South Chickamauga Creek Greenway

12.31.2011  Caroline, Nance Jo and Earl  What a beautiful day for a walk.  The temperature was in the 60s and the sun was shining brightly.  Caroline directed us to this previously unwalked, by us, path.  In the future this trail will connect with the River Walk and be something really special.  When walking East, you quickly run into a boardwalk that is something else.  It stretches for about a mile and follows the Creek.  At the very end is a gravel road that is rather steep but short.  At the top is another small parking area where we sat down and had a snack.  On the return we ran into numerous other hikers and bicyclists, all very friendly.  When going West from the parking lot, in about .64 miles, there is a low spot that causes the path to be completely submerged.  At this point we turned around and returned to the original parking area.  Just to make things more interesting, one of the hikers who shall remain nameless, decided to go grave hunting.  This involves "Find a Grave.com".  This website provides the name of some deceased individuals and the cemetery where they are buried.  It seems that people are actively looking for pictures of the burial plaque of their loved ones.  If found, pictures are then posted and the interested party can see the grave site.  I had no idea!  We found several sites from a list and they will be followed up on.  The overall distance of the actual hike was 5.7 miles with another 1.5 miles or so at the cemetery.  For some pictures of the hike, click here or click on the South Chickamauga Creek Greenway tab above. 

Longbranch Trail

12.29.11  Nance Jo, McBob, Earl   What a beautiful day for hiking.  The temperature was in the 50s with a cloudless blue sky.  The three of us met in the Bi-Lo parking lot and drove South to Nickajack Rd.  After driving almost to the top of Nickajack Road we turned into the Longbranch Trail parking lot.  From there we hiked about 2.7 miles in and stopped at the second bridge for lunch.  At this point we turned around and returned for a total distance of 5.4 miles.  The trail was beautiful with lots of water in the creeks.  We saw trail runner, a couple of other hikers and a single horseback rider.  For some pictures of the hike, click on the Longbranch tab above or here.

Greenway Farms

12.22.11  McBob, Earl, Nance Jo,  We decided to take a nice leisurely hike today and Greenway Farms seemed a good place to do it.  We were expecting rain to come in about 1:00P so we wanted to be finished before then.  We did both the major loops and had a very nice time.  The weather was quite overcast but we missed the rain.  Just as we finished, at 1:00P, the rains came.  Nice hike with good friends.  I would rate the hike as an easy 5.3 miles.  For a couple of pictures, click here or go to the Greenway farms tab up above. 

Stringer's Ridge

12.15.11  Nance Jo, McBob, Earl  We decided to take a short Thursday hike.  The weather was threatening, but remained dry.  We found out that a lot of work has taken place on Stringer's Ridge.  There were a lot of flags from Trail Dynamics.  Evidently this company has been contracted to evaluate the ridge and suggest improvements.  We had a very nice hike and even though we had been there many times in the past, we found a new trail that lead down to street level.  The hike was only about 2.5 miles and rated as easy.  For a few pictures click here or go to the Stringer's Ridge tab above.

Red Clay State Historic Park

8.31.2011  McBob, George & Earl.  The weather was perfect, not too hot and not too cool and a little overcast.  Red Clay State Historic Park is a small park dedicated to the Cherokee Indians and their journey on the Trail of Tears.  The basic trail is only 1.7 miles long, but by the time you visit some of the preserved log cabins and barns, you will travel about 2.5 miles which is what we did.  The trail is well manicured and kept in good condition but there are several off shoot trails and shortcuts that you have to be careful of.  On this hike we met the archaelogical expert of the park as she was doing some volunteer moving of rocks at the Blue Hole.  She pointed out a very large crawfish, a water snake and we also saw a copper head in the water.  Unfortunately I couldn't get a picture of the copperhead as it was swimming too fast.  To see a couple of pictures, click HERE or click on the Red Clay tab above. 

Heiss Mtn. to Amphitheater

8-10-11  Nance Jo, McBob, John, George and Earl.  An absolutely beautiful day for a hike.  A little warm and a little humid, but not that bad.  We hiked from the parking area at Heiss Mtn. just off Heiss Mtn. Road to the Amphitheater and returned.  The Amphitheater is a large section cut out of a rock face.  It is in the shape of an Amphitheater, duh.  From the Amphitheater we hiked down to an old roadway and returned.  Big Possum Creek was not very big this time of year, but there was some water flowing.  The hike was right at five miles and lasted just under four hours.  There were frequent rest stops and a good long lunch at the bridge.  I would rate the hike as moderate.  For a few pictures click here or on the Heiss Mtn. tab above. 

7.30.11  Nancy Jo, Caroline, George & Earl.  To all of you out there, you missed a great hike.  First we did part of the Black Mountain Loop so we could see both of the major overlooks and then we started down the trail.  At the second overlook, we found a Geo Cache and poked through the items that people had left.  We signed the log book and left a couple of items.  It was overcast so the temperature was not bad.  Best of all, most of the trail took us slightly down hill.  There were ripe blackberries all along the route so we easily had our fill.  We finally got to the cave, but it was posted for white nose disease so we didn't go in.  But we had a delightful lunch next to a stream just outside of the cave.  From there the trail was not well marked, so we were a little concerned that we had strayed off course, but we were OK and came out of the woods right where we were supposed to.  I would rate the hike as easy and a distance of 5.4 miles.  For a few pictures, click on the Black Mountain tab above or click here.

Chickamauga Battlefield

7.27.11  Today it was just Nance Jo and Earl.  It is too bad that nobody else showed up.  Although it was very hot, most of the hike was in the woods and shade.  The hike was delightful and we saw a several deer and two babies, still with spots, cross directly in front of us.  Of course I didn't get a picture, but you can see several pictures of cannon and monuments if you click on the Chickamauga tab or click here.  The length of the hike was 5.75 miles and I would rate it as easy. 

Cloudland Canyon

7.23.11  Nancy Jo, Sara H., Sara B., Jean, Will, McBob, John, George, Earl.  Beautiful day for a short hike.  The West Rim Loop was only 2.6 miles.  There are several overlooks where you can look into the canyon.  We did not do the extended finger of the West Rim.  After the hike we drove to the main parking lot and had lunch.  From there, some members hiked down to the two falls.  I would rate the hike as easy.  For a few pictures click here or on the Cloudland canyon tab above. 

North Chick Segment

7.20.11  Nancy Jo, Susan, McBob, John & Earl  It was a nice hot day, but all went well.  No wildlife to speak of, but a good hike nevertheless.  We started at the North Chick parking lot on Montlake Ave.  The climb is a little grueling, but since it is at the beginning of the hike, it was OK.  We followed the trail until we reached the new steps that had been built after fire damaged the original ones.  From here we turned around and returned.  The hike covered 5.2 miles and I would rate it as moderate.  Following the hike, we stopped at Kay's for ice cream.  Yummm!  For a few pictures click here or click on the North Chick tab above.

Twin Rocks and Flat Rock Loop

7.16.11  Nance Jo, George, McBob, Earl  Great day for a hike.  Not too hot since it was overcast.  First we hiked up to Twin Rocks where we had a snack and enjoyed the view.  The last 100ft to Twin Rocks is quite adventurous as you are required to clime some almost vertical steps.  On the way back we to an offshoot to Flat Rock which is aptly named and finished eating our lunch next to Piney River.  The river had plenty of water and was beautiful.  From there we followed the river back to the main road.  The distance was only 2.7 miles but we had a very good time.  I rate the hike to Twin Rocks as moderate and the Flat Top Rock loop as easy.  For a couple of pictures click Twin Rocks and Flat Rock Loop. 

River Walk 7.14.11

7.14.11 Nance Jo, Earl.  We started our walk where the Chattanooga Riverwalk crosses River Terminal Road.  It was quite hot with temperatures in the 90's and high humidity.  It was nice not to have to worry about mosquitoes, chiggers and ticks for a change.  We meandered along the walkway seeing bikers and other walkers.  Finally we reached the museum district and enjoyed the outside sculptures that are everywhere in this area.  We especially liked the cast bronze horse in front of the Hunter Museum (see pictures).  When we reached the Market Street Bridge (a walking bridge) we decided to walk across and back which added about a mile to our walk.  Finally we reached the Aquarium where we had a ride scheduled to meet us.  From there we went to the boat house for a very good lunch.  We then went back to the Aquarium and and toured both buildings.  The Aquarium was fantastic as it always is.  Then our ride took us back to our car and the hike was over.  Overall distance was 4.2 miles on the Riverwalk plus the distance walked inside the aquarium.  I would rate the walk as easy.  To see some pictures click here or click on the River Walk tab above. 

Frozen Head Park, Old Mac Trail North and South

7.9.11  Jean, Will, Nance Jo, McBob, George, John, Earl.  Frozen Head is one of my favorite places even though most of the trails are pretty tough.  The other problem is that it is quite a long drive from Soddy Daisy.  Going up the trail, especially the last third was really tough on me.  But as always, the group was really supportive giving me rest breaks as needed .  Everyone else did pretty well.  The trail was narrow going both up and down.  Everywhere we looked it was beautiful.  The bottom half of the trail was pretty hot and humid but as we reached the summit of 3000' it was much cooler.  We met quite a few other hikers on the trail as well.  As you can see in the photo, we saw an absolutely beautiful orange salamander.  I would rate this trail as moderate-severe.  Total distance was 6.5 miles.  For some pictures, click here or click on the Frozen Head tab above.

Enterprise South, Black Forest Trail

7.6.11  Nance Jo, McBob, Earl  Nice day for a relatively short hike.  The Black Forest trail is primarily a bicycle trail and we did see several groups of cyclists.  We did some clearing that we hope the cyclists appreciate.  Since there was a lot of traffic on the trail, we didn't see any wild creatures until the end when we did get a good view of a deer.  This hike was 3.2 miles long and I would rate it as easy.  For a few pictures of this hike click here or click on the Enterprise tab above. 

Rock Creek

6.29.11  Nance Jo, John, McBob & Earl.  A perfect day for a hike.  We hiked from the upper Leggitt Road parking area to the Fiberglass bridge and back.  Along the way there were several trees down and using hand saws, the group cleared the best we could.  If you look at the pictures you can see some before and after shots.  There was not much water in the creeks feeding Rock Creek, but enough to make them beautiful.  We ate lunch at the fiberglass bridge.  I was really tired on the return trip and had to make more than the usual rest stops.  On the way back we ran across a young man at one of the overlooks and he was playing a violin.  This was certainly a first for our hiking group.  Distance was 7 miles and I would rate the hike as moderate.  To see some pictures, click here or go to the Rock Creek tab up above. 

Flipper Bend

6-25-11  Nance Jo, Bob, Earl and John.  We decided to hike the Flipper Bend Trail to the Clear Branch Loop.  Along the way we did quite a bit of trail maintenance clearing downed trees, branches etc.  There were a few larger trees that we couldn't clear.  On this hike we managed to miss the rain completely.  We did see several small frogs that were out since the rain.  Also, we met a couple of hikers that had gotten lost at the beginning of the trail, easy to do, and we tried our best to describe the trail system of flipper bend to them.  All in all, a very good hike.  Distance 7.2 miles and rated easy.  For a few pictures, click here. 

Little Soddy Gorge

6.22.11 Nance Jo, Earl  This was a short hike of only about 2.8 miles.  New signs have been posted along the trail showing what was once at that location.  Thanks to whoever did this.  As was expected, there was still a lot of trash along the way.  Shortly after turning around and heading back, the rain started falling so we donned our rain gear, which, of course, caused it to immediately stop raining.  The hike was good and gave some exercise as I would rate it as moderate.  For a few pictures, click here. 

Laurel Snow Natural Area

6.18.11 Nance Jo, Earl, McBob, Jean, Will, John, Charlie, Karen, Larry, Tammy, Jerry, Cory, Lawson, and Wesley.  What a group and what a hike.  We left the parking lot and almost immediately found a two foot long copperhead that Nance Jo almost stepped on!  We continued on past some fallen trees which we cleared the best that we could.  When we reached the split for Laurel Falls, some of the hikers decided that they would go to these falls, so the group split up.  The rest of us headed for Buzzard Point.  This is a long moderate uphill climb.  About this time, the thunder and lightning began, but no rain.  We made it to Buzzard Point and then on to Laurel Falls.  Then it was time for the long hike back to the parking area.  Buzzard Point always offers an incredible view of the surrounding valleys.  On the way back is when the rain started and never let up throughout the rest of the hike.  On the way back, a 13 year old had tried to take a short cut and was stuck up on the side of the mountain.  Some how he had really gotten away from the group and we could hear him hollering for help.  He should never have been allow to get that separated from the main group in the first place!  We stayed and helped direct some adults toward where the child was located.  Once found they had to find their way back down the mountain.  No easy task.  The distance of the hike was 11.5 miles and I would rate the hike as moderate.  To see some pictures please click on the Laurel Snow tab or click here.

Audubon Trail

6.15.11   Nance Jo, McBob, George and Earl  What a nice hike.  Even though it was thundering around us, we remained completely dry.  This was a two way trip.  On the way up Audubon Mtn, we encountered quite a few trees down blocking the path.  As you can see in the photos, we spent some time clearing the smaller trees and branches.  This allowed us to catch our breath as this part of the trail would be considered moderate.  We did see Mr. Box Turtle.  It seems that we often see box turtles near the bottom of the trail and this time was no exception.  When we reached the top of the trail we had lunch on the Audubon platform and enjoyed the shade and view.  On the way back down we did some trimming and enjoyed the scenery.  The distance was 5.1 miles and I would rate the hike as moderate.  For a few pictures click on the Audubon tab above or click here. 

Trail Clean Up

6.11.11  Nance Jo, Lora, Cat, Bob and Earl  It seems that no matter how well the trail is cleaned, it always looks like it could have a little more work.  That's kind of what happened on Sat.  We hiked along cleaning what had already been cleaned.  We probably would have been better off leaving it alone and proceeding to the really bad areas.  We ran into a nasty tree down situation, but thanks to Lora and Nance Jo, it was cleaned up very nicely while the rest of us went on to continue cleaning the trail.  We had a nice day until the rains came which quickly soaked us.  Still we go a lot done and had a nice hike of about 4 miles.  See a couple of pictures click the Deep Creek tab above or click here.

National Trails Day

6.4.11  First of all, I have to give special thanks to Nance Jo.  She arrived with a trailer load of equipment that allowed us to have a great day that proceeded without a hitch.  Without her organization, the day would have been a bust.  We had an attendance in excess of 20 people with numerous hikes being made down to Rock Creek.  The day was perfect for swimming and quite a few people were taking advantage of it.  We had a delightful cookout with more than enough hot dogs and hamburgers with all of the trimmings.  To see a few pictures of the gathering click on the National Trails Day tab above or click here.

Fall Creek Falls, Gilbert Gaul Loop

5.14.11  Nance Jo, Earl  The day started out rainy and foggy, but by the time we reached the trailhead the rain had stopped.  The trailhead was a little hard for us to find, but once on the trail, it was easy to follow.  The flowers were in full bloom and absolutely gorgeous.  The trail followed along the Fall Creek Falls Lake.  Besides the flowers, we saw some fisherman, dragonflies that posed for pictures, fisherman and trees that had been cut down by beavers.  We had lunch at a shelter overlooking the lake.  At the end of the hike we saw several deer.  The hike was capped off by hand dipped cones from the General Store.  I would rate the trail as easy and it was about 4.5miles long.  For pictures click on the Fall Creek Falls tab above or here.

Booker T. Washington SP

5.11.11 Nance Jo, Bob, Earl  This was another beautiful hike.  The weather was quite warm and humid, but if you had water it was fine.  This SP is not large, but the trail meanders all through the park giving you a good hike.  Since it is also a bicycle trail, there are many small side trails that make it easy to get off the main trail.  However, if you stay on the well used portion, you shouldn't get too lost.  We saw low flying airplanes, a couple of bicyclists, fisherman, frogs, flowers, turtles, ducks and a snake.  There were lots of trees down, and we ran into a man with a broken chainsaw that we helped to make a temporary fix.  He was trying to clear the few remaining spots on the trail covered with trees.  Our distance for the day was 6.8 miles and I would rate this trail as easy.  For a few pictures, click on the Booker T. tab or click here. 

Craven House

4.30.11 Ten Hikers  What a delightful hike.  The weather was perfect and everything was green and luscious.   We hiked around the mountain and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves.  The distance of the hike was 4.5 miles and I would rate the trail as easy.  To see some pictures, click on the Craven House tab above or click here.

Rock Creek

4.23.11  Ana Maria, Walter, Pat, Boodea, Gary & Bob.  Partially overcast day with temperatures in the low 80's.  The group hiked to the Rock Creek Bridge.  Bob took these really great photos.  After this they went to the Lower Leggett Rd Rock Creek Loop where the only wildlife they saw was swimming in the Deer Hole.  This was a group of Mc Callie students enjoying the cool water.  Total distance hiked about 6 miles and the trails would be rated as moderate.  For pictures click on the Rock Creek tab above or click here.

Harrison Bay 4-13-11

April 13, 2011  Pat, Nance Jo, Earl and Bob.  What a perfect day for a hike.  The sky was blue and the temperature perfect.  We first hiked the regular Harrison Bay Loop and then went and hike the shorter nature trail.  The only disappointment was that the local restaurant was not open.  We had planned to have lunch there, but they don't open for a few day yet.  I would rate the trail as easy with a total distance of 4.5 miles.  For a few pictures click on the Harrison Bay tab or click here.

Savage Gulf 4.9.11

4.9.11 Ana, Nance Jo, Sara H. Bob, Earl.  Perfect day for a hike.  Some overcast, but mostly sunny with temperatures in the mid 80s.  We started the hike at the Savage Gulf Ranger Station along with a large group of Boy Scouts.  We hiked a loop and then about 1.5 miles along the rim.  The waterfall was beautiful and we ate lunch at the base.  Some dummy forgot my camera so the pictures were taken with a cell phone hence the poor quality.  The distance was about 7.6 miles and I would rate the hike as easy.  For pictures click on the Savage gulf tab above or click here.

Fooshee Walking Trail

4.6.2011 Pat, Nance Jo, Bob, Earl  Perfect day for a hike except for one thing, TICKS!  We were warned about there being ticks along this trail and they were right.  Except for Pat who was wearing purple? everyone found ticks on their pants.  Usually several at a time.  But it was a great hike.  The first leg took us along the shore to the end of the peninsula.  The second leg involved going on what we thought was a loop along a ridge, but dead ended and required us to retrace our steps.  All in all the 8.7 miles we hiked were excellent.  I would rate this trail as easy.  To see pictures click on the Fooshee tab above or click here. 

Bridge Building

4.2.2011 John, Nance Jo, Earl, Tony & several members of a Boy Scout Troop that were working on their badges.  The project was to work on constructing a bridge over a contributory stream to Board Camp Creek.  The troop was to do most of the work with with the adults as being the supervisors.  The trees had already been cut and de-barked.  We built the pedestals for the trees on each side of the creek and then moved the trees into position using a come-along.  After positioning the trees they were secured with all thread, nuts and washers.  The bare trees were then coated with a fence paint designed to seal the wood.  Treads and steps will be put in place on the next work day.  The weather was perfect.  The hiking distance was roughly 3/4 mile each way and I would rate it as easy.  For pictures, click on the Board Camp Creek tab above or click here.

Long Branch Trail

3.30.2011  Nance Jo, Earl  Rather cool, damp and misty.  It did not really rain, so it was nice and quiet out in the forest.  We ran into patches of fog which made it kid of eerie.  While we ate lunch the only sound was a dog barking far away.  There were numerous small creek crossings, but these were easily handled.  The temperature was almost perfect, just cool enough to keep you from perspiring, but not so much as to make you cold.  The distance was 7.6 miles and I would rate this trail as easy.  To see a few pictures, click on the Long Branch tab above or click HERE.  Notice the footprint to the right.  The object in the picture is a quarter!

Trail Maintenance

3.27.11  Nance Jo, Caroline, Earl  It seems to be hard to find hikers on a maintenance day!  The three of us carried on where we left off on the previous maintenance day.  Mostly, we raked, pruned and cut a couple of small trees blocking the trail.  We did our best to try to drain some wet spots and direct some water away from settling in pools on the trail.  We moved a few rocks to help in crossing the wet spots.  In all we hiked about 4.5 miles.  To view a few pictures of the hike click on the Trail Maintenance tab above or click here. 

Lula Lake Hike 3.19.2011

3.19.2011  Nance Joe, Earl, McBob, George and new hikers Ana and John K. and his wife joined us for a very beautiful hike on Lula Lake.  We had previously gotten permission to hike the lake on a day when the lake is normally closed.  The weather was perfect with just a few light clouds in the sky.  We had three new hikers that made the hike even more enjoyable.  There was lots of water in Rock Creek which made Lula Lake Falls spectacular.  George led us on a circuitous trek through the park that made sure that the we saw all of the parks features.  The distance was 4.5 miles and I would rate the trek as easy.  For a few pictures click on the Lula Lake tab above or click here.

Savage Gulf - Canyon Rim Trail

2.26.11  George, John, Earl and members of the Murfreesboro Chapter.  The drive to Savage Gulf took about an 80 minutes.  It was an absolutely perfect day for hiking.  The sky was a deep blue and the temperature was just right.  In fact a few people thought it was a little warm and even light jackets were being removed.  We took a short detour to The Stone Door which was perfect for inspecting.  Just about everyone went down the steps and huffed and puffed their way back up.  We then journeyed to several overlooks which on the day had exquisite views of the surrounding canyons.  Of course after winding our way along the edge of the canyon, we had to take the less scenic but still beautiful back way to the departure site.  I think everyone enjoyed this hike.  The distance was 7.4 miles and I would rate this trail as easy.  For pictures, click on the Canyon Rim Trail tab or click here.

Prentice Cooper - Lawson's Point

2.19.11   Sarah H. Sarah B, Nance Jo, George  On this hike at Prentice Cooper Wildlife Management Area we joined with members of the Plateau Chapter for a total of eleven people.  The weather was perfect and since we had cleared the trail a couple of days before, the hike went excellently.  I think everyone had a good time and the hike was long enough that everyone had a good workout.  We went off the trail a little ways to a waterfall and decided to have lunch there.  Lawson's point provided an excellent lookout point and location for a snack.  The total distance for the hike was 7.2 miles and I would rate the trail as moderate.  To see a bunch of pictures, click on the Lawson's Pt. tab. above or click here.

Maintenance Day

3.16.11  Nance Jo, George, Bob, Earl  Maintenance was performed on our adopted segment of the Cumberland Trail just off of Hotwater road.  Not much to say about this day.  The weather was perfect for performing maintenance to the trail.  This type of work is always slow going, but as you can see from the pictures, it really makes the trail look better.  We worked about 1.2 miles of the trail up to Posey point.  We will schedule another work day this spring.  For a few before and after pictures, click on the tab "Maintenance Day".

Savage Gulf - Collins West Hike

2.12.2011  We enjoyed a combined hike with the Murfreesboro chapter as well as a couple of people from other areas.  It was quite cool when we arrived and there was some snow.  The hike in was rather treacherous with several area of ice and snow covered rocks.  The real challenge was at Suter Falls where ice and overhanging icicles made the going very dangerous and slow.  The view here was incredible and slowly but surely everyone made it past the ice and over the one-at-a-time bridge.  There were a couple more perilous points, but we finally made it to Hoursepound Falls.  This was a beautiful location and here we stopped for lunch.  The return was also challenging, but again everyone made it safely and all were rewarded with a very satisfying hike.  The total distance was 5.6 miles and I would rate this hike as difficult.  For some pictures, see the tab labeled Collins West. 

Possum Creeks

2.9.11  Nance Jo, George, McBob & Earl.  This is always a good hike, but tough never the less.  We went a total of 7.5 miles on a cold but windless day.  Lots of icicles, very beautiful.  The creeks were flowing well and this added to the great day.  We were all very tired at the end of this hike but glad we went.  I would rate this hike as moderate-severe.  For pictures click on the Possum Creeks tab above.

Greenway Farms

2.5.2011  Nance Jo, Patty, Cat, Caroline, McBob & Earl.  Nance Joe selected the Greenway Farm's for this Saturday's hike.  It was hard to decide what to wear since the temperature was in the forty's, but a strong cold wind was blowing.  You were either too warm or your hands were freezing.  We stopped for lunch at the South end of the park.  We had a good time on this hike with Caroline doing a can collection.  We did see a couple of deer which surprised us.  The distance of the hike was about 4.5 miles and I would rate the hike as easy.  For some pictures, click on the "Greenway Farms" tab above. 

Soddy Gorge

2.2.2011 Randy, Nance Jo, George, Bob.  It was a bit chilly today.  It wasn't so bad when the wind was not blowing, but when you were walking into the wind, it did make your eyes water.  We had a nice snack at about the halfway point and continued on.  George found a really pretty little waterfall off of the trail and we enjoyed looking at it.  Randy came down from the Nashville area to join us and we really enjoyed his company.  He is an avid hiker and told us of many trails that he had hiked.  Total distance 5.2 miles. I would rate the trail as moderate.  For pictures, click on the Soddy Gorge tab above.

Roaring Creek and Rock Creek

3.29.2011  Fellow hikers from the Knoxville area joined us for a total of 19 hikers!  It could not have been a more beautiful day.  Clear blue sky and temperatures in the high 50's.  Hike leader Bob took us to Roaring Creek where we met the Knoxville Group.  We hiked in about 1.5 miles to a point where we couldn't get across a side creek.  However there was a very nice waterfall right at our crossing point. 
After returning to the vehicles we decided that we would go to Rock Creek and hike down to the creek.  This was a delightful hike and there were many comments on how beautiful it was.  Rock Creek was flowing with a lot of force and very beautiful.  I would rate the short portion of Roaring Creek that we did as easy and the Rock Creek segment as moderate.  For a few pictures, click on the Roaring Creek tab above. 

Riverwalk

1.26.11  Nance Jo, Earl.  Brrrrr, Cold.  Prepared for a snowy day, but didn't quite prepare for a cold windy day.  Brought the small camera so I could protect it from the rain and snow.  Wouldn't you know it, not a drop of rain or a flake of snow.  We hiked along the Riverwalk for a distance of 8.6 miles and it was really a nice walk.  We saw gulls, sand hill cranes, blue herons, geese and some ducks.  Lunch was at 2 Square.  This is a restaurant along Amnicola hwy that is quite close to the Riverwalk.  Good sandwiches.  I would rate this an easy walk.  For a couple of pictures, click on the Riverwalk tab above. 

Chickamauga Battlefield

Are we crazy or what?  1.18.11  4 miles.  Caroline, Nance Jo, McBob & Earl.  Cool, rainy, foggy, dreary best describes today.  We still had fun since we were well prepared.  The hike was uneventful except for seeing deer on several occasions.  We stopped at quite a few monuments and signposts describing the battle and tried to figure out the order of the battle that took place in this area.  Nance Jo had set out the route and we found our way quite easily.  The battlefield trail system is very well marked if you prepare in advance.  All in all it was a good day on the trail.  I would rate the trail as easy.  For a few pictures, click on Chick. Battlefield on the tabs above.

Lost Sea Adventure

1.15.11   Mary from Nashville, Group from E. Tennessee, Nance Joe, Earl.  Everyone met at the entrance to the Lost Sea.  From there we took the tour of the cave to the lost sea.  The cave was interesting and the trout in the lost sea were most happy to see us arrive with food.  There were many more trout than I expected and they were quite large.  The tour lasted about one hour and fifteen minutes.  After the tour, some of us took the short nature trail (1/3 mile).  We were the first on the trail since the snow fall and enjoyed that some of the trees were marked so that we could identify them.  There were deer tracks that followed the entire length of the trail from one deer.  Many other tracks from various creatures were in the snow and we had fun trying to identify them.  After the hike we met at Hunter's Restaurant in Sweetwater, TN and had a nice lunch together.  Hopefully we can get together for future hikes and adventures.  To see pictures click on the Lost Sea tab above.

Stinging Fork

12.8.11 2miles  Nance Jo, Everett, McBob, George, Earl    BRRRRR!  It was cold windy and snowing when we arrived at the trail head for Stinging Fork and the Falls on Little Soak Creek.  It was snowing too heavily to bring the camera, so only a couple of pictures.  The blurred ones were taken with a cell phone.  The steep trip down into the canyon was a little scary as everything was covered with ice and snow but everyone made it successfully.  The falls were beautiful!  To see a couple of pictures click on the Stinging Fork tab. 

Enterprize South Bike Path

1-5-11  Caroline, Nancy Joe, McBob & Earl  3.6 miles  Not exactly what we had planned.  By looking at the map provided by Enterprise South, we chose to hike a combination bike and pedestrian path.  After a short distance on the path it became obvious that this was not exactly what we were looking for.  The path was a paved road the whole distance!  The hikers that we are we continued and followed are original plan asphalt or not.  We did see several deer and had a nice conversation with a roadside crew working on a drainage ditch.  We saw many old ammunition bunkers and as you can see from the pictures one had a historic display of how the munitions were stored.  Although the hike was not the best one ever, we still had great conversation and enjoyed ourselves.  For pictures click on the Bike Path tab above.

Board Camp Creek

1.1.11  2.6 miles  Earl and Nance Jo  Neither rain nor snow nor dark of night will stop the Soddy Daisy Chapter.  If you look at the pictures, you will see it was a wet new years day hike.  We were prepared for the weather so it worked out well.  Yes, it rained, but we stayed pretty dry.  The hike was uneventful until we reach a small tributary feeding Board Camp Creek.  The rock path that normally leads across this small creek was completely under water!  We tried going up stream and down looking for a crossing, but no luck.  Therefore, we ended the hike there and started back.  I would rate the portion we did as easy.  To see a few pictures click on the Board Camp Creek Tab.