Hangover SMHC

I met the SMHC at Tellico Plains Visitor Center to follow them to the trailhead. Got a pic of the dragon mailbox at the Visitor Center. I thought the greenery was real, oh well. The temp was low 60’s, sweet for July. The drive up the Cherohala Skyway was beautiful. Started our hike at over 4000 ft. at Beech Gap.  Phlox was blooming everywhere. The connector trail bridge was out so we climbed back up to the road and walked about .25 to the other trailhead where the gate is. 10 hikers, started out the roadbed that finally turned into single track to get to Bob’s Bald. And it was a big climb, but the views from the bald are wonderful, flowers everywhere including Turk’s Cap Lily and Bee Balm. Butterflies and bees were all over the place. Tim pointed out the Mile a Minute vine. We had lunch looking at the views. The next segment of trail is WAY overgrown, over my head (and everybody else’s too). You can just barely see the trail and there were trip hazards like trees across the trail, step ups that you can’t see because you are too busy trying to push your way thru the weeds and keep them out of your face. Some had briers on them. After about 1000 feet of this it gets better. Still overgrown in sunny places. And a few ripe blackberries in the sunny places.

Within a mile of the Hangover, one of the hikers took a tumble, crashing into a rock with his knee. About 9 first aid kits came slinging out of packs, and a nurse in the group took charge and got his knee bandaged, and his arm, then he and Tim and two others started back to the cars. The rest of us found our way towards the Hangover, getting out the map a couple of times, wishing for the kind of signage we have in the Smokies. Wishing for a sign that says THE HANGOVER this way!

We started downhill and finally heard Steve yell I found it! Come on down!  Plowed thru some bushes to get to the rocky outcropping. Great views and a breeze blowing, found some ripe huckleberries. Then the climb back up thru the bushes, at the top of the ridge I discovered I had lost the mouthpiece on my water bladder tube. Not worth the climb back down, no telling which bushes it would be hanging in. We got back to the trailhead and found our injured hiker and leader waiting. He got loaded up and headed to the ER.

Beautiful hike. Hope the injured hiker heals quickly. 

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Wolftever Creek

We put in at the Wolftever Creek boat ramp and stayed left following the coast line. We paddled five miles to Island Point Drive and back to the boat ramp for a total of 7.8 miles. It was a beautiful day and we got to see lots of wildlife. Lot's of boat competition on the way back to the ramp.
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Montgomery Bell State Park

Took Braedon out camping this weekend. We spent most of it in the lake, but we did do some creek exploration. Caught some crawdads and saw a snake. Had a great time. Braedon started the campfire for roasting marshmallows.

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Falling Water Falls TTA

I surprised my TTA chapter by showing up for the hike at Falling Water Falls on Signal Mountain. George was leading me, Donna, Ed, John, and Jane to a beautiful water fall. It was a cool day for July, in the 70's. We saw another wet weather falls on the way down the trail. Donna did a little trail dance on a slippery rock. I got the picture of the Falls by crawling to the edge of the overlook. We came out on the road and walked thru a pretty neighborhood to get back to the cars.

I stopped on the way home to get a couple pictures of an old toll house. The Conner Toll House was used when the W Road was the only reliable route to Chattanooga.

The other pics are the view into the Sequatchie Valley on the way down the mountain.

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