Mowbray to Sluder Lane 11.16.2021

 We had a splendid time hiking the South Soddy Gorge.  A cool, cloudy day made hiking easy - even though the trail was 5.3 miles and a bit of a descent into the gorge and then, of course , the ascent out of the gorge.  There was a nice view of the valley, framed by rugged rocks and colorful trees.  Bob tried raising the roof on the Rock House.  Wayne attempted rock climbing and did fine as long as his feet stayed on the ground.  A few downed trees presented an obstacle course.  Roy discovered an egg during one of our snack breaks.  Who or what laid it?  And what emerged from it?  It was a wonderfgul day, walking through the forest, listening to train whistles from the valley and thiniking of coal mining days.  The oldest coal mine in Tennessee was opened in 1866 in this area by the Soddy Coal Cmpany.  Mules were the source of transporting coal in ore cars from mines to the Tennessee river, until steam engines powered the incline to the valley.

If you would like to see some beautiful pictures taken during this hike, click here.  

Laurel Falls 11.13.2021

What was suppose to be a 6.6 mile hike to Laurel Falls and Bryan's Overlook ended up being a moderate 5+ mile to Laurel Falls only. We had difficulty finding the continuing trail from Laurel Falls to Bryan's Overlook. We ran into a hiker on his way to the falls who had gone to the overlook 2 weeks earlier.  He passed on to us that that part of the trail was poorly marked and the creek crossing just before reaching the overlook most likely would be difficult to cross without removing our boots due to the recent rains. So with this information, we decided the hike to the falls only was OK with all of us hikers.

We started our hike around 9am with the temperature in the upper 30's, clear skies, and a light wind. We followed the trail along the creek for just over a mile. By the time we reached the point where the trail began its ascent to the falls, we all had warmed up and part way up we began shedding some of our outer layers of clothing. We arrived at the falls just before noon and had our snacks. There was a group of hikers at the falls that I believe was from the Knoxville area. On our way back, we met quite a few hikers on their way up to the falls. The parking area was packed and cars filled also lined the road into the parking area.

It was a great day for a hike. A crisp, cool, clear fall hiking day was enjoyed by all the hikers on the trail Saturday. We exited the trail shortly after 1pm.

If you would like to see some nice photos taken during this hike, click here.