Hello world, it has been a while since I have taken time to write about my trail adventures. I am a few hikes behind here so let’s get going. On Monday September 30, 2019, I ventured back over to the Abrams Creek Area of my favorite National Park. September was hot, very hot and dry. I stopped for some Gatorade and water and snacks before hitting the Foothills Parkway to make my way to Happy Valley. Once again I struggled to get up and get on the road. My rotating 12 hour shift schedule seems to suck the life force and motivation right out of me. The secret to overcoming is get up even when your body and mind are screaming in protest and forcing your way forward against the inertia. It is proving over and over to be a most difficult thing to overcome. When I do the rewards encourage me, but it is an ongoing battle for me. On this day, I made it!

I pulled into the hikers parking lot which is about 1/2 mile more or less from the trail head which is located in the campground. There were fewer campers today than there were the last time I was here. I used the facilities and struck out on Cooper Road Trail covering familiar ground. For some reason the trail seemed a little steeper, a little more challenging than it had been on my last hike. I passed where Little Bottom Trail intersects with Cooper Road and continued on up past Goldmine trail then I passed Cane Creek Trail and was on new trail for me. Cooper Road Trail is an old Road bed that connects Happy Valley to Cade’s Cove. It has a wide profile and the definition of tracks still remains in many places. It is not overly rocky or rooted out, the footing, therefore is good. I climbed towards the juncture with Hatcher’s Mountain and Beard Cane trails. The heat was relentless and I was sweating heavily. I got to the 4 way intersection of 3 trails and turned right onto the 2 mile Hatcher’s Mountain Trail. I paused here for a snack from the bounty I had acquired at the Weigals in Sevierville. I was a wee bit more fatigued than I had expected to be at this point in my 11+/- mile loop. Perhaps a bit due to the difficulty I have in getting enough rest when I am working, and perhaps even more due to the physical exertion of the climb combined with the humid heat.

There is a swath of destruction from an EF 4 tornado that hit this area of the Park in April of 2011. That was over 8 years ago and nature is reclaiming the damaged ground, but the canopy of leafy shade I had enjoyed to this point became spotty in places. I walked lengths of trail exposed to the bright sunshine, it seemed to reach down and leach the hydration from my system quicker than I could replace it from what was quickly proving to be an inadequate supply. Hatcher’s Mountain Trail is only 2 miles or so in length so I rationed and trudged on checking out the scenery, the broken trees, the open spaces, the grasses, bushes, briars and small trees growing in abundance. The trail also descended from Cooper Road so at least I wasn’t climbing.

I was glad to reach Little Bottom Trail. Lots of folks wanting to hike into Abrams Falls, one of the most popular waterfalls in the Smokies, hike in from Abrams Creek Campground on Little Bottom Trail, avoiding the masses of humanity that come into the falls from Cades Cove. I didn’t cross paths with other hikers on this day. I was glad to reach the last leg of my loop and imagined Little Bottom Trail would be an easy stretch of trail back along the river to intersect with Cooper Road. Alas, it was not. Partly due to my fatigue, and the heat, the scramble up narrow parts of trail that looked down on the river gorge challenged me physically in ways I haven’t felt challenged in a while. I drank the last of my Gatorade and water long before the end of Little Bottom. I was so ready for level ground when I finally found some, I sat down with a huge deep sigh of relief and contemplated my reasons for being where I was. I still had a ways to go to get back to my Jeep.

I sucked up my resolve and hiked on. I was rewarded by an awesome wildlife encounter as I came upon a black bear turning over and grubbing under river rocks on the bank opposite of the trail. I got a decent picture unlike my last 2 bear encounters on trail. That pepped me up and on that burst of energy I hiked on. I took a short break at campsite 17 and snacked on an energy packet.

I came upon the Cooper Road intersection with great relief, knowing the campground then my Jeep were not much further. It was a good hike with varying scenery and challenges. It is a nice loop hike for a day hike out of the Abrams Creek Campground.

On Wednesday September 25, 2019, I rolled out of bed, getting a later start than I intended. I think I am getting a handle on this awesome swing shift crazy schedule; but I believe I am just kidding myself. I had my clock set to get an early start but I felt so bad when it went off I rolled over for a couple more hours of wretched sleep. When I opened my bleary eyes again I got up, deciding I could feel bad laying around the house or I could feel bad doing something.

I got my maps out and put together an in and out hike for my first adventure from the Abram’s Creek Campground in Happy Valley. I am starting to try and get some trail miles in on the ‘far’ side of the park. There are a lot of blank spaces to fill on my map and most are further than nearer. I marked out nearly 12 miles for the day, intending to go out Cooper Road to the short .8 mile spur trail Goldmine to the Park boundary, then back to Cooper and on to the 2.1 mile Cane Creek trail, venturing once again to the Park Boundary. I would finish my day by backtracking to the Jeep.

My route to Abram’s Creek would take me through Sevierville to Wear’s Valley, where I would take the Foothills Parkway to its end then take a left on Hwy 129 in Chilhowee. About 50 ft from where the Foothills Parkway ends I would take another left onto Happy Vally Road and drive until I got to the sign for the Campground.

At the campground entrance there is a hiker’s parking area. It is about a 1/2 mile walk to the trail head from the parking area. There is no place for hikers to park in the campground.

The scenic drive over the Parkway is in itself a real visual treat. Unloading my stuff at noonish, I hoped I would have enough daylight to finish my intended quest. I hit the flush toilet in the campground then set out on the trail.

Cooper’s Road is a 10.9 mile trail that goes from Abram’s Creek to Cade’s Cove. I planned on doing 3.5 miles of it. It was the main access to Cades Cove in the days of the settlers, it is the wide well defined remnants of a road turned hiking trail, and makes for easy hiking. I drove and walked off the yucky feeling I woke with and by the time I got to Goldmine Trail I was feeling pretty good. I turned left on the .8 mile spur and began the short ascent to the Park boundary. About 3/4 of the way up the trail I heard a loud rustling to my left and looked up into the forest to see an enormous bear butt hustling away from me. I was glad to see it and even happier it was going away from me. I found the boundary and retraced my steps to Cooper Road and made my way to Cane Creek.

Cane Creek goes out 2.1 miles to the Park Boundary. There is a neat cemetery out this trail and campsite #2. It is a nice quiet little trek, the route not overly strenuous. At the well marked boundary I turned once again to retrace my steps. I took a nice snack break at Campsite #2. I only saw a few other souls out and about. It has been really hot and dry this September and today was no exception. I had plenty of water and a Gatorade and stayed well hydrated. I did this hike in approximately 5 hours, which is a good time for me. The Abrams Creek area is not congested like Cades Cove. I will be exploring the other trails located here over the next few weeks!

The awesome healing power of time spent in nature cannot be overstated. I felt like a totally different person coming out of the woods from the one who went in! Happy Hiking, my friends!

 

On Sunday September 15, 2019, Mom and I set out on a short adventure to Hot Springs National Park in Hot Springs, Arkansas. Back in June our annual Park adventure was incomplete due to a family tragedy that prevented Mom from going along. I decided to take her and let her experience this unique little Park so we packed up and hit the road Sunday afternoon after church. It was a pleasant 12 hour drive down I40 to Little Rock then to Hot Springs where we stayed at a nice little historic Hotel The Happy Hollow!

When we were in Arkansas camping at Lake Ouichita in June, it was hot and muggy. I had chosen to return in September on my ‘long weekend’ hoping for more temperate weather. We were to be denied this as temperatures soared into the upper 90’s with the heat index going above 100. We appreciated the air conditioner in our little room.

Monday we checked out the historic bath houses and spent some time in the walk in pools at QuaPaw bath house. That was a relaxing interlude. On Monday I picked up a trail map from the visitor center and determined I would climb Hot Springs Mountain to the Tower.

As I studied the trail map of interconnecting trails and put the distances together in my head I stretched my initial intended hike out to include other trails and explore this little mountain. The trails are all well marked and well defined most having a good gravel base and many having benches to rest upon. The heat was a challenge so I went early and started my hike by crossing the road from The Happy Hollow and walking up the short Fountain Trail to Honeysuckle trail which connected to the Peak Trail which climbs Hot Springs Mountain to the Tower. Having done this I retraced my steps and took a right onto the Hot Springs Mountain Trail to meet the Upper Dogwood Loop, I turned left to the Lower Dogwood Loop and completed this nice little loop to the Floral trail back to Honeysuckle and back to the Fountain trail. All in all I did around 3.4 miles on my morning jaunt.

Mom and I played tourist for a few hours and when she tired we came back to the Happy Hollow. It was around 4:00 pm the temperature around 95 and promising to hold there until after dark. I decided to go back out on the trails and explore some more. I had seen the sign for Goat Rock Trail on the Upper Dogwood Loop and headed that way. I ventured back to Floral Trail hooked up on the Upper Dogwood Loop and made my way to the Goat Rock Trail. The trail was challenging on this hot day, but the views from Goat Rock were fabulous. I climbed up to the viewing platform on Goat Rock and looked out on the Ouichita Mountains. I could see the coasters at Magic Springs in the distance. I will never forget the trip to Magic Springs we made in June.

On my way from the viewing platform on Goat Rock to the intersection with the Gulpha Gorge Trail I encountered my first ever hiking naked enthusiast, the gentleman apologized and covered and I hid my eyes and hurried past. What do you say, really? It takes all kinds I guess. I met a couple of ladies with dogs further along and I petted the dogs and made small talk. I made my way on Gulpha Gorge back to Upper Dogwood then to the Floral Trail and back to the Happy Hollow. I logged 3.8 miles on this excursion.

I was glad I took the time to explore these National Park Trails. They are very nicely laid out and challenging without being too awfully difficult. I saw more of Hot Springs National Park on our return venture than when we checked it out in the summer.

On Saturday September 7, 2019, I met my friend Tammy in Limestone, Tn and we drove the short distance from her place to Horse Creek in the Cherokee National Forest in Greene County. Horse Creek is a nice recreation area with creekside camping and picnicking. We stopped at the campground to check out the information board and had a nice conversation with the campground hostess. She confirmed verbally the directions to the Squibb Creek Trailhead we had researched.

Leaving the campground we drove the short distance to the paved parking area where the pavement ended and the Forest  Service gravel road began. There were many Jeeps lined up to take a back country jaunt up the Jeep trail to the top of the mountain. People were surprised when we parked and gathered our hiking gear. One gentleman invited us to fall in. We had the preferred vehicle after all and why walk? He mused when we had 4 perfectly good tires.

We goodnaturedly declined and wished them well as they headed out. We followed on foot about 200 ft up the road to the bridge crossing the creek that would lead up to our trail head. There are 3 trails that split eventually and Squibb Creek would be the one on the right. The trails are not well marked we were warned but they are marked and it took us a little poking around to find the right one.

We passed a sign saying we were entering the Sampson Mountain Wilderness. A little ways past the sign we walked past an A-framed Cabin warning us to avoid disturbing it as it is private property. Just past the cabin the trail crossed the creek. Being September and dry we rock hopped this and all water crossings with ease.

A little ways up from the creek the trail splits 3 ways and we hung right and found the sign for Squibb Creek Trail #23 letting us know we were on the right path. The trail is defined and it wasn’t overgrown making it easy to follow along most of its length. It had some rocky, rooty places and it had lengths that were easily traversed on a soft forest base. It has some decent inclines but these were balanced with nice straightways. The trail was listed as moderate and I will concur with this rating.

Up close to the Falls the trail becomes a little trickier to follow as it crosses and recrosses the creek as it winds its way upward. The trail ends where the water tumbles over the cliff. It is a very nice little waterfall. Water levels being low the volume spilling over the cliff face wasn’t a great amount but it was picturesque.

The hike took us around 3 hours. We were not in a hurry at all as we caught up with the changes in one another’s lives over the past several months. It is good to reconnect with friends and nature. Horse Creek has several other trail options we plan to explore in the future! Until our next hike!

On Saturday August 17, 2019 my son Shane and I made our way to the North Carolina side of my beloved Smokies to hike the 2.8 mile trek up the Mt Sterling Trail to the Mt Sterling Fire Tower.

The trip up to the trail head was made for the Jeep. We left I40 at the Waterville exit and drove past the white water rafting drop zone towards the entrance to Big Creek. We made the left onto NC 284 and headed up the mountain on the gravel road. There were places I was glad we did not meet oncoming traffic, other sections made me appreciate my Wrangler. We wound our way along keeping our eye out for the trail head enjoying each other’s company, catching up on life’s details and talking about all the things we would like to do.

The Trailhead is located at Mt Sterling Gap. There was one car at the pull off and it looked like there was room for several more vehicles. We parked and as we unloaded another car pulled in. We spoke to our fellow hikers and headed out.

The trail is steep and challenging. It is a wide well defined trail. We began our ascent at what I thought was a decent clip. I am not a fast hiker so what I think is a decent clip is really not that fast. It was hot, it didn’t take long to break a sweat. This trail is all business. It climbs the mountain to the crest where the Fire Tower waits promising fantastic panoramic views. It rises and you climb. It is relentless, it is steep and the footing can get problematic due to rocks and roots in places. It is beautiful.

At one point, sucking serious wind, gulping Gatorade I looked over at my athletic 26 yr old son and noticed to my dismay he wasn’t really breaking much of a sweat. I asked him if he was feeling the challenge of the climb at all, he smiled and shrugged.

Our fellow hikers caught up to us and we chatted a few. The heat and humidity added to the challenge of the hike. I could feel it in my legs, my stamina letting me know where I am physically. I need the challenge of the climb. I need these mountains si I can reset internally. I looked at trees and foliage and I breathed in the mountain air and I climbed thanking God for my health, for my son, for the beauty of the day.

We finally topped out and walked some level trail towards the Fire Tower. Shane climbed the tower and took some great pictures. I am not too good with heights and the rickety look of the tower put me off the challenge. I checked out campsite 38 at the base of the tower while my adventurous son climbed up and down the tower. There were folks already at the tower. We had passed one group of backpackers descending as we ascended the trail. There are other ways to the tower. Baxter Creek from Big Creek is another trail that is fairly popular access to the Tower.

We hiked back to the Jeep the loose rock in the trail threatening ankles and balance on the descent. I used my walking stick several times to stabilize my footing.

This trail is the most direct route to Mt Sterling Fire Tower and is fairly popular for that fact. It was a great day for a hike and we took full advantage of it.

 

 

On Sunday July 21, 2019, I ventured back to my favorite place on earth, The Great Smokey Mountains National Park. I had reserved a room in Gatlinburg, Tn for the weekend. On Friday we attended the IHOF banquet and on Saturday I competed in the Hall of Fame tournament for the first time in many years. It was a wonderful two days of renewed friendships and intense competition. Through it all I looked forward to my planned hike.

I got up Sunday morning and was at the Trailhead by 7:41 am. There were only a few cars at this very popular trailhead. I disembarked along with a couple other carloads of individuals. The morning was overcast and cool, good hiking weather. I spoke to some of my fellow hikers as I set off. The trail has been reconditioned recently. I appreciated the upgrades as I began what was to be a good climb. Elevation gain from the parking area to Mt. Leconte is over 3800 ft in 6.6 miles. The Falls are a popular destination for dayhikers and I was passed by couples heading for the Falls, only one group of hikers were heading all the way to Mt. Leconte Lodge.

The trail follows alongside the creek for a ways. The sound of the water loud as it rushes along its bed. I stopped once or twice just to listen and enjoy one of nature’s most soothing sounds. I took lots of pictures glad to be on trail again after a long absence. I felt strong as I climbed. The new steps both built in and created from rocks were sweet making the path forward easier. The trail wound away from the creek, and the climb grew more intense. I passed folks returning from the Falls.

The Falls are 2.8 miles up the trail. When I arrived at the Falls I saw the group of gentlemen who were going on up to Leconte disappearing up the trail past the Falls. I took a moment and soaked in the sight of the Falls. I had them to myself.  Then I took a deep breath of sweet mountain air and began the climb to Mt. Leconte Lodge.

The evidence of the Chimney Tops Fire that ravaged Gatlinburg began to show along the trail. There were burned tree trunks and open vistas. Grass and shrubs and young trees demonstrated the regeneration of the land. The threat of rain became a light shower I put on my hat and soldiered on. The clouds enshrouded the forest as I gained elevation. Walking through the misty clouds that give the Smokies their name I tried to capture what I was experiencing but pictures can never quite do that.

I caught my fellow hikers and passed them as they snacked. I was passed again as I checked out a side trail to rocky overlook. As I neared Leconte I focused on my goal. To get to the Lodge and take a short break then head down Bull Head Trail for a full day of hiking. 14.2 total trail miles.

The Lodge was a welcome sight, I climbed out of the hazy clouds and the sun shown brightly on the Lodge. I took pictures then headed back down. I passed a doe on the side of the trail. She stood magnificently unconcerned about my approach until I finally got too close then she disappeared into the forest. Bull Head split from Rainbow about 1/2 mile down from Leconte and I left Rainbow Trail to tackle Bull Head.

It drizzled sgain as I entered the fog of the clouds. And down I went. I took pictures of flowers and fungi and butterflies. I began to feel the miles as I descended. It has been a while since I have gone this far. I passed one couple coming up Bull Head then had the trail to myself for the rest of the day. I walked out of the forest into the devastated landscape recovering from the great fire. The grass was knee high. As I walked a Bobcat rose in the grass ahead of me and slinked off. It happened so quickly I was not able to get a picture. But I saw the big cat a really cool wildlife encounter.

As I made my way down the grassy trail the sun beat down and sweat rolled down my back. I tasted a few wild blackberries and marveled at the landscape, the blackened tree trunks up and down the mountain sides ethereally beautiful and haunting; the grasses and wildflowers reaching for the sun. I got hot and my feet tired. I passed the pulpit the stack of rocks put there by the CCC who laid out the trails in the early days of the Park. I found out from my Dad that my grandfather actually ran a CCC crew for a few years. Both sides of my family  has history tied to this beautiful park.

The last leg of this hike was a challenge as I struggled with fatigue and aches and pains cropping up in my joints. Going down is harder on me than climbing. I got a nice view of the Park Vista from Bull Head.

This is a challenging hike with a little bit of everything to offer. Waterfalls, Mt Leconte Lodge, the Pulpit. Fantastic views due to the fire ravaged landscape. I came off trail at 6:30. I was glad I did not have to drive home!

On Thursday June 20, 2019, we loaded up the Jeep and headed to Lake Ouachita State Park in Arkansas. Every year we go to a National Park and our objective this year was the smallest of the National Parks, Hot Springs National Park. Hot Springs National Park has a nice smallish campground that is first come first serve and I did not want to drive over 10 hours to discover that there were no open spaces, so I reserved a site at Lake Ouachita State Park within easy driving of Hot Springs so we would have a site when we got to our destination.

Lake Ouachita is a very nice State Park, We had a site on Loop D, tent camping. The sites are limited to 2 tents but I managed to luck out and score a second site as we had 3 tents between our two family groups. The campground was full for the weekend and I bet that is the case for most of the summer. The Lake is a real jewel. It is the largest man made lake in Arkansas and touted as the cleanest. The campsite was nice, the bath house was free and well maintained. We enjoyed our stay.

It was hot and muggy. The air so thick and humid that the sweat did not evaporate from the skin as we headed out for the 4 mile hike on the premiere trail for this park. The Caddo Bend Trail is a loop that follows the shoreline of the peninsula where our campsite was located. We went left instead of right going opposite of the recommended route. The trail is well marked with signs telling about the geography, wildlife and history of the Ouachita mountains and the formation of the Lake along with mileage markers. Our two teenage girls had enough hiking and departed our company to return to camp via the access road that splits the peninsula creating a shorter easier route to the observation deck at the  tip of the peninsula.

The trail has nice views of the lake in places and we saw quite a bit of wildlife. We saw does and a buck with a nice rack and a doe and spotted fawn. We saw squirrels and a Raptor soaring overhead. There  was a turtle crossing the path. There were a couple of nice bridges and the trail had a bit of everything, we climbed some rocks and took pictures on the lake shore. A tornado crossed the peninsula in 2011 and its path was easily discernible. The land is recovering.

The trail was challenging with several little climbs as one wends one’s way around the peninsula. At the tip of the peninsula is a wooden oservation deck with great views of the lake. We met a couple from Memphis and had a nice conversation. The walk back to the vehicle had us in more sun. As we neared the end of our walk at the trail head we heard a weak female voice call ‘Dad!’ And our teenagers rejoined us for the final leg with a tale of grand adventure.

The park also has a short 1/2 mile nature trail loop called the Dogwood trail. I checked it out Tuesday morning at the end of my morning jog.

We shared our campsite with a monster of a trapdoor spider and at least one maybe more Arkansas Chocolate tarantulas. They made for interesting times as we watched them do their thing.

I would heartily recommend Lake Ouachita State Park. The Lake really is it’s jewel. We swam, kayaked, took a sunset cruise on this beautiful lake. The Park Rangers and staff are friendly and very helpful. The camp store and marina are nice and well stocked and the park has many scheduled activities for families.

On Friday May 24, 2019, I met my sister Donna at exit 20 and we loaded into the Jeep and headed into Cataloochee once again. Cataloochee is an enchanting Valley and the remnants of its past intriguing. The loop hike Donna planned would take us out Rough Fork trail past the the Woody house and then we would climb up to the junction with Caldwell Fork trail. We would follow Caldwell Fork past junctures with Hemphill Bald and McKee trails to the intersection with Big Fork Ridge Trail. Big Fork Ridge would then bring us back to our vehicle.

It has gone from winter to summer with only a teasing brush with spring here. Temperatures were projected to be in the mid to upper 80’s with humidity, of course. We parked the Jeep at the Big Fork Ridge Trailhead and well prepared with water, Gatorade and snacks and a wetting cloth to help us cool down, we put on our packs and headed to the Rough Fork Trail Head at the end of the road in Cataloochee. It was a very short walk to this trail head.

Rough Fork Trail is a 6.4 mile trail linking Cataloochee with Polls Gap. Our route would take us 2.9 miles of its length. The first mile is mostly flat along an old road grade to the Woody house. There are several footlog bridges crossing Rough Fork. It is a nice stroll accompanied by the peaceful sounds of rushing water. I took a moment to poke around inside the Woody House. We sat on the front porch and dabbed Citronella oil on exposed skin and in our hair to ward off the swarming gnats. It was mostly successful in that the gnats were a tolerable nuisance as opposed to being a black cloud that engulfed the head and moved as we moved.

Once we were past the Woody house we saw the sign for campsite 40. Donna said it was a pretty cool campsite and I took her word for it instead of exploring it myself. The water flowed close by the trail and I thought about wetting my cooling cloth and draping it around my neck, but I wasn’t overheating and there’s always more water in these mountains. I would regret that as we left the creekside and began to climb. We climbed around 1000+ ft in less than 2 miles. It was not bad Trail. There were not a lot of roots or rocks. The heat and the relentless incline had us sweating profusely and cursing ourselves for not taking advantage of the easily accessible creek to wet our cooling rags. Red faced and breathing hard, we were slowly making progress. We stopped frequently to drink and catch our breath and check our mileage on our fit bit watches. Heart rates high we climbed, the trees broke in a few places and allowed us a nice view of nearby mountains. The trail maintenance crews had been hard at work, the evidence of it displayed by chainsawed tree trunks. There were a lot of cleared blowdowns on our route.

We huffed and puffed along finally taking a sit down break at this flat place on the trail. Remarking that we had to be close to the juncture we loaded back up and walked a few feet further down the trail and discovered we were indeed close to the juncture.

At the juncture with Caldwell Fork we met a solitary lady working on her map. She was doing a loop out of Polls Gap and we had a very nice conversation. We parted, she heading on up Rough Fork and we headed down Caldwell Fork.

Caldwell Fork was a very pretty Trail. Going downhill and a slight breeze added to its appeal. For the most part it was easy walking, the only obstacles were water hazards. There were places in the trail where water, mud, and rocks made progression tricky if you didn’t particularly want to get your feet muddy. I misjudged the solidity of the ground and sank into muck up over the top of my shoes a couple of times. The decline in Caldwell Fork was fairly gentle so it wasn’t hard on my knees. We passed campsite 41, a nice looking back country spot next to the creek, Hemphill Bald, McKee and took a food break at the juncture with Big Fork Ridge Trail.

We wetted our cloths before climbing the 500 ft elevation gain ahead of us on this final leg of our loop. The cool cloth on the back of my neck was nice as my heart rate increased and I began to sweat seriously. It was not the most difficult or longest climb of the day, that one was behind us. When we topped out I paused and rested a few before heading down the mountain. Big Fork Ridge Trail climbs over Big Fork Ridge connecting the Rough Fork watershed to the Caldwell Fork watershed. It was with a sense of accomplishment we made our way over the Ridge and out of the Forest. The trail itself is a soft forest floor base with a few rocks and roots here and there. It is easy walking. The views it offers at times are nice. This loop hike adds up to 9.3 trail miles. We did it in 6.5 hours. The heat and frequent rest breaks slowing our time. Some things are not meant to be rushed after all.

Stepping onto a trail is stepping out of everyday into a special place where everything is slowed down and all concerns and worries can be brushed aside. The heat and humidity add to the challenge but with pacing and adequate hydration it is a doable challenge. Refreshed at the end of the trail one can pick up the concerns of life and look at them from a different perspective. Hike on my friends. There are many trails and too little time.

 

 

On Wednesday, May 8, 2019 I met my sister and brother in law near exit 20 off I-40 for a day hike in Cataloochee. This was my first visit to the preserved community on the North Carolina side of my Favorite National Park. I rode into the park with Donna and Robert and was given a short driving tour spotlighting trail heads for future adventures and checking out the historic buildings from the road.

We parked at the trail head for Pretty Hollow Gap Trail. There is a picnic area and toilets here so one can start their hike fresh. The plan was an in and out on Little Cataloochee Trail for a total of 12 trail miles.

The days adventure began with 0.8 mile walk up Pretty Hollow Gap to the intersection with Little Cataloochee Trail a 5.2 mile section of trail that terminates at Hwy 284. It is a horse and hiking trail and evidence of equine activity was scattered along our route. The walk out Pretty Hollow was easy, the sun was out and there was a taste of summer in the warm, humid air.

Little Cataloochee began its ascent immediately as we left Pretty Hollow. The ground on the right side of the trail had been burned recently as the blackened charred remains of dead trees and lack of significant undergrowth testified to the fire. The left side of the trail was green with growth, a scattering of wildflowers brightening the landscape. The trail itself is rocky, muddy and wet with some water flowing down the trail itself in places Hiking poles or a stick are recommended as the footing can be treacherous due to the slick rocky base of the trail in many places.

Little Davidson Branch Creek flows back and forth and the trail up towards Davidson Gap crosses and recrosses it several times creating some easy and some more challenging crossings. We had fun taking pictures of one another gracefully or not crossing this little water hazard. Robert had the most fun salamander spotting.

We left the creek and began a serious climb towards Davidson Gap. The trail ascended past a really long rock wall and switchbacked to rise towards the Gap the highest point of our hike. At the Gap, a nice flat place with a couple of horse ties flanking a couple of logs used for resting, we took a short break before heading down into Little Cataloochee.

The descent out of the Gap passed another rock wall and switched back and went down to where it became more road than trail. One of the best things about this hike was exploring the structures remaining in the valley.

The Dan Cook cabin appears through the trees as one is trudging along and for a moment I just stopped and looked at it through the trees imagining a traveler having walked many miles in the Wilderness coming upon signs of civilization. What must it have been like to have lived in this place? It is hard to imagine the forest gone and farmland in its place, a thriving community of hardworking survivors forcing a living out of the land.

Tbe little cabin is picturesque in its current setting and we shrugged off our packs and explored the building. When we headed on down the road we still had well over 2 1/2 miles of trail to go before turning around to head back.

We hiked 0.7 miles and came to Little Cataloochee Baptist Church. We decided to hike to the highway and stop and explore on our way back. Hiking down hill mostly we passed the Hannah Cabin and the intersection with Long Bunk Trail.  Hungry and tired now we pressed on to the end of the trail. We passed a few other hikers on this section of trail.

At the highway we took a short break for refreshments then headed back the way we had come. Going back on a trail is almost like doing a different trail, perspective is different and different things catch the eye. Some major landmarks let you know you have been this way before, but the different view let’s you appreciate what you missed first time through.

As we began our climb back towards the Hannah Cabin where we planned to lunch it began to rain. Rain in the forest has to get through the canopy before it gets to you. I found the shower cooling and I never got totally drenched. It stopped raining by the time we got back to the Hannah Cabin where we ate. It rained on us a little more as we hiked to and explored the church. Thunder sounded ominously in the distance as we retraced our steps back up the mountain towards Davidson Gap. Being tired the climb back up is more challenging and with thunder rumbling we were a little anxious to get some distance down.

The thunder never developed into a storm where we were. As we made our way back towards the vehicle Robert officially got his 250 miles in. Congratulations Robert! I am looking forward to more family adventures in the Smokies!

Maximus and I headed back over to the Cumberland Gap National Historical Park Monday, April 29, 2019 to visit the dog friendly trails of the great park. The iconic White Rocks Cliffs and the popular Sand Cave were our chosen destinations of the day.

We started our day with a stop at the Visitor Center where our favorite Park Ranger greeted us and gave us a map and driving directions to the trail head of the Ewing Trail in Ewing, Virginia. With a bounce in my step I got into the Jeep and we rolled back through the tunnel and made a right onto Highway 58 traveling through 3 states as we did so.

In Ewing we made a left at the twin caution lights onto Sand Cave Rd. We drove to the Civic Park where we set out on a .5 mile foot path that connects to the Ewing Trail, which is an equestrian path that ends when it intersects the Ridge Trail. The sign at the trail head gave a short description of the White Rocks and promised us 2000 ft of elevation gain. Hello! Let’s go!

The foot path wasn’t bad, the real climb began on the horse trail, a wide well defined trail. It is a bit rocky in places so one must watch one’s footing. It has some long switchbacks as it ascends. There are some places where one has a good view of the valley one is leaving. Maximus had a great time sniffing and marking his way along. He refilled his tank at the few streams we crossed. I imagine many of these dry up during the heat of summer.

We left the Ewing Trail and made our way up the narrow, steep White Rock Foot Trail to meet the Ridge Trail not far from our destination. We made a right and walked the easy, mostly flat, distance to the White Rock Overlook, then we scrambled and Rock climbed up through a narrow crevasse to where it ended atop the cliffs. We followed a branching trail to where one of its branches ended at the cliff’s edge.

The sun was out, the sky was blue with a little cloud cover and we could see for miles and miles up and down the Valley below and to the distant rolling mountains. I took pictures but pictures can’t capture what the eye and senses behold. The wind blew my hair around my face, the sun was hot but the wind had a chill. I am afraid of heights so I did not wander too close to the edge. I found a rock and just sat for a while soaking it all in. We had it to ourselves. So far we had crossed paths with no other.

We headed back the way we had came and I, gracefully or not so gracefully, slid down a couple of the rocks we had earlier climbed up on my backside. At the base of the crevasse Maximus and I met two ladies heading up. We told them it was worth the effort. They had come from the Sand Cave and we bid them fare well.

The Ridge Trail is not a bad walk. It rolls with the terrain so there’s some ups and downs, and there are rocky spots and there are spots where the forest floor is soft and forgiving. We found the side trail to the Sand Cave and headed down. There are railings to tie horses to and a wooden blockade to keep folks from trying to ride down the short access trail to the Sand Cave itself. The trail is winding and a wee bit steep. I left my walking stick at home and missed it on the descents.

We came out at the base of a waterfall and it took me a minute to locate the Sand Cave to the right of the Falls. It is huge. Maximus and I climbed up to it and began to make our way across to the opposite side. Walking in sand we trudged the distance. There were a couple of hikers enjoying the cave, sitting on a rock above where we walked. I threw up a hand and greeted them and they ignored me. That is rare, most folks will at least speak in passing.

We found our own Little Rock and sat for a few before climbing out and heading up. At Ridge Trail we took another break for drink and snack. The two hikers came up and stopped well before they got to us and waited until we headed right on Ridge Trail before they silently went left towards White Rock. We hit Ewing Trail and began our descent to the Jeep.

It felt great to roam the woods with my pup and the amazing views from White Rock make this a repeater. Being able to take Maximus with me adds to the appeal of this Park. We are not finished with our exploration of this Historical Place. I have marked other trails promising further adventures.