Lula Lake 1.27.18

We were a group of 11, which included 2 new friends, for the Lula Lake hike on Jan. 27.  While the sky was overcast(rain was on it's way in the p.m.), the temperature was moderate and we were able to keep a nice pace.  We started out on the S. Creek trail, then onto the Ovenbird trail.  From there we took the Jedi trail  which led us onto the Bluff trail.  There are 2 nice rest stops off this trail which has a wonderful view of the valley and beyond.  After a little snack we continued down the Bluff to Lula Lake.  We returned to the trail head via the Middle Trail.  We hiked a little over 4 mi. which had some nice ups & downs.  A good time was had by all.  If you would like to see a couple more pictures, click here.  

Sewanee Perimeter Trail 1.23.18

The air was cool, crisp and breezy for a nice walk in the woods. The night before I called my hiking buddy, George, to see if he was hiking this week just prior to his major surgery taking place on Friday the 26th and he answered in the affirmative which was no surprise to me for this gentlemen who has also been fighting cancer for a good while now but not letting it keep him from what we both love and that's being on the trails.

George has been the hiking coordinator of the Soddy Daisy Hiking Club for as long as I've known him and his scheduled hike was for a hike on the trails at Sewanee: The University of the South. Although we had accomplished a grueling hike bushwhacking over to Virgin Falls just a little over one week ago with Boodie Fox. I still wanted to get one more hike in with George before his surgery since I wasn't sure how long his recovery would take.

We carpooled up to the top of Monteagle, Tn where the college's trails are located and there was a total of 14 avid hikers who showed up for the morning hike. George and his wife Sarah, myself, Phil and Linda opted for the shorter leg to Green's View.

It was following along the upper rim and small ridges along the bluff area, for a total of 4 miles, short even by Geroge's standard but I didn't care since I knew I would be spending some quality time with my dear friend. It's also a special treat every time I hit a new trail that I've never experienced before. The views were Spectacular from several of the overlooks and I was assuming that I was looking down on the Winchester Tn farming community but I'm not sure. Prior to our hiking we were advised by Delores to try the Mountain Goat Market for an awesome lunch and she was right on, they make everything from scratch and the food was delicious - will definitely be taking my wife by there for lunch as we head back and forth to Nashville's Sarah Cannon Cancer Center each month for treatment.

The other 9 hikers opted for a 6 mile hike which I believe was following just below the mountain bluffs along a portion of the Perimeter Trail and being led by Delores Ladd. When we returned to the parking lot they were still out and there was something mentioned about one portion of their group taking a wrong turn on one of the splits but apparently that got resolved and from my understanding all returned safely to Chattanooga by that afternoon. That missed turn would have been fairly easy up there since the college provides great signage but I didn't spot any trail blazes on the trees along the way of our hike.

Please keep George in your thoughts and prayers as he undergoes a very difficult surgery later this week.

Thank you Larry for the great write up.

Thought for the Day: All of us could take a lesson from the weather. It pays no attention to criticism.

To see a bunch of really nice pictures, click here.

Leggett Road 1.16.18

Roaring Creek to McGill Creek. The trailhead is on the outskirts of Graysville near Roaring Creek. Approximately 5.6 miles, I would describe this hike as slightly moderate with some elevation and a couple of water crossings but with no slippery rock climbing.

On a cold January day in freezing temperatures, eight Soddy Daisy hikers wrapped up like tacos headed off for a little trail adventure. I should mention that three locals joined us for the duration. They were so cute we couldn’t keep our hands off them (see pics..). It is a short distance to a paved road where we crossed Roaring Creek and warmed up after a brief climb on the trail. Some hikers remarked that this hike had just the right amount of ups and downs…..not too hard but not too easy either. Trish and George were among the volunteers who cleared parts of this trail and moved large rocks to make the convenient stepping stones. Thanks to them, the climb was easier.

There is a second paved road crossing during the first mile or so of the trail. We moved right along without incident and enjoyed the seasonal view of the mountains. A muddy road (service? logging?) runs parallel to parts of the trail and can be an alternate route. Just before we reached McGill Creek, we missed a turn and came upon a water crossing which required a little improvising with a large fallen tree limb. After a few hikers crossed over with only “minor” incident, the rest of the group chose to look for an alternate route. They were successful. Shortly, we were all reunited at McGill Creek. It is an impressive wide creek and very scenic with a cascade that resembles an umbrella. A bridge is under construction at this site, so eventually you will be able to cross over. We snacked, admired the scenery and enjoyed interacting with our furry tag-alongs until the frigid temperature forced us to get moving on the trail. For a short distance, the trail runs parallel to the creek. Snowflakes began to fall on the way back, but with our final destination (lunch) for motivation, we forged on. The afternoon ended, happily, with tacos in hand.

If you would like to see a bunch of nice pictures, click here.

There were 11 of us on this easy to moderate hike. We started at the Nickajack connector trailhead and walked for 2 1/2 miles on the Cloudland Connector trail. It had rained, froze,and defrosted before our walk on Tues. which means we were walking in the mud. We were slated to walk 6 miles but we reached the bridge at 2 1/2 and decided to turn around and get back a little earlier and eat lunch.
If you would like to see a few pictures, click here.

Roaring Creek 1.6.17

This hike started out really cold and then warmed up to a balmy 32F by the end of the hike.  The day was perfectly clear.  The distance was about 8.5 miles and it was considered moderately strenuous.  The toughest part being the climb to the bluff top in the 2nd mile of the hike.  The group had a relatively chilly lunch about half way through the hike. 
To see some pictures of some cold hikers, click here.