Retro Hughes Rd. 6.26.18

What a hike!  The only two things that saved me were George and the weather.  This was only a 5.1 mile hike, but the return was a killer.  Lucky the weather was overcast and cool for this time of year.  It had been raining the previous week so the trail was wet and very slippery at times.  Going down to the Rock Creek Bridge was not too bad.  You did notice that I said "down" as the return was a steady slog back up the mountain.  We got a little disoriented once, but thanks to the GPS, we were able to get back onto the trail.  There were 10 of us on this hike and a few smart ones turned back at about the halfway mark.  We did see a beautiful copper head right next to the trail.  Since I was very slow, this hike took me almost 4.5 hours!  At one point the ladder had broken so we had to bushwack our way over some rocks.  Following the hike several of us had lunch at the Blue Ribbon.  If you would like to see some pictures and maps, click here. 

Black Mountain 6.19.18

It was a rather long ride to black mountain for a what turned out to be a relatively short hike.  The ride turned out to be really nice with lots of good conversation along the way.  Boodie, the hike leader grew up in the area and was able to inform his passengers about all the local lore.  It was good that we left early, because by the time the group of eight, arrived it was starting to get hot and humid.  The drive up the mountain was interesting as it was a one-way road with two-way traffic!  Once we arrived at the parking lot everything went smoothly.  We had decided on the shorter loop around the top of the mountain.  A three mile branch hike was voted down.  At one time in the 20's, there was a Methodist camp on the mountain.  Hence the spring building and chimney.  I would rate this one hour and 45 minute hike as an easy 2.3 miles.  We dipped down into a field of towering boulders and walked out onto view points that offered a staggering view of the valley below.  Following the narrow ride back down, most of the group of  the group had a catfish dinner at a local restaurant.  If you would like to see some pictures, click here.

Glenn Falls 6.16.18

Seven hardy hikers showed up for the Saturday hike to Glen Falls on Lookout Mountain.  What fools these mortals be.  They entrusted their safety and well being in me leading them on my first time as hike leader.  At the conclusion of the hike I thanked them for not getting injured or lost because I didn't want to have to submit any additional paperwork.  The hike got underway about 8:30.  The temperature was in the 70's and heading higher.  The humidity seemed bearable.  The first and most difficult part of the hike was the hike up to an unmarked road which we easily crossed.  The ascent was a cardio workout.  We continued to the most dangerous part of our journey, crossing OCHS Hwy at approximately .5 miles from the falls.  The trail then led to the falls and pool under the falls.  Though the falls was still flowing, it was at a reduced rate.  We had lunch and returned to the parking lot at Ruby Falls. Exiting at a little past noon.  The trail though not blazed, was used enough so getting lost was not a concern.  The hottest part of the hike was the walk back from the trailhead (near the incline RR) to the parking lot.  We were out from under the trail canopy at that point.  Everyone said it was a good hike. If you would like to see some pictures, click here. 

Lula Lake 6.12.18

This was an unusual day for our club.  Instead of hiking this day, we became gardeners.  Donna worked her magic and made a deal with the Lula Lake Land Trust that if we would do some gardening, they would allow us to do some hiking, in the future, when the park would normally be closed.  Nine of us then went to the park and were joined by a horticulturist from the Aquarium and did some weeding!  There is a small garden that has been planted with various flowering plants to attract butterflies.  It was in desperate need of watering and weeding.  It only took us about 1.5 hours to weed, mulch and water the garden.  Following this we went on a short walk to the waterfall and back.  It was a beautiful day, but the falls were not at their maximum.  Following the walk, all of us went to the On The Corner restaurant and had a very nice lunch.  If you would like to see some pictures, click here. 

Heiss Mtn. 6.9.18

Three diehards, or 2 diehards and 1 individual of questionable judgement, showed up for what was listed as Heiss Mountain to Sluder Lane but ended up to be Heiss Mountain to Stacked Rock.  What was listed as an eleven mile hike, turned out to be about 8 miles.  We departed from the trailhead at approximately 8:15 am.  The weather was bearable with higher humidity and possible thunder showers late in the afternoon.  We made our way to the first bridge at Big Possum Creek with little fanfare.  The ascent along the way to Perkins Point is where it began to get more difficult.  The temp began to rise along with the humidity.  Along this part of the hike one of our hikers decided he would drop back and meet us on our return trek.  Two of us continued to the second bridge at Little Possum Creek.  At this point I was given the option to continue or turn back.  In retrospect I should have opted to return.  We made our ascent to Stacked Rock.  At this point I realized I may have erred on how much reserve I had to make the trek back.  We turned back at this point and returned to Little Possum Creek bridge and had our lunch.  We began our ascent up to Perkins Point.  For me this was the most difficult part of the trek back.  We made 2 more major descents and ascents on the return to the trailhead.  The temperature and humidity continued to rise.  Along the trail back we ran into a trail runner who was going to do the entire trail from the trailhead to Retro Hughes and back.  John and I said if we were 10 years younger we would gladly join him.  We continued our exit (at a considerably slower speed).  Sounds of approaching thundershowers failed to deliver any moisture.  At one point I passed under a rock outcropping and stuck my head under the cascading water - it was wonderful.  When I reached Little Possum Creek bridge, I flashed on scenes of marathon runners who collapse within sight of the finish line because they have exhausted all the glycogen in their muscles.  That's the way I felt.  Just before exiting the trail we saw a young woman lounging in a pool of water under a waterfalls.  She seemed to be the only sane person on the trail this day.  We exited the trail at approximately 3:15 pm. 

Heiss Mountain continues to be a challenge for me.  I learned on this trip to make sure I have enough liquid to remain hydrated, get plenty of rest prior to attempting to hike this trail (I logged 9.5 miles the night before while attending The Riverbend Festival.  This trail is above all challenging and rewarding if you respect it's challenges, especially in the summer.  If you would like to see some photos of the hike, click here.