Booker T. Washingto S.P. 11.20.2021

 It started out a bit chilly at 8:30A in the mid 50's.  During the hike it began warming up and at about 2/3 of the way through the hike the sun came out and the sky turned a beautiful blue.  Of course at about this time, the stripping off of excess clothing began among the hikers.  We had 11 hikers on this 4.2 mile hike.  I would rate this hike as easy.  Among the hikers were two old friends that hadn't  been hiking for some time and also some new hikers.  It is refreshing to have a new crowd of folks.  We walked the outer loop and there was a lot of chit chat as we ambled througbh the woods. As the weather turned beautiful, the colors of the trees began to really pop.  The hike took just under 2.5hrs.  It had been over one year since I had been to Booker T. and I think everyone enjoyed a very nice hike.  

If you would like to see a few pictures including maps and altitude graphs, click here.  

Possum Creek Gorge 10.23.2021

 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.