Meriwether Lewis Campground

Memorial Day weekend we headed off to the Meriwether Lewis Campground on the Natchez Trace Parkway in Tennessee. Being a free campground we did not know what we were getting into and if there would be any room on a holiday weekend. I drove over early Friday and found a very nice, clean, and pretty much empty campground. Dad and Mom arrived around one o'clock and Lora shortly after. We hiked around the campground and visited until dinner.

I had to work the next day so the three amigos did some hiking and traveling to local towns. Mom crashed on one of the hikes trying to out do Dad. Minor sports injury. After lunch, sightseeing in the close by towns. Hohenwald and Summertown where they found the Amish wagons set up by the highway selling baskets and canned and baked goods. Hohenwald evidently closes at noon on Saturday. Restaurants were open, but nothing else was.

Sunday, I picked up Braedon and headed back. We all spent the afternoon at the creek chasing crawdads, snakes, and lizards. After lunch we played games which Braedon mastered quite quickly. We celebrated Braedon's birthday that night and then visited around the campfire.

Monday we visited the local waterfalls before we headed back home.

Nice campground and you can use the dumping station at the Fall Hollow campground on 412.

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Calfkiller Creek

Lora and I put in at the Hwy 111 boat ramp on the Caney River. We saw all sorts of wildlife on this beautiful day. We turned and went up the Calfkiller Creek to the bend just before the E. Gooseneck Road bridge. About 3.7 miles one way.

We saw cows, turkeys, vultures, turtles, eagles, hawks, snake, fish, and wildflowers.

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Stringers Ridge, Salomon

Rock Creek held an event at Stringers Ridge in Chattanooga. Salomon shoe folks had hiking boots and running shoes to try out on the trail. I picked a pair of mid high boots, women foot shape specific they said-arch support and wide in the toe box; and handed over my ID. There were several folks on the Loop trail, families, couples, runners. Flowers were blooming. Saw the first Mountain Laurel of the season, Fire Pinks, Maple Leaf Vibernum, Little Brown Jug, lots of Solomons Seal, Beardtongue, Ipecac, Vinca, Spiderwort.

When I got back to the tent, there were two little girls picking the flags from the flagged off area, so cute, making a bouquet. I didn't like the boots enough to buy them, the arch support aggravated my right foot. Felt good on my left foot. Like my Keens better.

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Salt Lick Creek Campground

We got invited by Jeremy to join him and his family at Salt Lick Creek Campground on Cordell Hull Lake. My parents joined us on this adventure. This is a beautiful campground with lots of water access. We enjoyed spending time with Jeremy's family and friends. We got some canoeing in when the wind wasn't blowing like crazy.

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Possum/Rock Creek Backpack

Cumberland Trail Backpack. Possum Creek and Rock Creek Gorge sections. 14.9 miles total and rated strenuous for this 2 day, 1 night backpacking trip. Saturday we will start at the Heiss Mountain Road trailhead off Highway 111 near Soddy Daisy and hike 7.1 miles to the Little Possum North campsite. On the way to our campsite we’ll pass a beautiful view from Perkins Point, Imodium Falls over Little Possum Creek, and cross the stunning Big Possum Creek and Little Possum Creek bridges. The campsite has water available from the Little Possum Creek. The next day from our campsite, we’ll hike out 2.4 miles to the Retro Hughes trailhead and continue on the Rock Creek Gorge section for 5.4 miles to the Upper Leggett Road trailhead in Sale Creek. Elevation gain and loss on the Possum Creek Gorge section is 1,000 feet and the elevation change on the Rock Creek Gorge section is 300 feet. We’ll also see lots of wildflowers, overlooks that offer spectacular views of the gorge into the Tennessee River valley, and opportunities to see hawks and eagles.

10 hikers showed up for Sara's TTA backpack. Margaret, Pete, Amy, Paolo, Wayne, Jean, Michael, Sara, and us.
We left cars at the Upper Leggett Trailhead and drove to Heiss Mt. Road to start. Blanchard Falls was really pretty. Lots of wild flowers everywhere on this hike. Possum Creek Trail is a fine example of trail building and the descent into Big Possum Creek Gorge and out to Hughes Ridge is some of the prettiest areas of the CT. Lunch was supposed to be at Perkins Point which we blew right by, and didn't want to climb back up to, so we sat at an overlook of the creek gorge and cooled off for a little while. Another workout of into and out of Little Possum Creek Gorge.

When we got to our campsite, we found a church group had reserved the spot as well. The Cumberland trail does not limit the amount of people at each campsite so it was a scramble to find places to camp. We had tents spread out for a quarter of a mile. We found a good spot to make our campfire spot and went to work collecting wood. We had another backpacker join us for a bit as well. Our group joined around the campfire for dinner and lots of entertainment. We got to listen to owls and coyotes and a whippoorwill.

The next morning we got up early, ate around the campfire and hit the trail by 8 to avoid the morning showers. Our first challenge was the creek crossing. We did some rock hopping and there was some wet feet as well. We made it to the Rock creek trailhead before the rain set in for the day. It was warm out and it was a light rain. We found shelter along a rock bluff for our lunch break.

It was a great hike with some great people. Thanks Sara.

Flowers seen: Dwarf crested Iris, Purple Phacelia, Fire Pinks, Wild Oats, Shooting Stars, Foam Flower, Anemone, Star Chickweed, Leaves of the Speckled Wood Lily with no blooms yet, Golden Alexander, Yellow Star Grass, lots of Southern Red Trillium, Little Brown Jug, Wild Geranium, Phlox, Jack in the Pulpits.

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Michael's Pics: 

Ladies Spring Backpack 2018

Ladies Spring Backpack 2018

We started out our plan with 7 ladies, due to unforeseen circumstances Plan A went to Plan B. Then on the way to the Smokies,to Plan C when another lady cancelled. Plan D when 4 of us met for lunch and discussed weather, bears, thru hikers and shelters. We left Sara's car at Tremont and drove to Elkmont to start out on Jake's Creek. There was a fine display of wildflowers along the way. Plan D changed to E on the way up Miry Ridge. Three of us made it to campsite 26, got set up. Gathered  water and firewood and had a fine evening around the campfire. After more discussion about mileage, shelters and the forecast, Plan E went to F.

We went to bed and listened to the wind howl and screech and howl. All night long it sent gusts making the tarp flap and press against my hammock. tick tock. Earplugs blocked out most of the noise and I woke up at daylight, Sara and I planning to hike on up to the AT to Greenbriar Ridge and down to Tremont, 12 miles. No sleep last night for Sara, so Plan G? so I put on my boots and left most of my gear at camp and hiked the rest of Miry Ridge to the AT and back to camp in two hours. Record time for me doing 6 miles in the Smokies. Along the way I heard a grouse making the thump thump thump noise, heard a turkey gobble, saw one of the biggest burls on a tree I have ever seen. Climbed over and around 12 trees down in the trail.

Back at camp, packed up, said our goodbyes to Nancy, she started down Miry back to Jake's Creek and Elkmont; Sara and I hiked to Lynn Camp Prong and went down, down, down, seeing hillsides blanketed with wildflowers, to the junction with Middle Prong where we saw horses and riders. Then lots and lots of hikers, fishermen, and more hikers out enjoying this beautiful day. We stopped to wet our bandannas a few times. The parking lot was full, we went a little way down the road and stopped by the creek to soak our feet in the cool water.

We stopped for ice cream in Townsend. Good idea Sara. Mmmmm traditional ending for a backpack (well for me anyway)

Wildflowers seen:
Lots of Violets that Nancy and Judi named.
Spring Beauties, Trout Lily, Bishops Cap, Wild Phlox, Bellwort, Mandarin, Sweet White Trillium, Showy Orchis, Toothwort, Foam Flower, Chickweed,Anemone, Mayapple, Fringed Phacelia, Wild Ginger, Trailing Arbutus, Dutchman's Breeches, Solomon's Seal, and False SS, Seersucker Sedge, Golden Alexander, Dwarf ginseng.

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Water Fall Hike

Lora and I went waterfall hunting at Fall Creek Falls. We started out on the Wheeler Farm Loop where we got to see the 90' Medley arch. We did a little off trail to see 60' Sinking falls, 35' Burchett falls, and 25, Wheeler falls.

Then we went to the main park to see 256' Fall Creek Falls, 250' Coon Creek falls, 60' Daisy Cascade, 95' Piney Creek Falls, an unnamed falls on Cane Creek, and 45' Cane Creek Cascades.

Wildflowers were abundant:
Wild ginger, Purple Phacelia, Twin Leaf, Columbine, Anemone, Buttercups, Mayapple, Fire Pink, Chickweed,
Toothwort, Foam flower, Stone Crop, Dwarf Crested Iris, Sweet Betsy Trillium, White Trillium, Southern Red Trillium, Wild Oats, Squaw root, Wild Phlox, Yellow woodland violet, Common Blue Violet, Long spurred Violet.

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Red River Gorge

We got to meet Dan, Deanna, and McKinley for Easter. Dad and Mom met us too as we all gathered at the Natural Bridge State Resort Park in Kentucky. They met up on Thursday, Lora and I got there Friday evening. The group had hiked muddy trails all over the park Friday so we started out with Henson's arch in the Red River Gorge which is right across the road from the Natural Bridge Park. From there we hiked to the the Natural Bridge and balanced rock. Back to the campground for some Hamburgers.

The next day we got up and met our friend Tim at the Bison Way trailhead in the Red River Gorge. We had met Tim on the AT years back and said that we would get with him when we got up to the Red River Gorge. This was our first chance.

We drove through the 900 ft long NADA tunnel which is a really cool one lane old train tunnel. Tim took us and showed us the Indian arch, Adena arch, Council Chamber rock shelter with a waterfall, and the Indian Staircase. We also got to see salamanders with their eggs in a shallow pond. He was a wonderful guide.

After our hike we went and picked up Mom. We took her to see Angle Windows, Whistling arch, and Sky Bridge. We also stopped at an unnamed water fall. Back to the campground for BBQ. We celebrated McKinley's graduation with a tasty cake.

The next day, after sending the Brewers off, Lora and I headed to Whittleton Arch. From there we took Dad and Mom to see Mill Creek Lake. It was misting out so we didn't do the hike around the lake. From there we headed back to the campground to pack up and head home.

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Walls of Jericho TTA

Walls of Jericho hike with TTA Murfreesboro and Highland Rim. Crystal and I enjoyed the pretty drive over the river and thru the woods, farmland and small towns to get to the TN/Alabama border to see the Walls. We met a car piled full of hikers at the TN trailhead. Marietta, Jan, Joan, Sara, Ruth, and Wayne all in Jan's car. (I went to the wrong trailhead for the shuttle). We started down the trail finding wildflowers all along the way. Side trip to the Mill Creek blowhole which wasn't blowing, but really flowing. Jan and I found some baby salamanders in the creek. Teeny tiny ones. We we blessed with bluebells blooming all along the Hurricane Creek. We had lunch at the campsite by the cemetery. There were several tents, Boy Scout outing. They were ahead of us going to the walls. When we got there, the boys were swimming in the creek below the walls. I know their lips had to be blue, it was NOT warm enough to swim. Must be some badge they were working for...

We got across the creek without too many wet feet. Climbed up the walls for a look into the canyon. Realized my camera must be on the log I sat on for lunch since it wasn't hooked to my pack. (how to explain this one to Craig...)

On the way back across the creek, Crystal decided to test the water to see how cold it was, with water going down her rain pants and into her pretty new hiking boots. SPLASH! Not hurt, we kept going. The hike out to the Alabama trailhead was steep, and uphill and steep. We made it out and got transported to our car. Crystal and I drove into Winchester and found a small restaurant and got some grub before heading toward home. We drove thru Sewanee with a stop at the Natural Bridge.

Flowers seen: Bluebells, Bishops Cap, Bloodroot, Star Chickweed, Twin Leaf, Sweet Betsy Trillium, Hepatica was still blooming, Anemone, Mayapple that had the beginning of a bloom, Dutchman's Breeches, Wild Geranium, Spring beauty, Stone Crop, Pussytoes, Fire Pink, lots of Long Spurred Violets, Toothwort, Foam Flower, and I think Saxifrage but would have to see it again with my wildflower book in my hand. If I forgot any, someone please fill me in.

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Rock Creek

Crystal and I went hunting for wildflowers on the Rock Creek Trail. We weren't disappointed. We found yellow trillium, purple and yellow violets, anemone, trout lily, and the beginnings of little brown jug.The view from the Rock Creek overlook was so pretty. The weather was great and so was the company.

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