Fall Creek Falls 12.20.16

Todays hike was rather short, only 3.5 miles on a sunny day.  When the hike was started, there was a little snow on the ground, but it was gone by the end of the day.  The hike went from Piney Falls to Fall Creek Falls.  I would rate this hike as strenuous.  Following the hike the group had lunch at the Cookie Jar Cafe which made everyone quite happy.  If you would like to see a bunch of photos, click here.

Blue Blazes 12.13.16

There was quite a group on the hike.  All told there were eleven hikers.  The total distance of this hike was about four miles.  I had been raining, but the rain stopped just before the hike started and didn't resume until after the hike.  The group stayed off of the boardwalk because it was very slippery.  If you would like to see some pictures, click here.

Savage Gulf 12.10.16

There were only four hikers on today's strenuous hike.  The distance was about 9.5 miles and 4.5 miles.  Along the way they met some other hikers and overnight backpackers.  Everyone considered this a great hike.  Lunch was had at one one the overlooks.  I you would like to see some pictures, click here.

Signal Mountain 12.3.16

This hike was rather cool and cloudy, but luckily there was no rain.  The distance was eight miles and I would rate the hike as strenuous.  The group stopped somewhere near Suck Creek for lunch.  Today's hike leader was george.  If you would like to see some pictures, click here.

Donna, the hike leader, was hesitant about this hike.  It was steep and the trail was covered with wet leaves.  It was decided to try and everyone was glad they did.  Five of the eight hikers had never been there before and the view and rock formations were beautiful.  It was a hike of good people and good weather.  I would rate this 4.7 mile hike as strenuous.  Afterward the group went for lunch.  If you would like to see some pictures, click here.

Heiss Mtn. 11.19.16

This hike went from the Heiss Mtn trailhead to Stack Rock ( just beyond the Little Possum Creek Bridge) and return. The distance was 3.0 miles round trip. The weather today was very nice ( cool and breezy) - and no smoke.

Today's' hikers were John and Greg. A third hiker (George) traveled to the " Head of the Sequatchie" to explore the beginnings of a trail there.  I would rate today's hike as strenuous.  Lunch was held at the Screen Door Cafe.   If you would like to see a couple more photos click here.

Enterprise South 11.8.16

What a fun time.  Everyone enjoyed this longer than planned hike,  Due to a slight error by the hike leader, who shall go unnamed, the hike went longer than the planned four miles.  The distance was somewhere between 6.5 and 8.5 miles depending on whose GPS you believed.  I would rate this hike as easy except for the distance.  If you would like to see a couple pictures of the hikers, click here.

Chickamauga Levy 11.8.16

Beautiful Fall day for a hike.  Just a little bit cool.  There were 11 hikers on this approximately four mile hike along the levy.  Unfortunately, it has been so dry lately that there was very little water. Therefore there were almost no wading birds to view.  This hike is rated easy.  If you would like to see a couple more pictures click here.

Raccoon Mtn.

It was an absolutely beautiful day for a hike as you can see from the relatively large turnout of hikers. It was a short hike of only four miles but this agreed with everybody.  I would rate this hike as moderate.  If you would like to see some really good pictures, click here or on the Raccoon Mtn. tab above.  If you are viewing this on a cell phone you must click "here" to view the pictures. 

Roaring Creek to McGill Creek 10.25.16

I don't have particulars on this hike except it should have been a great day as the weather has been excellent.  As you can see, we are in a drought and there is not much water in the creeks.  The hike was about 5 miles and I would rate it as moderate to severe.  If you would like to see some really good pictures, click here or on the Roaring Creek tab above.

Not too much to say about this hike as there were only three hikers.  The hikers were John, Boodie and George.  The hike went about eight miles and the weather was gorgeous.  I would rate this hike as moderate.  If you would like to see a couple of pictures of the hikers, click here or on the Flipper Bend tab above.

Signal Mtn. H.S.

Very nice day for a hike.  There were six hikers on this approximately four mile hike.  I would rate it as moderate.  After the hike four of the hikers went to The Meeting Place in Red Bank for lunch.  The lunch was rated as very good.  If you would like to see some pictures, click here or on the Signal Mtn. H.S. tab above.

Piney River 10.15.16

I did not receive any details about this hike.  It was scheduled to be about 6 miles and rated as moderate.  The weather was perfect so I believe that everyone should have had a great hike.  If you would like to see some pictures, click here or on the Piney River tab above.

Stringer's Ridge 10.11.16

It was an absolutely beautiful day for a hike.  For a change, it was not to hot.  There were eight hikers on this hike which I would rate as easy.  The distance was 4.8 miles.  It was unusual that there were no bicycles seen on this hike, on five trail runners.  If you would like to see some pictures of the hike, click here or on the Stringer's Ridge tab above.

Connector Trail 10.10.16

Unfortunately, there were only three people on this hike.  The weather was perfect with a cooling wind blowing all during the hike.  The hikers were George, Boodie and John.  The hiking distance was 8.6 miles which they did in 3hrs and 40min.  I would rate this hike as moderate.  If you would like to see a couple pictures of the hikers, click here or on the Connector Trail tab above.

Daddy Creek 10.4.16

This hike required a 130 mile round trip.  Even though it was quite a drive, everyone enjoyed the hike and comradery.  The weather was near perfect for a hike.  I would rate this hike as moderate.  If you would like to see a bunch of pictures, click here or on the Daddy Creek tab above.

Big Soddy Gulf 9.20.16

The weather was great for this hike.  After having had extremely hot hikes this one was very pleasant.  The hikers were Boodie, Renee, John and two newbies Luke and Rick.  The distance was about 6 miles and I would rate this hike as moderate.  Everyone had a very good time and excellent conversation.  If you would like to see a few pictures, click here or on the Big Soddy Gulf tab above.

Enterprise South 9.13.16

There were only four hikers on the 5 1/2 mile easy hike.  Eddy and Dale led and Edith and Donna brought up the rear.  There was not much in the way of wildlife, but they did see a nice Eastern Box Turtle.  The morning portion of the hike was very nice, but it did begin to get a little warm at the end.  Hopefully we will see more hikers on the upcoming hikes.  I you would like to see a couple of pictures, click here or on the Enterprise South tab above.

Booker T. Washington S.P. 9.10.16

Wonderful day for a hike.  The group decided at our last meeting to try and make Saturday hikes a dual hike.  That is at some point in the hike those that want to make it a shorter hike can turn around and return at the rest can continue on a longer hike.  In this way we can get more people to come on the Saturday hike.  That is what happened on this hike.  Three hikers Turned around at 2.5 miles and three hikers went on for a total distance of seven miles.  I was a great day for a hike and everyone had a great time.  If you would like to see some pictures, click here or on the Booker T. Washington tab above.

Greenway Farms 9.6.16

Beautiful warm day for a hike.  After sitting out most of September it is time to hike once again.  It was still a hot day with temps. in the 90's but doable.  Dale led this hike and let our normal hike leader, George, spend some time talking with the hikers.  There were 10 people on this approximately four mile hike.  I would rate it as moderate because of the temperatures and a few hills.

Prentice Cooper 7.30.16

This was a really tough hike.  Not only was the terrain tough but the group did it in double time.  Therefore I rate this hike as severe as they did the ten miles in five hours.  Along the way they met three other groups of hikers.  If you would like to see some pictures of this hike click here or on the Prentice Cooper tab above.

Raccoon Mountain 7.26.18

On this hot muggy hike there were nine hikers.  Everyone had a great time, but the hikers were all soaked by the time the hike was completed.  I you would like to see some pictures, click here or on the Raccoon Mtn. tab above.

Big Soddy Gulf

It was a hot humid hike this time for the ten hikers.  The distance was about five miles and I would rate the hike as moderate.  Along the way they met a couple of thru hikers that had started at Signal Point, passed through Prentice Cooper, North Chickamauga, Mowbray Trailhead and met our group just past the Big Soddy Creek Bridge.  After this meeting our hikers did a little trail maintenance along the way.  If you would like to see some pictures, click here or on the Big Soddy Gulf tab above.

Harrison Bay S.P. 7.12.16

Luckily the group finished this approximately 4.5 mile hike before it got real hot.  The hike leader commented that this was the driest he had ever seen this trail.  I would kind of suspect this since we have been having an exceptionally dry and hot summer.  I would rate this hike as easy.  If you would like to see a bunch of pictures, click here or on the Harrison Bay S.P. tab above.

Enterprise South 7.5.16

It was pretty warm for the five hikers and there was a threat of rain.  The rain never materialized.  I would rate this 4.5 mile hike as easy.  The hikers were Boddie, Renee, Bob, Ed and George.  Everyone enjoyed this easy hike.  If you would like to see one additional picture of the hikers, click here or on the Enterprise South tab above.

Leggett Road 7.2.16

Just John and George on this approximately 10 mile hike to the Rock Creek Bridge and back.  I has been extremely hot so I imagine that this is keeping hikers home instead of on the trail.  On the way back from the bridge, this pair of hikers did a little needed trail maintenance.  If you would like to see a few pictures, click here or on the Leggett Road tab above.  Please notice the May Apple picture that George took.  On some of the other pictures, I think that George had a bit of a smear on the lens.

White Oak Mtn. 6.28.16

This was an approximately 4.5 mile hike that I would rate as moderate.  The weather was very warm, in the high 80's, but there was some occasional cloud cover.  A total of seven hikers came out for this one.  Everyone had a very nice hike.  Unfortunately, there were no pictures taken so you are out of luck if you are looking.

There were only three hikers on this hike.  This is probably because the weather was so hot.  I think it was probably in the low 90's during the hike.  The hikers were Sarah, Joy and George.  After talking it over, the hike was switched from Cloudland Canyon to Soddy Gulf.  The hike was about 4.5 miles and I would rate it as moderate.  When they returned to the trailhead, George realized that he had lost his keys.  After getting a spare key to the truck, George hiked back down the trail and was lucky enough to find his keys!  If you would like to see a couple pictures, click here or on the Soddy Gulf tab above.

Little Cedar Mountain 6.21.16

It was good to see some of my friends out on this hike.  The length of this hike was about five miles and I would rate it as moderate.  There were six hikers out on this one.  It was an extremely warm day, in the low 90's, but luckily the hike was mostly under the forest canopy.  Everyone had a very good time, but I don't know if they went to lunch afterward or not.  If you would like to see a few pictures, click here or on the Cedar Mountain tab above.

Roaring Creek 6.18.16

The hike scheduled for the 18th was Roaring Creek. The two hikers today ( John & George) decided to change the hike to explore the northern end of the trail segment under construction by CTC between the Upper Leggett and Roaring Creek Trailheads (down to the planned McGill Creek bridge). The two hiked about 5 miles (approximately 3 miles on recently constructed trail, about 1.5 miles on trail to be constructed, and a little over 0.5 miles of bushwhacking (while  following blue ribbons) looking for a waterfall near the trail
During the hike we came across a three person CTC crew working on constructing the trail. While talking with the crew we learned they are working Tuesday thru Saturday each week and would welcome some volunteer helpers. If interested please contact the CTC to coordinate work time and location.
We had only one picture due to a nearly dead telephone/camera. 

River Walk 6.7.16

This walk would definitely be rated as easy.  The walk started at The Boathouse restaurant.  Therefore, the first topic of conversation was whether or not to have lunch at The Boathouse.  It was decided that this restaurant was going to be the spot.  The walk was about six miles with frequent stops to look at the scenery.  The real reason for the stops was to kill time so they could get back to The Boathouse when it opened.  There were nine people on this hike although two had to leave before lunch.  If you would like to see some pictures, click here or on the River Walk tab above.

Stringer's Ridge on National Trails Day

For those not up to a strenuous hike on National Trails Day, a hike on Stringer's Ridge was substituted.  The hike was going to be about four miles but because of the heat it was reduced to about 2.5 miles.  Unfortunately, the day was very hazy, but there was still a good view of the city to be had.  There were a total of eight hikers on this easy hike.  If you would like to see some pictures, click here or on the Stringer's Ridge tab above.

Flipper Bend 6.4.16

On this hike there were four hikers; Gary, John, Boodie, and John Carter. The weather was warm and a little humid. The group lunched at the big boulder and stopped at 3 overlooks of the North Chickamauga Creek Gorge.
The hike distance was about 8.5 miles and was rated as moderately strenuous.
If you would like to see some pictures, click here or on the Flipper Bend tab above.

Mowbray Pike 5.24.16

There were nine hikers on this hot dry hike.  The temps. kept climbing as the hikers slogged their way along.  About half way through the hike the social committee settled on the "Screen Door" as the lunch spot.  This was about a five mile moderate rated hike.  If you would like to see some pictures, click here or on the Mowbray Pike tab above.

Rock Creek 5.14.16

On this hike there were five hikers.  The weather was near perfect with sun and light breezes.  The group ate lunch at Rock Creek before there return.  I would rate this hike as moderately strenuous.  If you would like to see a couple of pictures from this hike, click here or on the rock creek tab above.

Imodium Falls 5.21.16

Rain in the area and scattered clouds, but no rain on the hikers.  This was a strenuous hike of about eight miles.  The hikers were Boodie, Gregg, Gary and John.  Boodie and Gary did maintenance and pruning along the trail while Gregg and John hiked on to Imodium falls.  If you would like to see some pictures of the hike, click here or on the Imodium Falls tab above.  

Collegedale 5.17.16

There were six hikers on this approximately 4.5 mile hike.  The hike was on White Oak Mountain and I would rate the hike as moderate.  It was a little worrisome when the group met as it was raining slightly.  By the time the hike actually began though, the rain had stopped.  The group was kind of looking for some of the bauxite mines, but alas, no mines were to be found.  Other than the group picture, there was only one other picture taken.  If you would like to see that picture, click here or on the Collegedale tab above.

Big Soddy Gulf

This hike was led by Gregg.  It was a beautiful day for a hike.  The sky's were clear and it wasn't too hot.  I would rate this hike as difficult and the distance was approximately seven miles.  If you would like to see some pictures, click here or on the Soddy Gulf tab above.

Greenway Farms 5.3.16

There were 15 hikers on this relatively short four mile hike.  It had rained the night before so there were a few patches of mud.  The weather was just about perfect for hiking.  Slightly overcast and cool.  A few of the hikers separated from the group and went down to the quarry.  If you would like to see a few pictures, click here or on the Greenway Farms tab above.

Beautiful day for a hike.  This was a relatively short like of about four miles so I will rate it as easy.  Everyone had a great time and the wildflowers were out in force.  If you would like to see pictures of the wildflowers and of the hike in general, click here or on the Rock Creek tab above.

On this hike there were only two hikers.  That's too bad because it was a beautiful day for a hike with a temperature of 74F and light breezes.  I would rate this hike as strenuous since it was 10 miles and they covered the distance relatively quickly.  When they returned to the parking lot there were at least 30 cars!  If you would like to see a few pictures, click here or on the Snow Falls tab above.

Laurel Falls

What a perfect day for a hike!  There were 14 hikers on this five mile hike.  Everyone was thrilled to see that the wildflowers were out in full bloom.  I would rate this hike as relatively easy.  If you would like to see a bunch of beautiful wildflowers, click here or on the Laurel Falls tab above.

Rock Creek 4.16.16

On this hike there were eight hikers,  The time of the hike was three hours and fifty minutes and I would rate this hike as strenuous.  The weather was great for a very nice hike.  The distance of the hike was eight miles.  If you would like to see a bunch of pictures including wildflowers, click here or on the Rock Creek tab above.

South Chick Creek 4.12.16

There were only nine hikers on today's hike.  Evidently many were discouraged by the prospect of rain.  However it DID NOT RAIN.  It turned out to be a beautiful day.  I would rate this hike as easy as the distance was only about six miles.  If you would like to see some pictures of wildflowers and other scenery, click here or on the South Chickamauga tab above.

As you can see, it was cold this day.  The hikers were Don, Pete, Sarah and George.  The hike was 8.5 miles and took 3 hours and  40 minutes.  I would rate this hike as difficult.  It was hoped that there would be wild flowers to look at, but there were very few.  I think it was still too cold.  If you would like to see pictures, click here or on the Cumberland Mtn. tab above.

Cloudland Canyon 4.5.16

Today's group consisted of sixteen hikers.  It was a good day for a hike and everyone enjoyed looking at the wildflowers and observing the abundance of water in the creeks.  The hike was relatively short at only 4.8 miles.  After the group reached Hemlock Falls they turned around and returned.  I would rate this hike as easy.  If you would like to see a bunch of great photos, click here or on the Cloudland Canyon tab above.

This was a long tough hike on a beautiful day.  There were a total of seven hikers going about 10 miles.  After all the rain, there was lots of water flowing in the creeks.  George said that he had never seen so much water.  Everyone was evidently busy taking pictures as there are a whole bunch to look at.  Click here or on the Retro Hughes tab above to see them.

White Oak Mtn. 3.29.16

Beautiful day for a hike.  There were eight hikers on the 4.5 mile hike.  Everyone enjoyed that the spring flowers were just coming out.  I would rate this hike as moderate.  If you would like to see another group picture or a picture of some of the flowers, click here or on the White Oak Mtn. tab above.

Lula Lake 3.26.16

This hike at Lula Lake was really successful.  There were a total of 15 hikers on this 5.3 mile hike.  The weather was outstanding and everyone had a great time.  Lula Lake was full of hikers, more than we have ever seen before.  I would rate this hike as moderate.  If you would like to see some pictures, click here or on the Lula Lake tab above.

Raccoon Mtn. 3.22.16

This was a large group of 14 hikers.  Most of them had not been on this trail before, so they really enjoyed it and the great weather.  This was a relatively short hike of four miles.  Since most of it was downhill or level I would rate it as easy.  If you would like to see a group of pictures, click here or on the Raccoon Mtn. tab above.

Savage Gulf

On this hike there were eight hikers.  The hike went from Stone Door to Ranger falls.  After the lunch break, three of the hikers went back through Stone Door and the rest went to and through Alum Gap. On this hike there just happened to be a 26.2 mile marathon and there were runners everywhere on the trail plus boy scout troops backpacking.  This made for a crowded day on the trail.  I would rate this approximately eight might hike as difficult.  If you would like to see a bunch of really nice photos, click here or on the Savage Gulf tab above.    

Enterprise South 3.15.16

On this hike the group had perfect weather.  All told, there were 12 hikers on the Enterprise South  TNT Mountain Bike trail.  The distance was approximately five miles and I would rate this hike as easy.  If you would like to see a few pictures, click here or on the Enterprise South tab above.

Heiss Mountain 3.12.16

This hike was a strenuous eleven mile hike from the Heiss Mountain trailhead to Immodium Falls and return.  The members of this hike consisted of Yong, Carolyn, Gary Boodie and John.  The weather was very cooperative with no rain.  The local streams, (Big and Little Possum), were running pretty good due to the recent rains.  Surprisingly, we encountered only a couple of hikers on the trail.  Perhaps the treat of rain kept the other hikers at home.  If you would like to see some really good pictures of the hike, click here or on the Heiss Mountain tab above.

Chickamauga Battlefield 2.27.16

On today's hike there were 11 hikers.  It was a beautiful day for a 7-1/2 mile hike.  I would rate this hike as easy.  After the hike, almost everyone went to eat which seems to always be one of the hike highlights.  If you would like to see some pictures, click here or on the Chickamauga tab above.

Big Soddy Gulf

This was one of the shorter hikes.  As you can see from the pictures it was a bit cold and damp.  There were 13 hikers this time.  Most of the hike was in the clouds and wet.  When they reached the trees, the clouds lifted from the hikers.  The hike was two miles in and two miles out.  I would rate this hike as moderate.  If you would like to see some pictures, click here or on the Big Soddy Gulf tabo above.

Sluder Lane 2.20.16

This hike was from Sluder Lane to Big Soddy Creek and then back to the rock climber's parking lot.   The distance of this hike was 6.5 miles.   The Plateau Chapter of the TTA joined our chapter on this hike.  I would rate this hike as strenuous.  If you would like to see some really great pictures of this hike, click here or on the Sluder Lane tab above.

Len Foote Inn

The group had a very successful overnight hike to the Len Foote Lodge.  On Tuesday the hikers met at Donna and Ed's house.  There were a total of seven hikers altogether.  On the way they stopped in Ellijay for lunch before heading up to the lodge.  The weather was still holding.  It was cloudy but no rain.  The hike was moderate to easy, with lots of up and downs with nice scenery.  This would be a good place to go in May or June as there are lots of laurels.  The rooms (or I should say closets) in which we slept were very small, but were comfortable and very clean.  After they settled in, there was a tour of the place and then a very good dinner followed by a lecture about hiking on the AT trail.  At that point some of the mighty hikers went to bed (8pm!!!!), the rest stayed up and played cards.  In the AM, they had another great meal, packed and hiked down the mountain where they ate again at the lodge.  So, they had good weather, very good meals and great company and oh yes, a good two days of hiking.  A successful trip.  If you would like to see some very nice pictures, click here or on the Len Foote Lodge tab above.

Frozen Head 2.13.16

There were four hikers on today's hike.  I would rate this hike as difficult.  The distance hiked was about nine miles.  At the beginning of the hike there was about 1/4 inch of snow on the trail.  When they reached the top of the trail there was between four and seven inches of snow.  After the hike leader passed Mushroom Rock, he stepped into a snow drift that came up to his knees.   After that they decided on a new hike leader for awhile!  If you would like to see some pictures, click here or on the Frozen Head tab above.

Raccoon Mtn. 2.9.16

As you can see from the pictures, it was lightly snowing.  This made for an absolutely beautiful hike as the trail was lightly covered in snow.  All five hikers enjoyed this moderate hike of about four miles.  If you would like to see the pictures, click here or on the Raccoon Mtn. tab above.

Roaring Creek 2.6.16

This was scheduled to be a long and difficult 12.6 miles.  However, due to high water at Gilbreath Creek, the hike was shortened to 9.2 miles.  The weather was good.  It started out quite cold in the 20s but eventually warmed up to about 50.  The roar from the high water made the name Roaring Creek appropriate.  The hikers from today's hike were Gloria, Don, Lora, Pat, S. Cutter, Mark, Pete and John.  If you would like to see some really great pictures of this hike, click here or on the Roaring Creek tab above.

Blue Blazes 2.2.16

This hike was cut short because of MUD!  After hiking a couple of miles they had to turn back because of all the mud on the trail.  After the four mile hike the group went up a nearby hill to overlook Chattanooga.  If you would like to see another picture of the hikers, click here or on the Blue Blazes tab above.

Booker T. Washington S.P.

1.30.16  Good day for a hike.  After a while the group split in two with some going six miles and some going eight miles.  Everyone enjoyed the hike.  If you would like to see a few pictures, click here or on the Booker T. Washington tab above.

Flipper Bend 1.23.16

I apologize for some confusion here.  The hike was supposed to be at Flipper Bend, but the description indicates that it was somewhere else.  If I get the correct data I will correct the blog.  I only report it as I receive it as I was not on this hike.
It was really cold on this hike which is probably the reason that there were only two hikers!  They started at North Chick and hiked up to the first creek crossing but the water was too swift to cross.  They then went back down and walked along the creek and took some pictures for approximately two miles.  Then they went to Big Soddy Gulf and walked to Board Camp Creek and back for an additional 2-1/2 miles.  If you would like to see some pictures (I don't know how they worked the camera when it was so cold?) click here or on the Flipper bend tab above.
Correction; because of closures, the hike was at North Chickamauga Creek and Big Soddy Gulf.  

Cloudland Canyon 1.19.16

This hike was on the Sitton Gulch trail.  It was a bunch of hardy hikers that went on this hike.  It was very cold as you can see from the pictures.  The falls were roaring and there were plentiful icicles.  If you would like to see a bunch of pictures, click here or on the Cloudland tab above.

Prentice Cooper 1.16.16

Very enjoyable hike.  If you would like to see some views click here or the Prentice Cooper tab above.

Savage Gulf 1.9.16

Cold and overcast, but lots of water.  If you would like to see a couple more photographs, click here or on the Savage Gulf tab above.