Hiking the Standing Indian Loop has been on my "bucket list" for a while now. We had planned an advanced hike for the troop last November and many of the 2014 Philmont Crew Members had signed up to go but an early winter cold spell with wind chill in the single digits forced us to change destinations to the Pine Mountain Trail in West Georgia. So, I was very excited to have a chance to help put this hike together for our crew.
The Standing Indian Loop (24 mi) is made up of three trails, the Kimsey Creek Trail (3.7 mi), the Appalachian Trail (18 mi) and the Long Branch Trail (2.3 mi) and crosses the summits of Standing Indian Mountain (el 5,498) and Albert Mountain (el 5,250). There are three shelters on the Appalachain Trail portion of the loop, numerous tent sites and many streams along the way. This is a rigorous hike with a particularly steep ascent up Albert Mountain.
I would like to thank the other adults on the trip, Mr. Roeser and Mr. Newton for sharing the responsibility of logistics and support for the crew. It takes a lot of planning for a trip like this when none of the adults have previously hiked the route. Fortunately, the internet has a wealth of information about this loop and we were able to put together a great itinerary for the 20-14 Philmont Crew.
I took quite a few pictures along the way and will use the balance of this post to share what I caught with my camera.
Bob Beaullieu
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