Roaring Creek to McGill Creek. The trailhead is on the outskirts of Graysville near Roaring Creek. Approximately 5.6 miles, I would describe this hike as slightly moderate with some elevation and a couple of water crossings but with no slippery rock climbing.
On a cold January day in freezing temperatures, eight Soddy Daisy hikers wrapped up like tacos headed off for a little trail adventure. I should mention that three locals joined us for the duration. They were so cute we couldn’t keep our hands off them (see pics..). It is a short distance to a paved road where we crossed Roaring Creek and warmed up after a brief climb on the trail. Some hikers remarked that this hike had just the right amount of ups and downs…..not too hard but not too easy either. Trish and George were among the volunteers who cleared parts of this trail and moved large rocks to make the convenient stepping stones. Thanks to them, the climb was easier.
There is a second paved road crossing during the first mile or so of the trail. We moved right along without incident and enjoyed the seasonal view of the mountains. A muddy road (service? logging?) runs parallel to parts of the trail and can be an alternate route. Just before we reached McGill Creek, we missed a turn and came upon a water crossing which required a little improvising with a large fallen tree limb. After a few hikers crossed over with only “minor” incident, the rest of the group chose to look for an alternate route. They were successful. Shortly, we were all reunited at McGill Creek. It is an impressive wide creek and very scenic with a cascade that resembles an umbrella. A bridge is under construction at this site, so eventually you will be able to cross over. We snacked, admired the scenery and enjoyed interacting with our furry tag-alongs until the frigid temperature forced us to get moving on the trail. For a short distance, the trail runs parallel to the creek. Snowflakes began to fall on the way back, but with our final destination (lunch) for motivation, we forged on. The afternoon ended, happily, with tacos in hand.
If you would like to see a bunch of nice pictures, click here.