Glenn Falls

2.18.14    Our hike today was to Glen Falls on Lookout Mountain, while it was new to me I wasn't expecting it to be as Spectacular as many of the hikes we make because this was a Tuesday hike which is typically, for our club, a shorter and easier hike than we normally do on Saturdays.  We started from the lower parking lot at Ruby Falls and we had a great turnout of 20 hikers.  Based on the mileage of about 6 miles round trip I would rate it as moderate but after meandering down a closed access road we started our climb and it was sufficient to give everyone a good cardio workout for what the sign said was only .5 miles but the way it kept going up I would have sworn it was more like a mile before it leveled off.  There was a nice picnic area located about half way through the first leg of the hike near the top but the restrooms were apparently closed during the winter months.  What I found spectacular near the end of the trail was the stone door just above the falls.  It was an awesome example of mother nature at her best!  As we crossed the bridge at the bottom of the falls there is not a good vantage point to view the falls until you ascend and go through the stone door and then you can look down on the falls and appreciate it much better than what was visible below.  With the rock formations scattered along the creek at the top leading to the falls it made a great place to just sit a spell and soak up the sunshine which was so generously available today.  You couldn't ask for better hiking weather than what we had today and along with the friendly crowd that turned out for today’s hike it made this hike spectacular to me.  We finished off the day with a stop at the foot of the mountain for a delicious lunch at a nearby Mexican Restaurant and the pork tacos were delicious.  With the enjoyable camaraderie and the lunches I may start looking forward to the Tuesday hikes as much as I do on the Saturday hikes!  If you weren’t out on the trail somewhere today you missed a great opportunity.  Happy Hiking!  To see some pictures, please click on the Glenn Falls tab above.
Larry.

The ideal mountain trail is one which has no end. The ideal trail journey is one which never turns back, but leads forever onward to discover what lies around the next bend and beyond the next crest.  (Elmer Adams)