp at night many times, but I've never had one try to attack me.

@waterfallmadman

Жыл бұрын

@@BryanDeLay thankfully it stopped but i sure thought it was going to come after me. 😬

Hopefully you can get back down there shortly to do the Farr Gap trip. I'd like to see that bald and campsite. You must have not had the wind down there that we had up here (LaFollette) area on the 1st. Really scary and I wouldn't wanted to have been in the woods. 60 mph or better. Good video as always!

@BryanDeLay

Жыл бұрын

I'll try to video the Crowder Branch trip another time. We had lots of wind in the morning and early afternoon, so I waited until it was calmer to go. In fact I didn't start hiking until a little after 4:00.

Bryan, FYI - CITICO HAUNTS: FIVE PLACES WHERE SPOOKS HANGOUT ON THE CREEK A haunt is typically a thing or place inhabited by an angry spirit. As trail systems go the Citico Creek watershed is probably more haunted than most. Anyone who has spend time on these trails can feel that there’s something about these woods that is far different than a causal stroll around Indian Boundary Lake. According to our research here are the most haunted places in Citico Creek Wilderness. Rocky Flats Abandon Homestead - A rock chimney is all that is left of a lonely, forgotten homestead which was abandoned back in the 1920s. If you reach here just keep moving and ignore the rustle of the trees which we’re told sounds a lot like whispered warnings according to the hikers who have passed through. Jeffery's Hell Trail - Whatever actually happen here back in the 1930s when Jeffery allegedly lost his life in a brushfire while looking for his hounds, old timers have long said that his spirit still likes to make his presence know by shaking the thick rhododendron that make much of the lower part of this trail almost impassable; We suppose he’s only looking for his hunting dogs. Stiffknee Trail and the road up to it from Doublecamp - Much of this trail and road (FS59) is in perpetual shadows and darkness even at high noon. It is said to be the home of a small goblin-like creature who enjoys tormenting trespassers by throwing rocks down on those who make the mistake of passing or camping beneath the high ground over the trail and road. One report has it that two campers who decided to overnight at Farr Gap were so frightened by a sudden pelting of stones on their tent early in the AM hours, that they jumped in their car and left all their gear behind. Stiffknee ends at Slickrock Creek which has it's own history of nocturnal poltergeists. Best to avoid this area after dusk. Brush Mountain Trail - Probably the most isolated trail off the creek, Brush Mountain is a quarter mile up South Fork Citico Trail beyond where that trail comes into contact with the north fork trail. Rarely hiked, overgrown, it has a feeling of utter dread whenever you're on it. Rough and hard to follow in many places, it runs up through the old Ike Peak lumber camp. The story goes that many of the loggers who died in forestry incidents in the 1920’s as well as those who perished in the Summer ‘25 forest fire haunt this place. Old Crowder Orchard - Located at the end of Crowder Branch Trail off the Doublecamp Creek trailhead and accessible only after literally crawling through a vine entangled watery path, this open mountaintop site is the home of a white gowned apparition which has appeared to campers on moonlit nights gliding through the once bountiful apple orchard. Said to be a young girl who was murdered, we’re not going to stick around to find out.

@BryanDeLay

Жыл бұрын

Interesting Arctic! I've hiked and camped in all of these places and have never experienced anything strange. Maybe some people are more sensitive to these things than me, or maybe they have an active imagination originating from a perspective of fear.

Love watching your videos. I love your desire for the mountains. Thanks so much for taking us along with you.

@BryanDeLay

Жыл бұрын

Thanks Jason! Glad you are enjoying my videos.

I love the area. Just watch out for bears.

@BryanDeLay

5 ай бұрын

There are a few bears in the area, but fortunately I've never had an issue with any of them.

Thanks

@BryanDeLay

Жыл бұрын

You're welcome Mark!

Not terribly far from me. I need to get up there sometime!

@BryanDeLay

Жыл бұрын

Thanks for watching the video Joe. Hope you can make it to Citico soon.

Hey Bryan, another great video. What’s the tube coming out of your Cnoc bag? I have the same system, although mine are 2 liter bags and yours look like they might be 3 liter. I just have the coupler with the sawyer filter connected between the dirty and clean bags. Curious as to if you had more success with a tube to increase the length thus creating more gravity and greater/faster flow. Also, are you still rockin the Topos and what’s your system for getting your socks, shoes and feet dry? Do you hike with wet feet and dry off when you reach camp? Thanks for sharing great videos of beautiful areas that are less crowded and provide better opportunities for peace and solitude. I have always loved the Smokies but it has become much more crowded and now even more expensive to backpack there.

@BryanDeLay

Жыл бұрын

Thanks Dony! Yes I have a 3 liter CNOC bag and a 3 liter Platypus Hoser. The Sawyer filter screws to the CNOC bag and then the hose that came with the Platypus attaches to the filter and then screws onto the Platypus Hoser. The system does not leak so I don't have to pay attention while the water if filtering. I've never used a coupler so I don't know if more vertical distance increases the flow rate over a coupler, but it may. I gave up on Topos; they were wearing out too fast. I'm now wearing Altra Olympus 5 Trail Running shoes. Unless I just crossed a creek before arriving at camp, my shoes and socks are mostly dry when I get to camp. If it's cold I'll dry my feet and put on my sleep socks, then put waterproof socks on and then put back on my shoes. If it's not cold I'll wait until just before getting in the sleeping bag then dry my feet and put on my sleeping socks. If I'm wearing a good pair of wool socks like Darn Tough, being in wet shoes and socks are not an issue for me.

Awesome video, is that the crossing near the cable across the river? If so, we crossed there on our first ever Citico backpacking trip last spring. Slippery son of a gun if so... That unofficial trail was a chore for us, Huge Trees to climb over!

@BryanDeLay

Жыл бұрын

Thanks Dean! If you are talking about the first crossing on the second day, you can actually see the cable in the video. The blow downs you mentioned must have been a little further up Clemmer Cove.

@deanmcginnis2786

Жыл бұрын

@@BryanDeLay Yep, I missed that on your second day. On our trip, we used the "bypass" around 1&2, came to the 3rd and scampered up to the right, thinking now we followed that little trail too far up, best guess is we were at the 2200' contour line on map, found ourselves crawling over and under most of the way, at one point it was packs off and army crawling.... needless to say, we decided to take the higher water crossing to get back across 3, thank goodness for trek poles, defiantly a 3 points of contact crossing that day. Looking back it was a blast, after some WTH are we doing here moments. 😂

@BryanDeLay

Жыл бұрын

Sorry, I should have typed 1st crossing the third day.

You must have a good camera because the video quality seems really good!

@BryanDeLay

Жыл бұрын

Thanks Vonnie! I'm using a GoPro Hero 11 Black. However I'm adjusting the exposure and color on each clip, so I think that's most of it.

I'm curious about what kind of tarp you're using in the video. Is it available for purchase?

@BryanDeLay

Жыл бұрын

It's a Mountain Laurel Designs Duomid.