Following the Gibb's Gardens outing most of the club proceeded to Amicoloa for a hike on this trail. By now the sun was out and the weather was perfect. As you can see from the pictures everyone was enjoying a perfect day on this trail.
If you would like to see some pictures taken during this hike, click here.
Our hike leader on this day had been worrying all week about the weather for this get together at Gibb's Gardens. During the drive to the gardens it did rain, but once we arrived it was merely overcast and not a drop of rain did we see. Gibb's Gardens was started around 1980 and now encompasses about 300 acres. There are well manicured pathways leading through Japanese gardens and many ponds with lilies. The plants in bloom were absolutely stunning. Following the gardens, a hike was undertaken at Amicolola Trail.
If you would like to see some of the flower pictures taken on this outing click here.
First off, I am ashamed to say, I belong to a hiking club that consists of a bunch of wimps. Yep, you heard me right, wimps. The morning of the hike there was a 36% chance of rain and only 5 hikers showed up and this was a joint hike with the Highland Rim Chapter. The next time the is chance of rain and the regulars don't show, I going to start taking some very unflattering pictures of those unnamed individuals and posting said pictures in the Blog. So there, haw.
The five of us enjoyed an hours drive into Alabama to Tullahoma. It was an overcast drive with some rainy spells. We did arrive a little late, but the 5 hikers from Highland Rim were ready. We took off on a 5.3 mile hike that lasted 4 hrs. and 17 minutes. This hike was rated as moderate. This it definitely was. There were lots of ups and downs and by the end of the hike I was completely bushed. If you look at the map, you will see were were very glad we had a leader that new their way around. We did get a couple of short spells of a little rain. Being the rough and tough blogger that I am I didn't even put my rain coat on! This was an exception wildflower hike with lots of stops to view and identify the flowers. Also, It seemed as if there were water falls around every corner. Too many to name! Joan, our hike leader did an exceptional job in keeping us from getting lost as there were lots of intersections. Thank you Joan! This was an exception hike with the final couple of miles really taking their toll on my legs.
Following the hike we stopped at a local BBQ spot called Piggy's and had a great lunch. It was an excellent day even though it was overcast most of the time.
If you would like to see some pictures, an altitude graph and maps, click here.
Our last winter (?) hike was Saturday in Collins Gulf, trading in DEET for hand warmers. We briefly were pelted with graupel. The gulf sheltered us from the cold wind, as we descended. The trail took us to the huge rockhouse leading to Suter Falls. Crossing the bridge, we navigated the boulders and then switchbacked down the side of the gulf. Fields of wild flowers burst forth in a rainbow of colors – white trillium, blue phlox, bluebells and many more. Our lunch reservation at Horsepound Falls provided us with rock seats to enjoy the crashing and tumbling water. After lunch we hiked a bit farther, along cascades in the creek that disappeared in the rocks underground. We retraced our steps, slogged up the bluff and took a rest stop at the lookout of the beautiful Tennessee plateau. The hike was 7 plus miles with an elevation of 1112 feet.
If you would like to see some beautiful photos taken during this hike, click here.
The Shakerag Hollow hike scheduled for Tuesday was rescheduled on the following Thursday. There were a few of us wildflower loving hikers who decided we could not miss the wildflowers at Shakerag Hollow, and it would be a whole year before we would have another opportunity. Ten of us enjoyed the beautiful weather, a little cool, but great for hiking. The trail was in good shape except for a few wet muddy areas from the previous day’s rain. The hike was at a slow pace with many stops to take pictures and identify the variety of wildflowers in bloom. The Phacelia were not covering the mountain side as they were last year, not disappointing as there were many others, Dutchmen Britches, Trilliums, Celadine Poppies, Larkspurs, and Wild Geraniums just to name a few. After the hike, we headed to the Mountain Goat Market for lunch. I think everyone would agree it was a great day.
If you would like to see some nice photos of this hike, click here.