Elsie Holmes Nature Center

2.25.14   We went to Elsie Holmes Nature Center yesterday rather than Cedar Mountain (which has not reopened).  We had 18 hikers.  It turned out to be a reallynice day.  The trail was dry and passable along Chickamauga Creek which was really flowing.  We hiked about 3-1/2 miles and I would rate the hike as easy.  Most of us enjoyed eating at Einsteins Bagels afterwards.

George

Desoto State Park

2.22.14    Our TTA Chapter’s Saturday hike was originally planned to follow along the Little River trail within DeSoto State Park located near Mentone, Alabama but George and I scouted it out last Sunday afternoon and found several sections were underwater within the first mile or so due to the swollen river and since more rain was on its’ way this past week, George reworked our hike to stay up on top of Lookout Mountain instead of travelling along the Little River segment.  There were eight souls looking for a little rest and relaxation today in the form of hike.  It’s a little known fact among city dwellers but hikers are aware that  a walk in the woods helps refocus the mind and revive the spirit.  We were fortunate that two of the hikers travelling with us was a retired couple who were in Chattanooga for a short stay and decided to find a better way to spend their Saturday than sightseeing downtown.  Debbie and Mark reside near Washington, D.C. and they graced us with their presence for a good part of the day.  Thanks guys for sharing your time with us.  The trek itself was just under 7.5 miles and although the terrain would be classified as easy the mileage would make it a moderate day of hiking.  George, as our hike leader,  led us by Lost Falls, Laurel Falls and Indian Falls, in that order.  The weather as you might have guessed if you left the confines of your homes today was sunny and warm which made for perfect hiking weather.  I hope everyone had a chance to get out and take advantage of the beautiful trails we have around our area.  Happy Hiking!

Oh btw, please try to remember that the month of March is when the Cumberland Trail Conference will be hosting the Spring Break Away for the college students from across the nation at our local Dogwood Lodge near Soddy Daisy.  These young people will be working towards extending and or completion of the Roaring Creek trail located on Graysville Mountain.  If you could spare your time or your resources anytime during the month of March it would be greatly appreciated by the CTC and everyone else that enjoys hiking the Cumberland Trails in our area.

Courtesy Larry

Glenn Falls

2.18.14    Our hike today was to Glen Falls on Lookout Mountain, while it was new to me I wasn't expecting it to be as Spectacular as many of the hikes we make because this was a Tuesday hike which is typically, for our club, a shorter and easier hike than we normally do on Saturdays.  We started from the lower parking lot at Ruby Falls and we had a great turnout of 20 hikers.  Based on the mileage of about 6 miles round trip I would rate it as moderate but after meandering down a closed access road we started our climb and it was sufficient to give everyone a good cardio workout for what the sign said was only .5 miles but the way it kept going up I would have sworn it was more like a mile before it leveled off.  There was a nice picnic area located about half way through the first leg of the hike near the top but the restrooms were apparently closed during the winter months.  What I found spectacular near the end of the trail was the stone door just above the falls.  It was an awesome example of mother nature at her best!  As we crossed the bridge at the bottom of the falls there is not a good vantage point to view the falls until you ascend and go through the stone door and then you can look down on the falls and appreciate it much better than what was visible below.  With the rock formations scattered along the creek at the top leading to the falls it made a great place to just sit a spell and soak up the sunshine which was so generously available today.  You couldn't ask for better hiking weather than what we had today and along with the friendly crowd that turned out for today’s hike it made this hike spectacular to me.  We finished off the day with a stop at the foot of the mountain for a delicious lunch at a nearby Mexican Restaurant and the pork tacos were delicious.  With the enjoyable camaraderie and the lunches I may start looking forward to the Tuesday hikes as much as I do on the Saturday hikes!  If you weren’t out on the trail somewhere today you missed a great opportunity.  Happy Hiking!  To see some pictures, please click on the Glenn Falls tab above.
Larry.

The ideal mountain trail is one which has no end. The ideal trail journey is one which never turns back, but leads forever onward to discover what lies around the next bend and beyond the next crest.  (Elmer Adams)

Signal Mtn. High School

2.15.14  Todays hike was originally going to be travelling from Signal Mtn. High School to the CT parking lot in the Prentice Cooper WMA but due to our low turn-out of participants, George, our hike leader for this trek, decided to not waste our time in staging a vehicle on both ends but instead rework the hike to maintain approximately the same mileage by hiking to Poplar Springs from the High School and back so we just had to take one vehicle for the day.  I believe it worked out much better in that we were able to hit the trail a good hour earlier than originally thought.  There were only three of us today, George, Boodie and myself.  It started out as a cold, crisp morning so I got to try out my camouflage neoprene full face mask and it worked great to keep my face and ears toasty warm.  Most of the snow from the previous week was about gone from the trails but you could still see remnants around the ridges where the sun hadn’t reached yet.  The mileage was between 9 and 10 miles and it was definitely what I would rate as strenuous based on the ascension of several steep ridges between the High School and the Campground.  This was territory that I haven’t had the opportunity to hike previously so it made for a great hike.   Once we made our way to the Prentice Cooper WMA we stopped a few hundred yards below Poplar Springs to snack at an Overlook above Highway 27 and there we met three very nice hikers from the Knoxville area that were also doing a day hike along the CT as well.  I imposed on them to get their picture made with George and Boodie and I've included it among the many that are posted for this trek.  With any luck maybe we will see them again one day on the CT.  After our stop for snacks and conversation with the guys and girl from Knoxville we parted ways and proceeded to our destination of Poplar Springs and from there we headed back to the High School to end our hike for the day.  I know that even though we were lacking in the quantity of hikers for this trip, we more than made up for it in the quality of a great Saturday hike!  Hope to see ya’ll on the trail real soon!!!

Heiss Mtn. to Imodium Falls

2.8.14    Today's hike was originally scheduled for Retro Hughes Rd to Heiss Mtn Rd (10 miles thru the Possum Creek Gorges). The hikers (Boodie, Jane, George, and John) decided to change the hike to be from Heiss Mtn Rd to Imodium Falls and return (11 miles).
The hike was strenuous due to 3 significant climbs in each direction of the hike. The weather was cloudy and cool with only a few snow flakes noted.
Imodium Falls was running very well and made a nice (and cool) lunch spot. The trail was in good condition and everyone enjoyed the hike.