Savannah Bay

Lora and I headed over to Savannah Bay to do some canoeing. It was a great day for getting on the water. We put in at the boat ramp on Snow Hill Road. We did a clockwise trip around the bay with exploration of the wet lands and creeks.  Five miles of paddling. We got to see lots of Herons, one white Heron, two green Herons, King fishers, Cormorants, Lora got startled by several things. One being a dead deer in the water by the bridge. Always thinking that everything is out to get her.

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Pinhoti Trail CHC

My first hike on the Pinhoti Trail. Destination: Snake Creek Gap trailhead on Georgia Hwy 136. This is a huge gravel parking lot with a bathroom. Met three hikers from the Chattanooga Hiking Club. Susan was our hike leader today and had a map and trail descriptions for each of us. This part of the trail is Section 25, we did 5.2 miles of it and returned for a total of 10.4 miles. There were a few wet weather streams in the first 1.1 miles. Then you see the pile of rocks at the crest of Mill Creek Mountain. I think someone is trying to make the mountain taller. It's a really pretty ridge top walk with two good views into the valley. When the leaves fall, the views along the ridge will be much better.

There were five or six campsites along the trail and a big one by Swamp Creek where we had lunch. On our return climb out of the cove, we had stopped for a breather and I saw something moving on top of the ridge. Not a bear, not a hog, it's a big black and white dog. Sniffing around not paying any attention to us. Nobody but us on the trail all morning, and it would be a long walk into either valley....and then along came some hikers but nobody was looking for a dog.

After the hike I drove further on 136 then left onto the Scenic Byway. There are other trailheads for the Pinhoti, John's Mountain Overlook, Keown Falls, and the Pocket. The Pocket had a campground. Keown Falls parking lot was full, lot of folks out today. Then I drove to John's Mountain WMA. There must have been 200 tents in the meadow areas. Lake Marvin is there and they have rock climbing, hiking, biking, horse riding.

A little about the Pinhoti Trail:

The Pinhoti Trail is a long-distance trail, 335 miles long, located in the states of Alabama and Georgia. The trail’s southern terminus is on Flagg Mountain, near Weogufka,  Alabama, the southernmost peak in the state that rises over 1,000 feet. (The mountain is often called the southernmost Appalachian peak, though by most geological reckonings, the actual Appalachian range ends somewhat farther north in Alabama.) The trail’s northern terminus is where it joins the Benton MacKaye Trail in Georgia.

The Pinhoti Trail is a part of the Eastern Continental Trail and the Great Eastern Trail, both very long-distance US hiking trails connecting multiple states.

The north terminus is approximately 70 miles west of Springer Mountain, the southern terminus of the Appalachian Trail.

Georgia has about 164 miles of the trail, and Alabama contains the other 171 miles of the 335-mile-long trail.

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Alabama

Day off......Road Trip!! Headed South to Alabama. First stop Russell Cave National Monument. Very interesting, never been here before.

Then headed to Mentone Alabama. Interesting little town and future shopping place for my mother and sister-in-law. Lots of craft shops, history, and views. Tried to check out the St. Josephs church that is open 24/7. The doors were locked. Ate at the Green Leaf Grill which has some great food.

From there we headed to Desoto Falls in Desoto State Park and then on to Little River Canyon State Preserve . We enjoyed the views along the Canyon drive with lots of overlooks and some Subaru driving for Lora.

On the way back we stopped in Ft. Payne AL which was hosting the Boom Days Festival where we listened to some good music, looked at some old cars, and ate.

Another great day with my best friend.

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Tim's Ford TTA Float and Hike

Joan and Sara planned a great weekend for a float/hike at Tims Ford State Park. Four ladies- Sara, Joan , Jean and I met at the Tims Ford Dam boat ramp and paddled out to Little Island. Joan had already been there to clean up the island and set up her tent. It's a really pretty island to camp on. Squatters had built a table and a potty there before they were evicted. We did a night paddle around the Big Island which was really fun.The lights on our kayaks attracted some kind of insects that left a mess, they were plastered to our boats the next morning.

Saturday morning sunrise was beautiful. We spent the morning paddling on the lake and then to Ray Branch to do a little hiking. The new SP boat was parked at the trail entrance and we found the Ranger Nathan and a few volunteers building a new segment of trail. We tried to hike a loop, ended back at our boats, had lunch and hiked some more. Found the back country campsite that Craig and I stayed at before. Looks totally different, overgrown along with that section of trail. Needs feet on the trail to keep the weeds at bay.

Back to paddling across the lake, thru the usual weekend traffic. Relaxed on our pretty island, cleaned up, paddled to the cars and drove to Twin Creeks Marina for dinner. the Reuben I had was really good with kettle chips. Lots to choose from and the football games playing on the big screens was keeping everyone entertained. Full and happy, we returned to the boat dock and paddled some of the calories off on the way to the camp. Jean kept a small campfire burning to light up our night as we watched the stars pop pop pop. Sunday morning weather forecast got us up and moving and off the Island by 7:30. Paddled to the cars and loaded up.

Thanks ladies for new adventures for me: kayak camping and night paddling.

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Shreveport Louisiana

Lora and I headed out to Louisiana to visit with our daughter and her boyfriend over the Labor Day weekend. We pulled our camper trailer and stayed at the Cash Point RV Park. It was a little unnerving to drive over a levee to the campground next to the Red River. At least is not raining!

We drove over to their apartment and got a tour before heading to the R.W. Norton Art Gallery for a viewing of the WWII exhibition. From there we went to Marilynn's Place for a wonderful dinner experience.

The next day we got in a tour hike of downtown and then met with friends of theirs from Austin TX, who shared a couple of days with us. We had a great cookout by the pool with the famous Niles as head chef.

Sunday we went back to Marilynn's place and walked the Botanical gardens and a snack at the local Rhino Coffee Uptown shop. Then we visited Flying Heart Brewing for pizza and beer. Later we went downtown for an outdoor concert at the Shreveport Riverview Park which turned into a wonderful evening of music and fireworks. Awards were handed out for the Powerboat Nationals Grand Prix of Louisiana returns to the Red River Labor Day weekend and after the fireworks we saw the band Chee-Weez perform.

Monday we headed to Texas to canoe at Caddo Lake State Park . Never thought that I would canoe with the alligators, but we did. Beautiful park! Then it was back to the apartment for some Taiwanese cooking by Niles. 

It was a wonderful visit.

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TTA Hiwassee River Campout 2018

The Highland Rim chapter hosted a camping, hiking, and kayaking weekend at Hiwassee-Ocoee Scenic Rivers State Park in Delano, TN.

Friday we used our own kayaks and floated a portion of the Hiwassee River and had a wonderful potluck on Friday night.

Saturday started with a 3 mile hike in the Cherokee National Forest to a great waterfall and then we took "Duckies" (inflatable kayaks) down the whitewater portion of the Hiwassee. Another potluck Saturday night and then Sunday, some went home, some paddled in their own boats a calmer stretch of the Ocoee and others did the whitewater Ocoee float.

It was a wonderful weekend for all involved and many thanks to Joan Hartvigsen who put this whole thing together without a hitch!

We had people from Nashville, Tullahoma, Winchester, Murfreesboro,  Chattanooga , Memphis, Gallatin and Crossville and even one as far away as Indiana on this trip.

Great gang!

We got to enjoy the company of my Aunt Linda and Uncle Rick for the weekend. We camped at the Eagle Cove RV park Beautiful park and friendly people.

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Michigan 2018

Another wonderful gathering of family at the Elk Lake Cabin. Lot's of fun and laughs. We had four campers at the Sugar Springs Campground and families at The Camp hotel. The annual canoe trip was on the Manistee River using the Shel-Haven Canoe Rental. The one day that they we did have rain, which was not much, we hung out at the pavilion at the campground and played games. We did get a Taco Tuesday in at the Elk Lake Bar.  Our cousin Jimmy came and did a fish fry which spoiled us all and yes, we had a slider night too!

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Hangover SMHC

I met the SMHC at Tellico Plains Visitor Center to follow them to the trailhead. Got a pic of the dragon mailbox at the Visitor Center. I thought the greenery was real, oh well. The temp was low 60’s, sweet for July. The drive up the Cherohala Skyway was beautiful. Started our hike at over 4000 ft. at Beech Gap.  Phlox was blooming everywhere. The connector trail bridge was out so we climbed back up to the road and walked about .25 to the other trailhead where the gate is. 10 hikers, started out the roadbed that finally turned into single track to get to Bob’s Bald. And it was a big climb, but the views from the bald are wonderful, flowers everywhere including Turk’s Cap Lily and Bee Balm. Butterflies and bees were all over the place. Tim pointed out the Mile a Minute vine. We had lunch looking at the views. The next segment of trail is WAY overgrown, over my head (and everybody else’s too). You can just barely see the trail and there were trip hazards like trees across the trail, step ups that you can’t see because you are too busy trying to push your way thru the weeds and keep them out of your face. Some had briers on them. After about 1000 feet of this it gets better. Still overgrown in sunny places. And a few ripe blackberries in the sunny places.

Within a mile of the Hangover, one of the hikers took a tumble, crashing into a rock with his knee. About 9 first aid kits came slinging out of packs, and a nurse in the group took charge and got his knee bandaged, and his arm, then he and Tim and two others started back to the cars. The rest of us found our way towards the Hangover, getting out the map a couple of times, wishing for the kind of signage we have in the Smokies. Wishing for a sign that says THE HANGOVER this way!

We started downhill and finally heard Steve yell I found it! Come on down!  Plowed thru some bushes to get to the rocky outcropping. Great views and a breeze blowing, found some ripe huckleberries. Then the climb back up thru the bushes, at the top of the ridge I discovered I had lost the mouthpiece on my water bladder tube. Not worth the climb back down, no telling which bushes it would be hanging in. We got back to the trailhead and found our injured hiker and leader waiting. He got loaded up and headed to the ER.

Beautiful hike. Hope the injured hiker heals quickly. 

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Wolftever Creek

We put in at the Wolftever Creek boat ramp and stayed left following the coast line. We paddled five miles to Island Point Drive and back to the boat ramp for a total of 7.8 miles. It was a beautiful day and we got to see lots of wildlife. Lot's of boat competition on the way back to the ramp.
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Montgomery Bell State Park

Took Braedon out camping this weekend. We spent most of it in the lake, but we did do some creek exploration. Caught some crawdads and saw a snake. Had a great time. Braedon started the campfire for roasting marshmallows.

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