Thanks to all who have watched my videos and subscribed to my channel. Hopefully you’ve enjoyed watching. This channel shares some of my backpacking adventures and occasionally reviews some of my gear and techniques.
My first trip with the Boy Scouts at the age of 12, created a passion for backpacking, but it wasn’t until 1988 that I became an avid backpacker. Since 2011 backpacking has become an integral part of my life, averaging 75 to 100 nights a year. As of 2023 my backpacking miles exceed 13,000 in 25 states with almost 1,800 nights on the trail.
Again, thanks for watching and hope you enjoy this channel.
Bryan DeLay
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Enjoyed the video. Your dog looks like a good hiking companion. Are there many trails that allow a dog off leash in your area. We take our dog with us when we trailer camp in the Smoky Mountains but we are restricted to the campground with Daisy our dog. The Sugarlands trail into Gatlinburg is one of only two trails that allows a dog. Thanks for taking us along!
Very beautiful and green! Awesome backpacking trip, Bryan! Nice to see your sweet dog Riley along for the fun. ❤
Thank you very much. Riley seemed to enjoyed the trip.
Wow Bryan, I just did this trail a few days ago....hiked into Little Divide and out in a long day hike. I knew and was ready for the big climb out of the trail head, but didn't realize the trail has so many ups and downs, after that, as it goes through the Toboggan Lake basins. One of most strenuous day hikes I've done in 42 years!
Yea, that climb out of the trailhead will get your attention. That is a long day hike out and back to Little Divide. Thanks for watching!
Very lush and green, maybe that's why they call it Green Mountain. Your dog sure is growing. Thanks Bryan!
You may be right Rick. Oh yes, she is really growing. Glad you enjoyed the video.
Beautiful scenery there!! I have the same tarp that I use for hammock camping, but I like the setup you had there too.
Thanks Ryan! I've really enjoyed this tarp.
Love the look of this forest! Also, now that we have hit "inferno summer" season up here, I would love to hear the sound of some rain. Your pup is looking great and it looks like it loves being a trail dog!
This is a unique area with lots of 6,000 foot peaks in the area. On the other side of Rt. 215, the road I started at, is Shining Rock Wilderness, which was one of the original wildernesses designated by the Wilderness Act of 1964. It's been dry here too and I would love to hear and see some rain also. Oh yes, my dog loves to go backpacking. She gets excited when I load my pack in the car.
Nice to see the pup out learning the trail..Man u are the master of the bear hang. U have it down to an art form. u guys have those branches that really stick out..I swer a lot of the times up here your luck to find a tree that will work...there has been a few times where i know its not the proper height off ground ...but...but its 100 yards or more from camp and off the ground so its gonna have to work...i dont sleep well on those nights. So do the trails ever open up to views or is ist just green and thick as the eyes can see. Did a trip a few weeks ago bushwhacking and man Bryan and it qas thick and couldnt see...felt like an insane asylum ...except the walls werent white they were green. Actually felt a bit chlostraphobic at one point. amyway good vid...and be careful in those extreme Tempratuuuuuures! lol
Thanks Jesse! I've been using my 2CR method since 2011. Especially with the trees there I recommend you try it. My 2CR kit only weighs 2.5 OZ. Here's a link to how it works: bryandelay.com/2cr-bear-bag-method/. It's actually very simple. Oh yea, we have some meadows in high elevations, that are called balds. The thumbnail for this video is from one of the balds.
i am a new subscriber, we really enjoy your videos! thank you for sharing.
Thank you so much for subscribing. Glad you are enjoying my videos.
Thanks for another great vlog! I was wondering how you're enjoying hiking with your new hiking partner? May I suggest making a still of your frames around 8:29. I think that would make a great picture for your wall!
Thanks Chris! She's fun to backpack with. The challenge will be to get her to wear a pack and carry her own food when she's old enough in a few months. I'll check out you suggestion.
One of my favorite areas along with Shining Rock many thanks for sharing!
You're welcome! Glad you enjoyed the video.
Nice trip Bryan! Good to see you brought your friend for company. 😊Stay safe and thanks for sharing.
Thanks Stricky! Glad you enjoyed the video.
So cool to see how Riley seems to love the trail! A great companion. And a great video!
Thanks Woody! She does like to go backpacking.
I was in awe of how green everything looked...the spruce forest was amazing with the rhododendron.
Yes, everything was very green. This is definitely an area you should check out sometime. Middle Prong Wilderness and Shining Rock Wilderness, which is just east of Rt. 215, are along the Blue Ridge Parkway between Brevard and Waynesville, NC. Shining Rock Wilderness was one of the original wilderness areas designated by the 1964 Wilderness Act. Lots of 6,000 foot peaks in this area.
@@BryanDeLay thank you so much ❤️. Yes I definitely want to check this out. Thank you for the recommendation 👍
Thanks
You're welcome Mark!
It is always a good day when you post a new video. Thank you .
Thank you Mark and glad you enjoyed the video.
A world of green…thanks for sharing-love to see your pup with you
Yes, a world of green. These higher elevations in the southern Appalachians average 150 inches of rain a year. Thanks for watching this video!
Super cute pup but all pets must be on a leash in the Middle Prong Wilderness. www.nps.gov/thingstodo/explore-the-middle-prong-wilderness.htm. To advocate by filming otherwise is irresponsible and disrespectful! Not fair to others who have their dogs on a leash.
Such a beautiful area! Riley has grown so much! Thanks for sharing with us. I really enjoyed your video!!
Thanks for continuing to watch my videos Chris. Yes, she has grown a lot.
Riley hikes so well with you. Thanks for taking us along.
Thanks for watching! I started taking her on walks when she was 8 weeks old and although she no longer stays right by my side, she never gets too far ahead of me.
No duomid. What happened?
My Duomid is doing great. I just decided to get a tarp for warm weather. I'll go back to the Duomid in cold weather and when I go back to the Winds this summer.
Your companion looks like good company. Love your videos. Well done.
Thanks Luther! She seems to really enjoy backpacking.
Thanks for sharing this adventure,What's the pooch name Good trail partner
Her name is Riley and she is a good backpacking partner. Thanks for watching!
6:50 absolutely true! There are many unnamed trails up in that area. Easy to walk in circles if you're not careful!
You are correct! I personally think it's because the forestry service does not allow signs in this wilderness area, so people have created unofficial trails in lots of places.
Truly enjoyed watching.... Especially your pup frolicking on the trail.
Thanks David! She is full of energy.
Nice high elevation trip to beat the heat this time of year. Good to see Riley back out there. The rain really makes those greens pop. Middle Prong is another area on my list. I hear there's some trouty waters around there...
To escape the heat is the main reason I chose Middle Prong. The rain makes the leaves come alive. I've never fished there, but in the lower elevations I'm sure Middle Prong would be a nice trout stream.
Hi Bryan Thoroughly enjoyed your video. Glad you got a hiking companion. Thanks for sharing your adventures with us. 🦉
Thank you Danny. She's a good hiking companion. Glad you enjoyed the video.
Looks like a nice trip inspite of all the rain. Your pup is so cute and well mannered! Or here in our world it is in the triple digits so no hiking in the summer months…….can’t wait to go to Waterton, Canada, with the high mountains all around in three weeks!
Thanks! With that kind of heat I bet you can't wait to get to Canada. Have a fun trip.
As always great video. Good looking area and great looking dog. Bryan what breed is your pup ?
Thanks Johnny! Her mother is a full blooded Mountain Feist and her father is a Border Collie mix.
@@BryanDeLay Good combo. No wonder she takes to the woods like she does.
Looks like you had the area all to yourself. Love to see you hiking with a very well mannered pup, looks similar to ours when she was 10 years younger. We still hike 4-6 miles with her, let me re-phrase she takes us hiking every day and just passed her 16th birthday. Great footage in a very grown up area, thanks for sharing another fine outing! Greetings from KY!
Thanks Mark! She's well mannered most of the time. At five months old she can get wound up though.
The nice thing about middle prong is that you will not run into anyone like Shinning Rock! Like your tarp set up. See you traded in your trail star. I love that area! One of my favorites of NC!
Middle Prong has become more popular, but nothing like Shining Rock. My trail star wore out about 2 years ago and I got a Duomid. I've had this tarp for about 2 months and really like it for warm weather, although I go back to the Duomid for winter.
What tarp are you running with. I gotta get a new one, and I definitely cannot afford DCF!
Looks like a great area to hike. I'm going to consider this place for a fall trip. Good stuff Bryan!
Thanks, fall is a great time of year to go to Middle Prong.
Hello Bryan and thanks for the video! I wish we had that 70 degree weather now.
Thanks for watching! It's been hot here too. In fact the main reason I went to Middle Prong was to escape the heat.
@@BryanDeLay Elevation is wonderful! I am holding out for Fall at this point. Stay safe!
Hi Bryan! What a cool trip. Beautiful video footage. Your pup has grown. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks jmash41! She has grown a lot and is 5 months old now.
Enjoyed seeing your pup with you on this outing. She looks like she's taking to the trails well and hanging in there with you. I'm ready for the wide open spaces and some cooler temps. Imagine you are too!
Thanks John! She likes to go backpacking and get excited when I put my pack in the car. I'm definitely ready for cooler weather.
@@BryanDeLay That's a loyal pup; get ready for that sad look when you load up the pack and not her 😉
Nice outing and videography, Bryan....Amazing how green everything is, so close to where I am and yet we're in a drought. Barely had a lick of rain since late May. Your new hiking buddy seems to be getting into the swing of things. Great to see! Take care, Tom
Thanks Tom! We need rain here too. Our water levels are really low. There are a lot of 5,000 and 6,000 foot mountains in this area, with some even getting up to 6,500 feet, so those mountains create they own weather patterns with lots of pop up showers, especially in the afternoons. Oh yea, Riley's figured it out and never gets very far away from me. The next hurdle will be to get her to wear a pack.
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Thank you very Bolleolympus!
My son and I did this exact hike the other way in 1998. It's all downhill if you go Newfound Gap to Smokemont.
Thanks for watching! Sometimes you just want the challenge of the climb.
Enjoyed your video of this Virginia favorite! Many thanks!
Glad you enjoyed the video and thanks for watching.
Outstanding video. I am planning a similar trip to there, and your video is very useful...as well as aesthetically pleasing!
Thanks Don! Glad this video was helpful and enjoy your trip to the Winds.
First Class! Greetings from Kentucky
Thanks Mark!
Awesome share
Thanks Dave!
Brian, always enjoy your videos. Might as well wear swim trunks going to that area in the summer. Gotta ask: Are you still using a map and compass, or are you using a form of a navigation app? Thanks!
Thanks Vince! I always take a map and compass and I use Gaia phone app to GPS trips.
Thank you!
Hi Bryan. Another wonderful video, especially of my favorite part of the AT. I'm planning to take my oldest grandson (age 25) to this area in early October to do some short loop backpacking hikes. Question: I can't find any guides, maps, etc. that show the trails + offer milesage/descriptions. Do you know of any book that offers such? It would be of great help to me as I plan this trip. Thanks fo rall ou do!
Thanks Ken! For a map get Trails Illustrated Map #318, Mount Rogers High Country. My friend Johnny Molloy years ago wrote the only guide book for Mt. Rogers that I know of. Here is the book on Amazon, but it looks like there is only three left: www.amazon.com/Mount-Rogers-National-Recreation-Guidebook/dp/1572336285?ref_=ast_author_dp&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.snVRa8t8wjL1MHEYF7PTq5GgxXj3l69d68fZWU3mCC5gT3rR0N7YfgoG7S606pZvGwCqExg_ZDdhes4yP6LOlVG4nAPrk3MTA5h4iWFZo0l1loU43kg8jujWbDyqPsxOJCKI96Q7uiPXu8fgTcYMDip5iZjHWtCOkSvPdsOezELZW2KlB3I_061dx9zRdmwFIpxACEQClWFftjBZi3FFI53b34Z7Bt4pElGSmyWjmEA.J_RJytLSFNWoZSf4s3uqtL4DBlbVMX-5YbuhGHnm5QI&dib_tag=AUTHOR
@@BryanDeLay Thanks Bryan - Will order the map soon. One more question: Have you ever hiked the Iron Mountain Trail from Damascus east to where it hits the current route of the AT? I ask because I read many years ago that this was the original route of the AT heading east.
Yes, in 2003 Johnny Molloy and I did a big loop which included the Iron Mountain Trail and the AT though the Mt. Rogers high country. And you are correct the original route of the AT was the Iron Mountain Trail.
Hi Bryan! Great video and I love that area. What software did you use to make your intro and videos? Thanks for sharing!
Thanks jmash! The video editing software I use is Davinci Resolve.
@@BryanDeLay I may try that too. I appreciate your help!
Great trip Bryan! Fun to see your pup for a few minutes, she’s getting so big! Beautiful forest and campsites, fortunately you didn’t get much rain. Fun to see the pony up close. Nice to see just a few other hikers/ backpackers, especially when you know there are so many in the AT area! 😄👌 Hope you have a full summer of trips planned, take care, Jen
Thanks Jen! She's even bigger now. Mt. Rogers High Country is one of my favorites places to backpack in the south. Lots of trips planned this summer, including another trip to Wyoming in August.
@@BryanDeLay That sounds great!!
Brian, just curious, what's your base weight on your Smoky Mountain trips?
My base weight for the trip this past weekend was 12.5 lbs., but of course this was summer gear. Depending on how cold it will be my base weight can get up to 15.5 lbs. for winter trips.
I remember in 1968 I climbed up the Snake Den Ridge Trail with my Dad. It sure was a challenge. I was twelve years old. It was wonderful watching your video.
Thanks Mark! Glad my video brought back some great memories.
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Thank you bolleolympus!
My dad took me here when I was pretty young. It's been my absolute favorite place to go hiking ever since. It's absolutely beautiful there
Yes, it is a great loop!
Thanks
You're welcome Mark!