Balsam Beartown Mountain - Jefferson National Forest, VA

This hike took place on Saturday, December 7, 2019 in the Beartown Wilderness of Jefferson National Forest, VA.
Distance - 8.8 miles
Elevation gain - 2,610 feet
Time - 5 hours and 35 minutes
Hike location
goo.gl/maps/fL...
Maps for this hike:
National Geographic 787
www.natgeomaps...

[@chrisjohnson974]

The forest road bypass you talk about at 15:10 is that on public land or do you need to get permission ? Great video thanks for all the info.

[@bigzach322]

I'm pretty sure that whole stretch is private. We made a judgement call to go for it given the sun was setting and the bushwhack up to Chestnut Knob in 6+ inches of snow would've been rough after a long day. I don't actually recall any no trespassing signs, but it is private land on the map.

[@chrisjohnson974]

Ok thanks I planning on doing it sometime in December

[@bigzach322]

@@chrisjohnson974 At minimum I'd stick to the ridgeline/west side on the way there and assess what to do on the way back.

[@ncwild]

Great report. Looked a lot easier than most of your other hikes. Are you filming with a smartphone?

[@bigzach322]

Yes it was all smartphone. I'm not using a phone anymore but this was over 2 years ago.