Old Copper Road Hike

Trail Head from the Ocoee Whitewater Center

Creek that is crossed right after starting tail

 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.

Bridge at the One Mile Marker
 

     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.

Trail going through the woods

     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.

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.

Trail Head from Ocoee Dam #3

     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.
     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.

Book(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

     I will start off with the book that started it all, Cherokee National Forest Hiking Guide 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.
     Jackie bought the next book, Waterfalls of Tennessee 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.
     After stumbling upon Savage Gulf's Stone Door, Jackie and I stopped on the way home and bought, 40 Hikes in Tennessee's South Cumberland  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.
     The next two book really go together, Hiking Tails of the Smokies and Waterfalls of the Smokies 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.
     The newest book in my collection is 50 Hikes on Tennessee's Cumberland Plateau 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.
     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.

Benton Falls, The First Hike of 2015!

Benton Falls Running Full

     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.

Looking down from the top of the falls

     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.
     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.
     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!
     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.

Turtle trying to get warm in the sun 

Turtletown 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.

The Trail Head.  The trail begins in front of the Jeep

     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.

 

This is the Choice.  Waterfalls go to the left if that is all you
want to see.  For a loop ending with the waterfalls, go
straight.

 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.

 

The trail junction to look for.  Easily missed

     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.

     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.  

     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.

  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

Beech 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.

     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.

The Parking Area.  At one point it was a fee area but I could
not find a station to pay.  My car is the blue one on the right.

     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.
     The parking is on the left hand side of the road as you come around a curve, with the trailhead proper

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.

     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.

An elevation profile of the trail that I have "borrowed" from ChucksNetWerx at Trimble Outdoors

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.
     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

Panorama of Jacks River Falls

     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.

     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...

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.

     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.

Directions: 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 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)

Assault on Big Frog Take 1

   

Big Frog in Winter.  Photo taken by Jackie

     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.

Copied from http://www.sherpaguides.com/georgia/mountains/blue_ridge/western/map_big_frog_wilderness.html

Wilderness Sign, in the wilderness.

     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.
   

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."
     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.

These were blooming along the trail after the first mile.

Links for more information:
Benton MacKaye Trail information on the Big Frog Section: http://www.bmta.org/sections/BMT-SecDescrip-11.pdf
Summit Post Information: http://www.summitpost.org/big-frog-mountain/185481
Sherpa Guide Information: http://www.sherpaguides.com/georgia/mountains/blue_ridge/western/big_frog_wilderness.html
Forest Service Page: http://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/cherokee/recarea/?recid=35022
TNWild Big Frog Map

An 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.

     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.

The first trail sign.  Stay right to go to Rattlesnake Falls.

     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

The second trail sign.  About a half mile in.

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.

     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.

This is Lower Falls or Rock Creek Falls.  The first waterfall you come to.

This is the way down to Lower Falls.

Go up along the bluff face to go back to Rattlesnake Falls.

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...

     After all the work, this is your sight..

Rattlesnake Falls

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. 

     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.