Prentice Cooper 2.1.2025

 I don't have a write-up for this hike, but if you would like to see some pictures taken during this hike, click here or on the picture to the right.  

If at first you don't succeed, skydiving is not for you!

Big Red Loop Trail, White Oak Mtn. 1.28.2025

Today, 21 hikers enjoyed a beautiful morning of hiking the Big Red Loop Trail on White Oak Mountain. We huffed and puffed uphill for the first mile or so and then began to smell the sweet aromas emanating from the Little Debbie factory. Along the way, we also encountered pretty Beech trees and frozen fungi. The trail gave us a good work out, with approximately 5 miles of switchbacks and ups and downs. The morning was sunny and the company was good. We even got to taste homemade toffee offered by a fellow hiker at the end of our hike. It was delicious! 

 If you would like to see some really nice pictures taken during this hike click here or on the picture above.

The first five days after the weekend are the hardest.  

Jacks River Falls 1.18.2025

 

Despite the possibility of rain on a day with temperatures in the low 40’s, Tom, Cynthia, and hike leader Betsy made our way down Beech Bottom Creek Trail to the Jacks River and then along the river to the spectacular Jacks River Falls. The first trail descends gradually down and around several ridges, so it wasn’t bad going up on the return trip. Although there were indeed a fair number of downed trees, as reported in AllTrails, all except two were easy to step over or under or around. The one big exception was a douzy! A big tree had fallen across a whitewater creek at exactly the spot where there had been stepping stones. Further upstream, all three of us were able to prance across rocks to the other side, but unfortunately the latter was a steep wooded hillside with a steeper rockface along the side of the creek. Since it seemed probable that anyone taking the latter route would slip into the creek on this cold day, we all tried to detour by going uphill. After several aborted attempts up slick slopes and/or through gobs of thorny greenbrier, we finally made it over to the continuation of the trail. There we discovered that the creek just below the downed tree could probably be crossed with only one wet step. This proved to be the case on our way back, thank goodness. All agreed that the multilayered falls was well worth the 9.1-mile round trip hike, even with the bushwhacking detour (which we were glad we did not have to do twice). Our drive into and out of the Cohutta Wilderness for this hike was not bad at all, especially since the highest dirt road had just been graded.

 

Savage Gulf 1.14.2025

 

Hike leader Betsy and Tammy, Tom, and Tim (the three T’s) ventured out to Savage Gulf State Park after a week of snow, then ice, then more ice, having determined that the roads on the plateau had more or less recovered from the wintry weather. The weather was good, somewhat on the cold side but manageable. What was not manageable, however, was the trail to Collins Gulf once it became steep. Ice was plentiful and slick! This was at least partly due to hikers who had gone down the trail earlier in the week and turned the snow into ice. Fortunately Tammy was familiar with the relatively flat Savage loop Trail at the nearby east entrance to the park, so we headed there and had a fine time! We even checked out Savage Falls without much trouble. We racked up 5 to 6 miles and felt virtuous. Another glorious day in the great outdoors!

Mobray Pike 1.4.2025

 We started our hike by staging a car on Hot Water Road and proceeded to Mobray Pike Trailhead.  We started our hike with the temperature in the upper 20's and with semi-clear skies. Perfect weather  to keep hikers moving at a brisk pace in order to stay warm. We made our way on the trail which runs  just below the Cumberland plateau. The skies cleared and the breeze that was blowing as we started  the hike, went away. We arrived at our first view point where we could see the twin towers at  Sequoyah Power Station. We continued on the trail enroute to Posey Point. Along the way we were  presented with great views of rocky bluffs, deep creek gorges and water falls. The creek and falls had a good amount of water flowing in then. We crossed Hot Water Road and continued climbing up to  Posey Point. We then back-tracked on the trail to Hot Water Road where 3 weary hikers ended the  hike. It was a moderately strenuous 8 mile hike with between 800' and 1000' elevation gain.

If you would like to see some photos taken during this hike, click here or on the picture above.  

Sometimes I want to drop my kids off in 1985 just to see how long they would make it.