SMHC Backpack

I drove to Maryville to meet up with the SMHC for a backpack/trail maintenance day. We were ready for the drive to Newfound Gap and then to Smokemont to drop off a car. Steve and Tim brought tools for the four of us. Tim carried the loppers, Steve carried the weed whacker and a saw, Amanda had clippers and a folding saw, I had clippers. Ready for battle. We got stopped right away by a group wanting to take our pic and give us trail snacks. They were with the Tremont scavenger hunt team and thought we were thru hikers. There was a lot of traffic between Newfound Gap and Charlies Bunion. We started our maintenance after the Bunion, leaving the crowd behind. Clipping with stitches in my hand from a week ago was challenging (builds character) and sawing limbs left handed was not as easy as I hoped. We managed to wrestle some trees out of the trail but a few are going to have to wait for the chainsaw crew. We cleared trail all the way to Pecks Corner.

There were beautiful views all along the way and we had to stop and soak up as much as we could of all those gorgeous mountains. The Sawteeth always are impressive; Tim pinpointed Bradley's View.

It was supper time by the time we got the shelter. It was a full house with tents all around. I claimed my spot inside but was willing to go hang my hammock if necessary. Evidently hammocks are a no no around the shelters per the head Ranger. With all the thru hikers it's necessary for tents to be allowed. I don't understand how the hammocks would be worse.... The hiker next to the wall was already in his sleeping bag when I got there. Early midnight for him I guess.

I heard a lot of comments from some of the NOBOs about coming back to the Smokies after they finish the AT; they want to see more of this beautiful place. They were all in bed by 7. Thru hikers midnight. It poured down rain during the early morning. It was a good time to sleep in, but two hikers were up and ready to go before daylight, must have been the 23 miles per day pair.  By daylight most of the rain was gone. We cooked, packed, and then started cleaning up around the shelter. One of the thru hikers got a bag and started picking up trash, old socks and things people had left. We filled up the mulch buckets for the privy, and picked up everything but the tissue blooms, that's above and beyond what we do even with gloves on. Tim tied the trash onto his pack, the other guy must have carried the bag out with him (many thanks) after thanking us for all we were doing. This was my first work trip with the club. The rest of the AT maintainers are the hard workers. Read their work reports, you already see their efforts where you hike and sleep and get your water. Their work goes on all year long.

We left with our rain gear on and started up the hill, noticing a couple of hammocks hanging a little ways from the shelter. Then I heard the thump thump thump of a grouse, then a woodpecker laughing. and later another grouse thumping. There sure was a lot of uphill going down Hughes Ridge, getting the 2.6 miles segment I needed for my map :) The rain stopped and it got warm.

Then Chasteen Creek where we went straight down watching for a spur that we somehow missed, seeing beautiful cascades and enjoying the creek views. Stopped at campsite 48 for lunch and resting our feet from the rocky trail. Then to Bradley Fork and out to Smokemont. We piled into Tim's vehicle and started up the road climbing into the rain cloud. I rode back to Maryville with Amanda and managed to leave my shoes in her car. I didn't notice it until I was 30 minutes away. I sent her a message and she sent back one saying she also found my poles and water bottle. Oh my! She said she would mail them ASAP.

She did and the box was at my garage on Tuesday evening. I think she sent a drone to deliver so quickly :)

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Enterprise South Nature Park

Lora and I went to the Enterprise South Nature Park by the Volkswagen Plant in Chattanooga. This is where 100 old explosives bunkers are from the old TNT plant. They have converted in into a bike and hiking trail park. Four of the bunkers are open for tour and there is Hidden Lake on the property as well.

We hiked the Poe Run path, the Hidden lake trail, the Boulder Point trail, the Deer Hollow trail, the Poe Run Overlook, and the Poe Run path again, Making a 5.6 mile loop.

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Wolf Cove hike

I had heard about Joette Carter's hike that she leads on her family property but had never been there, so I called her Saturday morning to see if I could join her. She said come join us, and gave me directions to find the entry point. Not too far from Winchester and a pretty drive to get there.

We had 6 hikers. Some who had been here before, but got to see new places on this hike.  We counted 13 or 14 caves, most with water coming out of them or running into them. And two with HUGE entries. Too many waterfalls to count. Joette saved the best for last. I had to just stand there and absorb the beauty, water coming from so many openings in the rock wall and from above and seeing how high the ridgeline was above...so beautiful! If this one was the only waterfall we had seen all day, the hike to it would have been worth it.

 And the wildflowers were showing off. We saw trillium, hepatica, stone crop, yellow and purple violets, anemone. From there we hiked a different route from her usual route along the creek, looking for more caves or whatever we might find. And then the climb... you are in a cove and the only way out is UP. We had to think like mountain goats and switchback our way up to the top.  I was thankful for the trees to grab hold of. Sometimes they come in that way,says Joette , they slide down thru the leaves. Can't imagine. We saw some house sized boulders on the way along the horse trail.

If you ever get the opportunity to go with Joette, do it. It's worth every minute of it.

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Edgar Evins SP

Highland Rim trail 2 miles
Millennium/Merritt Ridge 8 miles

Lora and I headed of to Edgar Evins State Park. We camped out at the primitive campsites in the campground. After we got our camp set up, we headed to The Rose Garden 14622 Old Baxter Rd, Silver Point, TN 38582 for dinner. It was a great place to eat with really good prices.

After dinner we headed back to the campground and sat around a campfire. We got to hear owls that night.

The next morning we woke to an owl and then crows. Even got to hear a loon while we ate breakfast. We packed up and headed to the park visitor center. We did the Highland Rim trail for a warm up and then met the TTA for a hike on the Millennium/Merritt Ridge trail.

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Tim's Ford State Park

We headed out to Tim's Ford State Park. We were told by the lady working the front desk that there was a back country site, but it was not open yet. On the way out we met the ranger and talked to him about the site. He wrote up a permit for us and said that we would be the first to use it.

We started  at the welcome center and hiked the Lost Creek Overlook Trail to the Marble Plains Trail to the Ray Branch Trail out to the campsite. According to their signs is a 8.8 mile hike to the campsite. You can shorten this hike by starting at the Marble Plains Baptist Church on Marble Plains Road and hike 6.5 miles. Basically you hike the shoreline all the way to camp.

The campsite is located on the top of the finger on the West side of Ray Branch. You can walk a short ways down to the water on the Evens Loop. We set up camp and enjoyed the evening by the campfire under the bright stars above. All night we heard the Loon, geese, and owls.

The next morning we did the Evens Loop and then hiked back to the church. We took the Marble Plains ADA trail out. After lunch we took the 4.4 out and back hike on the Spann House trail which is another nice hiking trail.

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Twentymile Loop

I met Judi and Gene at the Motorcycle Pit Stop on 129 and then traveled with them on the Dragon Tail to the Twentymile Ranger Station. We only saw a couple of zippy cars as we started on the Dragon, no motorcycles today. No photographers either. Off season I guess. There were a few cars already in the parking lot when we arrived at the trailhead. We started up the trail and followed the Twentymile trail on the old railroad grade past the cascade. We smelled the campfire smoke before we got to campsite 93, several guys still around the campfire. We stopped for snack at the junction of Long Hungry Ridge and the Loop trail at the Proctor Field Gap. Then it was new trail for me! It's a pretty 2.9 mile trail with a small waterfall just before the junction of Wolf Ridge. We stopped for lunch at the junction and Gene made us some hot tea; he had carried his stove, fuel, cups and an assortment of tea and coffee. My cold hands were very happy to hold a  cup of hot tea. Gene demonstrated his fuel cannister and windscreen and pot. This stove can burn wood too.

We had all carried our water shoes for the crossings on Wolf Ridge but didn't have to wade any creeks because some really nice folks had built bridges and had cabeled the bridges to rocks and/or trees. Maybe now when the creek rises it won't wash the bridges away. One of the bridges was curved and pretty high above the creek. Impressive bridge building!

Thanks Judi and Gene for a great hike! I got home and got my pink highlighter out and marked off another trail!

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Fiery Gizzard Day Loop

The South Cumberland SP advertised a hike on Sunday with a Ranger to Sycamore Falls. I went for the hike but the Ranger had been called to the Stone Door for an emergency so I decided to hike the day loop while I was there. There were several vehicles in the parking lot and a few hikers coming off the trail. One couple started just ahead of me, so I took my time enjoying the beautiful day. I saw some valentines along the trail; a blue rock with a heart on it.

The couple ahead of me stopped to take pics at the Blue Hole so I stopped to say Hi and offer to take their pic for them. They were from Georgia and had come up the day before and were exploring the area. I told them about the trail and surrounding areas, and then hiked on. It sprinkled a little bit before I got back to the car. Even tho I didn't hike very long, I still made the required after hike stop at the Dutch Maid Bakery. One strawberry filled jelly roll, and a Tennessee Moonshine wedding cake. Mmmm good.

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McGill Creek

Lora and I hiked the McGill Creek segment of the Cumberland Trail from Downy View Road to McGill Creek. This segment is under construction. We parked by the fence and followed the flagging. There are two sections on the way to the creek that are built trail. You walk through the woods then follow a small stream down into the McGill Creek gorge. There is a waterfall just before you get to the creek. Beautiful area.

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Cumberland Trail - Arch Mt. Section

Lora and I headed out the hike the Arch Mt. section of the Cumberland trail. We dropped off a car at Frozen Head State Park where the ranger told us the story of rescuing some backpackers the night before.  They had gotten cold and couldn't get a fire started. It had gotten down to around 0 degrees.

We started the hour and a half journey over to Smoky Creek. We took the Southern route which traveled along 116, Shea Road, and then Smoky Creek Road. Lots of gravel and you feel like you are out in the middle of nowhere.

After finding the parking lot we started with our crossing of Smoky Creek. Cold and wide! Soon afterwards we found that you are going to really have to pay attention to the blazes. This trail is in need of hikers and volunteers to do some clearing. We cleared as much as we could along the way, but it needs lots of feet on the trail and it is going to need some chain saws as well.

The trail travels through some very pretty areas along the creek. The water runs out as you climb to the ridge for the rest of the hike to Frozen Head. In the description at mile 5 heading South (8 if heading North), it is a little misleading. There is no water or camping area once you start climbing and you get above the creek.

We camped just above the spring for the creek up on the hill side. We got a good fire going, but the wind picked up and gave us a challenge dodging the smoke. We had to get up a couple of times to restake our tarps.

Once you are on the ridge there are a lot of views especially this time of year. It was a little hazy for our hike, but you could see a long ways.

This trail is quite strenuous.

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Laurelbrook

Lora and I headed to Laurelbrook on our mountain so she could show me two trails that led to a fall and a point. She had found these a few days ago and wanted to hike them. So when we got there the first hike was 0.4 miles to the 20' Brush Creek Falls. Then we drove around to the point trail and hiked 0.5 miles out to an overlook of Roaring Creek Gorge.

After we got back we did a map search on the area to find where we were and what we were looking at. We found out that we had hiked to this fall before from the other side off of Rigsby road.

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