50th Anniversary of the Cumberland Trail

 

Hikers, trail builders, and supporters from TTA chapters, the Cumberland Trail Conference, and other organizations came together to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the founding of the Cumberland Trail, April 30th. Trail history, development, support, music and hikes were enjoyed at the Head of the Sequatchie facility of the Trail. Pictured are plateau musicians Tater and Friends, Park Manager Bob Fulcher, Trail founder and namesake Justin P. Wilson, State Parks Operations Director Mike Robertson, Tennessee Federation of Garden Clubs President Maggie Burns, and oral historian Joey O'Dell. Photos include the "spring" origin of the river as it emerges from a cave and views from the Selby Ridge Lodge. Murfreesboro chapter attendees were Craig and Lora McBride, Sara Pollard, and Patty and Geoff Hull.

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Roaring Creek Backpack

 

Lora and I decided to backpack the 9 mile Roaring Creek Segment of the Cumberland Trail. We left our car at the trailhead and headed in. We got to see the new bridge over Gilbreath Creek and from there on was new trail to us. There are some nice overlooks, rock outcroppings, and water sources all along here. We hiked to the end of the trail and then backed up to Sale Creek where we could hang two hammocks up just upstream from where the trail crosses. The next area back to camp would be around MM 8 where there is a flat Glade that has numerous creeks running through. This time of year the ticks were crazy and the trail was on it's way to being overgrown. Lot's of wildflowers.

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Rock Island State Park

 

We headed over to Rock Island State Park for the day. The weather was great. We climbed all over the rocks and then ate lunch. From there we headed over to the Collins River trail and hiked the three mile loop. Then we headed to the beach which we found was underwater as the lake was up. We toured the campsites looking for Egg campers and then went back to the rocks to soak up some sun.

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Prater Place

 

Wanted an easy hike today to look at wildflowers. Prater Homestead is part of Fall Creek Falls State Park. We had been a couple time before, neither of us remembered the big climb along the way. Saw the entrance for Camps Gulf Cave for the first time. Pigeons were roosting above the entrance. Lots and lots of wildflowers blooming. Saw Synandra and Dwarf Larkspur today. We had Hemlock Falls to ourselves for a long time. On the way out there were several hikers looking for a waterfall. One lady had a boquet she had picked along the way. Oops. One family had a one month old baby with them and weren't carrying any packs. Another couple hadn't ever been there and had nothing with them either. We reminded them it was 3.5 miles in and then 3.5 miles out. No water, left it in the car. Good Luck everybody!

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Duskin Creek

Lora and I headed up to the Piney Creek section of the Cumberland trail. We started at Duskin Creek and hiked to the Piney River Picnic Area on the trail. It was loaded with wildflowers. We stopped at Spider Den for lunch which had lots of flowers as well. 

Blue Cohosh, Dwarf Crested Iris, Baneberry, Red Trillium, Gaywings, Wood Vetch, Little Brown Jugs, Chickweed, Foam Flower, Spring Beauties, Phlox, Yellowroot, Barren Strawberry, Anemone, Wood Sorrel, Alumroot, Cumberland Spurge, Mandarin, Firepink, Perfoliate Bellwort, Jack in the Pulpit, Purple Phacelia, Red and Yellow Buckeye, Mayapple.

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Guild Trail

Today's hike the Guild Trail on Lookout Mt. Chattanooga. This is a beautiful wildflower trail. I can't tell you how many we saw. We started at the trailhead off 58. We went under the Incline Railroad and past Ruby Falls and continued through the parking area back on the trail past the Upper Truck trail. It is mainly old roadbed. 

Flowers: Buttercups, Little Brown Jug, Columbine, Vinca, Periwinkle, Purple Violets, Wood Sorrel, Wild Geranium, Phlox, Anemone, Blackberry, Trillium, Yellow and Sweet Betsy, Wild Parsnip, Mayapple, Chickweed, Eastern Star, Yellow Stargrass, Solomons Seal and False, Perfolate Bellwort, Blue eyed grass, Pinkster Azalea, Sage, Crossvine, Jack in the Pulpit. 

Foster Falls

Lora and I headed out to Foster Falls for an afternoon hike. We had lunch in the parking lot and then hiked the trails. It was a beautiful day for hiking. 

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Lost Creek Falls/Virgin Falls

Wildflower hike with waterfalls on a beautiful sunny day! We started at Lost Creek Falls and wildflowers were everywhere, we saw Jack in the Pulpits. So much rain lately, falls were magnificent! We were the only ones parked at the trailhead. We strolled along looking at the blooms. Stopped at Rylander Cascades and found Purple Phacelia. More of it was along the trail to Virgin Falls on the big boulders. They were covered with blooms. We had a hiker with two dogs pass us, we leapfrogged all the way to Virgin Falls. More water there than we've ever seen. 

Flowers: Jack in the Pulpit, Bishops Cap, Foam Flower, Little Brown Jug, Wild Ginger, Star Chickweed, Sweet Betsy Trillium, one Southern Red Trillium, Yellow Trillium, Long spurred Violets, Blue Violets, Yellow Violets, Purple Phacelia, Phlox, Trout Lily, Allegheny Spurge, Pennywort, Anemone, Hepatica, Squaw root, Spring Beauties, Dwarf Ginseng, Buttercups. 

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CT - Ozone Falls Segment

                                     

It was the perfect day for a hike. The day was sunny and temperatures in the upper 50's. We left a vehicle at the Ozone Falls parking lot and shuttled to the top of Black Mountain to begin our hike. Early spring wildflowers were scarce, but there was lots of water coming over Ozone Falls. The shallow streams were beautiful because of all the recent rains, and steppingstones made it easier to cross them. We enjoyed our lunch beside a small stream. The new steps leading from the bottom of the falls to the top are nice. Hikers were Jay Brain, Craig McBride, Lora McBride, Sara Pollard, Georgeanne Ross, and Wayne Yancey. 

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Heiss Mt. Trailhead

 

Lora and I head out to the Heiss Mt. trailhead for a morning walk. It is a beautiful day and spring flowers are out. We had lunch at Perkins point and then came back. Places to go.

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