Greeter Falls 5.2.2023

 Seventeen hikers visited lower and upper Greeter Falls and Board Tree Falls in Savage Gulf State Park near Altamont on May 2, 2023.  We enjoyed our lunch at the beautiful Big Bluff Overlooks on Greeter Trail.  We also visited Firescald Creek, the Blue Hole and the Greeter Homeplace.  Joan Hartvigsen was hike leader, Tom McElhone was sweep and Betsy Darken was carpool coordinator.  Also attending were Margie Schumacher, Jean Wix, Becky Stover, Marietta Poteet, Stan Allen, Joe Campbell, Ginny Kidd, Lucy Cahill, Trish Appleton, Kathy Bowen, Don Roberts, Betsy Darken, Chuck Deen and Patty Deen.  This was a joint hike with the Highland Rim Chapter.

If you would like to see a group photo of the hike participants, click here.  More pictures will be uploaded soon.  

Remember, you can't plant any flowers in your garden if you haven't botany.  

Soak Creek 4.29.2023

 Soak Creek trail has a great diversity of sights to see. We started at the Piney River parking lot and climbed over the metal gate at the entrance of a rocky AVT road. No signage, just the gate indicating the start of the trail. We walked along the bluffs towering on one side of the path and the cascading creek on the other side. After walking about 1.5 miles, there was a gap in the bluffs and white blazes directing us to ascend the bluff. And that is the signature of the Soak Creek trail – going up then down the mountain side countless times. But the wildflowers entertained us along the way. The trail also wandered over flat areas next to the tumbling creek. Seeing the sign for Stinging Fork falls was indeed a relief. We scampered over the rocks to experience the falls. In awe, we sat in the amphitheater, watched the water crash over the rocky cliff and fall into the creek below to the thunder of its own making. A late lunch, a photo-op and we finished the trail by hiking up the wooden steps for one final ascent out of the ravine to the Stinging Fork falls parking lot. Good job hikers! ~ 7 miles with ~1700 feet elevation.

If you would like to see some very nice pictures taken on this hike, click here.