Soddy Gorge to Hwy 111

 

Today's hike started at Big Soddy Creek Gorge on Back Valley Road in Soddy. We took the Jim Adams' trail and Board Camp Creek trail to the Cumberland trail and headed North to Hwy 111. We met Jim and Ruth on the way in on Jim Adams' trail. It was a beautiful day for hiking and we only saw four people on the CT. Board Camp Creek Gorge is always beautiful and hiking along the Creek the whole way. There was some ice on the trail which was challenging along the rock walls. On our way back we saw two does crossing the trail.

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Mowbray Pike Trailhead CT

Found the new parking lot on Mowbray Mountain Road for this segment of the Soddy Creek Gorge South. Saw huge boulders where the climbers play. Lots of rock walls and small stream crossings. One bridge crossing over the biggest creek. The overlook at Indian Rockhouse was pretty and we went thru the Little Stone Door. Hiked into the area where the coal mining was done. Crossed the strip mine trench, up to Clemmons Point, then back out. On the way out we got to see an armadillo off the side of the trail. The climbers were all around the boulders, as we hiked back thru. 

Hiked about 8 miles.

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White Oak Mountain TTA

 

I met up with the Scenic City TTA at the Southern Adventist University in Collegedade. They have a well maintained trrail system. We hiked the Big Red Loop, on the wooded ridge. My GPS led me to the overflow parking, so I drove around a little and found the trailhead but the parking lot was full. There are restrooms at the trailhead. It started out cold and frosty, everyone in hats and gloves. We warmed up climbing the ridge side. 21 hikers. We started to smell the sweet aroma emanating from the Little Debbie factory. We also encountered pretty beech trees and frozen fungi. We got a good workout with approximately five miles of switch backs and ups and downs. At the end of the hike Carl offered us homemade toffee, delicious. 

I stopped to take pictures of the carved stone sculpture of Elijah and Elisha, called Passing the Mantle.

Thank you to Julie for leading the hike.

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Chilly Chili Hike

The Marietta Poteet’s 25th annual and last Chilly Chili Hike. There were 44 people who hiked and about 65 people for chili.  We met at the Sewanee Gates at the Shakerag trailhead and hiked Shakerag Hollow on the Sewanee Perimeter trail and returned on the Beckwith Point trail. The hike was about 3.5 miles. After the hike we went to Marietta's home in Clifftops to enjoy chili and all the fixins. We also had a champagne toast for Jim Poteet, Marietta's husband who passed away last summer and organized the first chili hike. There were hikers from several chapters - Highland Rim, Murfreesboro, Nashville, Sumner Trails, Scenic City, and Columbia Franklin. Hikers from our Murfreesboro chapter were Jay Brain, Anna Lina Buckley, Joe Campbell, Lora McBride, Sara Pollard, Georganne Ross, Lynn Rosser, Tim Rosser, Martina Terrazas and her son Eduardo.

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Stinging Fork on the Cumberland trail

 

Today's hike started at Stinging Fork and then we headed South on the Cumberland trail. This is a very pretty section of the CT. It was a little chilly this afternoon, but worth it.

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Cumberland Mountain State Park

Byrd Trail .5

Pioneer Short Loop 1.8

Pioneer Trail 2.55

Total 4.85

New year's day hike at Cumberland Mountain SP. We hiked from the Ranger Station down around the lake. Lot's of people out today and the weather was great.

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