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.

Pictures:

CT - Soddy Creek

Day One: 12.2 Miles
Mowbray Pike to Board Camp Creek

Day Two: 4.8
Board Camp Creek to Heiss Mountain Road

Total Miles: 17

Lora and I headed to the Cumberland trail to backpack the Soddy Creek Gorge.  We started on Mowbray Pike trailhead and hiked to Hwy 111. We have not hiked this section since 2013.

It was a beautiful day and me met a few people out on the trail after we got past the Hot Water trailhead. We checked out the two new bridges over Deep Creek and Soddy Creek. It was a challenge going over Deep Creek as a tree was laid up the side of the bridge. Lora crawled on her belly under the tree, but I had to take my pack off and hand it to her.

When we went through the cliff wall section along Board Camp Creek the trail was covered with ice to help us out with our challenge.  A couple of miles further we found a flat area to set up camp for the night.  We enjoyed a night around the campfire.

The next morning we headed out and met one guy that Lora had hiked with before.  It was a good hike with my best hiking partner.

Pictures:

Jones Gap Rd - Soddy

Lora and I headed out to hike the new area in Soddy, Jones Gap Road. The have put in a new large parking area just on the other side of the train tracks.

The first part is gravel road going all the way to Board Camp Creek. There are numerous swimming holes through here, a water fall, and a log cabin. We got to see the icicles as well.

When we got to Board Camp Creek we did an old fashioned foot washing to get across. The trail follows a old roadbed along Soddy Creek and soon you pass an old Chimney for a steam plant from days gone by. The roadbed dead ends on Soddy Creek at a campsite set up with tables and all.

We turned around here and headed back to Board Camp Creek. We then followed the old roadbed along Board Camp Creek. Past an old gate in the first switchback there is a waterfall just off the trail. We continued up the mountain passing bluff walls and views to where we found some rock walls. With some exploring off trail we found an old mine shaft. Fifty feet in the shaft split going two different ways. We walked around and found another mine shaft in the same area.

After our find, we headed back down the mountain.  Another old fashion foot washing and on the way out we passed two older gentlemen that told us some history of the area. We checked out the cabin on the way out.

We celebrated a good hiking day with ice cream from Kay's Kastle,

Pictures:

Soddy Creek Section - Cumberland Trail

Cumberland Trail 12.1 Miles

Lora and I headed out to Soddy Daisy to hike the Cumberland trail.  We left a car on either end and hiked from Hotwater Road to Heiss Mountain Road.  We had not through hiked this section for the last three years even though we have both done trail maintenance in this area.

It was hot and humid today with some views blocked with the fog.  The trail was in good condition and we got to try out the two temporary bridges put in place over Deep Creek and Big Soddy Creek.  Thankfully they were there as the water was high and it would have been dangerous to cross without them.

Some of our pictures are a little foggy due to the weather.  This section contains multiple ecosystems and some of the most beautiful rock bluff areas on the trail.  There is alot of ups and downs with some being steep through the Gorges.  We saw lots of different birds and also some deer.

Pictures:

Soddy Creek - Cumberland Trail

After church Lora and I decided to hike on the Cumberland trail.  We were already in Soddy so we headed up Hotwater road to the trailhead.  We headed South on the trail through the old mining area.  We didn't get,   but a couple of miles in and my foot started bothering me again so we headed back.  It was a beautiful day to be on the trail.

Pictures:

Trail Maintenance

Sunday 4/10 Trail Maintenance
Nance Jo scheduled a work day for the Soddy TTA adopted trail section so after church I drove to Hotwater Road to join the work crew. I started up the trail with a rake, hand saw and clippers. A lot of this section had already been raked by the Soddy crew; last Sunday was when I saw Nance Jo raking. Walking up the trail to find the others, I got to see the wildflower show. Yellow trilliums, bluets, violets, phlox. and what I thought was really early honeysuckle. Later I was corrected by Caroline who told me that was pinkster. Alrighty then. Then I found a few fire pinks blooming by the trail.
When I caught up to the others, I had smelled the fresh dirt for a while and could see how hard they had already been working. Nance Jo, Cat, and Caroline were raking up a storm. I found a spot and got busy realizing quickly that forgettin to bring your work gloves wasn't very smart. Oh well, I did have my first aid kit so I wrapped my thumb with moleskin and kept on raking. Someone told me once that blisters build character. Hmmmm. Caroline didn't like the looks of a dead tree by the trail and started trying to push it over. As it waved back and forth the top broke loose and bopped me on the noggin. I must be hard headed cause it didn't hurt. I did pick up the broken pieces and get them off the trail. Think I'll get up ahead of Caroline and work the other way. We found a good stopping spot and Nance Jo marked our progress. Start here next time. We clipped as we hiked back toward the trailhead stopping long enough to saw a fallen tree and drag it off the trail.
When we got to the trailhead Caroline spotted a dwarf crested iris on the bank right behind the vehicles. So pretty hiding there all by its self.

I know the Soddy crew appreciates any rakers that show up to work. Come out and see the trail sometime!

Soddy Gorge

CT Soddy Gorge Lora
Sunday April 3
I met up with Diane and friends from Nashville and M'Boro to hike the Soddy Gorge section. We left one car at the 111 exit and then the 5 of us piled into the Outcastmobile and drove to Hotwater Road to begin our hike. Yellow trilliums greeted us at the trailhead. Birdsong was the music for the day and we had a bird enthusiast hiking with us identifying the birds. We warmed up quickly shedding layers and zipping off pant legs.

The views from the trail are pretty- you can see Soddy Lake and further out towards the river. Seeing the trees starting to put on leaves
makes you really appreciate spring. Dogwoods are starting to bloom and the redbuds. The streams were flowing down the hillsides and dripping off the rock walls. Lots of rain lately. Creek crossings could be interesting today. We were noticing that someone had been cleaning the trail and I said it had to be the Soddy Chapter. This is their adopted trail section to do maintenance on. Yep there's Nancy Jo raking and doing a great job. We stopped to talk and compliment her on a job well done. This was the same area I was helping rake 2 years ago when some backpackers came thru and stopped to talk to us. When they told us they were firefighters from Murfreesboro who backpacked together, I recognized they were the Outcasts. I had been reading their trail blog. That's where I first met Craig.

We got to Deep Creek and looked at the crossing. Someone has stretched a rope from the middle of the creek to the other side. Getting to the rope was going to be a problem as the water was high and rushing over the rock just before the rope. Hmmmm. Maybe go up the creek a little and find a shallow spot to cross. We thought we could make it and wondered how slick the rocks would be. Only one way to find out....boots off, crocs on.( Outcast training) I crossed the creek and was waiting for everyone to follow. Only no one did, so I crossed back and after the feeling came back in my feet, put my boots back on and we backtracked to the roadbed above the creek to have lunch and figure out what to do. We decided to hike back to the Outcastmobile and try to come in from the other end of the trail.

Drove back to 111 and started walking, it was already 3 pm so we decided to walk in about an hour and then come back out. After walking along beside a fence for a while we started down a hill and saw this would be a good place to come back when the blackberries get ripe. Getting back into tree cover was nice, the temperature had gotten up a bit. We came to the creek crossing and saw where a crew had been working on a log bridge. I think this was the Eagle Scout project Tony and Ann Hook were supervising the day before. It's looking good. We hiked to a beautiful shady spot by Board Camp Creek and made good use of the big log laying by the trail. We sat for a few minutes resting and took a group pic. It was getting late so we hiked back to 111 where Diane and crew headed back towards M'Boro and Nashville and I headed back to the mountain.

Beautiful hiking day. Diane, maybe we can cross the creek next time. And maybe even cross Soddy Creek without me going in for another swim.

Pictures: