Bent Arm Manway

[John Quillen]

This is a classic Smokies manway experience that we completed a while back.  If there were ever a trail that needs to be put back on the map, in my opinion, it is this one.  Of course, that would piss off all us bushwhackers and I know who clips that one out for us.  Finding the start of this route is the toughest part.  And I'm not going to tell.  The manway story is at the end of this trip report.

                              http://www.southernhighlanders.com/BentArm.htm

I am told that we came across a site of historical significance with regard to the Meigs Line.   After publishing this story, I received correspondence from a guy that is summarized here.  http://www.southernhighlanders.com/meigs_line.htm

It made the trip that much more special for Dave, George and myself.  These are the Smokies trips that take one truly to the "back of beyond".

[John Quillen]

This article talks about the Meigs Line that you intersect here on the Bent Arm.  As a matter of fact, we found a defining survey point about 3/4 way down the trail.  It is the picture in the link above with the piece of quartz in the tree.   http://www.wncmagazine.com/feature/history/drawing_the_line

[Dan G]

At the top, you have to look for... well, if you won't say, I won't either!  Yep, the quartz is hard to miss.  It's off to the left as you come up from the bottom and not too far from the bottom,

[John Quillen]

Dan,

Next time, I want to go from the bottom up. The start is very obscure from the top.  Did you see the piece of quartz in the tree?

[Dan G]

I went solo on Bent Arm about a decade ago.  It's pretty hard to find from the top, but easy enough from the bottom.