tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-66111577726357168132024-03-12T20:53:56.357-04:00Outrunning the rain while chasing the sunashipmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00382359453145164520noreply@blogger.comBlogger21125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6611157772635716813.post-4985114846377952782015-09-20T20:42:00.002-04:002015-09-20T20:42:44.301-04:00Chimney Tops Trail 9-7-2015It was time for my wife and I to head off on a trip. Our third wedding anniversary was coming up and we both desperately needed to get away. That is one of the good things about living where we do, the Smoky Mountains, the most visited park in the USA is about two hours from our home. So any time we get a wild hair to go on a hike, it is not that long of a drive.<div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Borrowed from HikingtheSmokys.com definitely want<br />to make sure that I give full credit for </td></tr>
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Ever since we first started dating, there have been trails that we have wanted to do, Bridal Veil Falls, Savage Falls, Abrams Falls and others come to mind. Chimney Tops has been on the list for a while now, but for some reason we just never took the time to go. I made sure that it would be on our list for this vacation; as a matter of fact, I wanted it to be the first trail that we hit on this vacation. So we loaded up the car and worked it out with our hotel to have an early check in and went to Gatlinburg. We made good time and stopped at the Subway in Townsend for a lunch sandwich, hey when a craving for Subway hits I guess it has to answered, and made it to the room by 1.30. We had our stuff unpacked and backpacks in the car and were back on the road by 2. I began to worry after we passed the Sugarlands Visitor Center and all the signs about road work between there and Cherokee NC began to show up, but hey, it was Labor Day and surely they would not be doing road work on Labor Day. Right? </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx8_TdyU-lIZVXVMNn7DPDrTMQboawsHQmThRH87bVQA3id31VBmmHBg8_llqMVU_89Q66AemvQhLSiPzVQAEYt5APFVDHDCay_ckNgxL39OfEewaHrbjib5Mw7fmkSy0afLN9rfViDsA/s1600/IMGP0855.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx8_TdyU-lIZVXVMNn7DPDrTMQboawsHQmThRH87bVQA3id31VBmmHBg8_llqMVU_89Q66AemvQhLSiPzVQAEYt5APFVDHDCay_ckNgxL39OfEewaHrbjib5Mw7fmkSy0afLN9rfViDsA/s320/IMGP0855.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sign at the Trail Head</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkaHV0ZkkymOJyniXkGJx0ucFU79h1cC31D7ysGolrVykxeBiTJhvGRIIfJmjh5rWOY3ZTLes55z1hCutj15USjnG6dSkBUKf0P6L7Zvd2RskXeIJ5soMz8BXNy-gTKyFMtIY7CIBciBw/s1600/IMGP0856.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkaHV0ZkkymOJyniXkGJx0ucFU79h1cC31D7ysGolrVykxeBiTJhvGRIIfJmjh5rWOY3ZTLes55z1hCutj15USjnG6dSkBUKf0P6L7Zvd2RskXeIJ5soMz8BXNy-gTKyFMtIY7CIBciBw/s320/IMGP0856.JPG" width="320" /></a>After the 7 mile trip from the Sugarlands, I discovered that I was right, they would not be doing road work on Labor Day. The problem was, it was Labor Day and the parking lot was at capacity, even beyond capacity. There were people parked every where and every which way. I told my wife that I might not have thought this trip through as thoroughly as I had imagined. She just laughed and said we would find a spot. I had to drive over the loop before I could find a place to turn around and then waited for what felt like an hour before I could pull back out on the road to drive back to the parking area. I got lucky and was able to parallel park across from the parking lot and we did not have to walk from the spiral like some people did.</div>
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We walked over to the start of the trail and began going down. There were several groups of people coming out, and that gave me hope that the trail would not be crowded and that we were going to have the Tops with minimal people. I could see the new bridge that the Trails Forever people put in and it has to be one of the nicest hiking bridges I have seen. I was duly impressed. But it is a narrow bridge. I had my new Osprey Exos 48 Backpack on, filled with my day hike choices, along with a 2 Liter bladder, and my full Trangia kit and was a little wide for some of the more wider people standing on the bridge. I had to grab the bottom of my pack with one hand and shove it up over the railing, turning sideways and hang my pack over the rail to squeeze by them. I must not have said, "Excuse me," loud enough, but I did try and give them a pleasant smile. After crossing the first bridge, the trail goes to the right and across another bridge. I liked the view from this bridge more than the first due to Road Prong cascading down the mountains to join the West Prong of the Little Pigeon River. Then the trail turns back left and goes up a ridge before coming to bridge number 3 over Road prong and climbing again. Then after about 0.8 of a mile, the trail goes over bridge number 4, which is another scenic little setting. There were several groups of people here taking pictures and splashing in the water.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The sign at the split, Chimney Tops goes right</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px; text-align: center;">The Stairs</td></tr>
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After 0.9 miles, the trail splits. Chimney Tops Trail goes off to the right, while Road Prong Trail goes strait to link up with the AT in 2.4 miles. I knew that we would be climbing up the mountain the entire trail. I knew that it was a practical 1,500 foot climb from the bridge to the top. I was expecting an uphill slog the entire way, and I knew that it was a steep climb. I can deal with the climbs, I do not mind following a trail all the way up to the top of a mountain, but after turning on to the Chimney Tops Trail proper, we ran into something that I was not expecting at all. Something that takes the wind right out of my sails and leaves me begging for mercy. Torture devices that are guaranteed to have me crying for Momma. We found, stairs! I am making it sound a lot worse than it really is. The stairs are nice and made out of stone found, I assume, on the mountain or close by. Without these stairs, the trail would not be hikeable at all. The rain would wash the trail away to nothing in one season I would assume without these stairs. My heart does go out to the men and women who had to carry all of those stones though and lay them into place. According to one older hiker that we ran into, there were 437(ish) stairs that one has to climb. I would say it was the stairs that made this trail more friendly. We met lots of people encouraging us that we were almost there, and saying how wonderful the view was today. We would take breaks to let families pass us and they would all say hi and how great the view was. Before reaching the stairs, not many fellow hikers would even say hi to us as we passed, and I like to try and be a friendly hiker and speak to everyone, even if it is just to say hi. My dad swore I would grow out of it when I was younger. We spoke to a couple who we had passed and then passed us in turn. I told them we were going to leap frog the rest of the way. The woman laughed. She asked everyone she saw how much longer it was to the top. When my wife and I left them, we went a little ways before running into the step counting man mentioned earlier. I made sure to have him tell her she was about there.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhla55D025ca23AG1rTMBmiHTqzWZLlgNlh6VcNZNgUaGimspt1zF-fD7s_h6w5Tat5tbSZmCHnXaozX3A9QWACUC9kClOOLqaFZXcsOs8dz5ZiDr1ksc-5tPxYrsrZtaaKexfK_FE9P9o/s1600/IMGP0843.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhla55D025ca23AG1rTMBmiHTqzWZLlgNlh6VcNZNgUaGimspt1zF-fD7s_h6w5Tat5tbSZmCHnXaozX3A9QWACUC9kClOOLqaFZXcsOs8dz5ZiDr1ksc-5tPxYrsrZtaaKexfK_FE9P9o/s320/IMGP0843.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View right before the rain.</td></tr>
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The problem with the stair section is that there are not any real views to be had. The stairs climb up by a stream for most of their way. The Pale Jewelweed was in bloom when we went and it made the trek a little nicer having all of the yellow flowers lining our way. We even stopped and watched a bee go in and pollinate a couple flowers while we were chugging water on one of our stops.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDzypHXkEhf8WiXaQilfxAyR9IgalmktCq8gpFbQtvg9FZlSD4os9bh_WuG1gMHNCa9lJ0h_Q5ry5MP0CCn1ITfU19gw-j-92PlQmBMlqp7rwcb7L_gu0rjRh1qHg_eGSjTn7UrZ0-Fks/s1600/IMGP0842.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDzypHXkEhf8WiXaQilfxAyR9IgalmktCq8gpFbQtvg9FZlSD4os9bh_WuG1gMHNCa9lJ0h_Q5ry5MP0CCn1ITfU19gw-j-92PlQmBMlqp7rwcb7L_gu0rjRh1qHg_eGSjTn7UrZ0-Fks/s320/IMGP0842.JPG" width="320" /></a>After about 0.9 miles, the trail tops out. There is a view looking out over the mountains. Then the trail evens out for the last .2 miles. I felt like I was walking the knife's edge of the mountain in this spot as we were literally on the top of the mountain going for the tops. I loved it. There were several larger groups of people at the tops when we arrived. Many were sitting at the bottom drinking water and eating snack. Many more were up on the tops lounging around and laughing. I pulled my camera out and took the picture to the right and turned to my wife and asked if she was read. At that moment, it started to pour the rain. I dropped my pack and grabbed my rain jacket and my pack cover and slid them on fairly quickly and my wife did the same with hers. People started scrambling down from the top, I watched an older couple ease their way down and slide to a stop on the roots in the picture. Many people just slid and jumped their way down the rocks. I stood there with my First Aid senses going bezerk. I just knew someone was going to take a bad tumble off those rocks and get hurt. Thankfully, no one was injured at all. Then except for another couple who had came up when we did, we were the only people on the tops. I couldn't help but laugh when my wife said that the blog was living up to its name in this situation. Then, just as suddenly as it came, the rain quit. I could not come here and not try to climb some part of the rocks. My wife said she was not interested at all in going all the way up. With my fear of heights, I knew I was not going to the top, but I had to climb some of the tops. Even in my high top hiking boots, I was sliding on some of the rocks and knew better than to push my luck. I climbed less than half way looked around and then came back down. The bottom picture is looking back down the towards the first picture. The rocks do not look it, but trust me it was slippery.</div>
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So, with us reaching the end of the trail and setting foot on one of the few clear mountain tops in the Smoky Mountains, my wife and I headed back towards the car. It was a tough hike, I will not lie to you. The uphill trudge goes on and on and on, but if you tough it out and make it to the top, the effort is worth it. Even with the rain and the cloudy views, I enjoyed this trail. The steps are uneven and not at all level, so if stairs give you trouble, you may want to keep that in mind. People say that if you do not go out onto the tops you are cheating yourself, but I know my limits and I know the conditions of the day that I went and I am super satisfied with my experience. I would recommend this trail to anyone looking for a little adventure, or to those who just like to get out and climb a mountain from time to time. If you feel like seeing a waterfall after hiking to the top, turn right when you come to the trail sign again. There are two waterfalls to see. One is about 0.3 miles up and the other is roughly 0.6 miles up the trail. We did not hike to the falls and we have not seen them, I am just letting you all know that they are there.</div>
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ashipmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00382359453145164520noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6611157772635716813.post-33766437210920008292015-09-06T15:03:00.000-04:002015-09-06T15:03:17.796-04:00Old Copper Road Hike <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Trail Head from the Ocoee Whitewater Center</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Creek that is crossed right after starting tail</td></tr>
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Way back in January of this year, I thought it would be a great idea for me and my wife to buy an annual pass to the Cherokee National Forest. A one time fee of $30 instead of always having to pay at least $3 any time we went somewhere in the National Forest. Wonderful I thought! Great idea, so I went and bought it, without thinking about my wife being in a Master's Business Program. Until this hike last weekend, we had only used the pass one time. I still believe it is a good investment since it also works at the boat dock and shooting range. I need to check the scope on my deer rifle before the weekend before Thanksgiving so I know there's another $3 saved.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bridge at the One Mile Marker<br />
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So with the semester just beginning, we took off to the mountains. I have wanted to hike this trail for a while. It is one of those tantalizing close trails that is there and we all know about but somehow never manage to hike. No more, I said. Surely my wife, Mia the Hiking Chihuahua and I could handle a 4.6 mile round trip trail. I packed my 15 year old Eureak! 2500 day pack and loaded my two new el' cheapo trekking poles into the car and we were off. Since an Orthopedic Doctor said I tore my meniscus hiking at Rainbow Falls last year, I had been meaning to buy trekking poles but didn't really want to lay out the cash for some good ones in case I did not care for them. So I bought some poles that are $16 a piece and thought that I would give them a shot before I bought some Leki or Black Diamonds. The problem is nature was calling when we got to the Whitewater Center and in my rush, I forgot bag, water, and poles in the car. Then after watching several different rafts go through the rapids at the foot of the Center and buying a Trails Illustrated Map for the Ocoee-Tellico Region, they were all forgotten and the hike begun.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Trail going through the woods</td></tr>
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The trail begins just east of the large suspension bridge that spans the Ocoee River just above the welcome center. It starts with an easy downhill grade to a water crossing that can be rock hopped to stay dry. Along much of its route, the trail follows the Ocoee River and we several different rafting companies going down the Upper/Olympic part of the river. The whole trail system at the Whitewater center is also open to mountain bikers. They generally prefer the trails across the river, but we did see all of five bikers this day. They were nice and all spoke as they passed. We yielded the right of way to them instead of them yielding to us, but hey we all have to make the world go round.<br />
<br />After a mile we came to the first bridge. It was pretty neat for me to see this style of bridge on the trail. There is also the little hiking man mile marker just before the bridge with the Purple i trail marker. To the left of the bridge, if the Whitewater Center is behind you, a stream comes running down the mountain. It creates a nice series of little cascades as it flows under the bridge. The trail here begins to veer away from the river for about a half mile. Walking through the forest, you can still hear the river running over the rocks but the sound of cars on Highway 64 also become more pronounced as the make a pull up the ridge. Also along the way there are a couple of side trails leading off to benches and interpretative markers telling some of the history of the area and the old road.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Trail Head from Ocoee Dam #3</td></tr>
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After the 2.3 miles, the trail ends at the raft put in for the upper section of the Ocoee. If you wanted to do a shuttle hike and drive two cars so that you do not have to turn around and hike the 2.3 miles back, the area is by the Boyd Gap Overlook on Highway 64. As the picture shows there is a kiosk, restrooms, parking area, picnic tables, and, of course, a raft put in. Jackie and I wanted to walk over to the put in and see Ocoee Dam Number 3, something that I had never seen before. There were a couple of outfitters getting ready to take some groups out when we arrived. One of the guides asked if we wanted him to take Mia, the Hiking Chihuahua, down with him and meet us at the bridge. We declined, much to the relief of Mia and his passengers. We sat there and watched the people set off on their rafting trips. We had a short talk with a guy working sweeper for one of the groups. He took a kayak and floated behind the rafts to help out in case anyone got into trouble or there was an emergency on the river. He seemed like a nice enough guy. I was really beginning to wish I had my backpack with its 2 liters of water and packs of crackers and almonds by this time. So we headed back to the car, a little over 3 miles away. Jackie let me lead and I set a pretty fast pace, even carried Mia to help us out. All I have to say is that we beat the guide who offered Mia a ride back to the Whitewater Center with time to spare. We were sitting on the wall drinking an over priced Power Aid and watching the rafts go down the first set of rapids when he yelled hey and we waved back to him. Overall it was an enjoyable hike and well worth the effort we put into it. If I had it to do again, I would make sure to grab my backpack before we started the trail. <br />
History Note: The Old Copper Road used to be THE road to get copper from Copperhill, TN to the railroad at Cleveland, TN. Once the L&N made the Hook and Eye Route operational between Etowah, TN and Blue Ridge, GA the road received less copper transport, but still was the main thoroughfare. With the advent of the Highway system, much of the Old Copper Road became buried under Highway 64, except for this little 2.3 mile section. Some times on these hikes it fun to imagine wagons loaded with goods pulled by teams of horses going down by a river that was wild and free; long before TVA and it's predecessors the Eastern Tennessee Power Company built dams to harness the river for its power. One of the many reasons I hike, to experience a part of history that has gone away and can only be found in one's imagination or old books. If this sounds like something that interests you dear reader, then maybe this is a trail for you.ashipmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00382359453145164520noreply@blogger.com0Ocoee Whitewater Center, 4400 U.S. 64, Copperhill, TN 37317, USA35.066797 -84.4613370000000159.5447625000000009 -125.76993100000001 60.5888315 -43.152743000000015tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6611157772635716813.post-27715740265498054372015-08-30T22:31:00.000-04:002015-08-30T22:31:33.829-04:00Cumberland Trail Graysville Mountain Segment<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"> With my wife's summer classes over and me having a weekend off from work, we decided it was time to go hiking again. Between her school and my work schedule, we have not had much time to get away from the house other than for the necessary trips. I began looking for the place to go and a new waterfall on Tuesday and by Wednesday had decided on the Cumberland Trail. I will confess that I am developing a love hate relationship with this trail. I love it because it is a long distance trail within Tennessee, and like the Benton MacKaye Trail, is only about an hour, probably less, from my house. I also love the views you get from being on top of the plateau and the many waterfalls that the trail goes by. See it is these waterfalls that help me to convince the wife that we should hike on this trail. If the Benton MacKaye Trail had as many waterfalls close by we would probably have hiked more of it. The hate part of the relationship is that it is incomplete. I know it takes years to finalize a trail's path and even then it is changed over time, but the Cumberland Trail Conference appears to only be working on connecting the northern end of the trail. Now before I go too far, I don't want people to think I do not know about or have forgotten the 30 miles of trail in the Three Gorges Section, because I haven't. It is just that other than that and the Mullen's Cove Loop there are not any substantial parts of the trail connected below Crossville. I really appreciate all of the hard work that the trail crews and the trail maintainers put into keeping the trail open for everyone to enjoy. I guess I am part of the Gimme Generation and wish that the trail was open NOW, but I know that once it is completed it will be a trail that has been well worth the wait.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is a screen capture of my track using the AllTrails app</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is the trail map given by the Cumberland Trail Conference on their website</td></tr>
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We were dog sitting for the in-laws this weekend and it took us a little longer to get their dog ready to go on the hike. In thinking that I wanted to ditch my roughly 15 year old Eureka! day pack, I decided to use my Jansport Carson 90 liter external frame pack. That was an interesting decision.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Trail head</td></tr>
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I was definitely over packed for what I needed for the day! I was carrying 2 liters of water in my hydration bladder, an ENO double nest and straps, an ENO Pro Fly, first aid kit, another liter of water and a smalbowl for the dogs, some tp, snacks, and about 85 liters of air. But hey if we never experiment, we never know what will work and what won't. After looking at the CT's <a href="http://cumberlandtrail.org/website/maps-and-guides/trail-segments/graysville-mountain/">website</a> and watching a YouTube <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x8v9ZfBD_wM">video</a> I knew that the trail started out fairly level so I wasn't too worried about getting the pack dialed in completely before we took off. When we got to the trail head, I was happy to see that we were the only car there. Being a nice weekend I was afraid that the trail would be crowded, but it was not. My wife says that it was because we went hiking instead of shopping on tax free weekend. To each their own I guess. One thing to note, cars need to be careful pulling in to the parking area as the gravel is washed away from the pavement and the right hand side has a larger drop off than the left, as of our trip. I made sure to ease the Cobalt down off the road.</div>
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The trail began fairly level on an old roadbed. The dogs loved running back and forth from one side of the road to the other. My in-law's dog stayed in the bushes for most of this part of the hike and we had to pull some ticks off of him because of it. The trail parallels a stream with some wet weather <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: left;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Right Hand Turn about .8 miles from Trail Head<br /></td></tr>
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streams crossing the trail after heavy rains. It was a nice hike. The gravels in the road are fairly well compacted so you do not have to worry about turning an ankle or anything of that nature. The road forms a Y and we followed the solid white blazes to the right and began a slightly higher climb. It was after this turn that I began to get antsy about making sure we did not miss the cut off to the right before we began our climb up the plateau. For some reason this really concerned me this day. But after about a mile from the car, we saw it. The two white markers were clearly visible, as was the trail. My wife looked at it and said, "So I guess we go up now?" I just smiled back and the dogs took off. Some parts of the CT that we have been on have very steep ascents/descents and I was slightly concerned how this one might be, but it was the smoothest climb we have had to date. I also enjoyed the air being a little cooler as we climbed. For the most part, the trail is like the picture to the left, but after about a mile, we came to a grassy grown up area on the trail. The grass was about knee high and quite unexpected. My wife picked up Mia and carried her through this patch to help prevent the possibility of ticks.<br />
After about a mile and a quarter, I could hear the waterfall, which was the second reason I chose this trail to hike. We were coming around a bend in the trail and could just make out the stream from the bottom of the waterfall when my brain screamed STOP! So I stopped and looked down. There laid out in on the side of the trail with the in-law's dog standing beside it was a five foot long black snake sunning itself. I called the in-law's dog back to me and began to check the snake out. I looked to see if it was digesting anything, but saw no large lumps along its length. Then I looked to see if it was shedding its skin, which it wasn't. I said, "Well snake will you let us pass or do we need to take the long way around?" I took a step towards it, but like I was walking past it, and it took off like a shot down the side of the trail and back to the creek. Both dogs finally saw the snake at that point. I put my heart back in my chest and we walked over to the waterfall. It was running fairly well and my wife got several good shots of it with her camera. I was having to hold the dogs and had forgotten my camera at home. The previous shots were all taken with my iPhone and I just have never been able to master taking a good waterfall picture with a phone. So we hit the waterfall at about a mile and a quarter, like I said earlier. We rested for about five minutes and went on.<br />
I knew that at two miles, according to the mileage listed on the CT's website, that there would be an overlook. I mentally picked the overlook as my turn around spot. The trail runs for a total of about 5 miles, but we were not physically ready for a 10 mile day and neither were the dogs. So we hiked on. The trail got a little rougher here. There were rocks that we had to go between and climb over; nothing too hard just large enough rocks to make the trail interesting and the trail was well marked in this area. I knew that we had made a decent climb up from the car so far and was beginning to feel it. The trail began to switchback more that it had previously. My special day pack was letting me know it was there. I checked my phone and we had hit the two mile mark. Thinking that my phone was off, I asked my wife what her Fitbit told her she had walked and it said two miles as well. Then both dogs laid down in the trail. They just decided they were done. I pulled out the water and bowl and gave them some more water. We all sat down then and took about a ten minute break. Mia the Hiking Chihuahua was ready to get back on the trail but my Scout, the in-law's dog, was ready to go to the car. I looked at the map and figured that we had at least a quarter of a mile more before we made it to the overlook. I knew then that either the mileage on the website was a tad bit off or our two mileage trackers were off, possibly even both. So, without making it to the overlook, we decided to go back to the car. The trip back to the car was just as enjoyable as the trip up the side of the plateau, just without any snake sightings. On the whole, I would love to do this hike again, maybe catch it after a couple of days of good rain as there is another waterfall a little ways after the first overlook. Maybe this section will be linked with another soon and some overnight camping would be in order, you know so that I could possibly have a real reason to be carrying that 90 liter pack.<br />
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Directions: <span style="font-family: inherit;"> <span style="background-color: white; font-size: 15px; line-height: 25px;">From Soddy Daisy, continue north on 27, turning left onto TN 303 for 0.4 mile, then right onto Dayton Avenue (still TN 303).Take the first left onto Pikeville Avenue for 1.6 miles as the road becomes Pikeville Blvd./Brayton Mountain Road. Just after a sharp curve left, the dirt and gravel parking area for the trailhead is on the right. The Foot, a local bar, is a cinder-block building on the left. (Borrowed from the CT website). I just put 1721 Brayton Mountain Rd, Graysville, TN into my GPS and it got me there. I did watch the linked video a couple of times just so I knew what to look for.</span></span></div>
ashipmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00382359453145164520noreply@blogger.com0Graysville, TN, USA35.4470137 -85.08440009999998235.4211427 -85.124740599999981 35.4728847 -85.044059599999983tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6611157772635716813.post-65053020068545632662015-02-02T08:08:00.001-05:002015-02-02T08:08:41.242-05:00Book(s) Review! Hello everyone! With the rain coming down and a ton of MBA homework to be done, there was no hiking trip this week. An unfortunate occurrence, but hey life happens every now and then and we have to roll with the punches. So while my wife works on her homework, I thought I would do some book reviews that I have been planning for a while. The reviews will focus on the books I most use for planning our hiking adventures<br />
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I will start off with the book that started it all, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Cherokee-National-Forest-Outdoor-Tennessee/dp/157233374X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1422819175&sr=8-1&keywords=cherokee+national+forest+hiking+guide&pebp=1422819177779&peasin=157233374X">Cherokee National Forest Hiking Guide</a> edited by Jim Casada. I consider this to the the trail bible of MOST of the trails in the Cherokee National Forest. I have only used the half of the book dealing with the southern half of the forest so I cannot comment on how it handles the northern part. I find that this book does a good job describing the trails and giving mileage that is fairly close to what we step off on a hike. One of the things I like about this book is that the authors tell you what to expect on the trail without giving anything away. Some book are written in a way that after you read the description, there's no point in going on the hike due to every little detail being given out. That is not the case with this book. The down side to this book is the maps. Just a general over view with dotted lines and numbers showing the trail. I would not use the maps in the book to direct me on trail. Plus at a total 566 pages long, it is a little heavy to carry on the trail; even though I have done it. The directions to the trail head are written in a strait forward and easy to follow manner. Just make sure to watch the odometer if they list miles to a turn! If there is any interest at all in hiking the Cherokee National Forest, pick this book up. I linked it to Amazon, but bought mine at Books-A-Million and have seen several copies at the National Forest Office in my town. I give this book 4 1/2 stars.<br />
Jackie bought the next book, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Waterfalls-Tennessee-Gregory-Plumb/dp/1570723273/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1422819455&sr=8-1&keywords=waterfalls+of+tennessee">Waterfalls of Tennessee</a> by Gregory Plumb. It is an ok trail book. She loves to go to waterfalls on hikes. She loves them so much, that in the 7 years we have known each other we have been to 57 waterfalls and counting (that total does not count the repeat hikes we have taken to some of the falls). The book is good for a general overview of where the falls are located and how the trail is getting there. I do find Mr. Plumb's ratings of the waterfalls to be fairly accurate. If he says there isn't much to see, then unless the creek/river is in flood stage, there isn't much to see. The trail descriptions are just blurbs and do not count on using the maps while on the trail. The driving directions are okay at best. There have been a couple of times while going to the some of the falls in the book that I had to turn around or stop and ask locals for directions due to how they are written in the book. It would have been helpful to have a GPS location of the trail head listed, but they are not. Just a throwback to the days of paper maps, no GPS, and cheap gas I guess. Please don't think I hate this book, it is nice for what it is and that is a book all about waterfalls and a general way of how to get there. I used this book to find Lula Lake Waterfall on Lookout Mountain and Falling Water Falls in Walden, TN. If you want more details of the hike, you need to buy another book dealing with the area where you will be hiking. I give this book 3 stars.<br />
After stumbling upon Savage Gulf's Stone Door, Jackie and I stopped on the way home and bought, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Hikes-Tennessees-South-Cumberland-100/dp/0898866375/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1422819507&sr=8-1&keywords=40+hikes+tennessee+south+cumberland&pebp=1422819511114&peasin=898866375">40 Hikes in Tennessee's South Cumberland </a> by Russ Manning. This is a slim book coming in at a total 141 pages with some blank pages in the back for notes. The book deals with a selective list of hikes south of I-40 on the Cumberland Plateau. This book walks the fine line of a detailed trail description and giving the hike away. There were a couple of times that I felt a little less info could have been given an the description would not have been the worse for ware. Mr. Manning gives mileage, that again is close if not right on to what I get, and a difficulty rating of the trail. Pay attention to the rating, I have found that Mr. Manning is a fair trail rater. There are maps included before each section being discussed. In a pinch, and I have done this as well, the maps can be used on the trail. The maps are not super detailed, but they are workable. With the Cumberland Tail Conference working hard to finish their trail and the book being published in 2000, the information in the book is now a little dated. It is still a very serviceable book though. Some trails will not change, like those in the State Parks or the trails around Sewanee, but just check the Cumberland Trail Conference page before hitting any of their trails from the North Chickamauga Pocket Wilderness northward. I really enjoy this book and use it to plan my trips in Savage Gulf. I give this book 4 1/2 stars.<br />
The next two book really go together, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Smokies-Mountains-Natural-History-Association/dp/0937207152/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1422819560&sr=8-1&keywords=Hiking+trails+of+the+smokies">Hiking Tails of the Smokies</a> and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Waterfalls-Smokies-morris-hubbs-maynard/dp/0937207519/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1422819608&sr=8-1&keywords=waterfalls+of+the+smokies&pebp=1422819612597&peasin=937207519">Waterfalls of the Smokies</a> both published by Great Smoky Mountain Association. These are top notch trail books. A lot of people call Hiking Trails of the Smokies the Trail Bible of GSMNP. Each and every trail of the park is listed in detail. Each trail comes with an elevation profile, so you know what you are getting into, and a trail rating. Since Jackie likes to hike to waterfalls, I use both books to plan out the hike. I like how one plays off of the other. For a quick overview of what we will be getting into, I look over the waterfalls, but for a detailed turn by turn mile by mile, I look at Hiking Trails. Hiking Trails also comes with a large park map, the kind that you can pick up at the Visitor's Center or download from the website; not great for being lost in the woods, but serviceable for being on trail and figuring out how to get there. The good thing about both of these books is that they are pocket sized. Now Hiking Trails may be a little bulky but it still would be a good thing to have in the top of your pack. If you were only to get one book on Smokies Hiking, get Hiking Trails for it's depth of information. I give both books a 5 star rating.<br />
The newest book in my collection is <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Explorers-Guide-Tennessees-Cumberland-Plateau/dp/0881509337/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1422819455&sr=8-6&keywords=waterfalls+of+tennessee&pebp=1422819463610&peasin=881509337">50 Hikes on Tennessee's Cumberland Plateau</a> by Johnny Molloy. I have yet to use this book on trail, but reading his descriptions of some trails that I have previously been on, he is spot on. He has the usual length, difficulty, and elevation loss/gain and serviceable trail maps. I wouldn't really want to carry the 240 page book through the woods, but it wouldn't too bad. I am already using the book to plan a couple of trips to the Scott's Gulf area by Virgin Falls. Some of his descriptions are better than the ones in 40 Hikes in the South Cumberland, and both books cover the same ground but I like having both to compare. Mr. Molloy's book covers more of the Cumberland Trail than 40 Hikes, and it also runs from the Kentucky line to the Alabama line. His book is the first I have found to mention hikes in Frozen Head State Park, which is one of the main reasons I bought it. So being untested, I will give the book 4 1/2 stars.<br />
I hope that this review will help you if you are in search of trail guides for East Tennessee. There are many trails out there and not every trail is covered by a book. Sometimes part of the adventure is just finding the trail. I know I don't think I will ever forget that herd of blood thirsty Chihuahuas that came after me when I stopped and asked a guy how to find Turtletown Falls, but that is a story best left untold.ashipmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00382359453145164520noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6611157772635716813.post-12687636521609345412015-01-18T21:20:00.000-05:002015-01-18T21:20:21.915-05:00Benton Falls, The First Hike of 2015!<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi5UgkRMjB7gQu01Qczw7QqLYpH4VIrNNj0BetjENUVUaDCDgQ-oRgX0tjG-hut3XFOllIPOpdt0TlyNir4ad33C5Ep4SA2leAA2IDgT2H6MW1j5I_EsmF9czoEdIq4N0Av9Tjn_sCZbA/s1600/IMGP0782.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi5UgkRMjB7gQu01Qczw7QqLYpH4VIrNNj0BetjENUVUaDCDgQ-oRgX0tjG-hut3XFOllIPOpdt0TlyNir4ad33C5Ep4SA2leAA2IDgT2H6MW1j5I_EsmF9czoEdIq4N0Av9Tjn_sCZbA/s1600/IMGP0782.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Benton Falls Running Full</td></tr>
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For the past four years, a hike to Benton Falls in the Cherokee National Forest has been our first hike of the year. I have been hiking there so much, that I can practically hike the trail in my sleep. To prove that to myself, I did hike about a mile of the trail while reading a book one time. But I digress back to the trip. Yesterday, 1/17/15, we went for the first hike. I purchased one of the annual passes for the Cherokee Forest and it was our first use of it.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzP3pEvxHB-8K1Pg8Sb0anZXuejvJJSU8uR1NcQVJDV2vGjE94coxTil5QHzzEVBrZMVyUl_8Jk0BS3K_xRyg_HTURHANqGtz2xYkfp-9XKjClFDo6APCRvDKsPayIHs9qCwmiNAZk2Qs/s1600/IMGP0783.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzP3pEvxHB-8K1Pg8Sb0anZXuejvJJSU8uR1NcQVJDV2vGjE94coxTil5QHzzEVBrZMVyUl_8Jk0BS3K_xRyg_HTURHANqGtz2xYkfp-9XKjClFDo6APCRvDKsPayIHs9qCwmiNAZk2Qs/s1600/IMGP0783.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking down from the top of the falls</td></tr>
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There were several cars in the parking lot so I expected the trail to be busy, but we hardly saw anyone. The trail heads from the parking lot and goes across the dam holding back McKamy Lake. Then it turns left and beings to descend the mountain heading towards the falls. Overall, the trail is 1.5 miles long. Hikes and Mountain Bikers share the trail, I was super surprised that there were no mountain bikers. We did not see anyone till we were almost to the waterfall. The trail is mostly packed sand, but there are rocks that need to be watched for. Going to the waterfall, it is downhill all the way so it takes no time to reach the stairs that lead to the base of the falls. From the research that I have done, you loose about 300 feet from the parking lot to the base of the falls and you make it all back up going to the car.<br />
The trail starts off in a hardwood forest, then passes through a clear cut for power lines and then goes into a mixed forest with some pine trees. The Pine Beetle has made its presence felt here, but I believe the Forest Service has it under control or the pest has moved on. Once the trail comes close to Rock Creek, which is the creek that makes Benton, Rattlesnake, and Scenic Falls, Magnolia trees begin to become prominent. From the main trail down to the top of the falls, there are steps, but going down to the bottom, there are rock steps that have been there for as long as I can remember.<br />
I do not want to give this trail short shift, but it is like an old friend; someone that you have known forever and have gotten used to the little details and nuances that make others stand out and appear spectacular. Jackie and I use this trail now to take us to other trails in the area. The Benton Falls Trail links up with the McKamy Lake Trail, Elderberry Trial, the Slick Rock Naked Widow Loop, Redleaf Trail, and the Clemmer Trail. This one little 1.5 mile trail allows you to hook together trails that can run in length from 3 miles to just about as long as you want to walk. We have used this trail to go to the Clemmer Trail and then the Rim Rock trail across to the Clear Creek Trail and back up to the Beach Trail for a hike that ran 7.5 miles. Needless to say I forgot how to add and told Jackie it would be about 4 miles total and she went for a 2 mile run that morning. She wasn't real happy with me, but I got the Trangia 25 Stove system due to that hike!<br />
I always like to try and end our Benton Falls hike with a trip around McKamy Lake. I look for fish or anything else I might see. The last time we hiked the lake, from the Gazebo Trail, we saw 3 Water Moccasins. This trip there was ice still on the lake from our colder temps earlier in the week. As we were making the turn past the Campground Loop A area, I spotted this turtle sunning itself. I pointed it out to Jackie, snapped a quick pick and moved on. It was a good way to end the hike.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Turtle trying to get warm in the sun </td></tr>
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ashipmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00382359453145164520noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6611157772635716813.post-13866222779489691332015-01-18T20:43:00.001-05:002015-01-18T20:43:47.336-05:00Savage Day Loop 10/25/2014 About five years ago, Jackie and I made our first trip to Savage Gulf State Natural Area. We fell in love with the place. We love it so much, that I proposed to Jackie at the Stone Door. Last year was an interesting year for us, with so much going on. I regret to say that we only made one trip, yes just ONE trip to Savage Gulf, but it was an interesting trip none the less!<br />
We decided to do the Savage Day Loop Trail. We unfortunately did not have a ton of time to do a backpacking trip and my knee was still giving me fits from the Rainbow Falls hike in September. It was a good thing that we did not plan on doing an overnighter anyway because all of the back country campgrounds were full. We arrived a little after lunch to find the parking lots completely full. Outside of a handicapped space, I grabbed the last spot in the open lot. There was another parking lot, but it was closed due to being the off season. With great anticipation, I got my pack out of the trunk and helped Jackie into hers and we were off!<br />
The trail beings just to the right of the Ranger Station. For those interested, there are a couple of restrooms at the Ranger Station. I did not use them so I cannot comment on size and cleanliness. There was a group of about 7 people at the trail register when we arrived getting ready to head out. They all had 60-80 liter packs and grunted under the weight of lifting them up. They asked me to take a group picture for them, which I gladly did and asked how long they were going to be out. A guy sheepishly said, "One night." I laughed and said, "At least you all will eat pretty well." We signed the register and the group told us to head out before them, but they were out pacing us, so we let them by.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibuasHtQGtoppD_YBc2TLFWF2PcJbpJ0EWw5zB1Gk8QCHKt9RTin5ovk4bUM4bIs9PiFeeqt6Q-rEz49ZV3AseFpMKRDV5afKAIVqVUS_KEmge1lDEOf8feH2t0_0-R7AxfQ0jpxlzZwU/s1600/IMGP0774.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibuasHtQGtoppD_YBc2TLFWF2PcJbpJ0EWw5zB1Gk8QCHKt9RTin5ovk4bUM4bIs9PiFeeqt6Q-rEz49ZV3AseFpMKRDV5afKAIVqVUS_KEmge1lDEOf8feH2t0_0-R7AxfQ0jpxlzZwU/s1600/IMGP0774.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Trail Register at the Savage Gulf Ranger Station</td></tr>
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The trail was fairly level. It just meandered its way through the woods and was well graded. We met several people heading back to their cars. About .4-.5 tenths of a mile from the trailhead, we came into and area with substantial blowdown damage. I was a little depressed to see all the trees down along and around the trail. The trail goes through the damaged area and twists and turns its way past cut trees. The damaged area of the trail is maybe 2 tenths of a mile in length. <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRNiCF5i-9pcLLfCPBHxL5EvgTJdQUYVpRLdXwTdnwII33tK0uvRD-FVpsL44plqwCgGv3QFiIBgAZpso_-dZvhKHyyZUPLcuENJ-zV0Rpa5md56iEXp1sqHi2VUO-Kkrxuj4xEC_OkgY/s1600/IMGP0762.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRNiCF5i-9pcLLfCPBHxL5EvgTJdQUYVpRLdXwTdnwII33tK0uvRD-FVpsL44plqwCgGv3QFiIBgAZpso_-dZvhKHyyZUPLcuENJ-zV0Rpa5md56iEXp1sqHi2VUO-Kkrxuj4xEC_OkgY/s1600/IMGP0762.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Part of the trail with downed trees.</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7vmyV5Bk5cECiJIOoovjUu3NGNsTgY4K0P-tMFU8-SCk79MAfnxN3GqjPGs9IoUISAwK65kkdbXukrRpt2yL9ZIpf8Lz4gfQ4oa88ORANQpdzb0ZWMUwBtHYsT79en-njvj7LUwREi3Y/s1600/IMGP0760.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7vmyV5Bk5cECiJIOoovjUu3NGNsTgY4K0P-tMFU8-SCk79MAfnxN3GqjPGs9IoUISAwK65kkdbXukrRpt2yL9ZIpf8Lz4gfQ4oa88ORANQpdzb0ZWMUwBtHYsT79en-njvj7LUwREi3Y/s1600/IMGP0760.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a> After the damaged area, there was a suspension bridge over a creek. I always enjoy suspension bridges, and this one had the customary 2 people only sign. The trail then came to a split. We could go straight and then turn right to go to Save Falls and Rattlesnake Point overlook or we could go right and see the sights in reverse. We chose to go right and hike the loop counterclockwise. Going against the flow is something that we do. By going right, we were on the path to connect with the North Rim Trail. As an aside, I have heard that the North Rim Trail has some of the best overlooks in the Park, but I do not know for sure since I have not hiked any of it. We set out on this route heading towards Rattlesnake Point 1.2 miles away. This part of the trail follows an old narrow gauge logging railroad that went through the area in the 1920's. That translates to easy grades and no real sharp turns. The trail goes through forest, weaving its way through stands of trees and along the sides of hill. When the trail reaches about 3 tenths of a mile from the point, it begins to drop down towards the edge of the Gulf. It is a gradual decent, but I would not want to climb it on the way out after hiking about 2.5 miles and going back to the car.</div>
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Then there it is, Rattlesnake Point. It is not a developed lookout like Laurel Point or the Stone Door, but the view is nice. There are some rocks that you can step out on to get a better view, but do not expect wide open views. I was please that we started with the overlook. We had a few snacks and read the plaque. The plaque commemorates the husband and wife who bought the land to help found the park in the 1930's. There is not a lot of room at the overlook; so if you have little ones, keep a close eye on them. Also, do not plan on being able to cook lunch at the point, as there is not really enough room, especially if there are other people there. The trail comes out of the trees just to the left of the picture and runs at the base of the rock bearing the plaque in the picture. Coming from Savage Falls, Rattlesnake Point could take you by surprise. </div>
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We continued our counterclockwise route. The trail follows along the edge of the gulf for a little ways before climbing up and down some of the drainage routes that go to the edge. After half a mile, the trail goes to the Savage Falls Overlook. It is a fairly steep tenth of a mile down to the overview. There is a small platform built to look at the <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View of Savage Falls from the Overlook</td></tr>
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falls. Jackie and I were both barely able to stand on the platform and I had to hold Mia. Jackie took several pictures of the falls and used her longer zoom lenses to get super close up pictures. The picture to the right is the best that my Pentax WG-1 camera could do. We could hear the roar of the falls from where we were standing. The Park had set up signs saying that the trail ended and to not go any further. I saw where people had gone past the stand to get a closer look. If you want to go to the base of the falls, it is only .5 miles on the South Rim Trail to reach the overlook and the stairs leading to the base of the falls. I had brought my film camera but was unable to take any pictures of the falls due to a family coming down the trail and trying to fit their 5 people onto the stand with us on it and there was just not room. I just put my camera away and began to climb back up the trail. It is times like that, that reminds me why I like to hike, to get away from everyone and spend time in the outdoors. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Trangia 25 cooking my lunch</td></tr>
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After climbing back up to the trail, we continued on to the intersection with the South Rim Trail, and then the sign where we turned right. We were a mile away from Ranger Station at this point. We met a lot of people coming down to see the falls. Even with the camp grounds full and closes, we passed several groups going in with packs on their backs. I hope that they had a way to reserve a spot ahead of time. Going back to the car either seems to take forever or flys by. Today it sped by. We made it back to the car in what felt like rapid time. I got out my Trangia 25 and cooked us some grilled cheese sandwiches on the grills in the park. I have not cooked much on the Trangia, but it can hold its own cooking grilled cheese and fried bologna! I generally take it to work and cook a quick sandwich or two for lunch. </div>
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Overall, the trip was very enjoyable. I felt like the Savage Gulf Ranger Station was out of the way compared to the other entrances of the park, but after spending time there, I think that it is well worth the effort. If you go there and arrive too late to hike to one of the camping areas further in the park, there is a campground about a tenth of a mile past the Ranger Station. It is not as developed as the Stone Door Entrance, but not as spare as the Collins Gulf and Greeter Falls Entrances either. If you are only interested in seeing waterfalls, and get up early enough in the day, it is possible to hit Savage Gulf and then drive 19 miles on Hwy 111 to Fall Creek Falls State Park as well.</div>
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Directions: <span style="background-color: white; font-family: latoregular, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.5px;">The Savage Gulf entrance and ranger station is located halfway along Highway 399 between Cagle and Gruetli-Laager. (from the State Website. Oh so super helpful I know.)</span></div>
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ashipmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00382359453145164520noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6611157772635716813.post-3137988738237006642014-10-19T22:40:00.001-04:002015-09-06T14:23:50.711-04:00Rainbow Falls Hike GSMNP<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtxODG1SrgfF_tPESkg-l4zh2NgH-2zGJTxuCAo98u614O2dpHsb0kBSf1CJ_F7_SmgsfogrDHY94KekG8TfbJL0rD8zErJt64g4MH0-g3JvVcXnFhX4dqg493pxXBWfC9L5ZsG-tbJ5Y/s1600/rainbow-falls-elevation.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="190" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtxODG1SrgfF_tPESkg-l4zh2NgH-2zGJTxuCAo98u614O2dpHsb0kBSf1CJ_F7_SmgsfogrDHY94KekG8TfbJL0rD8zErJt64g4MH0-g3JvVcXnFhX4dqg493pxXBWfC9L5ZsG-tbJ5Y/s1600/rainbow-falls-elevation.gif" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Elevation Profile shamelessly borrowed from<br />
hikingthesmokys.com</td></tr>
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A month ago, Jackie and I went to Rainbow Falls in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. We were planning on hiking Chimney Tops, but Jackie was not into scrambling over the rocks. We were hoping to catch Chimney Tops on a weekday when the pressure would be less, but the Park is doing work and the trail is only open on the weekends. So going through my Smoky Hiking books, I chose Rainbow Falls. This was an area of the park that we had not hiked before. I was hoping for an early, early start so that we might possibly be able to go to Rainbow Falls and Groto Falls, which would have us hiking about 6-7 miles, but we did not get that early of a start. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiogWX-2o42BkM8yoxuEKxQeD7aUBaq_rguHfKEVPRMSGp53p-SYTwrGXTvb0Dp9sj-SaxwTV8sFfQclNt6vnih5ZqgIBOVGrFBwMYwu-3v1KoVyhOPAE5KE3aHteyaHmWaa1iBPwD16oI/s1600/IMGP0701.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiogWX-2o42BkM8yoxuEKxQeD7aUBaq_rguHfKEVPRMSGp53p-SYTwrGXTvb0Dp9sj-SaxwTV8sFfQclNt6vnih5ZqgIBOVGrFBwMYwu-3v1KoVyhOPAE5KE3aHteyaHmWaa1iBPwD16oI/s1600/IMGP0701.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The trail head just passed the signs</td></tr>
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We left our home about 12 and got to the trail head around 2 PM. There are some restrooms at the trailhead. They are the standard pit toilets that are found throughout National Parks and Forest Service areas. If needed, the restrooms are some of the best ones I have seen. The trail head is on the Roar Fork Nature Trail out of Gatlinburg. This makes it one of the more popular trails within the park. Something about being easy to drive to, translates to being popular. One thing I must say though, be ready to hike up hill the whole way. This is one trail that starts off on an uphill and only ends when you get to your destination. The Rainbow Falls trail is one of the trails that allows you to hike to the top of Mount LeConte and the Mount LeConte Lodge.<br />
The trail starts off innocently enough. Make sure to stay close to the signs though, many people have made short cuts to save a couple of steps. Just after the left turn in the picture above, the trail begins to get into its normal swing. There are rocks and roots that fill the trail and it is pretty much constant for the first mile. There was a power couple who were crunching through the trail and stopping to take pictures every tenth of a mile or so. I was amazed at how they were never getting sweaty. I was about to sweat to death and they were still cool as a cucumber. The trail switch backed several times in its climb. The trail follows LeConte Creek for the first half mile or so and then it leaves it behind and the trail becomes a forest walk with switchbacks occurring fairly regularly. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX3kiZw-nI1wYpBnZ23wAX8YuYYoY8ApKXdhTSGn9jqc2KawUKIdLBF6t-rtW2eTuM1bJtWVV3LLBvuHtvNt6k8WeeTkqux4LD2reCsk16LWT1R8praDlpWKKGG6LejzzJQAN3HMtrYC0/s1600/IMGP0706.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX3kiZw-nI1wYpBnZ23wAX8YuYYoY8ApKXdhTSGn9jqc2KawUKIdLBF6t-rtW2eTuM1bJtWVV3LLBvuHtvNt6k8WeeTkqux4LD2reCsk16LWT1R8praDlpWKKGG6LejzzJQAN3HMtrYC0/s1600/IMGP0706.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The bridge at mile 1.7</td></tr>
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After 1.7 miles, the trail comes back to LeConte Creek again. There is a log bridge built over the creek. It was a nice place to catch our breath. The picture takers ended their hike here. I guess they felt a little sweat on their brow or had something else to do. We were snacking when a girl caught up to us. We had passed her earlier while she was going to the bathroom right on the side of the trail. I know when you have to go, you have to go, but with your feet still in the trail and no brush cover? I quickly figured out what was going on and turned around and talked to Jackie until she was done. Getting back on track, the bridge is a one person affair and is a level spot on the trail. With the creek making a waterfall behind/uphill from the bridge, it makes a good place for a quick photo op.<br />
After we passed the bridge, we kept going up the trail. I let Jackie take the lead on the trail and we were talking about how the Park did not mark the trails with i's or paint or anything like that when we ran into two deer in the middle of the trail. They looked at us and began to walk up the trail away from us. Jackie kept trying to get close and take pictures, but with one of the deer being a faun, I was afraid of her getting too close and having mom come after her. Another power hiking couple caught up to us, right after the deer turned a corner. I told them about the deer being up ahead and they said thanks. They guy started talking about how he hoped that they ran into a bear. I rolled my eyes and told Jackie if they saw a bear, I was going to trip the guy as we ran down hill away from it. They ran into the deer and took out their phones and started snapping pictures. The deer began walking up the side of the mountain eating as they went. It was a neat experience for us, something that had not happened before. We were really excited about it.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeAWoAKQuqyWVPuxfgD6rSPeMJBI7miM3pF4m86pb7yhGvRpz48qtv4L5jlezK3KwICrbSpqXRmafxkfcV8D8QLEUoYfHamVhq_zpFiYSNy4nfAvhpQqWDvRvv4AWb9imXdCC2rPx2xn4/s1600/IMGP0717.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeAWoAKQuqyWVPuxfgD6rSPeMJBI7miM3pF4m86pb7yhGvRpz48qtv4L5jlezK3KwICrbSpqXRmafxkfcV8D8QLEUoYfHamVhq_zpFiYSNy4nfAvhpQqWDvRvv4AWb9imXdCC2rPx2xn4/s1600/IMGP0717.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rainbow Falls!</td></tr>
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After seeing the deer and going up another switchback, I began to wonder if we would ever get to the waterfall. I like to hike, but an uphill slog the entire way was not something that I was expecting. I was really happy to run into the second bridge at mile 2.4. The speed couple was there taking some selfies by the waterfall behind the bridge. We hiked across the bridge, turned a curve and could hear the waterfall roughly two tenths of a mile away. It had not rained much before we went on our hike. I was hoping that there would be water going over the falls. All of the information on the hike I had been able to find said that the hike should be good, even with little water. The falls gets its name from a rainbow showing in the mist from the falls that appears in the afternoon. We reach the falls around 4 PM and I was hoping for the rainbow effect, but we did not see it. After a little scrambling, we were able to sit at the base of the falls. We ate our snacks and drank some water and took a break. It was a long climb up from the parking lot and we were both happy to take the rest break. Unfortunately, we did not really plan for the time that it would take us to reach the falls, and the time it would take us to drive to the trail head. So we were both really ready for lunch.<br />
We needed to rest further, but our hunger pushed us from the falls. We started going back, and when we were about 2 miles from the car, I did something to my knee. I do not know what I did, but it made the hike a long two miles back to the car. The trail is a tough trail, with lots of rocks and tree roots. If you are not ready for it, the trail can get you when you least suspect it as any trail can. I did not want to say anything to Jackie, but by the time we reach the car, I was ready to start asking people in the lot for some hydros or morphine. The doctors say that I just stretched the tendon that runs up the outside of my knee. I know that I was glad that I was able to complete the 5.4 miles we hiked and made it to the car under my own power.<br />
We had ran into several people going up to the falls, and with it being after 4 PM, I did not expect to run into many other people. Instead as we kept getting closer and closer to the car, we ran into more and more people going to the falls. It took us a little over 2 hours to get to the falls and these people were just starting out. Most did not have any water and the few I saw with drinks were taking Coke's and Dr. Peppers along. I told Jackie that I wished them well but did not think that they would make it to the falls.<br />
Over all we enjoyed this hike. True I messed up my knee some how but overall it was a good hike. There is something about taking your special someone to a place they want to go to. Plus being in the woods is always a good thing. As long as the water is running, this hike would be a good one to do. Always be ready for anything! We had the two deer on the trail with us and as we were leaving, we saw a Momma Bear and two cubs with her. I would recommend this trail to anyone with some time to spare in the Gatlinburg area.<br />
Directions: Turn onto Historic Nature Trail Road at red light number 8 at Ripley's Believe It or Not. Go out this road until it turns into the Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail. The first trail head is on the right. If it and the parallel parking areas are full, there is another parking area on the right. Parking at the second parking area will add about .5 miles to the hike.ashipmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00382359453145164520noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6611157772635716813.post-67496347783499304932014-10-19T20:59:00.000-04:002014-10-19T21:31:47.035-04:00Turtletown Falls Trip A little over 4 years to the day since we had last been to this trail, Jackie and I decided that we would redo this trail. This trail has two waterfalls along it's 4 mile length. The last time that we hiked this trail, we only went to one waterfall for some reason. I would think that we were trying to get back to the paved roads before dark. We did get lost and had to ask directions the last time we were there. I am happy to admit that I did not have to do that this time.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXA8qUUPdEmb7EnxukozW7f0O6vOkX008pPk0KmiAj0wqdail5hW4fzJ3796ZDYe3iZHZU8ywaYp4t3ONJGyTYzJ2zKhBCvC8HY1N406Big1WeWXp1yxygKDNFgoXzcaP16npTqBYE4pU/s1600/IMGP0733.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXA8qUUPdEmb7EnxukozW7f0O6vOkX008pPk0KmiAj0wqdail5hW4fzJ3796ZDYe3iZHZU8ywaYp4t3ONJGyTYzJ2zKhBCvC8HY1N406Big1WeWXp1yxygKDNFgoXzcaP16npTqBYE4pU/s1600/IMGP0733.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Trail Head. The trail begins in front of the Jeep</td></tr>
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Today, we got to the trailhead around 2.00 PM. There was one car there already and a Jeep followed us in. We clipped Mia's nails and headed up the trail. The trail starts off following an old logging road going up a ridge. After a steady climb, the road drops down the ridge and begins to follow the creek. If one wanted to try and fish this stream, there are a couple of good looking holes, but I do not know if it holds any fish. If you aren't into fishing, there are several good swimming holes along this stretch. If there has been a lot of rain before hiking this trail, you might want to wear boots since there are little streams that cross the trail going to the creek.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is the Choice. Waterfalls go to the left if that is all you<br />
want to see. For a loop ending with the waterfalls, go<br />
straight.</td></tr>
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After .7 miles the road begins to climb again. Looking closely, off to the left there is a white blaze and a trail going down. You have to make a choice here, straight or turn? This time we went straight. I wanted to end the hike with the waterfalls rather than begin with them. We hiked up the ridge and then dropped down the back side. The trail climbed back up another ridge and runs into another trail sign. To go right would take you to another trailhead that requires an old Jeep or 4x4 to get to. We turned left and walked along Shinbone Ridge. The trail winds along this ridge for about 2 miles or so. We ran into a woman and her dogs and talked waterfalls for a little bit before going on. The trails comes to what looks like a Y after about .75 miles. Make sure to stay right, on the road, if you want to get to the waterfalls. If you want to camp and get away for a night, then go left up the ridge to a nice camp site. After this Y, the trail goes down hill for the rest of the time. The trail looks to dead end at Lower Turtletown Falls, but it does not. Look closely for some of the white i's that mark the trail and it will take you to a lookout for the bottom falls. Below is a video that I shot from the lookout for the falls.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The trail junction to look for. Easily missed</td></tr>
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After looking at the waterfall, trace your way back along the trail. Look closely for a tree marked with the white i and a trail going off on the right. It is after the blow down damage that litters this part of the trail. The trail goes from logging road to single track. This trail is better marked than the logging road section, but paying attention following it would not be a problem. After a mile, this trail comes to Upper Turtletown Falls. There is a set of steps that the trail follows and to get to the base of the falls, there is a side trail to the right that leads to a viewing area. The views of the upper falls are much better than the lower falls. Below is a video that I shot of the Upper Falls.</div>
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After climbing the steps from the Upper Falls, the trail switchbacks a couple of times and continues to climb. After the switchbacks, the trail's climb is not too steep. The trail is only .4 miles from the switchbacks to the main trail going back to the car. </div>
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Overall, this trail is not too difficult. Make sure to go after a rain so that the falls will be running well. There are some places along Shinbone Ridge where there might be a view during the winter, but the two waterfalls are the main attraction of this trail. There are a couple of places to pitch a tent if you are looking for a quick night away. I am glad that we revisited this trail. It is always nice to have a secluded trail not too far from home when the urge comes for a quick get away.</div>
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Directions: take TN HWY 68 to the Farner, TN Post Office. Turn onto the road running in front of the Post Office and cross the railroad tracks. After crossing the tracks, take the first road on your left. It looks to be a driveway running right beside a house, but it is a road. At the next Y, stay left. There is another Y with Newman Road, stay left but know that you are close. On the right in the woods ahead, there is the Forst Service road you are needing. Take it for 1.5 miles to the trail head. There is an improved creek crossing, with concrete helping to keep it from being rutted out. This road is not bad. My Chevy Cobalt did not have any problems going down this road. If you use GPS, type in 1234 Farner, or Old Farner, Road. You could all use the intersection feature for Farner Road and Forest Service Road 1166</div>
ashipmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00382359453145164520noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6611157772635716813.post-12123873299460874612014-08-03T22:31:00.000-04:002014-08-03T22:31:46.468-04:00Cumberland Trail Stinging Fork Falls 10/26/2013<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicn3w2fC7G4HwMJHE8Z7NH5lf00ouZXtgD1ARUBiROGVBO2NgeScJToIOHSCtvcZPbmMYNUvPPuxECMocazmI4yuSJKktqk9M4KRFUWjSkjLMbiuLHme7RzKndbtaHN3QSpkjJlea0LKs/s1600/IMGP0465.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicn3w2fC7G4HwMJHE8Z7NH5lf00ouZXtgD1ARUBiROGVBO2NgeScJToIOHSCtvcZPbmMYNUvPPuxECMocazmI4yuSJKktqk9M4KRFUWjSkjLMbiuLHme7RzKndbtaHN3QSpkjJlea0LKs/s1600/IMGP0465.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a>Reaching back into the archives for this trip. Ever since I heard about the Cumberland Trail, I have been fascinated by it. When it is finished, it will be a long distance trail that runs from Chattanooga, TN to Cumberland Gap National Historic Park on the Tennessee Kentucky line. In 1998, the state has come in and decided to help with the trail, naming it the Justin P. Wilson Cumberland Trail State Park. The trail will be a little over 300 miles long when completed. There are currently 190 miles of trail open. In my mind, this trail is like the Benton MacKaye Trail a long trail right in my back yard!<br />
Stinging Fork Falls like Virgin Falls and the Laurel-Snow Pocket Wilderness used to be owned by the Bowater Paper Company. Bowater set the lands aside to not be logged noticing their beauty and then they donated the lands to the state. The Stinging Fork Falls makes up the Falls Segment of the Cumberland Trail. So far the trail to the waterfall and the overlook are the only constructed parts of the Cumberland Trail constructed in the Falls Segment. The Cumberland Trail Conference currently does not know how it is going to route the trail through this segment.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijYsLxHuWvNyB9DsEwom0MP8g-m8pLNWqqqBH-_BsucyEzeDoFjgyc14YLpqJ2iz3AIVkvHyKdS0s245QlqL7gTCzTojoSfrY0mNx3v8lWsG3nv-V654QiFPlAMoq4kWpIeVEz7_Ili9Y/s1600/IMGP0421.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijYsLxHuWvNyB9DsEwom0MP8g-m8pLNWqqqBH-_BsucyEzeDoFjgyc14YLpqJ2iz3AIVkvHyKdS0s245QlqL7gTCzTojoSfrY0mNx3v8lWsG3nv-V654QiFPlAMoq4kWpIeVEz7_Ili9Y/s1600/IMGP0421.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The trail from the parking lot</td></tr>
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I always like to find an excuse to hike on the Cumberland Trail. My wife like to hike when the trail goes by a waterfall. She says that it give us something to look forward to. So when I can, I try to find a trail that takes us to a waterfall. After searching and running the numbers, translates to driving time vs. hiking miles, I ran Stinging Fork by Jackie. She was up for it. We drove to the trailhead and saw another couple getting out of their car for a hike. The parking lot is right on the side of the road. It would hold around six cars. The trail starts from the side of the parking lot and goes downhill from the start. It is not a bad slope, but it is downhill. As the picture shows, the trail starts off grassy, but once past the curve it turns to a dirt trail.<br />
After half a mile, the trail splits. The trail that goes to the right, leads to the waterfall and the trail that goes to the left goes to the overlook. We chose to go left since the other couple went right. The trail is at most a quarter mile long. It was fall when we went so the view was fairly good. The only problem was, there wasn't much to see. It wasn't a bad view and we were able to see up and down the gorge.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3VxQDL8A8cltuVS3ZPjDVeNJz4j2kPqj2HDUMnhM1-KYzkanhofuuPDpncdowsfUyyqseuyf1_Ujky1s1F6gwc7rIasfnpsmC17exTd1xDmbuNBy3KnG9-ki1u4RDA3Sr4QwlfXOdu-I/s1600/IMGP0427.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3VxQDL8A8cltuVS3ZPjDVeNJz4j2kPqj2HDUMnhM1-KYzkanhofuuPDpncdowsfUyyqseuyf1_Ujky1s1F6gwc7rIasfnpsmC17exTd1xDmbuNBy3KnG9-ki1u4RDA3Sr4QwlfXOdu-I/s1600/IMGP0427.JPG" height="89" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A panorama of the gorge</td></tr>
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We after we finished our pictures we went back to the split and went in the direction of the waterfall. It was about a mile hike to the falls. The trail comes to some stairs and then continues down into the gorge. The trail then goes through several switchbacks while still going down towards the creek and the falls. The trail becomes very rocky when it reaches the top of the falls. There is another set of stairs leading down again that were beginning to fall apart when we were there. As the trail goes down the stairs, it leads you away from the waterfall. Once the trail reaches the bottom of the gorge it drops into an old roadbed and turns to the left to go back to the fall.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzrRrZca5NKGnDlCfiukzz3SmHTGqoap7hd18W19iSauTd4vjpkRMs8XO0FH4-csFdHokYT6jHMAVqwk1j4PkLVTLfLoPHIpxN4CH7_ykeb8TOLW1-8XC49QJvO-oolQ6dMyJW_nYmkao/s1600/IMGP0445.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzrRrZca5NKGnDlCfiukzz3SmHTGqoap7hd18W19iSauTd4vjpkRMs8XO0FH4-csFdHokYT6jHMAVqwk1j4PkLVTLfLoPHIpxN4CH7_ykeb8TOLW1-8XC49QJvO-oolQ6dMyJW_nYmkao/s1600/IMGP0445.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">End of Trail at the Falls</td></tr>
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We had not had a lot of rain when we went to the waterfall and it was a little disappointing. We had hiked to see the waterfall but it was just a trickle. I could imagine how the waterfall would look running full, but after putting in the work, it was a little disappointing to have to imagine how it would look.<br />
We hiked back to the car, going a little slower. It was tougher going back up the gorge to the car. Once we reached the trail split the trail eased out. We had hiked some parts of the Cumberland Trail before and I have decided to dub it the trail of switchbacks. With how the trail is laid out and the terrain that it covers, the trail makers have little choice but to use switchbacks. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZSmtqenUNamQii3O2IRVrrypR9KcbDtsvjuNuTIJT0638bs1D0MkAq8uXhhedO80IgKPHOqkGhIn1xmamew6jQfu1lBBGm7d8FMgkCb1Xb5cyParkwvJl3OlapxxvuXbaoKKW2m-zEr4/s1600/IMGP0433.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZSmtqenUNamQii3O2IRVrrypR9KcbDtsvjuNuTIJT0638bs1D0MkAq8uXhhedO80IgKPHOqkGhIn1xmamew6jQfu1lBBGm7d8FMgkCb1Xb5cyParkwvJl3OlapxxvuXbaoKKW2m-zEr4/s1600/IMGP0433.JPG" height="150" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Little Hiker Guy I like these</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6gx3NVhlMc-rmMe39g5ZouK9GGtnXMGEqh_Bgw0fjMu-IdsWZLYz2LiqlhIgVwBg2FKSwSzRVItY30dKKnRsgcI955fxfKh4mA-2WYwEUo9jowrZdIyCaiyWuXIo5X1ng0Q3vSE5UrcA/s1600/IMGP0457.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6gx3NVhlMc-rmMe39g5ZouK9GGtnXMGEqh_Bgw0fjMu-IdsWZLYz2LiqlhIgVwBg2FKSwSzRVItY30dKKnRsgcI955fxfKh4mA-2WYwEUo9jowrZdIyCaiyWuXIo5X1ng0Q3vSE5UrcA/s1600/IMGP0457.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stairs needing repairs</td></tr>
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I would this trail to people. I have high hopes for how the Cumberland Trail will run when it is finished. The only thing for this particular trail would be to go after some rain, but that is standard advice for just about any waterfall. For the Cumberland Trail Conference's page on the hike, visit this page: http://cumberlandtrail.org/website/maps-and-guides/trail-segments/stinging-fork/<br />
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ashipmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00382359453145164520noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6611157772635716813.post-62115169221452051032014-08-03T20:38:00.000-04:002014-08-03T20:38:06.235-04:00National Trails Day 2014 Lula Lake Hike #2 After our first trip to the Lula Lake Land Trust area, Jackie and I have been wanting to go back and explore some more. For this year's National Trail Day, we decided to go back. The Land Trust's popularity has grown since we were last there in 2011. I was happy to see all of the people on the property. The Trust must be doing something right. We got to park close to the trailhead for the main trail, but we were not interest in starting with that trail. There was a young man sitting by a table who gave us a map of the trails, which was nice since we did not have one three years ago. We thanked him and walked down the driveway towards the falls. At the table there was also a small box for donations and stickers for sale.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhir4jlKzwIzLD6GsP6qe-So_5gt4dvO5pkCqb_f5rMUgxiH4P-Bu0PXiB2MjTWX8FxkawV9sPPNAQaQNJZxIA0_SE7dEpzgnvwTiWgo-GL06ghS_DVw_17mfGKN5FeMyo_bjCJhccSdc0/s1600/IMGP0544.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhir4jlKzwIzLD6GsP6qe-So_5gt4dvO5pkCqb_f5rMUgxiH4P-Bu0PXiB2MjTWX8FxkawV9sPPNAQaQNJZxIA0_SE7dEpzgnvwTiWgo-GL06ghS_DVw_17mfGKN5FeMyo_bjCJhccSdc0/s1600/IMGP0544.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The creek crossing on Ford Trail</td></tr>
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Just before we got to the exit on the main road, we came to a little trail off to the right called Ford Trail. It led strait into a creek. I asked Jackie if she felt like exploring a little and she said she was. I bent down to pick Mia up before we started into the creek and found a tick on her. I plucked it off, sent it to its maker, and thought about how it was now summer. Mia would wind up with two more ticks and I would find one on me. Jackie seems to have repelled them this trip. The crossing was not deep and the water wasn't that cold. If we had hiked further than we had up to that point, it would have felt refreshing.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLy-f6m0gvrL9xwVhzEWeLNKykWerI4kGzGcEte3tUXkc27oKN6gwPh9POXRfjuWUD4Zmm6tDTk8YBgJ77wPIzqSLeEwhP6W3jY-1zhfWB27dZYQ5H8HadnHq-g4Y5E_saGLr6bH3rwnk/s1600/IMGP0546.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLy-f6m0gvrL9xwVhzEWeLNKykWerI4kGzGcEte3tUXkc27oKN6gwPh9POXRfjuWUD4Zmm6tDTk8YBgJ77wPIzqSLeEwhP6W3jY-1zhfWB27dZYQ5H8HadnHq-g4Y5E_saGLr6bH3rwnk/s1600/IMGP0546.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The North Creek Trail </td></tr>
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After crossing the creek, we joined North Creek Trail, old Trail A. I hoped it was North Creek Trail at least, there was not a sign. Without a map I would have still turned left since that was the direction of the falls but I would have been a little more unsure than I was. The North Creek Trail is just a half mile (.5) long, but with all the ups and downs it felt a lot longer. The trail follows Rock Creek as it makes its way to the Connector Trail. This is a nice trail for solitude. Even though there were a lot of people on the property, we did not see a single person while we were on this trail. I enjoyed the forest walk with the sound of the creek in the background. The fisherman in me kept looking in the creek whenever it came into view for the chance swirl of a trout tail or the shadow of a perch, but I did not see anything but minnows swimming in the water.<br />
The Connector Trail runs up the mountain from the Handicapped parking/Port-A-Potty Bathroom area just beyond the bridge over Rock Creek to the Middle Trail. We turned left to go down this trail to reach the old railroad grade that would take us to the waterfalls. This part of the Connector Trail is pretty steep and rocky, but when you are going only a tenth of a mile it isn't bad.<br />
The falls going into the lake looked very nice this day. Our still rainy spring gave the falls plenty of water. There were a lot of people gathered around the lake. It is a nice place with picnic tables and a couple of the box charcoal grills. There is a cut where the railroad used to run that you pass through before the picnic tables that I always find interesting. I love to think about the railroad booms that swept our nation and how men and steam conquered mountains and rivers to expand our national horizons. I know that I have a slightly rose colored glasses look at this, but Lookout Mountain rises practically strait up from the Tennessee River and I am just awed by the nerves of the engineers who used to drive those old steam trains up the sides of the mountains. End rabbit trail/rant. After snapping a few pictures of the lake area, we continued down the trail/grade to Lula Falls.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUz80GCRs2GGJ6aY7-b6iBZ19CQeDeIW3cnVjq2t3834w4pZgQmrh0m28d9k71Reu-mbFhStzGBzVp_vicJPp3QBeaex-FVzV2MCPEb2avRYRPXuZSGOmKQXwo4HrnxcYkk9uSL2mKh7E/s1600/IMGP0554.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUz80GCRs2GGJ6aY7-b6iBZ19CQeDeIW3cnVjq2t3834w4pZgQmrh0m28d9k71Reu-mbFhStzGBzVp_vicJPp3QBeaex-FVzV2MCPEb2avRYRPXuZSGOmKQXwo4HrnxcYkk9uSL2mKh7E/s1600/IMGP0554.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The trail to the base of the falls.</td></tr>
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On our previous trip, we did not go down to the bottom of Lula Falls. We felt like exploring more of the area than a hike down into the bottom of the gorge. This time though we wanted to see the bottom. I had hopes of possibly recreating a picture I saw on Lula Lake's Facebook site that was taken during the Civil War once I got to the bottom. The trail to the base of the falls was very steep, washed out, and crumbling. The picture to the right is just at the start of the trail. It is quite possibly the best part of the trail down. Once past the tree in upper center, the trail becomes crumbling sandstone and gullies. We had to hold onto tree limbs and roots to keep from sliding or falling the entire way to the bottom. Once we did make it to the bottom though, we were rewarded with great views of the falls. There were people down swimming and splashing around, but they were careful to not wet others. It was nice. I was surprised to see several women in bikinis at the bottom, they are not what I would consider hiking wear but to each their own. I will admit that they put shorts and shirts on before they climbed back to the top. Due to downed trees and new plant growth, I was not able to recreate the picture I saw, but in comparing the two I was happy to see that in 150+ years the waterfall had not changed much. The area below the falls is pretty open and there was plenty of room for lots of people to spread out and do their own thing. Jackie and I took a spot just to the right of the frame of my picture by a couple who were sunbathing. We sat for a little while and enjoyed the view and people watching.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9SommoJJlcUIcQ-MdZPcrkd0Mh1bYwQLBby9_IcMp1IdAeqZyDaqhmfetohgp-J83AqDk9HvUTRsClLAvHJKhGk5rhbTE32V0EMOEEq13M2DF9x8dJmJPQtIee4voIbsDL54K8_qwH8s/s1600/Lula+Lake+18644.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9SommoJJlcUIcQ-MdZPcrkd0Mh1bYwQLBby9_IcMp1IdAeqZyDaqhmfetohgp-J83AqDk9HvUTRsClLAvHJKhGk5rhbTE32V0EMOEEq13M2DF9x8dJmJPQtIee4voIbsDL54K8_qwH8s/s1600/Lula+Lake+18644.jpg" height="229" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The picture from 1860's I wanted to recreate</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG2XKax-Wnf4dkGYL-toHMyw_Njo_ENKkHKuWrMN_IJtWlgF476iVBgdOWJjUO4DxK4jR2AvRGaK3YDixzCyVNft4a2DZXhdGYytrPk8y5EoaaY9QSKJwbL418mVwjuSyyoyqEp6-e8n0/s1600/IMGP0555.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG2XKax-Wnf4dkGYL-toHMyw_Njo_ENKkHKuWrMN_IJtWlgF476iVBgdOWJjUO4DxK4jR2AvRGaK3YDixzCyVNft4a2DZXhdGYytrPk8y5EoaaY9QSKJwbL418mVwjuSyyoyqEp6-e8n0/s1600/IMGP0555.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The picture that I took.</td></tr>
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After we had taken a break, we began the hike out. It was a pretty tough climb back up to the top of the gorge. The real hardest part was when we bumped into a guy with a pit bull and the dog wanted to say hi. I was down hill and the dog was up, so it kept trying to help me get back to the bottom in a quick fashion if you know what I mean. It really was a sweet dog and the owner apologized for it jumping on me. I told him no worries, Mia didn't even get excited by the dog, and we went on our way.<br />
Jackie and I started to go up the Bluff Trail, but it was a little overgrown for my taste and Jackie was a little tick shy so we went back to the car. To be honest, lunch was calling our name pretty loudly and I didn't want to ignore it much longer. There was a guy who was struggling after climbing up from the waterfall in front of us. An older woman from Alabama told us that the guy was on the verge of over heating and she was slightly concerned for the boy. She was with a group who was there visiting and she said that they had given him some water. We kept an eye on him until we were able to catch up. I tried to talk to him a bit as we walked, but he was fairly quiet. He met up with his group and we went on.<br />
This trip to Lula Lake wasn't as extensive as our trip three years ago, but I still enjoyed it. Any time we are able to go there, I find something new that I had not seen before. The Trust tries to keep the area low impact and it shows. The trails are similar to hiking in some of the National Forest Wilderness Areas, but are a little better maintained. If you have the chance one first weekend of the month, I would suggest a visit. The trail they were making to connect Lula Lake with Cloudland Canyon is now complete so that opens up even more hiking opportunities! This is the link for the Land Trust http://lulalake.org/<br />
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ashipmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00382359453145164520noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6611157772635716813.post-53073302235928146462014-08-03T17:30:00.001-04:002014-08-03T17:31:37.429-04:00Beech Bottom Trail and Jacks River Falls Apparently, it is my habit to put up a bunch of trip reports all at one time instead of right after I finish hiking the trails. So much for trying to keep the hiking blog current huh? My wife and I recently decided to tally all of the waterfalls that we have been to in the seven years we have been together. That total has come to 54, yes that is right fifty four waterfalls. So, since I have been hiking several more times since the last post and tallying up the number of waterfalls we have been to, I will try to update the blog with trips that are not repeats of what is already on here. So with that spirit, here goes our trip.<br />
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Memorial Day weekend, my wife and I decided to get out of the house. Since she loves waterfalls and I did not feel like driving an insane amount of time to go to a falls in our home state that we had not seen before, I talked her into a wilderness hike. We had attempted the Jacks River Trail before but when we came to the first of forty something water crossings, we decided to turn around. This time though, I came up with hiking the Beech Bottom Trail to reach the Jacks River Trail and then seeing Jacks River Falls. Round trip, this would be a little over nine mile hike. The Beech Bottom Trail is 4 miles long and it is another .6 miles on the Jacks River Trail to the falls.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbJRoK23Wz8x8l03XNxdfTdlfFlXv6JHPZipAqJLVCJG3_w_XDimV-IVZnXlQ3C0ZZ36GeOZqF7-R5mWRmRVhY8Ao3HFGTxsSv6RxCJMOcdBD0xlCEJY3YxyxdU0mPCngI4nxCk_JtTdA/s1600/IMGP0510.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbJRoK23Wz8x8l03XNxdfTdlfFlXv6JHPZipAqJLVCJG3_w_XDimV-IVZnXlQ3C0ZZ36GeOZqF7-R5mWRmRVhY8Ao3HFGTxsSv6RxCJMOcdBD0xlCEJY3YxyxdU0mPCngI4nxCk_JtTdA/s1600/IMGP0510.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Parking Area. At one point it was a fee area but I could<br />
not find a station to pay. My car is the blue one on the right.</td></tr>
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After talking it over, we set out. Contrary to the directions in the book and living here my whole life, I knew the way to get to the trail head. Instead of going down Ladd Springs Road all the way, I decided to go Highway 64 to Cherokee Corners and then down the Forest Service Roads to the trail head. I drive a Chevy Cobalt; this was not the best decision for me to make. After the rain that we had been having, the road was pretty well washed and rutted out. I felt like I was back four wheeling in my Jeep, picking the right line so my car would not drag. It felt like it took forever to reach the trailhead, about an hour or so in reality. Other than a guy in a Honda S2000, mine was the only car I saw the whole way in. Sometimes being a man who doesn't always follow the directions isn't a good thing. Following the directions at the bottom of this post will provide a safer car route than what I took. It is still bumpy but it is not as bad as the way I went. <br />
The parking is on the left hand side of the road as you come around a curve, with the trailhead proper <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ523XJj9zeIeavbFjzKDAR7tJQs6Jm4P2m41dzGMl9z6wvG_nP4ksOAE30aGyVZwp8fK7wFt4nliKeRKOkwbNJeMhNSoatupz42UnRMcZ6vPqpGBSRbnvYoA5siyeNaJBYwGkAOYkjpA/s1600/IMGP0512.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ523XJj9zeIeavbFjzKDAR7tJQs6Jm4P2m41dzGMl9z6wvG_nP4ksOAE30aGyVZwp8fK7wFt4nliKeRKOkwbNJeMhNSoatupz42UnRMcZ6vPqpGBSRbnvYoA5siyeNaJBYwGkAOYkjpA/s1600/IMGP0512.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyf0yv3MkOjY6lX6E96KhgLkpbcZx-TcYvLg4wyceD4A5Yg6jPWZFUPrOTZwga7KoRJvtOQawO6QyxVdCfx_kxvlcGkF3oc1BmR8K0QLxa9ncxF5q8M2LrYnm0zTfYIoyOQvSWSf_dvCI/s1600/IMGP0514.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyf0yv3MkOjY6lX6E96KhgLkpbcZx-TcYvLg4wyceD4A5Yg6jPWZFUPrOTZwga7KoRJvtOQawO6QyxVdCfx_kxvlcGkF3oc1BmR8K0QLxa9ncxF5q8M2LrYnm0zTfYIoyOQvSWSf_dvCI/s1600/IMGP0514.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
being on the right. The parking area was just about full when we arrived. Everything I could find out about the trail said that it was one of the most popular in the area giving easy access to Jacks River Falls. I could believe it.</div>
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The trail begins pretty much on the state line between Tennessee and Georgia. After passing the kiosk, there is a sign announcing the Cohutta Wilderness. The trail then meanders through the forest. After a mile, the trail drops down and crosses its first creek. After crossing the creek, the trail begins to climb again. This is the main climb of the trail and it last for roughly a mile. After reaching the high point, the trail drops down to Beech Bottom. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9fLCOOMNLmV7yLAc7xMX5GxTs-92uIKcFVhdz7I7ZgBZxJHgAuTOw1ruWwaqZtG6oV48WBhcZgLzrCrfmM_OkojuOovMgM5SsQkAv0ZMAMTgkN3uASgalkcgE8WE17vjFzoUnWTi9OtM/s1600/amchart.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9fLCOOMNLmV7yLAc7xMX5GxTs-92uIKcFVhdz7I7ZgBZxJHgAuTOw1ruWwaqZtG6oV48WBhcZgLzrCrfmM_OkojuOovMgM5SsQkAv0ZMAMTgkN3uASgalkcgE8WE17vjFzoUnWTi9OtM/s1600/amchart.jpg" height="105" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">An elevation profile of the trail that I have "borrowed" from ChucksNetWerx at Trimble Outdoors</td></tr>
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There used to be a hunting camp in this area back in the day, but I did not look too hard for the foundation of any old buildings. The Forest Service has signs posted all in the area saying that there is no camping allowed between April and October in the bottoms. If you go after the blackout, the whole place looks like a good area to set up camp. The trail crosses another creek and meanders through the trees before ending at its junction with the Jacks River Trail.<br />
Once we reached the end of the Beech Bottom Trail, we turned right to go to the falls. We started running in to people left and right on this trail. I was surprised but with it being a holiday weekend, I shouldn't have been. We just normally do not see so many people on the trails we hike. After turning onto the Jacks River Trail, it is .6 miles to the falls. This trail was more narrow and more overgrown in places than the Beech Bottom Trail. Jacks River Trail is a single track while Beech Bottom follows old roads and I would consider it a double track trail. The only hard part of this trail was the creek crossing right before the falls. The rocks are at angles and could pose a hazard with slick soled footwear<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEL6oG16jDpR7KdSzAQzSHa7ZbEZSnl9IrN4Lhkd1DzXygZ9J0Bpk9DriFBdL80BQoMewOhIlg3Q1ByKlmFyz17U2ytu4Cz3gyWsR8mqy5vsb7BaIu5Bw85dSmBD_MKtKSiTNTM-ZoC7w/s1600/IMGP0528.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEL6oG16jDpR7KdSzAQzSHa7ZbEZSnl9IrN4Lhkd1DzXygZ9J0Bpk9DriFBdL80BQoMewOhIlg3Q1ByKlmFyz17U2ytu4Cz3gyWsR8mqy5vsb7BaIu5Bw85dSmBD_MKtKSiTNTM-ZoC7w/s1600/IMGP0528.JPG" height="83" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Panorama of Jacks River Falls</td></tr>
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Once we reached the falls, it was crowded. I had heard that the falls were a popular swimming hole but I had no idea they were this popular. Outside of the Boy Scouts we saw going to Cloudland Canyon, I do not believe that we have seen as many people on a trail in the Cherokee Forest. I would say the number of people there ranks with our hike to Abram Falls in the Smokies. Everyone was having a good time and there were plenty of dogs around. Mia, our 8 year old Chihuahua did not like seeing all the other dogs, but Chihuahua's have that rep.</div>
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After taking all of our pictures and watching the water for a little bit we went back to the creek crossing to eat our lunch. There were several nice places that people could set up camp from November to March but there was the nice little sign again...</div>
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So we ate the snack lunch and rested for about 30 minutes while Mia barked at the dog parade going by. Everyone apparently got a kick out of our 5 pound Chihuahua doing a 9 mile hike but that is what she knows. I had heard that there was a "short cut" back to Beech Bottom that would pretty much cut the .6 miles off of the hike back to the car. There used to be an old trail that ran to the right of the creek that the Forest Service chose to stop maintaining when the area became a Wilderness. I saw several groups of people going up this old trail and talked Jackie into following it. It might have been shorter, but the trail ended at a creek crossing and it was a 30 minute bushwhack back to Beech Bottom. I ended up carrying Mia and hiking up the middle of the creek due to a lab and golden retriever that Mia thought wanted her as a snack. When we finally hit Beech Bottom Trail again, I told Jackie that our short cut was a bad idea. Then the thunder rolled. We began to high tail it back to the car since we did not have rain jackets or my tarp. On the way back, we had just crested the high part of the trail and turned a curve when the top fell out of a tree 50 yards behind us and crashed to the side of the trail and rolled down the ridge. That was a little unnerving. No one was hurt though. We walked a little faster after that though. We were glad to reach the car. The sky had turned jet black than the thunder sounded like it was right on top of us. For all of our running to get back to the car, we saw no lightning and it did not rain a drop on us.</div>
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Overall, I would give the trail a rating of 3 of 5 stars. The trail would be more scenic during the fall, and there might be some views during winter, but during the spring and summer it is a green tunnel. For a group hike to go see the falls and maybe swim, it would be nice. With the trail being wide, people would be able to talk and carry on freely. On a physical scale, I would say the trail is moderate, but that is really on due to the length. It took us roughly 5 1/2 hours to hike to the falls and back, with a 30 minute break in between. The thunder probably helped to motivate us to hike faster on the way back. If you are interested in an easy way to see Jacks River Falls or just for a long hike in the woods, I would recommend this trail, but probably not during the summer.</div>
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Directions: <span style="background-color: white; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">From Cleveland, TN, head east on TN 74/Waterlevel Hwy. to the US 411 exit; turn right at the end of the exit, heading south. Continue on US 411 for 6.6 miles and turn left on Willis Springs Rd. Go 3.1 miles and turn left on J Wilson Rd. In .9 mile, continue straight on Peavine Sheets Creek Rd. In 5.2 miles, turn left to stay on Peavine Sheets Creek Rd. Go 1 mile and take a sharp right on Big Frog Loop Rd. Continue 4.3 miles to Beech Bottoms trailhead parking. (borrowed from </span><span style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px;">http://www.trimbleoutdoors.com/ViewTrip/1449025 I am not good a typing directions so thanks again ChucksNetWerX. I did use his track on my Backpacker GPS App just to see how it worked)</span></span>ashipmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00382359453145164520noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6611157772635716813.post-83157278323141657162013-06-03T10:41:00.000-04:002013-06-03T17:13:15.680-04:00Assault on Big Frog Take 1 <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuDPhDAM1oMLdmhE1CuEOInuMQ9sCWW2q1uOQ6xziHsp3fku_VK32D3RwMiuOqxOlEgrfvRr4XOpMSyS1ojh91J7t0iffE2bhyphenhyphenHckrypP5W1JmScBQzpE_WWDZ2DdBlDLVW1Cjr3BXD-0/s1600/18852_575777645388_5808753_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuDPhDAM1oMLdmhE1CuEOInuMQ9sCWW2q1uOQ6xziHsp3fku_VK32D3RwMiuOqxOlEgrfvRr4XOpMSyS1ojh91J7t0iffE2bhyphenhyphenHckrypP5W1JmScBQzpE_WWDZ2DdBlDLVW1Cjr3BXD-0/s320/18852_575777645388_5808753_n.jpg" width="212" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Big Frog in Winter. Photo taken by Jackie</td></tr>
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In honor of Nation Trail Day, Jackie and I decided to try and tackle hiking Big Frog Mountain in Polk County Tennessee. Big Frog is one of the largest mountains in the local area, reaching around 4,200 feet in height. Also to the west, there are no mountains that are higher than Big Frog until Texas and South Dakota are reached. Big Frog was designated as a wilderness area in 1984, the same year that I was born. With looking at this mountain for my entire life, I have always wanted to climb it. I mean it is the tallest peak around and the wilderness and I are basically the same age so I had more reason to go to the top. I have "hiked" to the top of Clingman's Dome, the highest point in the state, several times and so I figured that if I could climb the Dome that I could bag Big Frog. Recently I began to research the trails that lead up to it. From Tennessee there are three trails go to the top of the mountain and there is one that come from Georgia. I looked over the trails. I wanted to hike the Benton MacKaye Trail up the mountain, but did not know if we would have the time to do most of the mileage. So I looked at Wolf Ridge Trail, the shortest route up the mountain, and discarded it because it is supposed to be the most strenuous trail. Then I looked at Licklog Ridge Trail, but it was longer than the others and since we were not planning on camping out, I decided against a 12+ mile day hike, even though we would fly coming down the mountain. I did not want to hike in from Georgia since the drive would cut into the hiking time. So, that leaves Big Frog Trail, 5.6 miles of mountain climbing trail.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6PICYYBczCHMhZnp0oU27JbHTlH_9bjZyq0BUh4nWBtGK2LmLUZ1oUQFDI1NX7wFdpd2KYdZJSEYaaF5FnaH2DPS_aU56zFpFqFnCmYTW8d3KzqfIg_zy6VD9DKzTA6M1Oj2tB3rYvDw/s1600/big_frog_wildernesslarge.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6PICYYBczCHMhZnp0oU27JbHTlH_9bjZyq0BUh4nWBtGK2LmLUZ1oUQFDI1NX7wFdpd2KYdZJSEYaaF5FnaH2DPS_aU56zFpFqFnCmYTW8d3KzqfIg_zy6VD9DKzTA6M1Oj2tB3rYvDw/s320/big_frog_wildernesslarge.gif" width="227" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Copied from <a href="http://www.sherpaguides.com/georgia/mountains/blue_ridge/western/map_big_frog_wilderness.html">http://www.sherpaguides.com/georgia/mountains/blue_ridge/western/map_big_frog_wilderness.html</a></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoqWGtLza2sMGKV5Cb45ct0TN5mV5evACOz6oCWSrZ8I6yQey8ygnPcsonVZ7DzBz09rTqCMNzdtdwmAlvOd6I8tOxvSPOanrWf-UNMo4S8JkVSkg1uidUJCkS7aeo9I1N9SugYVIFxl8/s1600/030.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoqWGtLza2sMGKV5Cb45ct0TN5mV5evACOz6oCWSrZ8I6yQey8ygnPcsonVZ7DzBz09rTqCMNzdtdwmAlvOd6I8tOxvSPOanrWf-UNMo4S8JkVSkg1uidUJCkS7aeo9I1N9SugYVIFxl8/s320/030.JPG" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wilderness Sign, in the wilderness.</td></tr>
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We got a later start than we planned, but still got to the trail head before 12. We were also the only ones at the trail head, which surprised me. The trail starts out on an old Forest Service Road and begins a gentle climb. There was grass growing along the road, with the trail leading through it. After about a mile, we came to a sign by the trail saying that we were entering the Big Frog Wilderness. I was slightly surprised to see this sign in the woods. It was a nice sign, just not what I expected. There are several wet weather streams that run across the trail but did not pose a problem to us. We kept climbing and climbing the shallow grade. Then I felt something on my leg. I looked down and there was a tick. No surprise, I mean we were walking through grass along the trail so there was bound to be a tick some place. We brought Mia with us, and she had two ticks attached and going at it on her. Then Jackie found a tick crawling her leg. This gave me a slight pause, four ticks in less than a mile on the trail? We did not spray any Cutter or Off on ourselves before we left so it was a chance we were taking. The grass thinned out ahead so we kept going.<br />
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The trail then met with Rough Creek Trail. Rough Creek Trail runs for 3 miles in a North-South fashion and connects Big Frog, Fork Ridge, and Licklog Trails. I was thinking of coming down Fork Ridge and cutting across Rough Creek but the trail looked rough and over grown so I decided against that. We climbed to Low Gap and turned left following Big Frog Trail on up the mountain. At Low Gap, there was a trail running down off the ridge to the right and someone had taken a permanent marker and wrote Grassy Gap on the sign pointing at a faint, faint, faint and over grown trail going between the two trails. After going through the gap, the trail shot up. It was a steep slog up the mountain. We hiked past several good camping spots that people had made in the past. Along the way, we found six more ticks on Mia and ourselves. Then it happened. 3.4 miles into the hike, 2.2 miles from the top, and around 1,200 feet higher than where we started we were stopped. The trail hit an area where it was overgrown by grass and ferns. It was a lovely spot to look at. I looked at the faint hint of a trail showing through all the green and then at Jackie and Mia. We were up to ten ticks and would probably get ten more just passing through this grassy area. I was planning on eating lunch at the top of the mountain. We were all a little hungry. Grass. Food. Ticks. Decisions... With a sigh, I remembered that not everyone reached the summit on their first push and some people who did, did not come back to tell their tale. I looked and Jackie, petted Mia on the head and said, "Let's turn around."<br />
So, down the mountain we went. We stopped at a camping spot right above Low Gap and fixed our lunch of Grilled Cheese Sandwiches. The new Trangia stove did a good job of cooking the sandwiches. I misjudged how much alcohol I would need and ran out. It was not a problem though. I also bought the Trangia Gas burner and finished cooking lunch. Both systems worked great. There was a pretty good wind blowing and I did not have the stove really protected so that helped burn off the alcohol faster. Looking back on the hike, Jackie and I enjoyed it. If there were not so many ticks, or we were better prepared for them we would have went on, I think. I was surprised by the way the trails looked. In several of my guide books and areas on the internet, people have said how well maintained the trails were. From what I saw, I would rate these trail maintenance as mediocre. Still though, trees were blooming and there were flowers growing all along the trail to add color to the woods and I enjoyed the hike. Aborted or not. Jackie and I have been talking about it and we will try to reach the top again. This time though, we will probably go up the path of the Benton MacKaye Trail. I drove over to its trail head and it looked more maintained. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">These were blooming along the trail after the first mile.</td></tr>
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Links for more information:<br />
Benton MacKaye Trail information on the Big Frog Section: <a href="http://www.bmta.org/sections/BMT-SecDescrip-11.pdf">http://www.bmta.org/sections/BMT-SecDescrip-11.pdf</a><br />
Summit Post Information: <a href="http://www.summitpost.org/big-frog-mountain/185481">http://www.summitpost.org/big-frog-mountain/185481</a><br />
Sherpa Guide Information: <a href="http://www.sherpaguides.com/georgia/mountains/blue_ridge/western/big_frog_wilderness.html">http://www.sherpaguides.com/georgia/mountains/blue_ridge/western/big_frog_wilderness.html</a><br />
Forest Service Page: <a href="http://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/cherokee/recarea/?recid=35022">http://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/cherokee/recarea/?recid=35022</a><br />
<a href="http://tnwild.org/docs/big_frog_trail_map.pdf">TNWild Big Frog Map</a>ashipmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00382359453145164520noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6611157772635716813.post-40107368251279331152013-05-26T22:28:00.001-04:002013-05-26T22:31:14.724-04:00An Old Time Favorite Well after many chores this morning, we decided to go for a short hike. After a short discussion, we decided to go to Rattlesnake Falls. We have been to this waterfall several times in our years together; so it is like an old friend. The hike itself isn't too long, 1.5 miles there and back. The parking for the hike is free. Free is always good. The only time it isn't, is when the lot is full.<br />
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When we arrived today, there was a family standing by the trailhead and looking at the info kiosk. Mom and dad were trying to figure out where to go, because the trail splits and one goes up the mountain, past Benton Falls, and to the campground and the right hand branch goes to Rattlesnake Falls, they asked which one would be better. We told them that they should go to Rattlesnake since they had smaller children. They said ok and let us get ahead of them. We did not tell them about the two creek crossing, but after we passed them, we did not see them again. After a short climb up from the parking lot the trail splits at this sign, go right along the Scenic Spur Trail and to Rattlesnake Falls.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The first trail sign. Stay right to go to Rattlesnake Falls.</td></tr>
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After passing this sign, the trail goes into a saddle and then up the ridge. If you choose, you could go left at the sign and then cut right at an unsigned post and be on the trail. That way is a little less strenuous but it does not cut off distance. After climbing to the top, the trail drops again and goes through some timber and comes to another cross trail</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl6NdC6462YEVej5L1cgKC5evQFhpCydKWUY7zt5SSlv6YS0QjT0EqCl6XS7kaVHd_fTXCfG_76Sgbm6Uly2m0f4uP7CO-nWsQT8qdoZpDhgxZQCkpy-fRJGMpFqLyTfRas0tqn_RKl3g/s640/blogger-image-19540634.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl6NdC6462YEVej5L1cgKC5evQFhpCydKWUY7zt5SSlv6YS0QjT0EqCl6XS7kaVHd_fTXCfG_76Sgbm6Uly2m0f4uP7CO-nWsQT8qdoZpDhgxZQCkpy-fRJGMpFqLyTfRas0tqn_RKl3g/s640/blogger-image-19540634.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The second trail sign. About a half mile in.</td></tr>
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Stay strait here to go to Rattlesnake. The first water crossing is about a third of a mile from this sign. It is the worst, in terms of trying to stay dry, if you are that type. The rocks are clumped together on the parking lot side of the creek, but not really close enough together on the other to keep from getting wet. There was a downed tree that we walked across today. I do not know how long it will be there but I was a little worried going across it. The trail then climbs, levels out, and climbs again but it is not strenuous. After leveling out the trail begins to drop and there is the second creek crossing. This one has rocks all across so unless there is a super amount of water flowing, it should be a strait forward crossing.</div>
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After the second crossing, the trail begins to climb again. Fairly strait up climb. Then, with the water flowing in the creek below, you hear it. Walking a little more you can begin to see it through the trees... A waterfall! It is a nice waterfall, casting spray and noise down the little valley. Walking a little further the trail runs into a rock bluff. Turn right and ease through the slippery rocks and mud and this is the sight.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is Lower Falls or Rock Creek Falls. The first waterfall you come to.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is the way down to Lower Falls.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Go up along the bluff face to go back to Rattlesnake Falls.</td></tr>
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After taking a break, turn back up the bluff and walk past the trail and begin scrambling along the bluff face and work your way along the top to reach Rattlesnake Falls. I am not sure what the waterfall we just left is named. Some people call it Rock Creek Falls and others just call it the waterfall. After scrambling up the bluff, follow the worn trails up the creek. The Forest Service tries to trick you into thinking the bottom falls is what you want to see, but with about .1 mile of bush whacking, you can see Rattlesnake. All of the hiker made trails end at the creek. To really see the waterfall, you must rock jump across and up creek. I meant to take a picture of the rock garden you have I go through, but I was busy carrying the dog and helping the wife...</div>
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After all the work, this is your sight..</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rattlesnake Falls</td></tr>
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Rattlesnake Falls. There are rocks to rest on and it is a good place to eat a picnic lunch if you have one. Also there is a swimming hole if you are so inclined. I got some water from the falls and put it in the kettle with my new Trangia stove to see how it does in the wild, but lots of people kept coming up and I got tired of shooing dogs and kids away from a warm stove and aborted the test. Hopefully a kit report will be following at some point. </div>
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So once you are done at the waterfall, all that is needed is to retrace your steps back to the parking lot. If you are inclined, the Clemmer Trail runs up to the top of the mountain and past Benton Falls. The Clemmer Trail is what the Spur Trail branches off of. We have hiked it before. It is not bad. Just give yourself some time. We ran out of daylight before making it back to the car when we did it. Round trip is around 9 miles. If you take the Clear Creek Trail, it goes to Highway 30 by a picnic table or up the mountain to the lower camping area. I have only hike about 3-3.5 miles of Clear Creek and was not impressed. But if you are in the area, maybe rafting/kayaking/canoeing the Ocoee River, and want a quick hike then this trail to Rattlesnake Falls is a good choice.</div>
ashipmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00382359453145164520noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6611157772635716813.post-30602764920925074782013-05-17T13:20:00.000-04:002013-05-17T13:20:26.704-04:00Virgin Falls Pocket Willderness This trip is a difficult trip for me to write about. Mainly, because I did not enjoy it. There was nothing wrong with the hike or anything like that. I was sick. To be honest, I should have stayed at home, but Jackie and I had planned on seeing this waterfall for a while and finally had the time to do it. I felt like it was a now or never venture and sick or not I was going to go.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSnOg3NI3d0RhuoYWugjJ8-qUZSx4Kodh2B8LKtxbHs9wius9iJ6KdYnFuyQYxnvJ0U_hrn-_sfp10-PT8KM6DxUQJg79kYVwIOfksjV827kjhqFhQqLUrdoqD4q8SVUv3xqp8H36Y680/s1600/VF.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSnOg3NI3d0RhuoYWugjJ8-qUZSx4Kodh2B8LKtxbHs9wius9iJ6KdYnFuyQYxnvJ0U_hrn-_sfp10-PT8KM6DxUQJg79kYVwIOfksjV827kjhqFhQqLUrdoqD4q8SVUv3xqp8H36Y680/s320/VF.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
The hardest part about the hike is getting there. Do not follow Google's directions. They have a habit/history of taking people about two hours out of the way and on a dirt road trip. Then if you do not run into someone who knows something about the area, then you might not make it to the falls. The first thing to do is to find DeRossett TN, which is near Sparta TN. and on Highway 70. When there turn south onto Eastland/Mourberry Road (the map on my iPhone says Eastland and my directions say Mourberry). The intersection forms something of a Y and there is a small, small sign signaling the way to the pocket wilderness. Then go about 6 miles and then turn right onto Scott's Gulf Road. After turning onto the road, which is gravel, the parking lot will be 2 miles on your right. There, the hardest part is over with. After the hike, you might disagree. The mileage for these directions was taken from 40 hikes in Tennessee's South Cumberland 3rd Edition.</div>
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The trail is on the north side of the parking lot. It winds it's way through the woods and crosses over a small creek. The trail then comes to a major creek crossing. Unless it has been dry for a while, like it had been when we went, you will get wet. There is a metal cable strung across the creek to help with the crossing. I remember that people had tents and a hammock set up here when went. The trail here begins to decend. After about a mile to a mile and a half, you come to Big Laurel Falls. It was dry when we went so the falls were not going like I have seen in pictures. The trail continues going down along the ridge. Going in is not bad. After about two miles the trail comes to Sheep Falls. It was hard to see this falls due to its location and all of the trees. The trail then begins a loop down to Virgin Falls. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The trail crosses this creek. There is a metal line to hold onto while crossing.</td></tr>
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The falls the day that we went were running about half or less capacity. It wasn't bad but with the trees being bushed out we could not see much. The waterfall comes over the brink of a cliff and then plunges into a cave. It comes from the earth and goes back into the earth. There are two camping places around the falls. Both were taken when we went. I still found room to string up my hammock for us to eat some lunch. The trail here makes a loop and swings around from one ridge back to the ridge we came down on the way in. At this point the trail has hit the four mile mark. There are four miles left to go before the car comes back into view. As the loop swings around to take you back to the main trail, there is a side trail that goes to the Caney Fork River. Seeing as how I also like to canoe, I have often thought about a canoe trip with a side hike to the falls. Riding in a canoe is a lot of fun, especially when an 8 mile hike can be shortened a little.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsrm48PeezOekiDG0qkfk7URt_dejcHXxg6cKmWOeRonEy9yUAIuiELDPkmMaTZqSaAz_R8MqDp0zjvtn3gxyp9EpOA458EzrsutmAYWjJr3poEReyNRnotFcphCyF4qLZOh7sfCuKZjU/s1600/vf1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsrm48PeezOekiDG0qkfk7URt_dejcHXxg6cKmWOeRonEy9yUAIuiELDPkmMaTZqSaAz_R8MqDp0zjvtn3gxyp9EpOA458EzrsutmAYWjJr3poEReyNRnotFcphCyF4qLZOh7sfCuKZjU/s320/vf1.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is the best picture of Virgin Falls that I have. It is about the middle of the falls. The falls themselves are around 100 feet tall.</td></tr>
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The return hike is not bad. It is all up hill. The whole way. All 4 miles. The slope is not that bad, but it is there the whole way. There are a few steep sections, but nothing that last for more than maybe .25 of a mile. While going back to the car I kept wishing for two things, one that I felt better and two, for a tent so that we could camp out. The trail is worth the effort. Even with the water being low, the waterfalls were ok. We had hike just as far and seen worse so on the day we went I would give them a 5. With more time I would not mind going back and camping out this time. Hiking this trail is an all day affair. But again if you have the chance, go for it.</div>
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Here is the TN website on the area: <a href="http://www.tn.gov/environment/na/natareas/virgin/">http://www.tn.gov/environment/na/natareas/virgin/</a><br />
Map of the hiking trail is found here: <a href="http://www.tn.gov/environment/na/natareas/virgin/virgin.pdf">http://www.tn.gov/environment/na/natareas/virgin/virgin.pdf</a><br />
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ashipmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00382359453145164520noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6611157772635716813.post-39358392110048000352013-05-16T16:19:00.002-04:002013-05-16T16:19:59.586-04:00Lula Lake Falls When I started this blog, I figured that I would list all of our hiking trails in chronological order. Well as you all can see, I took a three and a half year hiatus... So since I mentioned the Lula Lake Trust in my last post, I figured that I would tell about the time we went hiking there back in 2011.<br />
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Lula Lake Falls is located on top of Lookout Mountain in Gerorgia. The hardest part is finding a place to park. After turning off the main road, you drop down onto a gravel one way road that twist and winds down to a grassy field and you just park in the field. The parking was a little haphazard the day we went. Since the Trust only opens the land to the public on the first and last weekends of the month, there is normally a crowd. It was not that bad when we went. Since there are several trails, the people are normally pretty well dispersed.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVUJdfURd-W07tPxYB1CyMlKryX5bIO8FZcXKo507wKSgT7ytTpmo_wKKhC9vZzdRQzqMOTu0G4rNBo-C674R6tV-CwqEMS7COOuOBSVtpUsOKKRSKNT_djCH4Kr1A5DyAFfZpHxyzUR8/s1600/llf1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVUJdfURd-W07tPxYB1CyMlKryX5bIO8FZcXKo507wKSgT7ytTpmo_wKKhC9vZzdRQzqMOTu0G4rNBo-C674R6tV-CwqEMS7COOuOBSVtpUsOKKRSKNT_djCH4Kr1A5DyAFfZpHxyzUR8/s320/llf1.jpg" width="320" /></a> Jackie loves to see waterfalls so we went on down the road and hit the waterfall trail. The trail just splits off from the road and, I did not know this when I parked, it, the road, has parking by the trail head. The trail is a nice trail and fairly wide. After splitting off from the road, the trail goes at a slight downhill angle and goes past a port a potty before coming to a bridge crossing Rock Creek. After crossing the bridge, the trail goes around a rock outcropping and drops down to a picnic table beside Lula Lake. Looking back up the lake, you can see a small waterfall that drops into the head of the lake. This would be one of the good spots to stop for a picnic if you are so inclined. In the below photograph, the bridge is just behind the rocks on the left. </div>
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After taking pictures of the falls, Jackie and I went back and headed on down the trail. After a short walk we came to an overlook for Lula Falls. It was running pretty good and reminded me a little of Foster Falls. We got some pictures and spoke with some people coming up from the base of the falls. There is a trail going down to the base, but we did not hike it. The trail was narrow and looked like it has a switchback or two. The people we spoke to said that the view was nice but the trail was a little tough. We hiked on down the trail to where it stopped at a metal rail drove in the ground with a private property sign on it. I walked around and looked at some of the rock formations that were there and tried to stay on the Trust's property.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK5qduHhIfSWDpZx1Kpz1U56cwhmztGkBE7-cl-_zRiWhQ5PuD-zbhK4_oQSu20Cto3l3bNJZa3pPZ2mNfGxCJPbFwSvQChq1JIYoQNgK3M2PCrOzo_xEH3v0nZFY204gDzatl4TLTVTs/s1600/llf2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK5qduHhIfSWDpZx1Kpz1U56cwhmztGkBE7-cl-_zRiWhQ5PuD-zbhK4_oQSu20Cto3l3bNJZa3pPZ2mNfGxCJPbFwSvQChq1JIYoQNgK3M2PCrOzo_xEH3v0nZFY204gDzatl4TLTVTs/s320/llf2.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
We then hiked back up to where a trail split off to the north by Lula Falls, this trail is called Bluff Trail. We then hiked up to the top. The trail was a little steep but not that bad and it was not as wide as the trail to the Falls. Once on top though we got a great view of the Georgia countryside. We could see for miles the day we went. The trail then goes along the top of the mountain. This would be another good spot for a picnic. If you are so inclined, there are plenty of trees around for hanging a hammock. I am not sure if it is allowed though. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDz8Szs8Fm2vmUdj-3YW3wZa2zi5mCkkt6MSbsYhkFG0oQuUia1ZfYZygvQLK0YezaEjCk1qv3VAcM-0bOL6Ig2Avp18hfsZdIe-4Tfrg5IeP_FAoBxX-NyJq1KapdejBm0JgeCprRhIY/s1600/llf3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDz8Szs8Fm2vmUdj-3YW3wZa2zi5mCkkt6MSbsYhkFG0oQuUia1ZfYZygvQLK0YezaEjCk1qv3VAcM-0bOL6Ig2Avp18hfsZdIe-4Tfrg5IeP_FAoBxX-NyJq1KapdejBm0JgeCprRhIY/s320/llf3.jpg" width="320" /></a> After taking pictures and enjoying the view, we walked south along the trail some more and found another trail labeled Middle Trail and we went down it. This trail was a nice trail and took us through the woods and to Rock Creek. It joins the Lula Falls Trail right after the bridge.<br />
Overall, I would give this trip a 9 out of 10. I really enjoyed our hike there. The scenery was nice, the waterfalls were running well and the trails are really well maintained. If you have a day to spend on Lookout Mountain and it is near one of the open weekends, I would suggest that you go there. When we first went, there was an old map of the trails floating around somewhere on line. I was hoping that I could find the map and post a link to it, but alas time and the aging internet wait for no man and it has disappeared. Do not worry though, the trails are well labeled and always make a loop or connect with another trail that will take you back to where you need to be. I cannot wait for the final link to connect the Trust property with Cloudland Canyon to be completed. That would make a pretty neat backpacking trip.<br />
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Directions to Lula Lake Property are found here: <a href="http://www.lulalake.org/about/directions.asp">http://www.lulalake.org/about/directions.asp</a></div>
ashipmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00382359453145164520noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6611157772635716813.post-32434184563819423822013-05-12T11:24:00.001-04:002013-05-17T17:47:46.188-04:00Cloudland Canyon Waterfall Hike Hello everyone. After seeing that my last post was apparently in 2009 I am thinking that some of you may think I have died. That is not the case! Life just jumped out at me and took over for a little bit. On a high note, I did get married and now have a hiking partner for life! On our honeymoon, we went to Mingo Falls in Cherokee NC and hiked to Clingman's Dome. Enough history though.<br />
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<b><i>Cloudland Canyon State Park Georgia</i></b><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Park sign off of Highway 136</td></tr>
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Today we decided to set out and explore. After planning for over a month to go to Cloudland Canyon in Georgia, we finally made it. After looking on-line at the trails available, we decided that we would just tackle the Waterfall Trail. This is a 1 mile there and back trail that descends into the canyon and goes to two waterfalls. This trail has, according to park brochures, 628 steps that a person goes over twice. I have always just called it the 1,200 step trail, even though this is the first time that I have been to the park. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Running into the Scout group</td></tr>
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When we arrived at the park, we were stopped at a ranger's booth to pay the $5 to park at the park. We then drove the 2 miles to where we could park. It did not look like there were a lot of people there when we arrived. So we walked over and picked up park of the Overlook Trail. This trail just winds along the rim of the bluff giving views into the canyon/gulf. Fairly level and the part we were on was paved. After a short walk, unfortunately I do not know exactly how long because the Backpacker GPS program on my iPhone stopped working, we picked up the Waterfall Trail. The trail began by going down off the side of the bluff. 'Stairs at the start, this should be interesting,' I remember thinking to myself. There suddenly appeared a lot of people on the trail. We went the .3 miles to the first waterfall, but could not make the left turn to it due to a group of non-moving people. So we went on and walked right into the middle of a young scout troop out for a hike. We had our 7 year old toy Chihuahua with us and suddenly she was the center of attention. We worked our way through the scouts and ended up at the bottom of the trail. Here, the trail splits; go right to pick up the 2 mile Sitton Gulch Trail or left to the bottom falls which is Hemlock Falls. We went left. People are not allowed to go to the base of the falls, but the state did put in a nice viewing deck with a bench seat. Jackie and I stopped to take some pictures and then the scouts swamped us again. I could not help but be surprised at the number of people out on the trail. The parking lot looked empty but there are camping spots all over and that is where they must have been.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hemlock Falls, the bottom waterfall. A 90' drop</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrWpNifbvGh3tONAswgvo0bbmj74BNJfqYht7fcbS476X3BlBPviwVw-G0GsJ5v9qQ5sinPvN5tVrb0ughHxDDZHJR6h-IeTzkUqew8iBughb20iJ7XVZ_EX2Tir21iDG7PyX_q3H6gSg/s1600/IMG_0267.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrWpNifbvGh3tONAswgvo0bbmj74BNJfqYht7fcbS476X3BlBPviwVw-G0GsJ5v9qQ5sinPvN5tVrb0ughHxDDZHJR6h-IeTzkUqew8iBughb20iJ7XVZ_EX2Tir21iDG7PyX_q3H6gSg/s320/IMG_0267.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cherokee Falls 60' drop</td></tr>
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So being at the bottom, we turned to go back. We went back the .3 miles and hiked to Cherokee Falls which we skipped going down. This waterfall was the better of the two in my opinion. We were able to walk up to the edge of the pool and had more room to get angles for pictures. After pictures, we continued our climb. Right before the trail ends, there is a rock with a bench under it for people to rest. I stopped there with the dog while Jackie took some pictures. A woman was leaving and started talking about rain. I looked up through the trees and saw some dark clouds. I pulled out the phone and checked the radar map. From the yellow and orange right by us, I was surprised that rain wants already upon us. I showed Jackie the radar and we began the race to the car. We no sooner reached the Overlook Trail again and we lost the race. We snapped a quick picture and went on to the car. Overall I like Cloudland Canyon. The trails were in ok condition. We have had a lot of rain here recently and there was a lot of traffic on the trail so it was a little soupy but not like walking in a creek. Also if you have a small dog, like us, you will probably have to carry it down and back up. Mia is a trooper normally, but her feet would fall through the metal slats on the 628 steps and she would not walk them. I saw other people having to carry their dogs because their feet would fall through. Just something to consider.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mia wanting to get to Jackie so she could be away from the water</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Overlook in the rain.</td></tr>
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As an aside, there is a group further up Lookout Mountain called the Lula Lake Land Trust. They own some land around Lula Lake and Lula Falls. On the first and last weekend of each month, the Trust opens their land to hikers to see the falls and lake. It is a nice place and offers some wonderful views of the surrounding countryside from the top of the mountain. I said all of that to say, the Trust and the Park are working on building connector trails that will allow people to hike between both areas. I think this is a good idea if the Trust will allow backpackers in their land on days other than the first and last weekend of the month. So far, the two entities have created and trailed the 5 Points Recreation Area that has land for mountain bikers and hikers. <br />
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Here is the Park's website. The driving directions are down at the bottom of the page: <a href="http://gastateparks.org/CloudlandCanyon#directions">http://gastateparks.org/CloudlandCanyon#directions</a></div>
ashipmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00382359453145164520noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6611157772635716813.post-52115510579132492732009-12-16T11:16:00.000-05:002013-05-11T23:00:10.421-04:00Greeter Falls Trail 11/1/2009<div style="text-align: left;">
After leaving Foster Falls, we decided to go hike the Greeter Falls Trail. We reached the parking lot and began to look for the trail head. We didn't know where it began and finally saw it across the road. This part of the trail was an old logging road through the trees. It was wide and easily traveled. All of the leaves were off the trees. About .1 miles down the trail there was a spur trail off to the right going to a swimming hole. We didn't hike to it.</div>
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About .25 miles from the trail head there was a spur leading off to the left. This trail takes you to the old Greeter Home place. It was only 50 yards long so we hiked up to it. The only remains of the house are the basement and a wide well that is grated over. It seemed like a pretty nice spot for a house, but there wasn't much to look at in the way of remains. We took a couple of pictures and then left.</div>
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We got back onto the main trail and hike a little further. The trail then came to a Y. The main part led to Boardtree Falls and allows a loop back or you can start the loop by going to Greeter Falls taking the right. We elected to go right, and I'm glad that we did. The trail immediately narrowed to a single file and began to descend. The trail widened a little and began to follow a little stream. The trail next comes to a little spring coming from the rocks on the right. It was very small and would probably be dry in times of little rain. About the same time the trail narrows again as it goes down a sandstone shelf. The shelf is not technical in any way, but we watched for loose rocks. At the bottom of the sandstone area, the trail goes up against the bluffs.</div>
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Trail against bluffs</div>
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It was rocky here with lots of loose rock. The trail follows the bluffs for about .2 miles and then there is a trail that comes down from the right. The sign says to go to Boardtree Falls to stay on the trail, but to go to Upper and Greeter Falls to go right. We went right. The little trail went strait down to join with the trail to the two falls.</div>
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We descended to the magnolia surronded trail and turned right to go to Upper Greeter Falls. The trail here was not bad. It climbed a little and then leveled out before a quick drop to the falls. According to a book I have, the trail is only about 100 yards long. The drop was rocky. We took care not to turn an ankle or fall. I was carrying Mia again so I had to make sure she didn't have a heart attack. She likes trails that are old logging roads or railroad grades, but put her on a true trail and her Chihuahua shakes start in and she's ready to head to the car. Back to the trail. it ended at a cliff with the falls on the right. The falls were nice to look at, but compared to Foster Falls they were nothing special. There was a rock sticking up near the middle of the falls and it was nice to watch the spray come off it. the ledge we were on is connected to ledge of the falls and it is possible to walk to the head of the falls by just stepping over the intervening space.</div>
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Upper Greeter Falls</div>
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After pictures were done, we hiked back to the trail sign and went to Greeter Falls. The trail here is more technical. It drops from the sign into a rocky area with a thin trail among the rocks. Care should be taken here. The rocks are at odd angles and some of the rocks stood up to my mid calf. The rocky area is maybe 150 yards long. The trail then comes to a ledge and a metal spiral stair case. </div>
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Spiral Staircase</div>
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We descended the stair case and followed the trail. The trail here goes quickly down hill along the bluff. It is rocky with loose rock and water, probably due to the rain we'd had the previous week. The trail then came to a wooden staircase. The stairs were slick with water. At the bottom of the stairs is a wooden plank with with raised wooden slats to help with traction down to the bottom. We descended with much care. Once at the bottom we were in a rock garden maybe 50 yards from the falls. We took some pictures and walked around for a bit before climbing back up to the main trail.</div>
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Greeter Falls</div>
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Once back on the main, we began hiking towards Boardtree Falls. The trail stayed fairly up on the ridge and withing sight of the creek. The scenery alternated between rocks and trees. There were no real vistas to be seen. About a mile down the trail, we came to another rock garden. There was a sign that said said trail closed in the middle of the trail, but there was another sign saying trail that pointed tot he left. We followed this trail and immediately the trail became rocky. The trail winds it way along the bottom of cliffs and thru more rock gardens. This was the most difficult part of the trail. The trail went over and around rocks at all angles, both climbing and descending.</div>
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The trail came out along the bluff and then through the trees we could see Boardtree Falls. Unfortunately we could could get no closer. So we took some pictures through the tree of the falls. the trail then climbs up the ridge to another trail. The sing pointed tot he left saying parking area and to the right it said Alum Gap. We could see a swinging bridge over the head of the falls. We decided to walk over the bridge for pictures. There was a small trail that led to the top of the falls. We went down this trail and took some pictures there. </div>
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Boardtree Falls</div>
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With all the pictuers taken and daylight getting short we went back to the car. The trail was the same one we started out on, the old logging road, so we made good time. </div>
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Total Miles Hiked: 2</div>
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Mia at Jacks River</div>
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ashipmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00382359453145164520noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6611157772635716813.post-73690978425432333962009-12-16T01:01:00.000-05:002009-12-16T01:28:27.697-05:00Foster Falls/Climbers Loop Trail 11/1/2009<div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">After seeing pictures of the falls at the South Cumberland Visitor Center, Jackie wanted to go and take pictures of Foster Falls. So we had a Saturday off together and went. Foster Falls is a TVA Small Wilderness area. At the parking area there are picnic tables and restrooms. The parking area is also one of the trail heads for the Fiery Gizzard Trail, the other trail head is the Grundy Forest parking area.</div><div style="text-align: center;">Foster Falls Sign</div><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin_Zgf-WRClhVycKPRYNuyS0SD8j6FouN5dDtMX-06TBOBfWAhGQ2iZeecv8OAx8v96_1kXv0L_Huz9jjR6Dha-w0dQMoLe25vQOr0edYsyxY-u3GQIx264bFSNW_c2IVM9vXO4buIDK4/s320/Foster+Falls+Sign.jpg" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5415712729181921138" /><br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">The Foster Falls trail head is to the left of the state sign, pictured above. There is a nice metal and wood walkway built up to take you over a creek and the top of the plateau. The bridge ends at the overlook. THe overlook provides some good, albeit distant, views of the falls. Jackie and myself took several pictures from here. We took Mia with us on this hike.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Foster Falls from the Overlook</div><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoSZYlOahgonKqPDOFXsb-tvId7zJibK4BsmXWQK2h9kc6quHZu-LlMgBE4ORSUyhmZergDGnvE79mmt_TAzVDVD0AE8HvopNY88hcSv_ZLBDQrKGC7Adz7nWpW99S4zBdQJ35TM2dNWA/s320/Foster+Falls+Overlook.jpg" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5415713368759122850" /><br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">The trail to the base of the falls begins at some steps that lead down from the overlook. The trail starts off as a road along some power lines. After going about 30 yards, there was a sign on the right that points down off the plateau. There are steps that help get you down over some rocks. After that, the trail disappears into the rocks. To follow the trail you must look for some flat rocks and white blazes on the trees. The trail isn't that hard to follow, but care must be taken over the rocks. We both stumbled several times.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: left;">Once at the bottom of the plateau there is a bridge across the creek. You can either go across or thread your way over rocks along the base of the plateau and over rocks along the base of the overlook to see the falls. We decided to jump the rocks first. I fell once, holding Mia and Jackie's extra lenses for her Cannon camera. We got some good pictures here. We also found a side waterfall that started under the overlook. The falls were beautiful. There had been some rain the week before and the falls were running at full power.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Jackie and I retraced our steps and crossed the bridge. The trail ran to the right and to the left. We went right, but Jackie was later told by a classmate and I found in <i>40 Hikes in Tennessee's South Cumberland Third Edition</i> book that the trail to the left made a loop back to the parking area. There is a beach a the end of the trail, but the bottom the bottom was filled with rocks. Not good for bare feet swimming. We got some more pictures here. It was a nice spot. We went back to the bridge and took some more pictures. After those pics were done we went back to the car. The climb up was tough, read steep, and the rocks didn't help much. There were a lot of people on the trail that day.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Foster Falls from the end of the trail followed by the Swinging Bridge</div><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKn2SPrOLyFQiG9H1u3HlKgW4Yad7g0HafY-DicHEjRCTFNsI9HquDu_iQcVHY4xwbFbv3GyXOvzZ4GiZFfRdUGgRahvaK6y1DaK0dpDoeLXlARRreDKojMD_MYE1FTovyMD9tpRLx_dY/s320/Foster+Falls+from+Plunge+pool.jpg" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5415716318539384706" /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRbwgTiz38WGPFkPHmFqM6NX4ie7cHagLCF_3PzTNZ8jadybv7aug3FOlGMKvjQF5jrazksXEODUj050hEW6Tap_VoCtrKXlynQUHnVOtxjtekaFVCZpAbfIqrEmTknmBV2ZQuc9Q_Vaw/s320/Swinging+Bridge.jpg" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5415716325753449282" /><div style="text-align: left;">Total Miles Hiked: .8 </div><div style="text-align: left;">If we had followed the loop it would have been 2 miles</div></div>ashipmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00382359453145164520noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6611157772635716813.post-15646921490443926432009-12-15T14:19:00.000-05:002013-05-11T21:43:50.608-04:00The Stone Door + Laurel Falls Trails (Savage Gulf S.P.) 10/23/2009<div style="text-align: center;"><br></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br></div><div style="text-align: center;">After finishing up with Grundy Day Loop Trail, Jackie and I decided that we had enough time to try the Stone Door. We got there around 3pm. The trail began after the ranger station. There was a wooden trail sign for peopel to sign in on. We signed in and saw that to the right was the Stone Door Trail and to the left was the Laurel Falls Loop Trail. We went right.</div><div><div style="text-align: center;">Trail Sign</div><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPQvhCH1QlwLVHh8k-hNJKzwIDbCx9tHLngROHsDp2DcxkxG2JrhdBn-vqwFYDJbQ7Ast4kZEjoMcGtWiY2fBCtM-_fpVTajX9d9SL46_DlNy5CaeIiMXIyECT1EvDWPXL14kMydnBoJA/s320/Stone+Door.jpg" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5415546664551863954"><div style="text-align: center;"><br></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br></div><div style="text-align: left;">The trail started off easily enough, it was paved. There are bridges over all the water crossings. The trail lazily winds its way through the trees. After about 1/3 mile thee is a trail to the right leading to a privative camp site. We kept going. After about a 1/2 mile we cane to Laurel Overlook. The views here ware great. All of Savage Gulf spread out before us. We could see fall colors in all directions, rocks shown from the top of the plateau. We took lots of pictures. We could see the Stone Door From where we were.</div><div style="text-align: center;">View from Overlook</div><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinLGEUc6ezxSIQm7RT02lNCp8SpRc1G_8_sdesy44m8mhYv6xpjFtf1g8jLSTOyNo8dXwgABfxnpBYOd1-9B3XNPPe7CRHxoWdkDNjL7HyfWM0DxcJMsJo7JP7vr_bAy3M1HKaqXeuwIk/s320/Laurel+Overlook.jpg" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5415548929384328050"><div style="text-align: center;">Stone Door from Overlook</div><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq6tD5L1Qyrq0cZyA9y33zXEM3H3PRjYoJRii4YT-0eFzr1s-AUnzXSLoK_rMpZPBRt1QmMfzP3JFTC8gprRLmzGgakw4ETD2anL6AQbjLAanw_BSjcvtlYPFLgPoBmFdaeOyJ7PpBGho/s320/LO+SD.jpg" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5415549269097386994"><br></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br></div><div style="text-align: left;">Pictures done, we began to hike again. The pavement ends about 50 yards past the overlook. We met a group of people coming back. They were mostly 50+ in age. I hope to be able to hike when I get their age. We continued winding our way along the now dirt trail. The trees were tall, but not much variety in color. Mainly the trail was just a stroll in the woods.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br></div><div style="text-align: left;">After a mile we came to the Stone Door. the grass and dirt gave way to bare rock and moss. There were a couple of stunted trees growing there. The rock went out to a point and then there was a small gap and the other part of the point went out maybe 60 feet further. Just before the crack, the trail turned to the right and went down a crevasse where it joined with another trail. The trail going down went between the plateau and the point forming the door. By looking down the trail you can see that the point was still attached to the plateau proper, but the only way to go out onto the point was to step over the crack.</div><div style="text-align: center;">The Crack</div><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo-t4nc2urep7Xvaj0hVuw8-VgvOsSAdvHK7urT7Km9Htqqgkjs_V5fgB8blqMhH1gSogUBxrOWAtwp1dxvu9XncXW2oIuYiHXJ3mJcb1CHNzVDRcHZ7uuzTCxvd2UHcBqQPcAyAUm4J0/s320/crack.jpg" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 216px;" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5415551667884800418"><div style="text-align: center;"><br></div><div style="text-align: left;">So we took all of this in. Jackie stepped over the crack and out onto the point. I walked up and put one foot over the crack and looked down. The fall to the right side was further than that on the left. I don't like heights to begin with and this did not help any. It was windy the day that we went and I had to hold onto my hat the whole time we were on the point. There were a few stunted trees growing there, mainly pines. Moss was also growing on the rocks. The views from here were great though. We could see up all three branches of the Gulf. We took several pictures from here. Also we just sat for a bit and took it all in. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br></div><div style="text-align: left;">After pictures were done we walked down the tail through the crevasse. There was a twisted and dead tree by the top of the trail. Small stone steps had been placed on this part of the trail to help with going up or down. Still it was tough going. Our calves were burning by the bottom. The steps would be very slippery when wet. We took pictures and climbed back up. we then went back to the trail head the way we came.</div><div style="text-align: center;">Stone Steps</div><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA-lCT_73hkqMdG1-5vk4eCDdLqauBkImR4JHIvwuSOQw3oMTtv_W3ilW2ZX7uFhe6-PDgAzWF6xPMS25UuBMuY-qWDrVVOkPUO6-8O3LCTVkhBH3smi4OixZkKnYBBUnfy1nPIOSvT5M/s320/steps.jpg" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 215px; height: 320px;" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5415553255693727858"><br></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br></div><div style="text-align: left;">Once we got back to the sign we decided to hike the Laurel Falls Loop Trail. The trail can either be hike by going strait at the sign or taking a right and go</div><div style="text-align: left;">ing down. We went strait. The trail descended down to the creek. At the creek there was a trail to the left that went to an old grist mill. The trail was dirt, no pavement. At the grist mill there was nothing really to see, just a broken concrete wall.</div><div style="text-align: center;">Laurel Falls</div><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_SKjB0OMHo7LZXy8YANQ4baYm26qYJbCfZVCOyZwpCGAUQk0xgMANhjWrAwhLAi9rh1yUO1kNfjZbzaFkrqzOlzvzrRqVPPlRiSxtMoynr-QuISUHJkiXDhf63nPcHkvv7m1rU_3Gst0/s320/Laurel+Falls.jpg" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5415555743392574434"><br></div><div style="text-align: center;">Over the Edge</div><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdoKkqR9a2Dddpool4dJErrwFagAN6wX9Bp5SM_CYp3OBjqQpPPl3zTEVlrmgeRhUv7tDd3UBN1pHWM6IKNDDKdqyhBs4zCGjte_7O-4Pi2jLiIxXPLulaNPgwKDxylZeqEiqtKo9wXl0/s320/over+edge.jpg" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5415555748617387970"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br></div><div style="text-align: left;">About .05 miles from the spur trail, the trail came to the top of the falls. There is a small 3 step cascade before the falls proper. Jackie and I took some pictures there and I took one holding the camera over the edge of the falls. It turned out pretty well. jackie and I followed the trail again and went to a steel overlook. We took several pictures there. Once done we climbed the trail back to the parking lot. The climb back up was steep and there were metal stairs for people tu use. It was a good trip.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br></div><div style="text-align: left;">Total Miles hiked: 2.5</div></div>ashipmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00382359453145164520noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6611157772635716813.post-4581600822793322282009-12-15T13:18:00.000-05:002009-12-15T13:54:08.541-05:00Grundy Day Trail (South Cumberland State Park) 10/23/2009<div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>Jackie and I wanted to see some of the fall colors. We had planned to ride over the Cherohala Skyway but since it was raining, we went west. I had been wanting to go to the Savage Gulf, so we went. We reached the Park Visitor Center around 1-1.30 and the woman there told us about Grundy Forest. Not knowing when the sun would set, we went there.<div><br /></div><div>The trail started at a picnic pavilion. There are two ways to hike the trail. One is to start on the Fiery Gizzard Trail Head and the other is to start the trail behind a picnic table pavilion. We decided to start behind the pavilion.</div><div style="text-align: center;">Start of Trail</div><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7-7DqIdZyszLy_QNigTU7-5dtIUcM07yqXYJO8BZqL0tR54H6oGfzrY0t0c2u0Hg7DDngvKu6LSpwkm3_Or2fD_DwxLB7WcVFHMGEMadUGk72F2ElXUfTRqStGnhW3OX2BvdsoZct9ZA/s320/start+trail.jpg" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5415530774560972946" /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>The trail started off winding its way down the side of the ridge, very gradually. Within .25 miles we had dropped maybe 50 feet and came to a small creek making a waterfall down the side of the ridge with a bridge over the top of the falls.<div style="text-align: center;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5kUhMyA53ZXLLgNMwsC1vdATo2AQYfQAVZV1NYgLxzL9AjT9Qqa-f6lh-VcX9ie6gz2mpEzF9_JpeccbMbpDUxTyx9_wNTI4kiBAr87z2J-OGUiU71YHVOyCar0PYBi4aLxh7sOWvImI/s320/falls+bridge.jpg" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5415531409264288018" /><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">We took pictures and then went over the bridge and on the trail. The trail climbed a little ways up the ridge and was fairly strait. When we came to the CCC Camp Site, the trail turned to the left and started down the ridge. Going down was pretty steep, but nothing bad. At the bottom of the ridge, the trail turned back left and followed a creek. It was nice with the mist in the air causing sun beams. The ridge was steep here, falling directly to the creek. The trail became very narrow, Jackie and I could not walk side by side any more. The trail reminded me of a mountain goat path. This was maybe .75 miles into the trail.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">At 1 mile we came to the Haynes Hole Falls. This was a neat waterfall. It falls 25 feet according to the info I could find. We took many pictures here. There was a bridge over part of the rocks. it was really a nice spot. The water here was cold.</div><div style="text-align: center;">Haynes Hole Falls</div><div style="text-align: left;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4nVWUvrH4k_aFyD_hQnZg7w5lOp5UJ0Y052BnuHrLB69AGHtvCEK1xKJ8-QOS_dBjSwwXPBwEjMiXvk4ZKa6D1mvxPjPyAJSgplZdKjsMkjHgJnTxaIxYwCPWj5GMI_6hZa2mVFMY8l4/s320/Haynes+Hole.jpg" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5415533292279464866" /></div><div style="text-align: left;">The trail continues along the side of the ridge, a goat path for about another .5 miles. Then it meets with the Fiery Gizzard Trail. The Gizzard goes to the right over a bridge and up a ridge. After meeting up with the Gizzard, the trail widens back out. About .1 miles from the bridge, the trail comes to Blue Hole Falls. In my opinion it is not a pretty as Haynes Hole Falls and it was further away from the trail, but we were still able to get a couple pictures. The trail then goes into some undergrowth. It was like walking through hedges. Once through this area the trail becomes rocky. It runs against some bluffs and goes under a little overhang forming a cave. It was a nice spot. A good place to be if it begins to rain, but I would not want to camp there.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">After getting through the bluff, the trail begins a sharp ascent. It climbs up the bluffs that it followed. The trail is steep and twisting. Once to the top the trail becomes level and there is an overlook, but with the trees being higher than the spot we couldn't see much. After the overlook, the trail begins a wide arc back to the parking area. It was a nice trail and I would hike it again.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Total Miles Hiked: 2</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>ashipmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00382359453145164520noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6611157772635716813.post-24751205219849360752009-12-15T12:06:00.000-05:002009-12-15T12:50:14.965-05:00IntroductionHello all. My name is Aaron and I live in South East Tennessee. I'm a Christian who enjoys getting out and wandering through God's green Earth. So I plan to use this blog as a trail report journal. I'll list all of the trails that I walk and try to write them in a way that will help those who have not hiked them know what they are getting into. I will try my best to be unbiased but, since we are all human that might not be possible.<div> </div><div>My main hiking partner is my girlfriend, Jackie. Occasionally her little Toy Chihuahua Mia goes on our adventures with us. Due to our work schedules, we don't always get all day to hike, thus the title of the blog. It seems like we are always outrunning something, dark or storms, but we have fun and take pictures along the way.</div><div> </div><div> I hope that you all enjoy this blog as much as I've enjoyed hiking the trails.</div><div>Aaron<br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div></div>ashipmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00382359453145164520noreply@blogger.com0