12.29.12   On this cold blustery day there were twelve hikers.  One young man was carrying a pack with 75lbs of weight in it!  All I know is I couldn't have done it.  He was preparing for an upcoming event where he would be carrying even more weight.  It was drizzling or raining during much of the hike.  The actual proposed hike was interrupted by nature as there was an overflowing stream blocking our trail.   We had to do a bit of detouring and change course to avoid it.  The other stream crossings were relatively minor, but did get your feet good and wet if you didn't have water proof shoes on.  While the weather did put a bit of a dampener on the hike, all were in good spirits and a good hike was had.  Thanks George for leading this one.  We did see one deer crossing the road as we finished the hike.  After the hike we had a very good meal at Park Place Restaurant. I would rate this trail as easy and the distance was 5 miles.  If you would like to see a few pictures, click on the Chickamauga Battlefield tab above.

Little Cedar Mountain

12.18.12  On today's hike there were 10 happy hikers.  The day was perfect for hiking.  Cool and the sky's were clear although most of the hike was in forested areas.  Everybody had a good time.  There was only one casualty and it was a pretty hard fall, but no injuries.  We hiked out to an overlook called Gray's Bluff and took in a great view of Nickajack Lake.  We got a little confused about where we were a couple of times since the intersections are not well marked and we walked right past a couple.  We eventually found our way and nobody was complaining.  The total distance of the hike was 5 miles and I guess with the exception of one hill, I would rate it as easy.  After the hike we went for our obligatory lunch and this time it was at Cracker Barrel.  We all had an excellent feed.  For a few pictures, click on the Cedar Mountain tab up above.

Mushroom Rock

12.16.12  Finally!  After somehow losing John's picture of Mushroom Rock, he sent me another copy.  Now everyone who is interested can see a why they named it Mushroom Rock.  To see a better copy of the picture, click on the Mushroom Rock tab.  Any speculation on how long it will be before that big rock topples off?  This picture was taken on the Signal Point to Hwy 27 hike.  To see a few more pictures of the hike click on the Signal Mountain to Hwy 27 tab up above.

Rock Creek

12.15.12  We had 10 people on this hike.  The hike began at the upper Leggett Road Parking area and finished at the lower Leggett Road parking lot.  As we started out, there were a few sprinkles in the air.  It was cool, but quite nice for hiking.  We hiked from the upper parking area down to Rock Creek then back up to the lower parking lot.  Along the way we had a couple more sprinkles, but not enough to put the camera away.  Everyone had a good time.  Afterward, some of us met at the Huddle House where we quickly consumed all the calories we had lost during the hike.  I would rate this hike as moderate and the distance was 3.1 miles.  For a few pictures of the hike, click on the Rock Creek tab up above.

Signal Point to Hwy 27

12.8.12  Lynne, Jean, George, Bob, Doug, John, Charles   Not a bad day for a hike, but it was a killer of a hike.  I would rate this hike as severe as it really wore down a couple of the hikers.  John took a really great picture of Mushroom Rock, but somehow I managed to delete it.  It was on the blog for a few days, but I guess it is gone forever now.  I think the hike was about 8 miles.  To see a few pictures of the hike, click on the Signal Point to Hwy 27 tab above.

A cold Camp Jordan

12.11.12   There were twelve of us on this hike at Camp Jordan.  It was a cold and blustery day.  We started at the parking lot at Camp Jordan, hiked to East Brainerd Road where we turned around and returned to Camp Jordan. When we reached Camp Jordan we hiked the other way around back toward our cars.  Some of us took a ride offered by one of the hikers.  This hike was rated as easy and was 3.6 miles.  For a few pictures, click HERE or on the Camp Jordan tab above.

Booker T. Washington S.P.

12.4.12  I won't list all of the names since there were twelve of us and my memory is just not that good.  It was a little overcast during this hike but several people were down to tee shirts by the end.  We did not see any deer, but we did see some splendid views across the lake.  Judging from all of the talking and laughter, I would say that everyone had a great time.  I know that I did.  I would rate this hike of 5.3 miles as easy.  After the hike we went to one of our favorite restaurants and had a delicious lunch.  After that we went on our merry ways.  For a few pictures click HERE

Piny River and Flipper Bend

Here are some pictures of a couple previous hikes.  I was not along on the hikes, so I don't have names or distances.  I would rate both hikes a difficult.  To see the pictures, click HERE or on the Piny River tab above.

Heiss Mountain

11.27.12  George, Sara ,Lynn Nancy, Bob, Donna ,Ed, Renee & Gail  It had rain most of the previous day and into the night.  Luckily, the rain stopped before the hike began.  It was quite cold when the hike started but gradually warmed up during the morning.  This was only a three mile hike, but I would still rate it as moderate.  The trail was very wet and slippery.  For a few pictures of the hike, click here or on the Heiss Mountain tab above.

River Walk

11.20.12 Nance Jo, Renee, Nancy, Gail, Adair and Earl.  What a perfect day for a hike, albeit a short one.   We walked from the Boat House Restaurant to a little past the Marsh and returned for five miles total.  Of course we saw lots of birds, but little other wildlife unless you count the walkers, joggers and bicyclists.  The temperature was cool but very comfortable.  For once we didn't half to watch every step we took and we had great conversation all along the walk.  Following the hike we stopped and had a very nice lunch at the Boat House.  The hike would be rated as easy.  For a couple uninteresting pictures click here or on the River Walk tab above.   

Signal Point to Edwards Point

11.14.12 & 11.17.12  On the first hike, it was John, Renee and George.  This was a special occasion hike as it was necessary to shown John the route to take.  It was his first hike to Edwards Point and it is easy to get confused around Rainbow Lake.  The hike went well and the weather was fine.  No Pictures. The second hike was on the 17th and consisted of John, Nance Jo, Linda and Nancy.  These hikes were considered strenuous as both times the hikes were conducted at a rapid pace.  Nance Jo, saw a large buck on her return.  Again the weather was excellent. Here are a couple of pictures.

11.13.12  Nance Jo, Nancy, Sarah, Renee, George, Earl  This was a short hike of only four miles.  It started out a little chilly at 37F, but the sun was out and it was a beautiful fall day.  George was hike leader and sort of made up the route along the way.  There are a couple of new trails at Enterprise South, but we didn't have the opportunity to try them out this time, but will probably next time.  We did not see any deer on this hike.  There were a few runners and bicyclists along the way.  I would rate this hike as easy.  For a couple of pictures, click here or on the Enterprise South tab above.

River Walk 10.23.12

10.23.12  Sandra, Sarah, Nance Jo, Earl, George.  Absolutely a perfect day for a walk along the river.  Since there were so few of us, we decided to turn the hike into a walk and bird-watch.  I got a couple of real good pictures of a mocking bird and we saw many other kinds of birds.  George is quite familiar with local birds and helped us a great deal in identification.  After the meal, we went to The Boathouse for lunch and had some great conversation.  The total distance of the hike was only 2.6 miles and rated as very easy.  If you would like to see a couple pictures, click HERE or on the River Walk tab above.   

Roaring Creek

10.16.12  Caroline, Nance Jo, Sarah, Renee, Donna, Roger, Boodie, McBob, George, Larry, Ed, Earl  What a perfect day for a hike!  It started out cool and warmed up to maybe 70F.  Roaring Creek was full of water and really "roaring".  It was beautiful.  The first mile of the hike is pretty flat following along the creek.  Then the trail moves away from the creek and climbs for about another mile.  Nobody else was using the trail so we had it all to ourselves.  There were several trees down that we had to either cut our way through or climb over.  Their location was noted so that the rangers could come back and cut them down.  Once we reached the end of the trail we had a great sunshiny view over the valley.  We could really see a great distance.  The distance of this hike was 4.6 miles and I would rate it as moderate.  For a few pictures click HERE or on the Roaring Creek tab above.

Misc. Pictures Sept. - Oct.

Sept-Oct.  Here are some pictures provided by George.  If you went on a like during this period, check out the pictures.  You are probably in one.  If you just want to see how good your memory is have a look at these pictures and see if you can recognize where they were taken.  If you want to look at the pictures, click HERE or on the Misc. tab above.

Laurel Falls

9.2.12   Sarah, Donna, Renee, Earl, Ed, George, McBob  Overcast all day, but no rain.  We had a great time and nobody fell while traversing the rocky area.  There was lots of water in the creek and going over the falls which made it very pretty.  I would rate the hike as moderate and I think we went about 4.2 miles. For some pictures, click HERE or on the Laurel Falls tab above.

Greenway Farms

9.25.12  Amy, Gail, Donna, Sarah, Renee, Shirley, Nance Jo, George, Earl, McBob, Ed.  Beautiful day for a hike and a good group of people.  The hike was rated as moderate due to a section of the Boy Scout Trail.  Not much to say about the hike except that the pictures are overexposed due to an incorrect camera setting on my part.  The distance was about 5 miles.  For a couple of pictures please click on the Greenway farms tab above or HERE.

Greenway and Camp Jordan

9.27.12 Nance Jo, Earl  We decided to take a hike on the green-way toward Camp Jordan.  It was slightly overcast so we did not have to walk in the direct sun.  We parked off of East Brainerd Road and followed the Green-way trail toward Camp Jordan.  We took a slight wrong turn and ended up in the homeless camp.  A little bit scary!  We continued until the trail was completely blocked and then turned around.  We eventually fond the correct trail and arrived at Camp Jordan.  The walkway around CJ was precisely two miles.  Along the way we found ourselves in the middle of the national championship for frisbee dogs. What a treat! We watched them do their thing for a while and then continued on.  In all we covered 5.5 miles on this easy hike.  For a few pictures, click HERE or on the Camp Jordan tab above.

Booker T. Washington S.P.

9.11.12.   George, Bob, John, Nance Jo, Earl, Jane Anne, Ed, and Gail  I apologize  for the delay in posting this report.  I have been having difficulty with the video on my computer.  I think we are good to go now.
Perfect day for a hike.  Booker T has many crisscrossing trails and this led us to getting a little bit lost.  However we still had a very good hike.  We saw a deer just off the trail, but I couldn't get a good picture since he was shielded by woods and the darned camera kept focusing on the wrong thing and I didn't have time to go to manual focus.  We stopped and chatted with a fisher-women along the bank and she showed us a large catfish that she had caught.  The total distance was about 3.2 miles and I would rate most of the trail as easy.  I you would like to see a couple of pictures, click HERE.

Big Soddy Creek

9.8.12  Nance Jo, Caroline, John, McBob, George, Boodie & Gary.  It was overcast and could rain at any time.  That did not deter the members of the Soddy Daisy hiking Club.  Only George, Gary and Boodie went all the way to the creek.  During this portion of the hike the sky opened up and and they were soaked.  The rest of the hikers went to the rock climber's parking lot and then to Sluder Lane where the cars were.  Along the way they spotted a beautiful box turtle and an excellent example of Turkey Tail Fungus.  The distance of the segment where George, Boodie and Gary went is unknown.  The other segment that the rest of the hikers took was 5.5 miles.  I would rate the trail as moderate.  For a few pictures, click HERE or on the Soddy Daisy tab above.

Greenway Farms

8.25.12  Nance Jo, Everet, McBob, Boodie and Caroline.  The weather was perfect for this hike to the quarry and Ladder Course.  Maybe a few too many people on the trail. They ran into a few yellow jackets, but successfully navigated around them.  They also saw an unidentified snake.  A very friendly butterfly came and visited them (see pictures).  Afterwords everyone had lunch and Glenn Gene.  The distance was 5.5 miles and the hike was rated as easy to moderate.  For a few pictures, click HERE or on the Greenway Farms tab above.

8.21.12 Caroline, Donna, Renee, Clara and John.  Great hike with the temperature at 70F.  There was even water flowing over the falls!  Everyone had a good time, but no critters were seen.  Thank John for the pictures.  For a few pictures click HERE or on the Laurel Falls tab up above.

8.18.12  McBob, Boody, John and Gary.  The hike was Retro Hughes Road to Leggitt Branch and return.  The weather was excellent with temperatures in the 70's.  They did run into some Yellow Jackets and McBob and John each got stung a couple of times.  It seems that Yellow Jackets, which are wasps, are out in force this time of year.  Others have reported stings on other trails.  This time there are no pictures to post.

8.4.12 and 8.7.12  Here are some pictures of the hike.  To see them, click HERE or on the Fall Creek Falls & Sterchi Farms tab above.

Raccoon Mountain

7.31.12 Nance Jo, McBob,  These two intrepid hikers hiked the Tennessee River Gorge Trail on Raccoon Mtn.  The other hikers scheduled to go canceled because of the threat of heavy rain.  Luckily, the only rain that fell was from the top of a few trees.  The hiking temperature was 76 degrees, which is just about perfect.    I would rate this hike as easy-moderate.  To see a couple of pictures, click HERE or on the Raccoon tab above.

Lula Lake

7.28.12  Larry, John, George & Nance Jo  This hike started at the main parking lot at Lula Lake.  From their the group crossed the creek to middle trail.  They then took the high adventure trail which is very steep and narrow at the beginning.  You have to hold onto a rope to assist yourself along.  From their they went to bluff trail, turkey trail, ovenbird trail, middle trail, trail C, middle trail again and back to the parking lot.  The falls were beautiful, but not too much water was flowing.  Everyone had a good time with nobody falling down this time.  The temperature was in the high 80's, but not too bad.  I would rate this outing as moderate.  For a few pictures, click HERE or on the Lula Lake tab above.

7.24.12  Nance Jo, Donna, McBob, George, Larry, Ed, Gary Boodie  All's well that ends well.  I wasn't on this hike so I can't say much about it.  It was a good hike that I would rate as moderate.  A couple of people fell, but no injuries.  We had a good turn out and I think everybody enjoyed the hike.  For some pictures, click HERE or on the Board Camp Creek tab above.

Red Clay State Park

7.21.12   Nance Jo, Sarah, Jean, Donna, Larry, George, Earl, Will, McBob, Rodney, Ed
We found Red Clay Park with no trouble at all.  It was overcast and a good day for a hike.  It was a short hike of only about three miles.  I think everyone enjoyed the recreated cabins and the Blue Hole.  The water in the Blue Hole was incredibly clear.  The fun really started when we left.  It started to pour down and we got lost on the way back.  Finally, after driving around in the pouring rain, we found our way to a Cracker Barrel and enjoyed a good lunch.  I would rate this trail as easy.  To see a few pictures, click HERE or on the Red Clay tab up above.

Little Cedar Mountain

7.18.12   Nance Jo, Donna, Ed, McBob, Larry, Renee  Great day for this 3 hr hike.  It was quite warm, but we started early, so the heat was no problem.  Luckily, Nance Jo heard on the radio that there was an accident at the hwy 24/27 junction.  We detoured a bit and missed the mess.  I didn't take pictures on this hike since I was the hike leader and had my pole in one hand and my GPS in the other.  We all say thank you to whomever redid the blazing.  Now the trail was easy to follow.  Last year, it was extremely difficult to follow this trail.  Everyone felt that this was a good hike and nobody except me had been on this trail before so everyone enjoyed a new experience. The total distance was about 4.7 miles and I would rate the hike as moderate.  Overall, we had a great time and afterword, we had a good meal.

Heiss Mountain Cumberland Trail

7.10.12  George, Renee, Larry  They hiked the Heiss Mountain Segment of the Cumberland Trail down to the bridge.  The hike went well.  Then the rains came!  I would rate this hike as moderate with a distance of 5 miles.  For a couple of pictures, click HERE or on the Cumberland Trail tab above.

Edwards Point

7.7.12  On this hike there were eight hikers.  Six from the Plateau Chapter joined two from the Soddy Daisy Chapter on this hike.  It was extremely hot, probably in the low 100's.  This made it extremely hard on the hikers.  Never the less, Edwards Point was reached.  I would rate this hike as moderate for difficulty and extreme for conditions.  I am guessing the hike was about 8 miles.  For a few pictures, click HERE or on the Edwards Point tab above.

Enterprise South

7.3.12   Renee, Donna, Earl, Larry, McBob, Ed   We drove to the main parking area at the information bureau and the hike began there.  Donna and Ed met us there.  We followed the Poe Run and Boulder Point trails for a total of about 4 miles.  The trail was easy and we had good conversation along the way.  It was pretty warm, but being in the trees, it was nice. Near the end of the hike we spotted a deer right next to the trail.  He was leery, but not terribly scared.  I had a terrible time getting my camera out of my pocket so the only picture I got was when it was walking away.  If you look closely at picture 561 you will see it in the shadows.  For a few pictures, click HERE  or on the Enterprise South tab above.

6.30.12  Rainbow Lake Loop on Signal Mountain.  Donna, Caroline, McBob, Ed, Earl, John and Larry
It was a bit warm today.  At the conclusion of the hike the temp. was 99F.  We almost all made it OK, but I lagged a little.  This was a good hike.  We didn't see any wildlife, not even a snake.  Caroline almost but promised us a copperhead, but no such luck.  Not much left of Rainbow Lake, which is too bad, but we were able to easily follow the trail with Caroline's help.  We only hiked 2.8 miles, but I would rate the trail as moderate.  If you would like to see a few pictures of the hike, click HERE or on the Rainbow Lake tab above.

Booker T. Washington S.P.

6.23.12 On this hike there were nine hikers.  I was a very warm day, but since this trail is almost all under trees, it wasn't too bad.  Everyone had a good time on this hike of about 5 miles.  I would rate this hike as easy.  For a few pictures click HERE or on the Booker T. tab above.

6.19.12  Sara, Nance Jo, Renee, George, John, Donna and ?   I wasn't able to attend this hike, but everybody had a good time.  The distance of the hike was about 5 miles.  It was pretty warm and I think that this might have been the reason for a relatively short hike.  For a few pictures, click HERE or on the Chickamauga Levy tab above.

6016012  Nance Jo, John, Larry, Gary, Boody, Clyde, BF and Caroline  There was a good group this Saturday and the weather was excellent.  It took a couple of days for me to update the Blog since I had some trouble with the photos that Nance Jo was kind enough to take.  The hike was approximately 9.6 miles and all went well.  I would rate the hike as moderate.  To see a couple of pictures click here or on the Flipper Bend tab up above.

Riverfront

6.12.12  Today we had ten people on the hike.  I won't list their names this time as I have forgotten a couple.  We had a very nice short hike of four miles and I would rate the hike as very easy.  Temperature was perfect with a light breeze.  Everyone spent a lot of time talking and getting better acquainted.  After the hike we retired to the Boathouse and had a very good lunch.  To see a few pictures of the group, click here or on the riverfront walk tab above.

6.2.12  What a perfect day for National Trails Day.  We had been having some inclement weather, but it all turned out beautiful.  This year we held our meeting at Greenway Farms.  There was a good turnout of members from the Soddy Daisy Chapter of the TTA and lots of people came to the cabin to see what was going on.  As you can see in the picture, we even had a little butterfly that came and landed on us and stayed for quite awhile.  Nancy Jo represented the CCC and signed up some members and sold a few books.  George led a 3.5 mile hike and I led a 1.5 mile hike for beginners.  All and all it was a great day.  To see a few pictures, click here or click on the National Trails Day tab above.

Emerald Bay

5.29.12  Larry, Gail, Renee, Nance Jo, Earl  What a fine hike!  Larry lives very close to Emerald Bay and he agreed to give us a tour of some undeveloped woods near his home.  We were sure glad he knew his way around as the area was crisscrossed with trails and very easy to get lost in.  Not a real danger as you could always find your way out, but if you wanted to be the least bit oriented and see as much as possible you needed a guide.  Larry was excellent and new the local history well.  We saw a toad, and box turtle right off the bat.  Then the trail led us down by the lake and along its edge.  There were the remains of some old homesteads  which you can see in the pictures.  I was photographing the beginnings of a Black Walnut (see pictures) when I heard the distinct sound of a rattlesnake in the deep grass.  I didn't actually see him, but I'm pretty sure I was close to it.  Needless to say, I moved away quickly.  I would rate the trail as easy-moderate.  The length of the hike was about 3.0 miles.  I had some difficulty with my GPS, but this is a good estimate.  For a few pictures, click here or on the Emerald bay tab above.

Harrison Bay

5.22.12  I'm not going to name everybody on the hike.  This is because I can' remember everybody.  There were ten of us and we had a great time.  We even saw a couple of deer.  You will just have to believe me as they were moving too fast to photograph.  As usual, I was a tick magnet.  We picked several off of my pants including three seed ticks.  Seed ticks are very small.  About the size of a large fleck of pepper.  Needless to say they are very hard to see.  After the hike, we had lunch at a local restaurant.  I think everyone was well satisfied with their meal.  I know I was.  We hiked about 4.5 miles and I would rate the hike as easy.  To see a couple of pictures of the hike, click here or click on the Harrison Bay tab above.

3.15.12  Linda, Sarah, Nance Jo, Caroline, Sandra, Renee, Barbara, George, Earl, Bob, Patrick, BF   My apologies for anyone left out.  I know there is someone I forgot, but I just can't remember.  This was a short hike, only 2.8 miles.  From the amount of chatter along the trail, I think everyone had a good time and some had never seen Mushroom Rock.  The weather was a little iffy, but held and no rain.  After the hike we all went to Rafael's and got stuffed.  So much for burning off calories on a hike.  I would rate this hike as easy and fun.  For a few pictures click here or click on the Mushroom Rock tab above.

5.13.12  Gail, Pat, Gary, John, Larry  The photos are courtesy of George and Sarah.  From the pictures it looks like everyone had a good time.  Sarah didn't specify how long the hike was but it was probably pretty long.  I would rate it as moderate.  For a few pictures click here or on the Possum Creek tab above.

Raccoon Mountain

5.1.12  Nance Jo, Renee, George, Earl   Happy May Day.  The four of us left the parking lot at the switch yard and hiked the trail known as Small Intestine.  It was a warm day, in the mid 80's but the entire trail is in the forest so effectively it is in the shade.  It is a good thing that George was leading this hike as this trail meanders all over the place.  If you look at the trail on a GPS you can certainly see why it is named Small Intestine.  We ate lunch near the end of the hike at a spot know as table rock, which has a great view of the river and canyon.  No misadventures to report.  The length of the hike was four miles and I would rate it as moderate.  George even managed to keep the pace down so the rest of us could keep up.  For a few pictures click here or on the Raccoon Mountain tab above.

4.24.12   Nance Jo, Barbara, Nancy, Renee, Patrick, Earl  Perfect day for a hike, cool and sunny.  We actually hiked two trails at Enterprise South.  The first trail was the Black Forest Mtn. Bike Trail.  This trail was suppose to be 3.0 miles, but somehow we got crossed up on the trails and got back to the cars after only 2 miles.  We still aren't sure where we went wrong as we tried to follow the map.  Then we decided to hike the Log Rhythm Mtn. Bike Trail.  This time we were much more successful and hiked the entire 2.6 miles.  We did a lot of backtracking and also a short loop trail at lunch so I guess we covered about 5 miles total.  The most exciting part was the capture of a large rat snake.  It was about 5 feet long.  Since it was cool, it was quite sluggish and allowed us to pick it up.  I believe it was female from the shape of its tail.  For some reason, some hikers seemed to disappear while we handled the snake?  Anyway, we all had a good time.  I would rate the trail as easy.  If you would like to see a few pictures of the hike, click here or on the Enterprise tab above.

Harrison Bay

4.17.12  Renee, Sarah, Nancy, Nance Jo, Sandra, Gail, George & Earl  Even with a 70% chance of rain we started our hike.  As luck would have it, not a drop of rain fell on us.  The first rain occurred after I returned home.  This was an exceptional hike as everyone seemed to enjoy the hike, weather and camaraderie.  While we didn't see much wildlife, a couple of herons and a mallard duck, it was a beautiful hike.  George and Gail led the hike.  They moved ahead of us and would periodically stop and wait for the rest of us to catch up.  This also allowed George's hiking sticks to cool down a little after the fast pace he was setting.  The distance of the hike was 4.5 miles and I would rate it as easy.  If you would like to see a few pictures, click here.

4.14.12  Sarah, Nance Jo, Nancy, Sandra, Bob, George.  Many thanks to George and Sarah for the pictures. This hike was scheduled as a wild flower hike and it looks like they had a successful time.  The weather cooperated and beautiful pictures taken.  If you would like to see the pictures, click here or on the Fall Creek tab above.  

4/10.12  Nance Jo, Renee, Sarah, Sandra, BF, George, Earl   Perfect day for a hike.  It was not too hot or too cold.  Tuesday is usually our short hike day and today was no exception.  We only hiked for about 2.5 miles and I would rate the hike as easy.  We explored the wreckage of a couple of old homes and wound our way around stringers ridge.  We stopped for a snack about half way around.  For a few pictures, click here or on the Stringer's Ridge tab above.

4.7.12  Jean, Nance Jo, Will, George, Earl and John  We started out early this morning, meeting about 8:00A. It was much cooler than anticipated.  The temperature when we started the hike was probably about 50F with clear sky's.  Just about perfect for a hike.  We had a new person with us this time.  Her name is Angela and we hope to see more of her with our group.  We all had a good time.  The hike started at Sluder Lane and went about 5.25 miles to Mowbray Pike.  I would rate the hike as moderate.  For a few pictures taken along the way, click here or click on the Soddy Gorge tab up above.

4.3.12  Nance Jo, Sarah, Renee, Ed, George, McBob, Earl  Today we had an outstanding hike of 4.4 miles.  We hiked newly constructed trail at Roaring Creek.  We hiked to an overlook and then back.  The trail up was rather steep so I would consider this a moderate hike.  The weather held beautifully as the rain came on the way home.  This new trail is highly recommended and very well done.  The overlook gave a great view and is a good place for lunch.  Wild flowers were everywhere along the trail.  For a few pictures, click here or click on the Roaring Creek tab above.

George led a hike on the Riverwalk and to Snow Falls.  To see some of his pictures, please click on the Riverwalk tab above or click here.

Chickamauga Battlefield

3.24.12  Nancy Jo, Nancy, George, John, Earl, Don  Another great day for a hike!  I apologize for the color of some of the pictures.  I had an incorrect setting on the camera.  Anyway, George led us on a hike in an area of the park that we had never explored before.  The trails were great except for a couple of muddy areas on a portion of the trail used by horses.  We saw our first Eastern Box Turtle of the season and many many wildflowers.  On the trails where we mostly went there weren't any other hikers.  We had a great lunch on some old logs and I think that everyone had a good time.  The length of the hike was 5.76 miles.  To view a few pictures click on the Chickamauga tab above or click here. 

Greenway Farms

3.20.12  Nancy Jo, Sarah, Sandra, Renee, McBob, Earl, George, Don.  A perfect spring day for a hike.  We had a new hiker join us this time by the name of Don and we all enjoyed his company and hope he comes again.  The wildflowers were out in force.  We saw more Trillium than I had ever seen before on one hike.  There were also lots of Red Bud, May Apples and wild violets.  This hike took us past where the climbers practice so we saw their rope ladders and other obstacles up in the trees.  It all looked pretty dangerous to us.  The total distance of this hike was 4.6 miles and I would rate it easy except for the 1.25 miles of the Boy Scout Trail which I would rate as moderate.  To see some pictures click here or on the Greenway tab up above. 

Laurel Falls and Grassy Cove Hikes

I was unable to attend either of these hikes, but George was kind enough to send in the attached pictures.  Everyone had a great time.  To see the pictures, click here or on the Laurel Falls, Grassy Cove tab above.

Miscl Pictures by George

3.4.12  George took some great pictures and sent them to me.  They include pictures from Lula Lake, Soddy Creek and Raccoon Mountain.  I was not present on the Soddy Creek or Raccoon Mountain so many thanks to George for the pictures. 

Lula Lake

2.25.12  Nance Jo, Kathy, Lulu, Robert, Carl, George and Earl.  Almost a perfect day for a hike.  Just a little windy and cold in the shade.  Thanks to George and Bob, there was an article in the Free Press today about hiking with our chapter.  This brought some new hikers to meet with us and go for a walk.  The day was crystal clear so the view from the ridge was excellent. We all had a good time I think as there was considerable good natured conversation as we hiked along.  George new the trail well and we had a good course.  I would rate this hike as easy and we went about 5 miles.  For a few pictures click here or on the Lula Lake tab above. 

Signal Point to Rainbow Lake

2.21.12 Nance Jo, Pat, Renee and Earl  With the cloud cover as it was, the picture opportunity from the main viewing spot at Signal Point was exceptional.  The sun was shining through the clouds over Chattanooga making it a beautiful sight.  Shortly after beginning the hike we saw a red fox cross in front of us.  He looked in very good shape, but was moving to fast for a picture.  There was a lot of water flowing over the dam at Rainbow Lake and that is where we had our snack.  We found an off trail spot leading down to Middle Creek which we explored and Rainbow Falls was flowing beautifully even though we didn't take the difficult trip to the base.  The hike was about 4 miles and I would rate it as easy.  For a couple of pictures, click here or on the Rainbow tab up above. 

Flipper Bend

2.18.12  Nance Jo, Linda, Mattie, McBob, John, Carl, Earl.  Nice day for a hike.  Not too hot or too cold.  We had two newcomers, Linda and Mattie who decided to come after reading about a hike in the paper.  We were glad to have them even if they weren't quite prepared.  They hiked in with us a little over a mile and decided to turn back.  Since Flipper Bend can be quite confusing we made sure they had good instructions and phone numbers to call if they became confused on the trail.  They made it just fine and we hope to see them again.  The rest of us continued onward until we reached a point to have our snack.  At this point Nance Jo and Earl decided to return and the rest continued onward to do one of the loops.  Nance Jo and Earl covered about 7.25 miles while McBob and his crew covered a little over 9 miles.  Everyone had a good time I think.  I would rate the hike as easy and if you would like to see a couple of pictures, click on the Flipper Bend tab up above or here.

Blue Blazes Trail

2.14.12  Nance Jo, Renee, George and Earl.  Happy Valentines Day!  Today's hike was a short one.  Blue Blazes is a short trail only 1.5 miles long in the form of a loop.  Therefore, to make some distance, we hiked it one way, then turned around and hiked it the other direction.  The weather was OK with a very slight amount of misting.  Parts of the trail were a little muddy and we all got our shoes dirty.  After the hike we went to Firehouse subs and regained the calories we had burned.  The length of the hike was three miles and I would rate it as easy.  For a few pictures, click here or on the Blue Blazes tab above.

Prentice Cooper

2.11.12  Pat, Nance Jo, George, McBob, Earl    Pictures contributed by Earl, George and McBob.  Cold!  When we started the hike it was 23F and snowing.  When the hike was over it had warmed all the way up to 24F.  George, McBob and Pat decided to do the approximately 10 mile loop while Nance Jo and Earl would take a shorter route out and back.  Believe it or not, there were other people out hiking and even some trail runners!  Everyone started at the Cumberland Trail parking lot.  Nance Jo and Earl went to the Indian Rockhouse and then onto Snooper's Rock.  Their total distance was 6.9 miles.  Once we got going everybody warmed up the hike went fine.  The only really cold time was the snack break at Snooper's Rock.  I would rate the hike as moderate.  For a few pictures, click here or on the Prentice Cooper tab above.

Heiss Mountain to Amphitheater

2.7.12  Renee, Pat, Nance Jo, George, McBob and Earl.  Pictures contributed by Earl, George and McBob.  Perfect day for a hike.  Cloudless blue sky and sweatshirt temperatures and in Feb!  Started off with Earl forgetting his drink.  Luckily there was a store near by and all was now well.  Initially we started off with the idea of only going about 1.5 miles to the bridge at Big Possum Creek, but good old George decided that maybe it would be a good idea to go to the Amphitheater.  This was agreed to by all.  Nance Jo and Earl followed the old road while the rest took the high trail to the theater and then down to the road where we all met.  From there we returned.  A stop at Micky Dee's provided much needed sustenance for all.  The total distance was approximately 5 miles and I would rate the route as moderate.  For some pictures, click here, or on the Heiss Mountain tab above.

Signal Point to ...

1.28.12  Nance Jo, George, Carl, McBob, Earl   We decided to hike from Signal Point to Mushroom Rock.  The plan was for George, Carl & McBob to go out ahead to Mushroom Rock while Nance Jo and Earl followed behind moving more slowly.  As it turned out the lead group took a wrong turn and went a couple of miles out of their way before rejoining the trail.  Therefore, Nance Jo and Earl were in the lead further along up the trail.  Earl and Nance Jo went towards Edwards point until they reached a rain swollen stream about 1/4 mile from the point.  About this time George and his group caught up and went across the stream while Nance Jo and Earl headed back.  Since George's group had gone astray, they decided to stop at Edwards Point and start back.  Their total distance was 7+ miles while Earl and Nance Jo went about 5.4 miles.  The day was perfect for hiking and there were many hikers, dogs and children on the early part of the trail.  We counted at least twelve people and the Signal Point parking area was overflowing.  I would rate this hike as moderate.  For a few pictures from Earl and Bob, click here or on the Signal Point tab above.

Hotwater Road to Rock Climber's Parking Lot

1.25.12   Nance Jo, Pat, George, McBob, Earl  Nice day for a hike considering it is the middle of January.  The temperature was in the mid 50s and no rain!  We met at the baseball field and carpooled up to the small parking area at Hotwater Road.  We intended to drop off a vehicle at the rock climber's parking lot, but for some reason the gate was locked.  Therefore, we left one vehicle at a nearby cemetary for when we came out of the gorge.  When we were in the gorge, Pat, George, and McBob went down the steep trail to Soddy Creek.  This added about 0.5 mile to their hike.  The water was high and roaring in the creek.  From there we hiked on out to the parking lot.  The total distance was about 3.5miles and I would rate the hike as moderate.  For some pictures click here or on the Hotwater tab above. 

Audubon Mountain

1-18-12  Pat, Renee, Nance Jo, George, McBob, Earl  This is always a good hike.  We decided to park at the top of the trail, hike down to the cabin, eat our snack and then hike back.  This would make it a 5.4 mile hike.  It was a little cool when we started, somewhere in the mid thirties.  The hike down was a little difficult as the trail was covered with leaves making it difficult to follow.  The blazings were quite far apart and we got off the trail several times.  Thanks to George, we always found our way back to the trail.  Near the bottom, we followed a set of white blazes that were not the right ones and ended up following an old road until we realized that we weren't on track.  This is when we did what all good hikers do when they aren't sure where they are.  We sat down and had a snack!  We quickly found our way back to the correct trail and continued to the cabin.  We then turned around and began the arduous hike back up the mountain.  All went well though until it was time to leave.  George's truck was stuck in the mud.  Thankfully, Renee lived only a few tenths of a mile away and she had a TRACTOR!  With the help of the tractor we were able to get George's truck out in short order and everyone went on their way.  I would rate this hike as moderate with a total distance of 5.8 miles.  If you would like to view a couple of pictures, click here or on the Audubon Mountain tab above. 

Piney Ridge

1.14.12  McBob, Tony, Carl, Bill, Renee, Penny, Mary, Caro, Larry, Tom and George.  I was not with them on this hike, but from the pictures it looks like they had a good time.  Obviously, there was light snow on the ground and from their clothing it looked like it was pretty cold.  I think all had a good time on this 8 mile hike.  For a few pictures, click on the Piney River tab up above. 

Rock Creek Loop

1.14.12  Nance Jo, Earl  A little cold, low 40s, but otherwise a beautiful day for a hike.  We did the Rock Creek Loop which is always a good hike.  Rock Creek was roaring with lots of water and very cold.  The Rock Creek Overlook is especially pretty this time of year as it is not blocked by so many trees.  In fact, someone has cut down the trees that used to block the view.  Unfortunately they left some ugly stumps where the trees used to be.  Near the end of the hike we spotted a lone hiker up on the side of the mountain where there is not a trail.  We never saw him again, but wonder what he was doing up there.  At the end of the hike we met Zack and Jessica who are new to the Chattanooga area.  They were carrying there two young children.  We talked about local trails and invited them to join us sometime.  Total distance for this hike was 4.3 miles and I would rate it as moderate.  For a few pictures of the hike, click here or on the Rock Creek Loop tab up above.

Leggett Road to Rock Creek

1.7.12  Nance Jo, Earl  Even though it was forecast for rain, we met at the lower Leggett Road parking lot.  Nance Jo and Earl were scheduled for the hike to Rock Creek and return.  The rest of the group of nine were going to go past Rock Creek on to Retro Hughs Road where there was a car staged.  The rain began shortly after beginning the hike and continued off and on throughout.  We were prepared and the rain really didn't cause us much difficulty except to slow us down slightly.  We had a good time and ate our snack next to Rock Creek.  This was an easy hike of 2.4 miles.  To see a few pictures, click here or on the Leggett Road tab above. 

Hotwater Road (Cumberland Trail)

1.6.12  Nance Jo, Earl  Today was scheduled to be a workday on the Cumberland Trail.  We arrived early before Tony Hook and his gang of workers, so we decided to go ahead and do some blazing with the new plastic markers.  It was a fantastic day for hiking with the temperature in the upper 50s.  We marked the trail in both directions going about 2.4 miles in before we ran low on markers.  We then hiked out for a total of 4.8 miles.  Tony Hook's crew has built a boardwalk over one of the wetter sections of the trail.  The boardwalk is not quite finished, but will be next time the crew goes out.  This will be in about one week.  For a few pictures, click here or on the Hotwater Road tab above. 

Booker T. Washington State Park

01.03.12  Nance Jo, McBob, Earl  The first hike of the new year.  Brrrr was it cold.  It was in the twenties when we started and barely into the thirties when we finished.  It was also very windy which made it seem even colder.  Despite this, we had a great hike.  We had beautiful views on a bright sunny day.  We only saw one other hiker on the trail.  The distance was 4.1 miles.  To see a couple of pictures click on the Booker T. tab above of here.