Heiss Mtn. to Big Mountain Creek 8.12.14

8.12.14    The Soddy Daisy Chapter’s hike for Tuesday was scheduled to depart Durham Street parking lot in Soddy Daisy promptly at 8:00 a.m. and carpool to the Heiss Mtn trailhead just off of Hwy. 111.  To be honest I don’t usually hike the Tuesday hikes due to their short mileage and their difficulty level being typically easy to moderate but today I had a special invitation from a good friend to attend since we had not been able to hike together in a while due to his volunteer work on Saturdays.  Don’t get me wrong it’s not that I feel the short hikes are beneath me but it’s due to me trying to achieve the most bang for the buck (sort of speaking) when I’m out spending my time on the trail. 

So here we were Tuesday morning, the sun was shining, we had a good number of hikers show (ten I believe) and all was well with the world.  We even had the ever entertaining Bob McGavock as our hike leader to show us the way as he led us from the Heiss Mtn trailhead towards the Big Possum Creek Bridge which was to be our destination.  The mileage going in and coming out would amount to just under 3 miles but as Bob would put it, “this is the hardest 3 miles on the entire Cumberland Trail”.  The trail was damp from the previous rains over the weekend so that made the rock fields a little more of a technical challenge to  cross at times.  As luck would have it we made it to the bridge without any injuries but along the way Bob had pointed out some strange formations on the face of some rocks which you can see among the pics I took.  Those geometric shapes are really unusual and something that normally if I were hiking by myself I would never see since I keep my head down watching the trail for obstacles and not artifacts.  It almost appears like manmade square patterns which weave across the rocks but I’m sure it was either Mother Nature spending hundreds or maybe thousands of years in providing those rocks for our enjoyment or they were some form of a language left behind by extra-terrestrials.  Something tells me I should opt for the former or have a serious talk with my psychiatrist.  But as usual I’m starting to digress so back to the hike. 

We all took a break at the bridge for pictures and then headed back up out of the gorge and towards the trailhead where our vehicles were parked.  There we kicked around the possibility of having an early lunch together since this was a short hike and we made it out by about 11:00 a.m..  It was decided we would all meet at the Blue Ribbon Café in Soddy Daisy where we each had a great meal and some friendly conversation.  After departing from the group and heading home I came to the realization that I’m going to have to reevaluate my analytical way of thinking – where I only go on hikes that I feel benefit me solely for the health benefits because I definitely brought back more from the hike today than I left my home with earlier that morning.  That was the fact that I had forgotten how much in the past I’ve always enjoyed my time spent sharing thoughts and stories on the trail with fellow hikers that I consider my friends.  So I guess in the end I shouldn’t constantly judge my hikes by how many trail miles I can hike and how fast I can hike them but how many memories I can make on the trail with friends.  Because really isn’t that what life’s all about - making memories?   For a few pictures, click here or on the Heiss Mountain tab above.  

 Happy Hiking! 

Prentice Cooper-Pot Point Loop 8.9.14

Today's hike was almost called off due to lack of interest from our Chapter members.  I was scheduled to lead the hike on the Pot Point Loop at our local Prentice Cooper State Forest with the length being approximately 12 miles.  I arrived at the Red Bank Bi-Lo and immediately met two hikers, Lori (along with her dog Chance – a golden retriever) & Ed whom had just recently moved here from Pennsylvania & Connecticut respectively.  I waited on the usual chapter’s Saturday hikers and only John “Speedy” Politte showed up for this one.  I guess the uncertainty of thunderstorms today kept many from showing up but it was a strenuous hike with high mileage so that may also have discouraged others from coming.  We left Bi-Lo a few minutes after 8:00 a.m. and headed for the Pot Point trailhead where we arrived and hit the trail at about 9:00 a.m..  We were slightly delayed due to a dead tree which had fallen across Tower Road and although I knew my truck could easily make it around on the grassy shoulder I wasn't so sure about Lori’s car so we cleared a path that allowed us to stay mainly on the graveled road. 

I started the hike proceeding in a clockwise direction on the trail which took us near the Snooper’s Rock Overlook but the clouds were so heavy this morning we wouldn’t have been able to view the gorge below so we stayed on the main trail and I mentioned to the others that once back to the vehicles we would hike the approximate .3 miles down to the Overlook with the hopes that the fog would have cleared out by that afternoon.  The first Point of Interest on the trail was the Natural Bridge at about 3 miles from the starting point but it looked too muddy to scramble down below for a look at the stone arch forming the bridge so we continued on to the next POI about 3.7 miles later, the Raccoon Mtn Overlook, where we stopped for a lunch break but due to the heavy tree growth along the escarpment we couldn't see much more than a small portion of the river through the leafy branches.  So far two strikes for the Overlooks.  But this is where the hike really gets interesting!  Somewhere around a mile after we left the Raccoon Mtn Overlook, prior to reaching the McNabb Gulf Campsite, Lori and her dog Chance were a short distance in front of me when she sheepishly turned her head back towards us and yelled Snake!   There just beside the trail, stretched out the largest and most awesome looking Rattlesnake I’ve ever seen in the wild and actually the first venomous snake I’ve seen on any of my hikes for this season.  She and the dog had stepped just inches away from its’ head and while she was passing she heard the faint sound of a rattle.  The remaining three of us chose discretion over valor and walked up along the hillside to the trail, deviating a few feet away and letting it be (best option for all parties involved – didn’t want to scare the snake).  The snake appeared to be probably digesting a meal due to the enlarged area about half way down its’ body and seemed to be acting lethargically as it laid beside the trail.  It definitely had his attention focused at letting what appeared to be his most recent meal settle than creating havoc for us hikers.  After a few pics we left him just as we found him, undisturbed and happily digesting his meal.  What a story to tell our friends and family!  On well, back to hiking, about a mile later we passed through the McNabb Gulf Campsite but even with the rains this past week it was almost dry and then we proceeded on to Ransom Hollow Overlook where we were finally rewarded, for all of our hard efforts and near deadly encounter, with a picture perfect view.  About a mile later we passed by the Hemlock Branch Campsite and then less than .7 miles later we arrived back to our vehicles where we shed our packs and repeated the hike down towards Snooper’s Rock. You could continually heard ooh’s and awe’s from the new visitors that had never been to this Overlook before and after a few pictures by our party we returned once again to our vehicles where we departed Prentice Cooper with many more exciting and lasting memories than when we first arrived earlier that morning!

Oh, for anyone that maybe considering hiking this apparently little used trail (compared to the Mullens Cove Loop), let me shed some light on the trail conditions – generally the trail itself wasn't in bad shape but the undergrowth had enclosed the trail in many areas (which attributed to a number of chiggers that hitched a ride out on my arms and legs), downed trees were abundant, perhaps a dozen or more along the twelve mile route that had to be crawled under or climbed over (some of them could be removed with a good bow saw but others will require the use of a chainsaw),  the faded blazing should be re-applied, in one place early in our hike, we missed a switchback turn on the trail altogether but it became very apparent after about 50’ or so when the trail disappeared so I backtracked and easily found the turn - Happy Hiking and if you happen to see our friendly Rattlesnake along this trail please give him my regards!  For a few pictures, click here or on the picture to the right.  

Greenway Farms 8.5.14

This was a short easy hike.  The distance was only 4 miles but everyone had a nice time.