Raccoon Mtn. East Rim Trail, 12.29.18

George was or hike leader on this hike and it was a great hike.  The weather started out a little cool and overcast but proceeded to warm up and gradually became clearer.  I would rate this 5.5 mile hike as easy as the elevation changes were minimal.  We had seven hikers on this hike and our average speed was 1.9 mph.  The hike lasted just short of three hours.  We had some beautiful overlooks and even saw a couple of mountain bikers.  The official photographer again had difficulties with his camera.  Something about formatting the memory card, so there are only a few pictures.  There are a couple maps showing where we were and the trail as well as an altitude graph.  If you would like to see these, click here. 

Harrison Bay S.P. 12.22.18

What a glorious day for a hike.  After 2 days of rain and gloom, it felt so good to be out in the sun hiking on a trail.  We knew going into the woods that there would be flooded trail sections, but it wasn’t as bad as I thought it might be. With some clever off trail maneuvers, we were able to avoid water and mud.   No one lost a boot in the mud, and no white water crossings were needed.  This was a 4.5 mi. easy hike which followed the in and outs of the river bank all the way.   If you would like to see a few pictures, click here.  

Turtletown Falls 12.18.18

This hike was both good and bad for me.  First the bad.  I forgot my GPS so I couldn't make a map of the hike and its location.  My bad!  The second thing is that my camera was not working correctly.  Somehow I had pressed a button and now I had focusing issues.  Hence the lack of a group picture.  Finally got it figured out and was lucky enough to not walk off a cliff while I was trying to keep up and fix the camera at the same time.  Now the good.  What a great winter hike!  I had never been there before so thanks to those who are finding these new hiking spots.  There were 17 of  us on this approximately 3.5 mile hike.  The duration was about 3 hrs and 20 minutes and I would rate it moderate.  The length of time being due to the time spent at the falls and our snack break.  The falls were double and really roaring as you can see from the water spots on the pictures.  I really hope to return to this hike this summer as the magnolias were everywhere.   Thanks to those that sent in pictures and these pictures can be seen here.  

Deep Creek 12.15.18

We had a very good Saturday hike.  Our hike started at the Soddy Gulf Park on Big So0ddy Creek.  We hiked to the Big Soddy "new" Bridge and then on to the "new-slightly rebuilt" Deep Creek Bridge.  During all this our hike leader also took us on a one mile side trip down the "wrong" fork in the trail.  So, all-in-all, we logged about 9 miles; but it was a perfect day for a hike (cloudy, temp. in the 50's, with damp but sure trail footing).  Big Soddy, Deep Creek, and several unnamed side creeks were flowing very well.  We had four hikers for today's hike (including a mother and her daughter who did about one-half of the hike.  I would rate this hike as strenuous (or at least it felt that way to me).  The rating is due to length and terrain features.  If you would like to see some photos,click here.  

Ft. Oglethorpe 12.11.18

It was a little chilly and icey today so we decided to start a little later.  We all met at the lower parking lot of the Ft. Oglethorpe headquarters.  It was in the low 30's when we started and warmed up to the low 40's by the time we finished.  Otherwize the weather was perfect with not a cloud in the sky.  There were 21 of  us on this 6.2 mile hike.  We changed the path of this hike since we had so much rain and these trails are subject to flooding.  We did very well with minimum mud!  The hike went a little further than planned but since it was very flat, it was not much of a problem.  As is often the case with larger groups, we did get a bit strung out, but we didn't lose anyone, at least I don't think we did.  We even saw deer on several occasions, but they stayed pretty far away from us.  This like lasted about three hours and our average speed was 2.6 mph.  Following the hike we had lunch in Ft. Oglethorpe at Park Place Restaurant.  Since this hike was flat I did not include an altitude graph.  If you would like to see some photos, click here.  No so many as my view finder kept fogging up.

Stinging Falls Fork 12.4.18

Where should I start.  Things didn't go so well on this hike.  No injuries, but I didn't do a very good job of keeping everybody together.  As hike leader on this hike, it was my job to try to keep the 19 hikers organized and together.  It all started with my hike description.  It was to be a fairly short hike but it was steep and rocky.  I didn't state this well in the description.  Because of this, the group became really split up on the way down.  We decided to do a short hike on a new trail being built so some hikers left on this trail while others were just arriving at the Falls.  Needless to say, I couldn't keep track of everyone.  My apologies.   Anyway, we all made it back to the trail head eventually.  Me being the last to arrive and totally exhausted.  I hope everyone got their monies worth on this hike.  The temp. was in the low 40's and overcast.  The falls were really roaring and beautiful.  The total distance I hiked was only 3.3 miles, but if you look at the altitude graph, the change in altitude was 952 ft.  The max speed was 3.0mph with the moving average being 2.4 mph.  The time of the hike was just about 3 hours and 20 minutes.  After the hike we ate at Jacob Myer's and I had the not so good Fish N Chips.  Too much batter!  If you would like to see some pictures including maps and altitude graph, click here.

Soddy Gulf 12.1.18

 Saturday's scheduled hike on the CT was changed due to rains and threatened thunderstorms in the area.  One other hiker showed for the hike.  It was decided that the trail up on the CT would be in pretty poor shape.  As it turned out, the lower part of the trail in Big Soddy Gulf confirmed that – it was flooded in spots.  We arrived at the trailhead around 8:45.  Light rain was falling and the temperature was in the 40's.  The 1.2 mile hike into the trail is basically a gravel road.  I took some company who was visiting me and are not hikers, to this trail.  The creek and waterfalls along the trail were flowing at a good rate.  We hiked the 1.2 miles into the trail to the bridge that crosses the creek before splitting, with the left trail leading up to the CT.  We ended the hike at this point. It was an easy 2 ½ mile easy hike.  It was worth the venturing out in the rain to see the creek and falls in full flow.
To see some pictures of the Gulf flowing nicely and a map of the trail, click here. 

Grundy State Forest 11.27.18

When we left Red Bank it was 30 degrees. The closer we got to Tracy City, the colder it got. When we reached the Trailhead it was 24 degrees. There were 11 of us that tried to convince ourselves that it was better than  being in 94 degree weather.  We were suppose to do the half the Grundy day loop, go to Sycamore Falls and return by the 2nd half of the day loop. However the fearless hike leader felt there were some dangerous spots on the 2nd portion of the day loop, so we came back the same way we went and then we did some of the day loop that we missed so that we could see the falls. There wasn’t much water at the falls, but the hike is really beautiful. You do have to go over lots of tree roots and rocks. But the scenery is well worth it. Seven of us then went out for a nice lunch, even though we were disappointed that the Mountain Goat Market was closed.  We ended up hiking about 4 miles. I would rate it as moderate.  If you would like to see some pictures, click here.

N. Chick. Creek to Stevenson Branch Campsite

 Tom and John were the only hikers to show up for Saturday's hike.  The threat of rain was probably the main reason for this.  As it turned out, no rain materialized on the hike.
We departed the trail-head at approximately 9am on our 9 mile 8 hour hike.  The temperature was in the low 40's.  The ascent on the Upper Loop trail was uneventful though strenuous.  The trail was challenging.  The trail was wet from recent rains and covered with leaves.  This made the ascent slow and we continued on the upper part of the loop to the stairs going up to the upper rim part of the trail.  On the hike to the stairs we crossed several creeks and passed several nicely flowing waterfalls.  The overlook didn't offer much of a view on the inward part of the hike.  We also traversed along a bluff where the trail was rocky and in some sections only 6 to 12 inches wide.  We overshot the stairs going up because the blaze which would have alerted us to the direction change, was missing.  This was the 2nd time I missed the stairs, which indicates I am at least consistent on the trail.   The upper rim part of the trail was the easiest part of our journey.  The upper rim of the trail continues to descent portion of the trail down to a creek crossing and waterfalls.  It was here we finally found out why the trail was closed part of last year.  They built a set of stairs down to the falls and crossing.  Maybe they will build a set going up the other side at some future time.  We ascended the other side of the crossing and we continued to the campsite.  We arrived at the campsite around 1:30, had a snack and began our return trek.  The hike back was not completed much faster.  Usually the exit moves faster but not this time.  We exited the trail around 5pm.  I would definitely rate this hike as strenuous.  The weather made the trip a great hike however.  If you would like to see a few pictures, click here

Lookout Mtn. Bluff Trail 11.20.18

It started out kind of cool and cloudy....and it remained that way through out the hike.  The trail was heavily littered with leaves which meant that everyone had to be cautious where they put their feet.  You couldn't tell what was under the leaves that might surprise you and cause a tumble.  Of course the leaves were wet which further required caution.  Their were 16 hikers on this hike.  I would rate the first 0.8 miles as strenuous.  As you can see from the graph (see pictures) it pretty much went UP!  After that initial climb the trail became moderate.  There were lots of chances to take in the views from the overlooks.  The details of the hike were elapsed time of 1:57 with an average moving speed of 1.77 mph which is pretty slow.  We ascended 533ft.  If you would like to see some pictures of the hike including map and graph, click here. 

Immodium Falls 11.17.18

This hike was from the the Retro Hughes Trailhead to Immodium Falls and return. The hike distance was about 8 miles and I would rate the hike as strenuous.   

Today we had 5 hikers. The day started out with a nice frost and ended up with the afternoon temperatures in the 50's and  sunny weather.  We hiked to the falls and had our lunch there. As you can see from some of the photos the falls were running really well.

I you would like to see some nice pictures from John P. click here. 

Rainbow Lake to Edward's Point 11.10.18

I would rate this hike Moderate. The first .7 mile is easy. The 1.3 miles after the swinging bridge is rocky in areas and requires some climbing. It takes longer because of the terrain. There are many features that make trail popular year round, but it is extra special in the Fall. 

Saturday morning could be described as "CRISP" ,with temperatures in the 40's and a cool mountain breeze at the Rainbow Falls Trailhead on Signal. At 9:00, a total of six hikers, including one new hiker, began the 4 mile round trip hike to scenic Edward's Point.

By the time we hiked to Rainbow Lake (an easy downhill .7 miles), we were warmed up and glad we made the effort to get out on a beautiful Fall day. After the previous day's rain, the water features at the lake were extra dramatic and beautiful. A lot of leaves were down, but there was still plenty of color. 

We crossed the swinging bridge and started the climb which is mostly rocky steps toward the bluffs....the trail is marked with a white blaze and is part of the Cumberland Trail. I will have to say they could be a little more generous with the blazes. Fallen leaves and other seasonal changes made it easy to get off trail, but no big problem. There is a marker at the bottom of the bluff that is helpful. This is the most challenging part of the hike but short. Once on the ridge, it is easy. We did have several minor water crossings (did I mention the mud?) and one major crossing due to all the rain. On the way back, one hiker slipped on the rocks at this crossing. Fortunately, there were no injuries. 

The views of the TN River gorge were stunning. We were surprised to find a camp set up on the rock that overlooks the gorge. See pic. We hiked on to Edwards Point where we enjoyed the panoramic view and a snack. Then headed back the way we came. 

We got back to the parking area about noon and decided to meet for pizza. It was especially nice to have Audrey with us the hike. She is new to the area, and we want to welcome her back any time.

I you would like to see some very nice pictures, click here.

Hinton Overnight

Early on the morning of November 6, twenty-one hardy souls met to begin our fall trip to stay at the Hinton Center in Haysville North Carolina. The facility was perfect for our needs and the fact that it was surrounded by trees with gorgeous fall colors and a large lake didn’t hurt at all. After unloading we went to a nearby restaurant for lunch. In order to walk off the calories from our dessert of homemade chocolate chip cookies we headed for the mountains at Standing Indian National Recreation Area in the Nantahala National Forest.

For our first hike we selected a 1 mile round trip hike to the beautiful Big Laurel Falls. The trail was a bit wet, rough and rocky but we were rewarded with a wonderful view of the waterfall which was running powerfully after the recent rains. Of special note were the giant rhododendrons all along the trail.

Having taken a little longer than expected we decided to skip the short Mooney Falls trail and drive on up the forest road to its end. Just before the parking area we spied the signature white blazes of the Appalachian Trail. After a flat walk through a rhododendron tunnel we again spied the white blazes and made our way up the back side of Albert mountain on the AT, where some climbed the fire tower and others took in the views of North Georgia at just a little before sunset. Arriving back at our house we enjoyed a great meal with multiple choices of dishes, not the least of which was Sarah’s delicious Taco soup.

The next morning, we made our way to Deep Gap along a sometimes confusing maze of forest service roads to another section of the AT which climbs Standing Indian Mountain, passes an AT shelter and eventually goes to a blue blazed side trail to the peak/overlook from the top of the mountain. The view west and southwest was truly breathtaking on this crystal-clear day. Here we enjoyed our lunch sprawled out on the flat rocks and grass. One highlight was talking to a young man who was on the last few days of a flip-flop through hike.

On the morning of our 3^rd day we hiked the Park Ridge/Park Creek Loop trail in the same area. This was a bit if a challenge as we had not anticipated the long climb on a 10” wide trail. Oh, and did I mention it had a steep drop-off on the outside? Returning on a connector trail by the other side of the ridge was beautiful with Beech Trees, more Rhodies and following a stream which eventually flowed into the Nantahala River. The one large creek crossing was a sight to behold with some opting to cross on a narrow log bridge and others putting plastic bags on their feet held by rubber bands. (Note to self- bring larger bags next time.)

Having had a brief sprinkle toward the end of the hike we returned to our very patient compatriots who had been waiting at the cars for almost 4 hours. All in all, a wonderful 3 days.

  If you would like to see the pictures taken by some of the hikers, I have grouped them as I received them.
  To see some pictures from the Hinton Center, click here.  To see pictures from Day One, click here.  To see pictures from Deep Creek, click here.  To see pictures from Laurel Falls, click here. To see pictures from Albert Mtn. click here.  Miscellaneous, click here.  If I missed anybody or any pictures, please resend them with a note and I will definitely include them.

Rock Creek 11.3.18

We had a small group for todays Saturday hike. Our group wasTom, John, and Carolyn ( the lady from Philadelphia  who hikes with us a few times each year). Our hike was scheduled to be a hike of a little over 6 miles covering the so-called connector loop, access to the loop from the lower Leggit Road Trailhead, and a 0.5 mile hike to and from the scenic overlook. After a short discussion we decided to change our hike to a little over 10 miles by adding in a "to & fro trip"for a visit to and lunch at the Rock Creek Bridge.

It was a cool but beautiful day for the hike. The water in Rock Creek was very clear and running very well. The extra mileage added a couple of hours to our adventure.

We took a few cellphone photos which included a few colorful trees and interesting rock formations. We also captured a few photos of some interesting characters. If you'd like to see some of these photos click here.

I would rate this hike as strenuous.

Sitton's Gulch 10.30.18

This was one of our longer drives.  We chose to go to Sitton's Gulch in Cloudland Canyon.  Instead of  the 600 plus steps approach, we entered toward Hemlock falls via Sitton's Gulch.  I guess you could say we cheated!  This approach led us on a five mile round trip hike with a duration of just under three hours for this very large group of 23.  I would rate this hike as moderate as the route to the falls is a steady, but shallow climb.  We averaged 2.5 mph on the hike with a peak of 4.0 mph.  The overall average for this hike was 1.6 mph.  Once we reached the falls we enjoyed a short snack before leaving.  Of interest is that one of the hikers dropped her hiking stick in a most difficult to retrieve spot.  However, with some serious climbing and squeezing it was retrieved.  The falls were beautiful even though there was not a lot of water flowing.  This time of year is always very beautiful for a hike and the temperature was perfect.  Following the hike, we had a very nice lunch at the Parkway Pourhouse in Chattanooga near the river.  If you would like to see a bunch of pictures including a map and altitude graph, click here. 

Cloudland Canyon West Rim

We had another large group for this hike, 19 brave individuals.  The day was a bit overcast, but the temperature was just about perfect.  As usual there was some disagreement about just how long this hike was.  Some said 6 1/2 miles others about five miles.  My GPS registered 5.06 miles.  I think 5 miles is pretty close.  That's my story and I'm sticking to it!  From all the chatter, I think everyone had a great time as there were lots of overlooks with great views.  I would rate this hike as easy-moderate.  I showed 4.0 mph as the fastest we walked with 2.1 mph as the moving average.  The overall average was 1.4 and this included rest and snack stops.  The time of the hike was 3 hrs 43 minutes.  If you multiply 1.4 times the overall time, you get pretty close to five miles.  After the hike, as usual, we had a delightful lunch.  This time it was at the Pigeon Mountain Grill.  If you would like to see a bunch of pictures, a map of the hike as well as an altitude graph, click here.

North Chickamauga Gorge 10.20.18

Todays hike started out as a rainy day. We were scheduled to do a 10 mile hike at Snow Falls, but since it started out as a rainy, messy day, the two hikers (Tom and John) decided to change the hike to a 6 miler at North Chickamauga Creek.

I hadn't been to North Chick in about 2 years and Tom had never been there.

It turned out that the rainy messy day turned into a mostly cloudy day on a wet trail in a very pretty place. I had almost forgotten how pretty the North Chick gorge is and I hope to get back there more often.

I would rate this hike as fairly strenuous. 

If you want to see some great pictures courtesy of Tom and John, click here. 

Laurel Falls 10.16.18

WELCOME BACK NANCY!  Our snowbird Nancy is back and she led this hike!  After several head counts we determined that we had a very large group of 19!  The day was overcast and we were a little worried about rain, but all we got was a couple of drops about midway through the hike.  This hike was rated as easy-moderate.  The moderate part was the distance and that we had to crawl through a hole in some rocks to continue on the trail.  When we reached Laurel Falls it was flowing nicely and everyone sat on one of the large rocks and had a snack.  The rain held off until we were comfortable eating our lunch.  This hike was a total of 5.4 miles and lasted just about 4 hours.  Following the hike, most of the hikers had a nice lunch meal at the Screen Door in Dayton.  If you would like to see a lot of pictures including a map and altitude graph, click here.  Thank you John P. for contributing some of the pictures.

Booker T. Washington S. P. 10.13.18

Well, I sort of made a mistake.  I failed to look at the schedule for the 13th and missed a hike I would have liked to have taken.  Anyway, the hike was led by Jean.  One of our snowbird regulars, Nancy A., joined us as she was escaping a Maine Winter.  This was Jean's first experience as a hike leader.  While leading, she had a minor hiccup and lost five hikers.  Luckily for cell phones and the two groups rejoined coming from opposite directions.  Donna P. split off at this point and led a few on a longer loop.  Nancy, on her first outing in a while, fell victim to that old hikers adage, "it's only a quarter mile away...".  Overall it was a great fall day for hiking and everyone had a great time, especially Jean!  If you would like to see a few pictures of the group, click here. 

Another very nice hike led by Trish.  This time we headed for a further away location along the Ocoee River.  Trish had the forethought to call the ranger station and check on the trails beforehand.  She was told that our original selection was probably not the best idea and could possibly be washed out.  Therefore, she led us on a trail that was not the original selection.  It worked out wonderfully.  The day was a overcast for the most part and this made it much cooler than some of our recent hikes.  We had an excellent turnout of sixteen hikers.  The water table was the lowest I have ever seen.  Because of this, we had an excellent opportunity to see what was normally hidden by water.  This hike did take a little longer than usual at 3 hrs and 8 min.  I was expecting about a 4.5 mile hike, but the distance shown on my GPS, was 5.6 miles.  Up on finishing, I counted 14 souls which equates to about an 88% return rate.  Pretty good I think!  Actually we all made it back to our vehicles for the longish ride back to our original meeting place in Ooltewah.  If you would like to see a bunch of pictures, including a map and altitude graph, click here. 

Glenn Falls 10.2.18

Fourteen of us started at the trailhead across the road from Ruby Falls on Tuesday, October 2. After a short walk on the Whiteside trail we started up the Shingle trail and looped back down the mountain to Ochs highway. Here we crossed the road to the Glen Falls Trail. We received our reward as we reached the Falls area because it was running fairly strong following the recent rains. It was a treat to explore this beautiful area as we climbed up through the rocks to view the area from a variety of perspectives. On the way back, some hikers took a shortcut down to St. Elmo while others retraced their steps back to the parking lot. We all met up again at a new lunch spot, The Parkway, on Riverfront Parkway. Everyone agreed, it is now near the top of our favorite lunch spots.  If you would like to see some pictures, click here.

This was one of our longer hikes.  I would rate this 6.2 mile, 4 1/2 hour hike as easy-moderate.  The moderate part is because of the distance, temperature and one moderate up-hill section.  It was definitely a very humid day with not a breath of air flowing.  The thirteen hikers were soaked with perspiration at the end. We met some of the hikers at Reflection Riding and then drove to the Gazebo.  This was a good plan as this removed about 1.5 miles of an already long hike.  Skyuka Springs was flowing, but the amount of water was quite low.  At the springs, we enjoyed a break for a snack.  Five of the hikers left us and returned at this point.  Just as we ended the hike, the rains came.  Lucky we were at our vehicles before it rained hard.   I took a couple of group pictures at the springs, but for some reason, they just weren't there when I downloaded all of the pictures.  I have no idea why.  I guess someone was not smiling!  Anyway if you would like to see some pictures of the hike including a couple map pictures and an altitude graph, click here.

Club BBQ 09.13.18

Oh what a good time we had.  Trish again was hosting the annual BBQ at her house with the ever present Donna taking care of the details.  Thanks to both of you.  What a spread we had.  There was BBQ Brisket, BBQ Chicken, BBQ Ribs and my personal favorite BBQ Pork.  Of course there were salads, breads, chips, pineapple something or other which seemed to be a favorite of everyone and of course George and Sarah brought their home made icecream, Yum! I think it goes without saying that everybody had a good time.  News of this event must be spreading because there were members present that I had never seen before and some that hadn't been on a hike in years.  There might have even been a couple of interlopers!  If you would like to see a few pictures of the event, click here.  If you have trouble opening the site try copying this link to your browser and opening it from there.
 https://photos.google.com/share/AF1QipNPt7oYbIAV74LBePcLWWKq2CTGgppL19Vp3-3doHTBMsKzO5dkvtIta6UBN8iCvA?key=cTh5UjNZbXBhbUFIZTkycWlrR0k1dmVnSnU4VUhB

Benton Falls 9.11.18

Another fabulous hike presented by Trish.  We had a rather long drive up to the trail head.  It was quite foggy on the way up the last 7 miles but once we broke through the fog layer there were only high clouds blocking the sun.  This was fine as it made for a much cooler hike than normal.  The only problem was that the fog obscured the overlooks on the way up.  However, on the way back down the fog had lifted and we had some really beautiful views.  The the problem was condensation on the camera lens which ruined some of the pictures.  The total distance of this 2.5 hour hike was 3.5 miles and I would rate it as mostly easy with a couple of moderate areas.  The falls were absolutely beautiful as you can see by the pictures.  At the falls most of the hikers had snacks and lunch.  On the way back, we took a slightly different route which made the hike a loop and more interesting.  Everyone of the 14 hikers had a great time I think.  If you would like to see a bunch of pictures including a map and altitude chart, click here. 

Raccoon Mtn. Small Intestine 9.4.18

On this hike we had one of our largest groups.  There were a total of 18 hikers and I personally think it was because they knew what a great hike leader they would have.  I can't say enough good things about today's leader.  He had everything under control, made frequent stops and even had 18 hikers when the hike was over!  What a guy!  Anyway, this rated easy hike lasted about 2 hours and 12 minutes and covered 3.8 miles.  The trail meandered around the woods and it was almost all in the shade with a little breeze, which was good since it was quite warm.  Judging from all the chatter, everyone had quite a good time.  Following the hike most of the hikers went to La Altena for a very nice lunch.  If you would like to see a few pictures, click here.  Just a reminder, you can see the pictures by clicking on the title of the blog, on the picture on the blog or clicking "here". 

Leggett Road to Rock Creek Bridge 9.1.18

The description of this hike is rather short.  Probably because the writer was too exhausted to say anymore!  Today, there were five hikers on this moderately strenuous 5 1/2 mile hike which lasted about 4 hours. We lunched at the Rock Creek bridge.  The hike was from the Upper Leggett Road trailhead to the Rock Creek bridge and return.

Luckily for us, the temperature and the grade increased together for the last mile or so of the hike. This helped us to really appreciate the cold drinks we purchased at the first "stop n' go" we encountered on the way home. I believe everyone enjoyed the hike.

If you would like to see a nice selection of pictures, click here.

Rainbow Lake Loop 8.28.18

This was another well organized hike by Trish.  I don't know how she does it and where we would be without her.  It is easy to get confused around Rainbow Lake as there are many intersecting trails.  It was definitely a warm humid day for hiking.  Luckily the trail kept us under the forest canopy where it was definitely cooler.  I would rate this hike as easy and we too our time making the loop which is fine by me as it allows me to take more pictures.  There were 13 of us on today's hike which took about 2.5 hours.  No wildlife was seen and not much water was flowing, but the forest was beautiful.  Now the contentious part.  At the end of the hike, I showed just over 2 miles as the distance.  Everyone disagreed and said "Surely it was much longer." Someone looked at the kiosk map and concluded the hike was closer to 2.8-3.0 miles.  After CONSIDERABLE research on the infallible internet, I concluded the distance was actually 2.2 miles according to various websites.  Therefore, I WAS RIGHT!  My little GPS is never wrong except when it is.  So there all you naysayers!  Following the hike we had a delightful lunch at the Southern Star on the mountain.  If you would like to see a whole bunch of photos, click here.   

Mowbray Pike 8.25.18

Five of us covered the 5 miles between the Mowbray Pike and the Sluder Lane trailheads. The trail was in good condition and there was an abundance of rocky formations and bluffs to look at. There was also a large rock bluff at an electric power line right of way that afforded a good view of the Sequoyah Nuclear Plant cooling towers steaming away.

We finished the hike a little before noon and returned to the Soddy Daisy carpool area.

I'd rate the hike as moderately physical and the scenery along the trail as very good.

I you would like to see some pictures from this hike, click here. 

Piney Falls 8.21.15

So off we went to Piney Falls.  It started out as a questionable rainy day and we weren't sure who would show up.  We shouldn't have worried though since we are a tough dedicated group willing to risk stormy days!  It took a little over an hour to reach Piney Fall and though overcast, no rain.  There were 14 of us on this fairly easy hike.  After getting organized in the small parking lot, we set out.  Wouldn't you know it, one hundred feet down the trail it started to rain.  It was coming down pretty heavy, so everyone stopped and donned their rain gear in preparation for a downpour.  We trudged another one hundred feet and the rain stopped.  Just enough rain to make everything slick and wet.  The trail was easy for the most part, but at one point we had to climb down some very steep, slippery, large rocks.  Once past this point it was pretty much clear sailing to the beautiful falls.  The falls were really flowing and everyone got damp from the spray and took lots of pictures.  On the way back we took a slight detour and went to the head of the falls where we could see the water flowing over the top.  Although the trail did cross the river, we decided it was a little to dangerous so we stopped at this point.  Following the hike, we all ate at the Screen Door.  All in all a very good hike and lunch.  If you would like to see some pictures, click here.

Pot Point Nature Trail 8.18.1/8

The hike was a fairly easy hike for the 3 seasoned hikers (well 2 seasoned hikers and one wannabe).  We arrived at the trailhead around 8:30.  The weather was warm and humid.  The trail for the first half, was wet and slippery from the rains that went through the area the night before.  We exercised caution and no-one went down on the trail.   The first part of the trail rises at a moderate incline of about 300 feet.  The second half of the hike we made our decent down to the river's edge and continued back to the Pot Point Cabin.  The trail there was a bit more wet and soggy.  About the last 5 minutes of the hike, we encountered a light rain shower.  It actually felt pretty good and seemed to make the humidity abate a bit.   We finished the hike in about 2 hours and encountered fewer ticks and muck than we anticipated.   The trail was well marked and it appears work has been done to maintain the trail. If you would like to see a few pictures, click here.

Lula Lake 8.13.18

It was a relatively cool morning for mid August, particularly when we got to the trailhead. The Lula Lake rep was there to greet us and we were most appreciative because, unlike the throngs who come on the open weekends, we had the whole place to ourselves. After pulling a few weeds in our adopted butterfly garden we hit the trail, climbing up the Middle Trail to the Bluff Trail. After enjoying the beautiful view of McLemore Cove we continued along the Bluff to its end and returned down the mountain on the Turkey Trail to the South Creek Trail which is like walking through a tropical rain forest. Having worked up an appetite 9 of us gathered at the Café on the Corner for a spectacular lunch. The last picture is of Donna and Gloria finishing up what remained of Trish's Homemade potato chip nachos. A good time was had by all.
If you would like to see some very nice photos, click here.  More photos added 8.21.18!

Sluder Lane 8.11.18

Three hikers from the Soddy Daisy club completed the Sluder Lane hike of about 5 miles. The weather was pretty nice warming up, but still  nice by the time we finished. The three hikers were George, Tom, and John. We ran into three other hikers  who were hiking from the same trailhead but going to the Soddy Gulf ( probably about 9 + miles).

I would rate our hike as moderate. We had planned to go to Deep Creek (which would have added about a mile and one-half), but decided not too due to a drinking water shortage.

If you would like to see a few pictures of this hike, click here.

Pocket Wilderness 8.7.18

There were nine of us intrepid hikers on this easy 3.6 mile hike which lasted about 2 hours and 45 minutes.  We had expected it to be hot, but since we were under a canopy of trees and down in a canyon, it was surprisingly cool and delightful.  We walked along Henderson Creek for some distance and then abruptly turned and climbed to a higher spot on the edge of the gorge.  We then hiked until we came to where they are building a new bridge over Laurel Creek.  This was as far as we went.  We were kind of disappointed that we did not see Laurel Falls itself, but since the bridge is due to be finished in about four weeks, I am sure we will have another chance.  The hike back was uneventful, but good conversation was had by all.  Following the hike, about six of us tried a new place for lunch, the Rustic Pail Lunch Cafe and Ice Cream Shop.  While not looking like much it was a delightful surprise.  Everyone's lunch was superb.  Following lunch someone suggested ice cream and it looked so good that everyone tried some and wow was it good.  Without hesitation I can say everyone had a great time.  If you would like to see some pictures, including maps, click here.  I also want to thank John for contributing to the pictures. 

McGill Creek 8.4.18

On this hike there were only two hikers ( George and John). 

We decided to hike the McGill Creek trail section between the Roaring Creek Trailhead and the new bridge recently completed over McGill Creek. The hike distance was about 5 miles and would be rated as moderately strenuous.  The new bridge is aluminum, looks good, and feels very sturdy.

Today's weather was very nice, but as the uphill climb out of the McGill Creek area showed,  it was pretty humid.

If you would like to see a few pictures of this hike, click here.

Savage Gulf Loop 7.31.18

Seven hardy souls braved the threat of rain and hiked the Savage Day Loop on Tuesday, July 31st. We left Durham Street under low hanging clouds and arrived at the trailhead under beautiful blue skies. However, about 2/3 of the way through the loop, the sunshine disappeared and we pulled out our ponchos to protect against two fairly brief showers. The falls did nor reward us with much water but John showed us a picture he had from the last time he was there and it was running full.

The hike was followed by an excellent lunch at the Dunlap Café.

If you would like to see a few pictures, click here.

Greeter Falls 7.24.18

What a great day for a hike and what a great hike.  Several of the hikers had never been to this location before.  The temperature was cooler than normal and overcast which made for a great hiking day.  We had 12 hikers on this 3.5 mile hike.  I would rate this hike as moderate.  Mostly the hike was easy, but there were a couple of challenging places.  Both of the falls in this area were flowing, and this made for some beautiful scenery.  The hike lasted about two hours and forty five minutes, plus travel time.  Following the hike, we had lunch at the Cagle Mtn. Cafe where the prices were very reasonable. Our hike coordinator, Trish, is doing a very good job of finding us new hikes.  If you would like to see some photos of the hike and falls, click here. 

Fall Creek Falls 7.17.18

It was a beautiful day for a hike.  We typically don't drive this far for a short hike, but it is great to chat on the way up.  On the way back, some of us fell asleep in the car, so it was a little quieter.  It had been raining prior to our hike so some patches of the trail, especially the rocks, were a little slippery.  This 3 mile hike was rated as easy except for the very beginning where we decided to hike down to the falls. This involved a lot of steps and walking on wet rocks.  There was very little water coming over the falls today.  We did see a deer and her fawn standing in the woods which is quite unusual.  She didn't seem to concerned about us.  On the way back we had a great lunch, but for the life of me I can't remember the name of the restaurant.  If one of the hiker reads this and remembers, let me know and I will insert the name.  I was reminded, the name of the restaurant was The Cookie Jar.  If you would like to see some pictures, click here.  I have included a map showing just where we hiked.

Snooper's Rock 7.14.18

Only two hikers showed up for the scheduled Prentice Cooper hike. The hike was a six miler from Snoopers Rock to the natural bridge and return. 

The two hikers were John (the hike leader) and Cynthia (a newcomer to our club hikes).

The weather started out as overcast and humid- but the temperatures were in the 80's for the entire hike. We maintained a good pace and finished the hike at about 1pm.

I would rate this hike as moderately strenuous.

If you would like to see a few nice pictures from John, click here.

Lookout Mtn. 7.11.18

Again, a very nice hike organized and let by Trish, our hike coordinator.  Thank you Trish.  There were 10 of us on this 3.2 mile hike, 3 men and 7 women.  In this day and age, I guess I shouldn't differentiate, but being old, please excuse this political blunder. I would rate the hike as easy.  As you can see from the altitude picture, the beginning of this hike was slightly uphill, but not really bad.  The rest of the hike was through beautiful green forest.  It was warm, but we were in the shade almost the whole time.  Following the hike we at lunch at the Purple Daisy as suggested by our lunch coordinator, Renee.  If you would like to see a few pictures, including just where we hiked, click here. 

Falling Waters 7.7.18

Todays hike was to the Falling Water Falls overlook. There were 6 hikers and the hike was led by George Bonneau. The weather was very pleasant ( for July) with temperatures being in the 70's. The hike distance was about 5 miles and we completed the hike by about noon.  I would rate the hike as moderately strenuous.  Since we have been having rain recently, the waterfalls were running.  In the photos, you can see a portion of the Canyons subdivision.  

If you would like to see some really nice pictures, click here.

Craven's House 7.3.18

This was a great hike!  Thank you hike leader Trish.  There were eleven of us on the 3.1 mile hike around Lookout Mtn.  I would rate this hike as easy except for the first 1/4 mile which was uphill and moderate.  It had been raining on Lookout Mtn. so everything was very lush and beautiful.  The trail was wet, but not soggy.  Wildlife included two turtles and one lonely grasshopper.  I believe that everyone had a very nice time.  Because everyone took their time, this hike lasted about three hours.  Following the hike, we decided to have lunch at B's, but they were closed so we went to Firehouse Subs and guess what, they were closed also.  Then we went to Mojo Burrito and had a so so lunch.  If you would like to see some pictures, click here. 

Roaring Forks 6.30.18

I hiked with the Soddy Daisy Hiking Club on their Saturday hike at the Graysville Mountain RMA Section and when completed this section will link the Rock Creek Section to the southwest with the Laurel-Snow Section to the northeast. I really enjoyed having John Politte as our hike leader too since it had been a couple of years since we last hiked together due to the nerve issues in my heels. Our destination was leaving from the Roaring Creek trailhead located on Brayton Mtn Road for an in and out to Gilbreath Creek which was listed on the CTC site as 4.9 miles each way but based on the overlook visits and the poor trail conditions leading down to Gilbreath Creek I would say this turned into a solid 10 mile strenuous hike overall.

There was only five of us that showed up and those were John, Boodie, George, Carolyn and myself and of course the temp was in the mid-seventies and muggy when we began but luckily with the tree cover we didn't have to hike all day in the sunlight so it was bearable by the time it hit in the low 90's. I will say that George Bonneau is a real trooper to be out with his club on most Tuesday and Saturday hikes with his current health problems and all that know George please say a prayer for him that he gets positive news soon from his recent MRI. Both he and Boodie have had a great influence on my obsession with hiking since I retired.

I can't say enough about the lack of general maintenance on the different segments of the Cumberland Trail. I was fortunate enough to backpack the New River Segment (45 miles from trailhead to trailhead) back in February, 2014 and it was previously completed in 2012 by the CTC General Manager, Tony Hook along with tons of volunteers but there were more trees than I could count blocking the trails, bridges washed away and not replaced, undergrowth covering the trail in some areas and portions of the trail had been washed away due to previous strip mining in the area. The State loves to tout how eventually when completed it will be a 300+ mile linear park for thru hiking but since it's obvious that the CT State Park Manager (B. Fulcher) or TDEC (Asst. Commissioner Brock Hill) has no intentions of maintaining this trail with State Resources I don't see this as ever being a permanent path to hike for future generations unless there is a mindset change within the State but for now we can enjoy the segments that are available until Nature reclaims these trails.

As you can see by the pics you will have a hard time hiking through or around the large number of blow-downs leading down to and across Gilbreath Creek.

During the hike we only suffered one injury and that was with Boodie where he slipped off a loose rock along the trail which resulted in losing some skin on his left forearm. He was able to stop the bleeding by wrapping his bandana around the wound and his wife is a retired RN so I'm sure he was well cared for after I dropped him off at his home.

Even with all of the trail conditions as they were it was still a great day to be on the trail with friends and I hope you enjoy some of the pics I've added and to all of my hiking friends,

Happy Hiking!  If you would like to see some really great pictures taken along this trail, click here.  

Daddy's Creek

Saturday George and I decided to take an impromptu hike on the Daddy's Creek portion of the Crab Orchard Section of the Cumberland Trail.  We met at 8am at the Soddy Daisy parking lot and headed north to the trailhead.  It took us approximately and hour and a half to get there.  The weather was pleasant, and we departed on the trail at 9:30.  The trail to the campsite is listed at 2.7 miles.  We went a short distance on the yellow trail and then onto the main CT trail.  The trail was wet but not muddy.  The trail was well blazed.  It had been raining off and on the previous few days.  We made it to the overlook and began our descent to the creek.  We followed the creek for about a mile to what we thought was the campsite but later discovered the listed site was actually approximately ¼ mile further on the trail.  The first site we thought was the campsite appeared to have been used more than the listed site.  The listed site was unfinished and unused.  We returned to the lst site and had our snack and began our ascent and return.  I would agree with the on-line hike description, that of a moderate hike.  The hike from the creek up to the lookout was difficult in the rising heat of the day, but I've been on worse ascents.  We did see two box turtles on the trail and that was it for any wildlife on this trip, except for an owl we heard in the distance.  If you would like to see some pictures of this hike, click here.

Retro Hughes Rd. 6.26.18

What a hike!  The only two things that saved me were George and the weather.  This was only a 5.1 mile hike, but the return was a killer.  Lucky the weather was overcast and cool for this time of year.  It had been raining the previous week so the trail was wet and very slippery at times.  Going down to the Rock Creek Bridge was not too bad.  You did notice that I said "down" as the return was a steady slog back up the mountain.  We got a little disoriented once, but thanks to the GPS, we were able to get back onto the trail.  There were 10 of us on this hike and a few smart ones turned back at about the halfway mark.  We did see a beautiful copper head right next to the trail.  Since I was very slow, this hike took me almost 4.5 hours!  At one point the ladder had broken so we had to bushwack our way over some rocks.  Following the hike several of us had lunch at the Blue Ribbon.  If you would like to see some pictures and maps, click here. 

Black Mountain 6.19.18

It was a rather long ride to black mountain for a what turned out to be a relatively short hike.  The ride turned out to be really nice with lots of good conversation along the way.  Boodie, the hike leader grew up in the area and was able to inform his passengers about all the local lore.  It was good that we left early, because by the time the group of eight, arrived it was starting to get hot and humid.  The drive up the mountain was interesting as it was a one-way road with two-way traffic!  Once we arrived at the parking lot everything went smoothly.  We had decided on the shorter loop around the top of the mountain.  A three mile branch hike was voted down.  At one time in the 20's, there was a Methodist camp on the mountain.  Hence the spring building and chimney.  I would rate this one hour and 45 minute hike as an easy 2.3 miles.  We dipped down into a field of towering boulders and walked out onto view points that offered a staggering view of the valley below.  Following the narrow ride back down, most of the group of  the group had a catfish dinner at a local restaurant.  If you would like to see some pictures, click here.

Glenn Falls 6.16.18

Seven hardy hikers showed up for the Saturday hike to Glen Falls on Lookout Mountain.  What fools these mortals be.  They entrusted their safety and well being in me leading them on my first time as hike leader.  At the conclusion of the hike I thanked them for not getting injured or lost because I didn't want to have to submit any additional paperwork.  The hike got underway about 8:30.  The temperature was in the 70's and heading higher.  The humidity seemed bearable.  The first and most difficult part of the hike was the hike up to an unmarked road which we easily crossed.  The ascent was a cardio workout.  We continued to the most dangerous part of our journey, crossing OCHS Hwy at approximately .5 miles from the falls.  The trail then led to the falls and pool under the falls.  Though the falls was still flowing, it was at a reduced rate.  We had lunch and returned to the parking lot at Ruby Falls. Exiting at a little past noon.  The trail though not blazed, was used enough so getting lost was not a concern.  The hottest part of the hike was the walk back from the trailhead (near the incline RR) to the parking lot.  We were out from under the trail canopy at that point.  Everyone said it was a good hike. If you would like to see some pictures, click here. 

Lula Lake 6.12.18

This was an unusual day for our club.  Instead of hiking this day, we became gardeners.  Donna worked her magic and made a deal with the Lula Lake Land Trust that if we would do some gardening, they would allow us to do some hiking, in the future, when the park would normally be closed.  Nine of us then went to the park and were joined by a horticulturist from the Aquarium and did some weeding!  There is a small garden that has been planted with various flowering plants to attract butterflies.  It was in desperate need of watering and weeding.  It only took us about 1.5 hours to weed, mulch and water the garden.  Following this we went on a short walk to the waterfall and back.  It was a beautiful day, but the falls were not at their maximum.  Following the walk, all of us went to the On The Corner restaurant and had a very nice lunch.  If you would like to see some pictures, click here. 

Heiss Mtn. 6.9.18

Three diehards, or 2 diehards and 1 individual of questionable judgement, showed up for what was listed as Heiss Mountain to Sluder Lane but ended up to be Heiss Mountain to Stacked Rock.  What was listed as an eleven mile hike, turned out to be about 8 miles.  We departed from the trailhead at approximately 8:15 am.  The weather was bearable with higher humidity and possible thunder showers late in the afternoon.  We made our way to the first bridge at Big Possum Creek with little fanfare.  The ascent along the way to Perkins Point is where it began to get more difficult.  The temp began to rise along with the humidity.  Along this part of the hike one of our hikers decided he would drop back and meet us on our return trek.  Two of us continued to the second bridge at Little Possum Creek.  At this point I was given the option to continue or turn back.  In retrospect I should have opted to return.  We made our ascent to Stacked Rock.  At this point I realized I may have erred on how much reserve I had to make the trek back.  We turned back at this point and returned to Little Possum Creek bridge and had our lunch.  We began our ascent up to Perkins Point.  For me this was the most difficult part of the trek back.  We made 2 more major descents and ascents on the return to the trailhead.  The temperature and humidity continued to rise.  Along the trail back we ran into a trail runner who was going to do the entire trail from the trailhead to Retro Hughes and back.  John and I said if we were 10 years younger we would gladly join him.  We continued our exit (at a considerably slower speed).  Sounds of approaching thundershowers failed to deliver any moisture.  At one point I passed under a rock outcropping and stuck my head under the cascading water - it was wonderful.  When I reached Little Possum Creek bridge, I flashed on scenes of marathon runners who collapse within sight of the finish line because they have exhausted all the glycogen in their muscles.  That's the way I felt.  Just before exiting the trail we saw a young woman lounging in a pool of water under a waterfalls.  She seemed to be the only sane person on the trail this day.  We exited the trail at approximately 3:15 pm. 

Heiss Mountain continues to be a challenge for me.  I learned on this trip to make sure I have enough liquid to remain hydrated, get plenty of rest prior to attempting to hike this trail (I logged 9.5 miles the night before while attending The Riverbend Festival.  This trail is above all challenging and rewarding if you respect it's challenges, especially in the summer.  If you would like to see some photos of the hike, click here.

Rainbow Lake to Edward's Point 6.5.18

What a hike!  We started off early so as to avoid the heat and this was the perfect decision.  The temperature, under clear blue skies, was entirely suitable for the entire distance.  We started off with 15 hikers and picked up two along the way that stayed with us the entire hike.  We saw other groups and couples on the trail.  Although this hike was rated as moderate-severe, I would rate it as severe for our group.  There were a lot of difficult steps and rocky areas.  The distance was only 4.2 miles, but going was steadily uphill and while the return was obviously downhill, the very end of the hike was about 1/2 mile uphill again.  All in all the group of tired hikers had a very good time.  If you would like to see some pictures as well as a map and graph of the hike, click here.  Remember, there are three types of hikers, those that have fallen down, those that are going to fall down and those who are going to fall down again!

Natl. Trails Day 6.2.18

Where was the Soddy Daisy Chapter.   John and I were the only ones to show for the guided trail hike at Booker T. Washington S.P.  Shame Shame!  Now that I've got you feeling guilty, I'll describe the hike. 
The hike was led by a Booker T. Washington "Ranger" named Robert  and assisted by a  part time student/ranger  named Joseph.  There were two hikers from our club ( Earl and John)  and six other hikers who showed up to hike.

The hike leader was very informative and was filled with park/nature information and quiz questions /( and answers) when we didn't know the answers.  We learned multiple things about the park and lake as well as some good trivia questions about State wildlife.  The hike was very enjoyable.  I'd guess we hiked about 3 miles. I believe everyone had a good very good time. No pictures were taken.  

White Oak Mtn. 5.26.18

I guess the weather scared everyone off  today. Or maybe it was the holiday weekend.  Anyway there was 5 of us on this easy 3 1/2 mile hike. We took Rolling Green trail to the top, onto Pine trail coming down.   The trails were easy but it was getting pretty humid out so, we just enjoyed being out with good company without exhausting ourselves.  Just as we got to the cars it started to rain.  I guess summer is here. Since there is only one picture, please click on the "Hikers" picture if you would like to see a closeup.

Harrison Bay S.P. 5.22.18

It was a nice day for a hike.  Although it was overcast and threatened rain, the rain never materialized.  I have to admit it was a bit humid though.  We had 15 hikers on the easy rated 4.5 mile hike.  The trail meandered around Harrison Bay as you can see by the map included with the photos.  There was a king snake and a frog spotted, but of course I didn't see either one.  The altitude of the hike ranged from 654 to 674 feet.  Big whoop de doo.  Following the hike, 10 of us ate lunch at the Dockside restaurant right at the Harrison Bay Marina.  If you would like to see some pictures, click here.

Flipper Bend 5.19.18

Three hardy hikers (John. Gloria and Tom) pertook of Saturdays' (hike in the clouds).  We departed the trailhead at approximately 8:30.  The temperature was about 67.  It began raining shortly into the hike and continued until we almost reached the loop part of the trail at the 2 mile mark.  This first part of the hike was the most difficult.  The trail was rocky, muddy and rainwater was turning the trail into a running stream at points.  We entered the loop part of the trail and continued for approximately a mile and a half to the first overlook.  Not much to see because it was still very foggy.  We then continued to the 2nd overlook which was halfway into the trail and had our snack.  The overlook was pretty much overgrown due to the lack of traffic to it after the fire a year and a half ago.  The fog began to clear and we were able to see a bit more of the view as compared to the 1st overlook.  The temperature began to rise and we continued our hike along the loop back.  We ran into a navigation problem when passed under the power lines on the return loop.  We couldn't pickup the trail blaze when we passed under the lines.  We ended up entering and unmarked trail we thought would get us back onto the main loop.  It did that but we turned the wrong direction on the loop and ended up back under the power lines.  We lost about half to three quarters of an hour and added approximately one and a half miles to our 8 plus mile hike.  Once we were headed in the right direction we had no problem staying on the trail.  All in all it was a good hike.  We had several sections where we got our cardio workout.  The views were a little obscured at first.  There were some flowers in bloom – mountain laurel I think.  We exited the trail at 1:45 and estimated the hike at 10+ miles.  This hike is rated as severe.  If you would like to see some pictures, click here. 

Cumberland Mtn. State Park 5.15.18

This is one of my favorite times of the year to hike.  Everything is green and lush.  We had quite a large group on today's hike.  All told there were 17 of us and one intrepid dog.  The length of today's hike was 4.65  miles of humidity led by Bootie.  I would rate this 3 hour hike as easy as it was a very flat hike around a lake and stream.  We had hoped that the Rhododendron would be in bloom.  It looked hopeful as the one in front of the ranger station was beautiful.  Unfortunately, that was the only blooming one we saw.  There were several beautiful Mountain Laurel along the way though.  Upon finishing the hike we had lunch at the restaurant right there at the park.  If you would like to see some pictures of the hake as well as a map of the hike and just where were, click here.

Leggett Road to Rock Creek

We met at Durham Street parking lot at 8am and departed for the Lower Leggett trailhead.  We (John, George and Tom) departed the trailhead at about 8:20.  I will call this the 'Reptile Romp with Flowers'. The weather was pleasant, I believe the temperature was in the lower 70's.  We expected to see more flowers along the first part of the trail but saw few.  George thinks because of the colder than normal April weather, that may have pushed the blooming back by a week.  Later on the hike, we did see white, red, orange and yellow flowers (can you tell there was not a hiker among us who had much of a botany background).  We briefly stopped at an overlook I believe about 2 miles in.  The trail is pretty much closed in by foliage and the views of the creek and rock formation that were available on the winter treks, are now less observable.  Me made it to the Rock Creek Bridge at 5 miles by around a little after 11am and had our snack prior hiking out.  The trip back was a little more eventful.  I (Tom) was at the lead for about a mile back when for some unknown reason I stopped and said to John – why don't you take the lead.  John did so and not 5 steps further John says “whoa”.  Curled up on a rock in the middle of the trail looking like a nice pile of leaves was a 3 foot timber rattler.  I did not see it and would have stepped on the critter. John this time had his camera ready and took his picture.  John flipped the snake off the trail and we continued for about another 100 feet or so and John stops because an eighteen to twenty inch copperhead lay across the trail.  This snake was not as laid back as the rattler and took off as we approached and we were not able to take its' picture.  We continued our exit and encountered two more reptiles, a frog or toad and a box turtle.  The temperature continued to rise and we exited the trail around 2:20.  So I would say if your out trekking in snake country, take John along – he seems to be able to do a great job spotting them. If you would like to see some very nice pictures, click here.

Heiss Mtn. Flower Walk 5.12.18

Another beautiful day for a walk in the woods.  Although there were only four of us today, it was a very nice time on this 2.7 mile walk.  I would rate the difficulty as moderate.  Our purpose was to see the Rhododendron in full blume.  Unfortunately, while they were certainly blooming, it was just the start of their bloom.  Give it another week or so and it will be much better.  If you would like to see a few pictures, click here.

Reflection Riding 5.11.18

This was a new adventure for us.  Previously we had made an arrangement with Reflections Riding Arboretum and Nature Center that would allow the club to hike the trails on the facilities property without having to pay admission each time.  It was now time for the group to fulfill its part of the agreement.  Therefore, we we agreed to spend some time at Reflection doing some work of their choice.  There choice was privet removal.  As you can see from the photos, we did a bang up good job in the over two hours we spent pulling.  I would rate this as severe.  Now for those of you who didn't make it, the great trail hiking spirit in the sky is not happy.  The next time it rains or you fall on the trail, remember this occasion.  Following our job, most of us went to the Mojo Burrito and had a nice lunch.  If you would like to see some pictures of the work we did, click here. 

Ritchie Hollow 5.8.18

What a hike!  We started on an absolutely beautiful day.  The temperature was perfect and not a cloud in the sky.  Today we had 14 hikers on what has been a confusingly rated trail.  This trail has be rated from easy to severe.  I'm now going to set the record straight.  Although it is a short hike of only about four miles in and out, I will rate it as moderately severe.  It is a constant up hill climb after a short flat start.  About 3/4 of the way up, there is a turn off to the falls.  Today the falls were absolutely beautiful.  After waiting a short time for the stragglers, we decided on on Chinese Buffet near Walmart at Signal Mountain.  If you would like to see some pictures, click here. 

Savage Falls 5.5.18

  We (George, John, Don and Tom – here after known as the geezer hikers) met at the Durham St. parking lot at 8am and departed for the ranger station at Savage Gulf.  The weather was great for hiking – upper 60's with rain threatening but never appearing.  We departed on the trail at 8:40 on what was booked as a 10 mile south rim hike.  We settled on labeling it a 12 mile hike after we compared fit bit, GPS and park map write up of the hike.  Although it was a long hike, the elevation transition was minimal along the ridge trail.  The falls were all running at full splendor (they rivaled the falls along the Zambezi).  We visited several lookouts along the trail.  One lookout I labled the Mountain Goat lookout.  This lookout required some cautious traversing down a rocky decent to the lookout.  We continued to the lookout at the 5.8 mile mark and had lunch.  We then proceeded to exit the trail.  Along the exit, John, who was in the sweep position (unusual for John who normally occupies the lead position) calls out 'snake on the trail'.  I (Tom) dropped back and observed an 11 to 12 inch viper headed snake lying in the leaves along the trail.  John nor I being combat photographers, failed to take a picture of the critter.  We discussed the genus of the snake and decided it most likely was a copperhead.  After the deadly viper slowly slithered off, we continued on our perilous but rewarding hike.  We exited the trail at 2pm, tired but mentally refreshed.  Don said this would probably be his last hike of the season.   He is devoting his energies to bike riding during the warm summer months.  He already had an encounter with the pesky tick during his last hike on Tuesday.  If you would like to see some beautiful pictures including some short videos, click here.

Foster Falls 5.1.18

Oh what a beautiful day.  The weather was absolutely perfect with clear blue skies.   We got off to bit of a shaky start when the hike leader forget the earlier start time.  This person's name will, of course, not be mentioned.  This was quickly resolved however with a phone call.  It was about a 45 minute drive to the trailhead and once we all arrived, the hike was on.  The hike distance was only about 1.7 miles, but it was an absolutely beautiful 1.7 miles.  The time of the hike was about 1hr and 50min.  I am so happy that we have found some new trails to hike.  We did find a new nickname for one of our regular hikers.  He shall forever now be known as Stop Sign Bob.  The reason for this unusual nickname will also be lost in antiquity.   I would rate this hike as moderate-severe as there was one section over the rocks that was quite steep.  I of course fell and tore my brand new cargo pants.  Following the hike we had an absolutely scrumptious lunch at the Mountain Goat Market.  If you would like to see a bunch of photos including one short video and a graph of the hike, click here. 

Sitton Gulch 4.28.18

Oh what a beautiful morning. I’m sorry any of you had to miss this hike. The weather was wonderful, the greenery was greener than ever and the water was roaring all the way down. There were only 6 of us on this easy - to moderate  4 mile hike. Everyone took lots of pictures of the waterfalls and the flowers. On the way down from the falls we stopped for a short break next to the water.
To see some nice pictures, click here. 

Jim Adams Wilderness 4.24.18

It wasn't the nicest of days so I was surprised that so many showed up.  Today, we had a total of 13 hikers.  Because it had been raining for the previous few days, we moved the hike to Soddy Gorge, now called Jim Adams Wilderness.  Although it was not raining, it was very damp.  Because of the rain from the previous days, the Soddy Creek was ROARING! No one had seen this much water in the creek before.  The length of the hike for the short distance crowd was 3.6 miles.  The advanced group went an additional 4+ miles round trip for their total of over 7 miles.  I would rate this hike as easy for the short distance group and moderate for those that went longer.  Following the hike most of us went to the Blue Ribbon and had a delightful lunch.  Thank you Kathy for identifying the blue blumes we often found that had dropped from a the nearby tree.  The tree is called the Empress or Princess tree.  For some pictures, click here.  There are even a couple of short videos.  Please note the great picture of our hike leader taken by Kathy. 

3-Day Georgia Hike at Black Mountain

There were 13 people (6 cars) that met in Ooltewah for the trip to Black Rock Mt. We stopped at a good restaurant in Clayton for lunch and then to Tallulah Gorge for our first hike. At the ranger station we saw a film about the gorge and then we were off to explore it. The pictures don’t do it justice. It was absolutely gorgeous.  It wasn’t a long Hike, but we had to traverse 320 stairs down to the suspension bridge, went across it and then 320 stairs back up the other side. Very much worth the effort.  From there we went to our cabin on top of (literally) Black Rock Mountain. We had 3 cabins with views of the whole mountain range. We all brought appetizer type food for dinner, so we settled down and had an evening of good food and good friendship.
Day-2, Beautiful day in an enchanted forest of waterfalls, rhododendrons, Laurel and blooming wildflowers. Afternoon involved a hike around the crest of Black rock Mountain State Park. Distance was short but with lots of elevation changes  and with spectacular views of the mountains on all sides. The day ended with a few aches and pains and full hearts.
Day 3, After breakfast (we tried to finish most of our leftovers) we packed and left Black  Rock Mountain. We stopped for our last hike at moccasins state park - Hemlock Falls Trail. It was an easy 4 mile round trip. Filled with beautiful laurels, rhododendrons and a stream that we followed to the falls.  From there we said our good byes and we split up. Six of us took advantage of being close to Helen and went there for lunch.
Thanks Trich for putting together such great hikes.
To see some pictures, click here. 

Mushroom Rock & Suck Creek 4.14.18

Very nice hike today.  It was led by a new leader, Kathy and it was well done.  We only lost one hiker and that was George.  We weren't to concerned as he always shows up after taking some kind of crazy shortcut.  Suck Creek was flowing nicely and I think everyone enjoyed the suspension bridge over the creek.  The weather wasn't the best as it was overcast and threatening rain.  At least the rain held off until we got back to Mushroom rock, which was convenient as we could take shelter under the rock!  The rain only lasted a short time and then we were on our way back to the parking lot.  There were 12 hikers on this moderately rated hike  The distance was only 3.6 miles, but there was a quite steep portion on the return.  If you would like to see some pictures taken on this hike, click here. 

Ascalon on the CCT 4.10.18

What an absolutely beautiful day for a hike.  The sky was a beautiful blue and only a light jacket was needed.  Maybe the only complaint was that we were probably a week early for the wildflowers. There were 11 hikers on this 5 mile hike that I would rate as easy.  I'm sorry about several pictures of Phil's back, it's just that he was always just in front of me.  The hike took 2 hours and 45 minutes.  One of my favorite wildflowers is the Dwarf Iris which you can tell as I took several pictures.  We left one car at the Ascalon Trail Head and then started the hike at Cloudland Canyon.  Do to some time restraints, part of the group ate at Firehouse Subs in Red Bank and some ate at the Pigeon Mtn. Grill.  If you would like to see some pictures as well as a map and altitude graph click here.  Also if I left out something, let me know. 

Imodium Falls 4.7.18

Todays hike was from the Retro Hughes Trailhead to Immodium Falls and back. We decided to visit the falls due to the rain we had yesterday and last night.

We figured the falls would be running pretty good -- and as the pictures show - they were.

Todays hikers were Tom and John. The temperatures started today in the upper thirties  and the conditions were cloudy and windy. By the end of the hike the temps had risen to the low 40's.

This hike was fairly strenuous and the distance hiked was about 8 miles. We tried to maintain a good pace to stay warm.  If you would like to see some additional pictures, click here.