Four hikers took on this challenging portion of the Cumberland Trail. It was a bit chilly at the start, but warmed to a comfortable temperature for much of the hike. Alltrails showed 8.4 miles from the Heiss Mountain trailhead to Stack Rock and back. We descended into and climbed out of Big and Little Possum Creek gorges to Stack Rock and back for an elevation gain of just shy of 3000 feet according to Alltrails. Some discussion was had of a future hike through to Retro Hughes, which would involve about 1000 feet less of climbing. It was a strenuous hike of about seven and a half hours, including lunch at Little Possum Creek Bridge.
There was much to enjoy on this hike – a waterfall near the trailhead, pine forests with needles to soften the path, rhododendrons and hemlocks, deep creek gorges with boulders, and many interesting rock formations. We were impressed by two trail runners tackling a pretty tough, rocky trail, and spoke with some nice folks we met along the way. Three of the four hikers were well worn out by the end; the fourth had enough energy for additional exploring near the trailhead. Everyone seemed to have a nice time.
For some really nice pictures, please click here.
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