Peters Mountain

My hiking partner was working a double for New Years Eve weekend, Nashville Meetup was backpacking in the Big South Fork. Guess what I did? Sarah scheduled a 2 night coldest weekend of the year outing on the Sheltowee Trace/Rock Creek area. We met up at the Rock Creek Loop and shuttled cars to Peter's Mountain trailhead. It was 33 when we started out after lunch.

It was kind of challenging to look at all the icicles hanging from the rocks and watch your feet, and cross the streams. Molly our four legged hiker got her coat wet but Sarah kept her warm, tucking her inside her jacket for a while. 

We passed by Great Meadows, our designated camp, it was too early to stop. We saw a picnic area across the river but didn't want to cross to it. Walked a little further then made camp below the ridge line.Got a lot of firewood collected, Sarah's and Steve's saws came in handy for cedar limbs. Had to stay warm in the artic air of the BSF. I double bagged with my 0 degree bag and Craig's 45 degree bag along with toe warmers and stayed toasty warm. RW got our morning fire going. A little pow wow around the fire resulting in Plan B. Hike out due to short mileage to the campsite on Rock Creek loop. So our two night outing became an overnight. 

Sarah, Molly, Smith and I stopped at Wildwood for a greasy cheeseburger and corn nuts then headed home for to ring in the New Year.

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Cumberland Cove

Cumberland Cove is a private residential area on the Plateau. They have beautiful hiking trails that can be seen by invitation only. The Plateau TTA has two members that own property and I got to go with them to hike there.

Butch was our guide for the day in the Eagle Flight Park area, leading us to the Sinks, Fork Mountain Cave and Arch Cave. Fort Mountain Cave had cave temperature steam coming out of it, and I took advantage of that warm air. The Sinks had some critter prints in the sand around the stream. We had to do some boulder hopping to get to stream level. Arch cave geology is much like the Walls of Jericho. And above the arch, it loos like another arch is forming.

According to their website there are three areas in the Cove with hiking trails, maps are there. Butch was a great guide, but they are serious about no trespassing. Make sure you get an invite to this beautiful place.


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Fiery Gizzard TTA

Craig was backpacking on the AT and I had an extra vacation day to burn so I went hiking. Met the Plateau folks at the Fiery Gizzard Trailhead. Got on the trail around 10:30 EST.

The trailhead has been moved, there are signs that say area closed for restoration.  Kiosk is behind the picnic shelter and bathrooms. Another sign there says the CCC camp is now permanently closed. Too much trampling around the three campsites has made it into one big area and needs to rehab. You still get to walk past the 500 year old hemlock. The six of us had fun with all the rocks and I remembered to point out the arch at the top of the big climb to the trail junction. We didn’t go to Raven’s Point, we had enough miles to hike before dark without adding another mile. The  rerouted trail is beautiful and strenuous, but the waterfalls make it all worthwhile. On the woods walk the sun was setting and turning the horizon orange. We hiked into the last creek gorge and climbed up to the top of the ridge and got our headlamps out. Deb called the Ranger to ask them to not lock the gate on our cars at the other trailhead, that we were coming but still had a couple of miles to hike. We could hear Foster Falls but couldn’t see it in the dark. Louise gave the drivers a ride back to the other trailhead and then Deb drove back to pick up the other two hikers.

Beautiful hike for a day off during the week. 

Black Mountain - TTA

Soddy Daisy TTA had a Christmas dinner at Olive Garden on Friday night. You would have thought we had all hiked to get there the way we scarfed down the breadsticks. John reminded me about a hike scheduled for the next morning so I thought I would go and try to burn off all that wonderful food.

I met the group that included Carolyn and Cheryl from the Plateau chapter, at the Black Mountain trailhead on Hwy 68. There’s a big parking area on the side of the highway now, you cross the road in a safer spot, and the State extended the trail entrance to there. We could see some more recent trail building along the road that still has a little way to go. 

We got to Windless Cave and our leader Boody wanted to hike a little further so the Plateau ladies had a party to attend and said their goodbyes. We hiked almost to the big rocks on the ridge and stopped for lunch.
We returned to our cars in the now thawed muddy entrance trail and stomped off most of the mud from our boots.

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