TTA Backpack Cumberland trail

 

Eight of us backpacked the Graysville and Laurel/Snow pocket wilderness segments of the Cumberland trail. It was a very hot weekend! We started at Roaring Creek trailhead and headed North. Enjoying the waterfalls, overlooks, and rock formations. We set up camp about a mile before Hwy 30 with a good water source, flat area, and a campfire. Sunday we contiued on across Hwy 30 and dropped down into the Morgan Creek gorge. Wonderful display of wildflowers all the way down the mountain. We crossed Morgan Creek and followed Richland Creek up to the campground and back down to the parking area. It was around 16 miles.

Backpackers were: Sara Pollard, Cynthia Skidmore, ,Cindy Strang, Curtis Thomas, Bryan Tauchen, Jean Breuer, Craig McBride, and Lora McBride.

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Graysville Segment of the Cumberland Trail

Today Lora and I headed to the Dogwood West Gilbreath Creek Trailhead of the Cumberland Trail. We hiked some of the Graysville segment of the Cumberland trail. Checking on trail conditions and campsite for next month’s backpack. We had two furry companions join us. We also met our trail clearing hero Miller. He hikes 60 miles a week clearing the Cumberland trail.

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Graysville Segment of the Cumberland Trail

Lora and I hiked the Graysville segment of the Cumberland Trail. We started at the climbers parking and headed North to the overlook. We picked up a couple of dogs to walk with us on the trail.

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Graysville Segment CT

Today we started at the new Dogwood West/Gilbreath Creek CT Access trailhead off of Bluff View Road. They have a nice parking area with outhouse and the access trail starts through a Stone Door dropping down to the CT right at the new bridge they have over Gilbreath Creek. Lora wanted to hike the new section that they now have completed to HWY 30. It's about five miles from this new trailhead. So you can now through hike from Roaring Creek to Hwy 30. We also checked out the new campground at Dogwood East which is just down the street.

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Graysville Mt. TTA

Crystal and I met the Upper Cumberland TTA hikers at Roaring Creek/McGill Creek Trailhead in Graysville. The sunshine must have followed them from Cookville. Lillian, Janet and Dr. Womac got there and so did the CT Volunteers; Don and Carol, TC and Judy and two furry friends, Bob, Mark and Teresa, and Jan and her friend, and two furry friends. They got started ahead of us. We stopped at what looks like a mine opening covered with icicles. Then uphill and across the road, to McGill Creek. We caught up with the other hikers and chatted with them, checking out all the new bridge parts waiting to be put together, cables strung across the creek, waiting on the workers to show up. Not sure what the schedule is to put the bridge together but it will be neat for this segment to be completed. As we were going back along the creek we saw bluebirds and some yellow ones too but not sure what they were. Maybe goldfinches.

We hiked back to the parking lot and then hiked up the roadbed to Polecat Falls. There was a lot of ice in the creeks, and on the walls and you could see where the other streams come just by all the ice on the hill sides. The rock overhang at Polecat Falls was covered with icicles and it was a cool view looking out from under at the falls.

Back to the parking lot and everyone headed home. It was a beautiful day with good friends.
Hiked about 7.5 miles.



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Cumberland Trail Maintenance - Graysville

Spent some time with Michigan State, Florida International, and Boston State, working on the Graysville Segment of the Cumberland trail. We had many Rangers and volunteers helping.

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