Prater Place - Fall Creek Falls

Lora and I went to Fall Creek Falls for their Spring Hike.  There was 13 people plus the Ranger.  We had a great time and met some very nice people from Middle and East Tennessee.

Fall Creek Falls hosts Spring Hike

Mar 22 @ Fall Creek Falls

Meet Ranger Matt at the Nature Center at 9 a.m. CT to carpool to the Prater Place Trail Head. This trail is 2.9 miles one way into Camps Gulf and features beautiful wildflowers in the spring and a small but gorgeous waterfall called Hemlock Falls at the end of the trail. Be prepared for a 6 mile roundtrip hike with a few steep slopes. A parent or guardian must accompany youngsters 12 years old and younger. Contact the Nature Center at 423-881-5708 by Friday the 21st if there have been heavy rains since there is a seasonal creek crossing involved. For more information call 423-881-5708.

Pictures:

Break Away 2014

Lora and I got the opportunity to spend some time with the college students building the Cumberland trail on Graysville Mt.  We met them at the trail head and hiked in to where they were working in the Gilbreath Creek area.  The students have built close to a mile so far this month.  We got to celebrate Larry Hill's birthday at lunch time with the traditional Happy Birthday song.  It's good exercise, you get to meet good people, and it makes you appreciate the trails you hike.

Pictures:

Baxter Creek - Smoky Mountains

Two days off and Craig had to work. Hooked up with Amy and we headed for the mountains and Big Creek Ranger Station in the GSMNP. There were lots of cars in both parking areas, the campground was still closed. Our trail crossed the creek and went uphill. And up, and up and up. The elevation profile looked almost vertical, from 1700 ft to 5820 ft. 6.2 miles. We saw a few violets blooming and the leaves and buds of trilliums. This trail is filled with ferns and moss. And some of the rocks were covered with really large lichens. We did see a few huge trees. Then we really started climbing. We saw a huge rock that looked inviting for a lunch spot but two guys with chain saws had the best seats so we kept going until we found another sunny spot. Then we really started climbing. We had a view of the valley below, looked for the power plant, only saw a tower. We did see a HUGE chestnut stump and some giants that had fallen. Higher up we started seeing red spruces. There were blackberry briars further up but I don’t think I would want to do this climb when it’s hot enough for the berries to be ripe! We kept thinking we were at the top and the trail would turn and we kept climbing. We met some folks coming down the mountain. One man and 3 young ladies from Indiana on their first backpack ever. And they picked this trail, and it rained on them last night. They were still so happy to be there and I find that very cool. They said they would definitely be back.

 Then we really started climbing. We passed the trail to the water source and knew we were near the camp. The Firetower greeted us at the top. We looked around for a flat spot to set up our tents, most areas are somewhat slanted except at the tower and that spot was taken. We set up and then climbed the tower. The views were incredible. Thankful for clear skies. We hiked back .2 miles to the water trail. We found a small stream, where it was running over and down a rock Amy started collecting water. I hiked on down to find the pipe. It was a trickle. The better source was where Amy stopped. Back at camp the wind had picked up. And then it howled, and howled, and ……we cooked our supper, potato soup for Amy and pinto beans with roast beef for me. We decided against building a fire in the howling wind and walked up to warm up at our neighbor’s fire. The sparks and smoke chased us around for the few minutes that we could stand it. We gave up and went back to camp. We were going to hang our food at the bear cable but there was a tree laying on it and only one cable was usable. And it was being used. We found a limb for our food bag, tied the rope to a stick and the fun started. I made a half dozen efforts. Makes me remember playing ball with my nephew when he was 5 and telling me “Aunt Lora you throw like a girl” so Amy tried tossing the stick over and got it on her first try! Unfortunately the rope wouldn’t pull over the spur in the limb. Back to the start, a few more tosses and picking the line out of the bushes and it finally went over in just the right spot. We just hoped the wind wouldn’t take it down. Bed time. Couldn’t tell if we had any wildlife visitors or owls talking thru the night. I had to use earplugs to block out the howling noise. The little brown book says this is one of the highest campsites in the park, and I believe the coldest because of the wind.  

Up early next morning, wind was still blowing. But the sun was shining! We broke camp and started across the ridge on the Mt Sterling Trail to the connection with Mt Sterling Ridge Trail. It’s a beautiful ridge walk. We went down the Swallow Fork Trail and Amy found it much more pleasant this time. Last time she walked up it in cold rain. We had some beautiful views from this trail and lots of streams. We also ran into several hikers, one that we thought was a news guy from the network political scene. When we started down the Big Creek trail we saw the devastation from storms. So many trees had come down from the tornado last year it must have taken weeks for the chainsaw crews to get thru here. As we got closer to the campground we started seeing lots more folks on the trail. This is a beautiful creek trail. It will be full of blooms in the next week or two. We saw some of the yellow trilliums opening in the sunshine. The parking lot was full again. This is spring break week for a lot of schools and the young people were out in force. Good to see so many young people out on the trails. Back on the road, I took Amy to her car in Crossville, she headed to Nashville and I headed home.

Beautiful trails and a great time in the mountains.

Pictures:

Abrams Creek - Smoky Mountains

Day One: 7.3
Cooper Road 0.9
Little Bottoms 2.3
Abrams Falls to falls 1.7
Abrams Falls 1.7
Little Bottoms to #17 0.7

Day Two: 9.7
Little Bottoms 0.7
Hatcher Mountain 2.6
Cooper Road 2.2
Gold Mine 1.6
Cooper Road 2.6
Total Miles: 17

Lora and I headed out to Abrams Creek campground in the Smoky National Park.  We found out that they have taken the signs down since they closed the campground as we drove by at a high rate of speed.  We stopped and asked some Rangers(?) where the road was and they said the sign was down, but they could not describe where it was.  So, we found it on the way back. There is a sign coming from the South.

There was one other car at the trailhead as we headed out.  We took the Cooper Road trail to Little Bottoms.  We passed by our campsite #17 as we headed on to Abrams Falls.  We did get to see the tornado damage in this area from a couple of years ago.  We passed a couple that was out backpacking near the Hannah Mountain trail.  We went on to the falls and as always there were lots of people at the falls.

After visiting a while we headed back to our campsite.  When we got back to the Hannah Mt. trail we stopped for a snack and the couple was still there.  They were attempting to cross the Abrams Creek.  The water was not up very far, but the lady had already had a panic attack trying to cross.  The guy now had a rope going across the creek and they were attempting one more time.  He had already took both packs across.  Lora gave the girl a pep talk and we watched as she made it across.  We thought we were going to have to help her across.  We cheered her on and then untied this end of the rope after she made it.

We got to camp and got everything set up.  We enjoyed a quite evening sitting by the fire.

The next morning we got up and headed back to Hatcher Mountain.  We saw some horse riders at the Cooper Road crossing.  They had come from Gold Mine and asked why when we told them we were going to hike Gold Mine.  Because it was there?  We are stupid like that, I told them.  They got a laugh.

We met a Ranger on the Cooper Road trial who was heading out to check the archaeological site.  We then headed up Gold Mine.  About halfway up the trail we noticed a side trail being built.  We took it a couple hundred yards and then came back.  When we got up to the top we found the other end of the new trail.  There is a old barn up top as well.

We hiked back down and then took Cooper Road on out.  There were a lot of cars in the parking area when we got back and a guy that was going to do a day hike too.

Pictures:

TTA Rock Creek Segment CT

Cumberland Trail Volunteers Ava Navin, Bob DeHart, Carol Deakins, and Don Deakins accompanied Murfreesboro Chapter of Tennessee Trails Association Sara Pollard, Tony Jones, Ann Jacobs, Faith Bennett, Roy Duncan, Wayne Yancey, Rebekah Norman, Lora and I on a 7.5 mile Cumberland Trail hike.

Sara was the hike leader for this hike.  Plan A was for her to meet the Volunteers and I at the Lower Leggett Trail head.  Plan B was for us to meet them all at the Retro Hughes Trail head.  Plan C was Sara was gone when we got there and had taken Ann to drop off a car at the Lower trail head.  So finally we got on the trail with twelve hikers.  Lora was going to hike in from the Lower trail head when she got off work.

We began at Retro Hughes Trailhead.  We had a good hike and got credit for some trail maintenance on the way.  Don lead the way and headed up all the maintenance.  Everyone but Sara stopped at the Rock Creek Campsite for lunch.  Sara, who was just refusing to stop, went ahead and scouted out some more of the trail.  OK, the front pack of hikers went down to check out the creek and Sara just kept on hiking.  When the rest of us got there we noticed that Sara was not with us and sent a scout to go find her.

We took a side trip down to the top of Flat Branch Falls, paused at Rock Creek Overlook for the view, turned right at Boiling Spring onto the lower half of the loop trail, and ended the hike at Leggett Road Lower Trailhead. Just after the loop start, Lora met us and joined us for the rest of the trail.  Weather was perfect and, as usual when with hikers, the company was superb. 

Pictures:

Tony's Pictures:

Don's Pictures:

Bob's Pictures:

Bandy Creek Hike

Day One: 10.4
Oscar Blevins Farm Loop 3.6
Collier Ridge Loop 1.5
West Entrance Trail 2.4
Katie Trail 1.0
John Litton Farm Loop 1.9

Day Two: 4.7
John Litton Farm Loop 3.7
Katie trail 1.0

Total Miles: 15.1

Lora and I headed up to Big South Fork.  We started at the Bandy Creek Trail head and went to the Oscar Blevins Farm.  We did the tour and then took the farm loop to the Collier Ridge Loop going towards the West Entrance.  We then took the West Entrance trail back to the Oscar Blevins Loop and back to the car to pick up the backpacks.  Very nice section of the park.  We even got to see some historic horses at the farm and one historic cat.

When we got our backpacks we hiked to the campground and took the John Litton Farm Loop to the Fall Branch Falls.  It was getting time to make camp and there was a campsite at the falls with a bench, fire ring, and a good stack of firewood.  Lora asked " should we camp here or hike a little farther?".  After a quick rap to the forehead she came to her senses and said this would be a good place to stay tonight.

Soon we had a fire going and camp set up.  We had the view of the water fall to eat our dinner by.  Three other backpackers came by, looking at us with envy, and continued down the trail.

After a wonderful evening we got up and had breakfast.  It was warm already this morning as we headed out to finish the loop and toured the farm.  We had planned to continue to the Jack's Ridge Loop when the rain changed our minds and we headed back to the car.

On the way back to the car I lost dear Lora in the mud.  Well, it looked that way when we hiked back looking for her hat that had fallen off and was laying in a big mud bog.

On the way home after hiking in the heat, we passed a brine truck spraying the roads.  What???

Pictures:

Flipper Bend Trail - N. Chickamauga Creek WMA State Natural Area

Flipper Bend Loop: 9.0 miles
Clear Branch Long Loop: 4.9 miles
Powerline x 2: 1.46 miles
Total Miles 15.36

Lora and I headed back to the N. Chickamauga Creek WMA State Natural Area to finish the trails in that area.  We needed to finish the Flipper Bend Loop and hike Clear Branch Long Loop.  

There are no longer any signs at the trailhead and the kiosk no longer has anything on it.  It is sad that people feel the need to destroy things and really they get nothing out of it either.

The first leg of all the trails from the parking area to the loops is a mix of old road bed and trail.  You really have to watch the trail marking to stay on the right trail as there is many old road beds and trails.  When you get to the loops you will find the first sign on the trail.

Our first loop was the Flipper Bend Loop and we did it clockwise or at least tried to.  We followed the trail to the powerlines and that was the end of the markings.  It just ends at the powerline road with no marking to which way you are supposed to go.  We searched and searched for another marking, but found none.  Lora made a call and they said to just follow the powerlines East to the overlook, so we did.  Just before we got to the overlook we crossed the other side of the loop trail.  It actually had a trail marker on the powerline post and across the clearing on the trees.

We enjoyed the Powerline overlook and did some off trail across the top of Powerline Falls and to another overlook on the far side.  This is where we ate our lunch.

After lunch we hiked back to where the trail crossed the clearing and took the top part of the trail now counter clockwise to see where we missed the markings on the far side.  This section of the trail follows the Chickamauga Creek Gorge.  There is a side trail that looks like a campsite which is actually the Pocket Wilderness Overlook described in the trail description.  All of this section is clearly marked mainly over rolling hills.  There is also a very large rock out in the middle of the forest that the trail goes by too.

When we finally came out on the powerlines again we were 0.12 mile East of where we came out of the woods on the original loop.  So if you were hiking the Flipper Bend Loop going clockwise, when you get to the powerline turn East or right and go down the hill and up the other side which is about halfway between the two powerline structures.  The trail then goes North or left into the woods.  If you are hiking the loop counterclockwise, then when you come out on the powerline turn West or right and go 0.12 mile and turn South or left and enter the woods. 

We then followed the power lines back to the overlook and continued the loop.  When we came to the Clear Branch loop we took it to the Clear Branch Long loop which starts right after you cross Clear Branch. The 4.9 mile Clear Branch Loop follows the bluff line for some really beautiful views and then circles back on old roadbed through the woods.  There is a sign at the beginning of the loop.  We followed the trail back to the Flipper Bend access trail back to the car.  It was a long but beautiful hiking day.

Trail Descriptions:

Map: 

Pictures:

Canyon Falls - CT

We started today at Hwy 111, Jones Gap Road Cumberland trailhead. We ate our lunch at Ritchy Ridge Falls and then hiked down the trail until we could hear the falls.  On the way we had to cover up a short cut people had started on one of the corners of the trail.

We climbed down the side of the bluff until we could get our eyes on the falls.  It is actually more of a Cascade.  We took pictures from different angles then climbed back up to the trail.  We met another couple who was hiking the Cumberland trail for the first time so gave them some information.

We continued in a light rain that was off and on to the Big Possum bridge.  After we crossed the bridge we stayed on the road bed and walked along the creek to see where the Blanchard creek joined the Big Possum.  If you were to hike to the bottom of the falls, this would be the way to go.  Cross the Big Possum and follow the Blanchard back up to the base of the falls.

We headed back, picking up trash, and trying our new saw out on some branches hanging over the trail.  Another great day on the CT.

Pictures:

Upper & Lower Piney Falls SNA

I hiked today with the Plateau Chapter TTA. Lisa Huff, Director of TN State Natural Areas was leading an Ice Castle Hike for TTA. Only the warmer temps didn't quite agree on the Ice part.

I drove to Grandview Mt to meet them. The SNA is on Firetower Road off Hwy 68. This one lane road leads to the firetower, and the parking area for the Falls trail is on the right just before you reach the firetower. I was looking for a big brown sign stating this was the State Natural Area; all I saw was a small white sign nailed to a tree. Piney Falls on an arrow. Just a few minutes later all the hikers arrived.

We walked up to the firetower to get a closer look. The fence around it had a locked gate so we weren't tempted to climb it. Lisa pulled in and we gathered around to listen to her tell us about the area. We also heard some sandhill cranes cooing. They were circling in the sky above us. We started down the trail to the falls, everybody happy for the warm temps and sunshine. We have all been missing the Vitamin D. We took the trail to the top of the Upper falls just to see how much water was coming down the creek. The trail crosses the creek above the top of the falls but we didn't go that way. Craig and I will have to check that out on another day. We then took the trail down to the lower part of the Upper falls. Then hiked to the Lower Falls. There was a little ice at the bottom of the Lower falls that was still pretty thick. You can hike behind the falls here and the pool at the bottom would be a great swimming hole, but not today. Lisa found some interesting fossils for us. There are some limbs of trees that were trapped in the rocks and over the years petrified. She pointed out a couple of those and then pointed out a fossil in the rock that had a really cool pattern.

We hiked back to the parking lot and Lisa left us to go to work on a grant. We told her we appreciated all her hard work so we can enjoy all these Natural Areas in Tennessee. The group decided they needed some more time in the woods so we drove down the mountain to the Piney River Trail. We had lunch in the picnic area by the river soaking up the sunshine. We hiked up the trail to the Twin Rocks spur trail. At the rocks, the ladder is missing the first 3 rungs. The guys started up and I climbed up the rocks to see if that would be easier for us. It wasn't but I made it with a little rock climbing. When I got on top I noticed red spots all over my pants leg and was looking where I climbed up to see what I had gone thru, too early for berries......I pulled my pants leg up and it was BLOOD........Sports Injury! I had a tiny little cut on my knee that managed to look like I was really injured from all the blood. I wiped it off and we climbed down the ladder, helping each other get safely down despite the missing rungs.

 One of our hikers had started down the trail ahead of us. When we reached the parking lot, she wasn't there. We started speculating on where she could be. After 10 minutes we decided she must have went the wrong way at the junction. I went up the main trail to look for her hoping she had come that way, while two others hiked back toward the Twin Rocks. I got to where the upper spur connected to the main trail, blew my whistled and yelled her name, no sign or sound of her. I hiked back down hoping she was with the others.....no luck. The other two searchers got to the connection and hiked further on the main trail blowing whistles and yelling her name. They stopped and called us in the parking lot to see if we needed to call for help to search, as they were on the phone, the stray hiker was walking toward them from up the trail. Whew! She had indeed taken the wrong split coming down from the Twin Rocks. When she got to the main trail she turned left instead of right.
So happy to see them coming down the trail into the parking lot, we cheered and were so thankful it turned out all right. So many things can happen when people get separated on a hiking trail. Trying to figure how to find them can be a challenge, after hiking folks are tired, may not have enough water, may not be carrying the essentials, or cell phone (if you could get a signal) or know the area. Staying together, RULE #1, Stopping at junctions to wait on everyone RULE # 1.....there are a lot of RULE # 1's just ask Craig.

We would have stopped at the Blistered Chicken on the way out, to celebrate with a little refreshment but they weren't open.
Thanks to Lisa Huff, Bill Harris and the Plateau hikers, it was a beautiful day of hiking with great folks.

Pictures:

TTA Backpack North Chick Segment - Cumberland Trail

Day one: 5.9
Montlake Rd to Stevenson's Branch campsite

Day two: 10.79
Stevenson's Branch campsite to parking 3.33
Parking to Montlake Rd. 7.46

Total Miles: 16.69

Murfreesboro TTA members Sara, Marco, Wayne, and I with Lora and Chuck from Soddy Daisy TTA, did an overnighter on the North Chickamauga Segment of the Cumberland Trail.  The young lady that picked this section from Memphis could not make it because she got "bit by a owl"?  Had "knee problems" or whatever reason, anyway we missed her company.

We met at the Montlake road trailhead and headed in taking the Hog skin lower loop after we got Chucks keys out of his car.  By the time we made it to the overlook past the stairs, we were ready for lunch.  The next section was old road bed that was covered with blow downs.  The real challenge starts at the cable crossing.

At the cable crossing, a tree was down in the middle of the creek on the cable.  Chuck went across first and whipped out a saw that would make a young girl blush.  He quickly cut limbs to make a safer crossing.  The cable is actually broke on the far side, being held in place by where the tree had grown around the cable.  It was a wet crossing for some and and an old fashion foot washing for the rest.

After the crossing there is another cable to help you get down to the ladder.  The cable came up and hit Marco's pack just right to completely empty one of his packs' pockets.  The stove and other contents went rolling down the hill.  The stand for his stove fell off the edge and was rescued by Chuck.

From the ladder down to Chickamauga creek was steep and slippery.  Everyone was excited to see the campsite and then quickly disappointed when I notified them that this was not the campsite we were staying at.  I think there was a competition between Sara and Wayne to see who could see the most worms as they both spent lots of time on the ground looking?

After we got to Stevenson's Branch campsite, we set up camp and collected firewood.  We spent a little time inspecting each others camping gear and then we sat around the campfire eating dinner.  The night was spent telling lies and taking cough medicine.

The next morning Wayne volunteered to watch camp while the rest of us did a day hike to the far end of the trail.  After a good old fashion foot washing in Stevenson's branch we did the switch backs up the side of the gorge.  We were very impressed with the trail work and design on this part of the trail.  Probably the best switch backs on the Cumberland trail.  We took a break at the overlook and then went to the parking area.

We got to see Panther Branch falls which had good water at it.  On the way back we stopped at the overlook again and ate our lunch.  We got back to camp where Wayne was glad we made it back.  We packed up and headed out.  Chuck went ahead and cleaned up a lot of the wind falls we had to climb over on the way in.  Sara and Wayne continued their competition as we went.  Marco got the award for the best fall as he was doing the cable crossing.  He got extra points for water coverage.  We saw a few hikers and trail runners on the way out.

Our wildlife consisted of a Bald Eagle and a mouse that ate Wayne's walking stick strap.

Great hike with some great people!

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