Father/Son Trip 2021

We headed over on Sunday for the start of our Father Son week. When we got there the Mead's were all ready there. Steve and Kathy arrived shortly afterwards. We had a great visit and celebrated Carol's birthday.

Monday the ladies headed out and we drove to Ace Gap for our hike. We did four miles in and out to enjoy the woods. Colors are not really out yet. We did the ice cream social on the way home. 

Tuesday we headed out and drove the parkway including the new part to Wears Valley, which Steve had not seen yet. We hiked an in and out on the Little Greenbrier trail. Another beautiful day of hiking. 

Wednesday we started projects. This year we had a deck to repaint/repair and a motorhome with a roof leak. The challenge was on and we got started.

Thursday Lynelle came in and we had some rain so slow on the projects but we got to visit some more.

Friday was rebuilding some of the deck parts and Saturday was pure painting. Lots of activities and family bonding time.

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Savage Gulf TTA

Joan and Sara led a great hike to Savage Falls and South Rim Trail in South Cumberland SP today. Weather was fabulous, finally felt like fall. Water was hike due to rain on the mountain the last two days.  Really beautiful. I didn't finish the hike, after a couple of hours I hiked back to the Ranger Station, met about twenty hikers along the way out, about twenty more in the parking lot getting ready to hike in. Saturday in the Park!

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Mushroom Rock to Signal Point TTA

 

Deb led a great hike from Signal Mountain HS area, trail goes to Mushroom Rock. Then followed Cumberland Trail to Signal Point. It was a beautiful hike. Gotta love those rocks in the Tennessee River Gorge section. Great views of the river and surrounding ridges and forest. A quick moving black snake nearly scared the pee out of me. And yes I screamed... Cynthia found some ripe persimmons for us, yummy. There were some mushrooms that looked like brown velvet. Cindy found a lions mane. The wooden steps going up to Signal Point need a little work, some of the steps are missing. 

Fun group of hikers. Thanks to the short hike folks that moved our cars to Signal Point for us. 

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Deep Creek in the Smoky Mountains

Deep Creek Trail: 7 miles

Pole Road Trail: 3.3

Noland Creek Trail: 2

Noland Divide Trail: 7.9

Lora and I headed to the Smoky Mountains for our Anniversary hike. We started at Deep Creek campground which was absolutely packed on this Sunday afternoon. Right off the bat, when dropping our trash into the dumpster I also dropped my map. I asked Lora to hold the heavy lid up so I could retrieve the map with my hiking poles. After dropping it once, I got it up on top of the trash pile when Lora let go of the lid and smashed my head. I did manage to retrieve the map even though I couldn't see anymore and had a bad headache.

For the first backpack of the season it didn't take long to wear ourselves out. The humidity was high so the sweat just poured off me. We hiked to campsite #58. There was a couple at the main site so we camped across the trail at a smaller site. We got set up, washed up, and had time to collect fire wood. We enjoyed the evening by the fire and listened to an owl.

Day Two:

We got up and had a good breakfast. Started off refreshed which turned into sweat quite quickly. We hiked up to the Pole Road Creek Trail where we found a couple of sleeping bags leaning up against the sign. We crossed Deep Creek and headed up the trail which was a little overgrown. We had plenty of water crossings, but the water felt good. We saw another sleeping bag along side the trail which was a little wore out by critters. We stopped before the trail connection for lunch enjoying the views from up high with some color showing. 

We stopped at the Noland Divide Trail for a break. A trail runner came along and visited with us a couple of minutes and then took off the wrong way. Lora stopped her and asked her which way she was suppose to go. She showed her the right trail which made me very proud of her. 

We did the steep downhill to campsite #61 along Bald Creek. They still had the signs up where the campsite  had been closed for bear. We set up, washed up, and collected firewood. Lora let out one of her famous screams and then I heard other voices. She had her mind on those bears when our new neighbors showed up. 

We had time to sit by the creek where I spotted a Hellbender Salamander. It was really cool and Lora got to see it too. Second one we have seen ever. Later we got more neighbors. We visited with Quincy and Kendall by the fire. They had seen a Timber Rattler coming out of it's skin a few hundred yards before getting to camp. He was a horse Jockey and she worked with the race horses as well. 

Day three:

We got up and headed out. We visited with the other two ladies that camped with us before we left camp. On the way back up to Noland Divide we saw the snake skin on the trail. I have never seen the amount of bear scat on the trail as we did on this one. They were huge piles too. Right about snack time Quincy and Kendall passed us by on the trail. Later they would pass us again as they had stopped at the Lone Pine overlook. 

Over all it was a good hike. We were tired but enjoyed the beauty and peace of being out on the trail again.

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