Crooked Arm - Scott Mtn - Schoolhouse Gap - Turkeypen - Crib Gap

Date: 1/24/15
Distance: 13.5
New Map Miles: 3.6
Total Map Miles: 762.5

I woke this morning to some rain mixed with light snow, but the weather called for it to move out by 10:00, so I headed to the mountain to check out Scott Mtn.

At Cades Cove, the roads were clear but snow was on the grass and trees and was falling hard.  I started the hike on the Rich Mtn Loop Trail, but after 0.5 miles turned onto Crooked Arm

 Crooked Arm climbs about 1500' in 2.2 miles.  As I climbed the snow steadily got deeper, until at the Scott Mtn intersection the snow was about 4" deep.

Scott Mtn isn't actually open at this time.  My goal was to just hike the "open part" to campsite 6 and then follow the trail on until I reached where the trees were down and then turn back.  I had misread the map before I left.  I thought the campsite was about 1 mile in.  It was actually much closer, but I walked right by it apparently.  I never saw it.  About 1 mile in, I started having to climb through some trees on the ground.  After about 10 or so, I started wondering what had gone wrong, or maybe it is even worse past #6.  I pushed on a bit farther and then decided that I'd missed the campsite.  My phone said I was 1.6 miles in, but at this point, the trail was in really good shape.  I just pressed on. From here to Schoolhouse Gap, the trail was great.  I'd guess that I navigated about 20 blow downs.  None were too difficult, but I did have to slide under a few which was tough as I didn't want to sit in the snow.

Scott is along the edge of the park, so I had cell service in part of it.  It pretty much returns to the elevation of the start of the hike.

There was 1 cabin just off of the trail.

There is also  a cabin at schoolhouse gap.

Schoolhouse is a wide easy to hike road.  It was 1.1 miles to Turkeypen.

 Turkeypen was a normal Smokies single track trail.  It was 3.4 miles to the Crib Gap intersection.

 By the time I reached the Crib Gap Intersection, most of the snow on the trail itself was gone.  At the intersection, I actually turned left to hike the small stub that goes over to Finley Cane.  I wasn't sure if I had done that before.  The trail goes under the road, but you have to walk in the creek as you go through the culvert.  At Finley Cane, I turned right and went to the Lead Cove Parking area.  I crossed the road and continued back to the Crib Gap - Turkeypen Intersection.  This time I turned left and followed Crib Gap.  Crib Gap is an old road, and isn't that enjoyable.  The road is within sight on much of the trail and you can hear the cars for the entire 1.6 miles.

Crib Gap hits Anthony Creek which I followed for 0.2 miles to the Cades Cove Picnic Area.  From the picnic area it was a 0.4mi walk back to the loop road parking area where my car was waiting.

Really nice day to hike with the snow on the ground.  I was excited to mark this bit of the map as I was resigned to just getting the bit out to #6.