Date: 4/20/13
Distance: 8 mi (round trip)
Hiked the Ramsey Cascades trail with the Meetup group. It was a very clear and slightly cool day. Friday was very rainy, so expectations were high that the falls would be roaring. The trailhead is located in the Greenbrier area of the park. The trail is approximately 5 miles down Greenbrier road. You must turn left at a bridge over the Little Pigeon River about 3 miles down the road.
The trail begins on a gravel jeep road. It was in good shape, so you could easily walk side by side on this leg of the trail. The jeep road covers the 1st 1.5 miles of the 4 mile (one way) hike. At the end of the road is a loop and a more typical trail leaves from that point.
The majority of the trail hugs the bank of the Ramsey Prong of the Little Pigeon River. The water was roaring for most of the hike. There are a number of creek crossings on the trail. Three of them had foot bridges, while 4 or 5 smaller crossings had to be hop rocked. All were easy to traverse even with the rain on the previous day.
The trail winds through an old growth forest with some huge trees along the way. One very large Tulip Poplar was beside the trail about 2.5 miles in.
The hike isn't an "Easy" hike. There is a rather large elevation gain (~2200) feet. We moved at a decent pace on the way up, but by the end, I was hot and sweaty and getting tired and ready for lunch. The falls was spectacular. It was much bigger than I expected and there was a large amount of water flowing on this day. Other hikers in the group thought it was the most they had seen compared to past hikes. We stayed at the falls for about 1.5 hours. I quickly cooled off and was wearing most of my gear by the time we finished lunch and started back down.
The hike down took about 1 hour and 45 minutes. The trail is pretty rocky at the top, but we still came down at a quick pace.
The weather was great. The falls was impressive. The hike was very enjoyable, not too hard and not too easy.
Saturday, April 20, 2013
Saturday, April 6, 2013
Off Trail - Cat Stairs + Greenbriar Pinnacle
Distance: 10-12
Date: 4/6/2013
Today's hike was an "off trail" adventure in the Greenbrier area. I went the the GSHAG meetup group. We left several cars at the Ramsey's cascade trailhead, but actually started the hike farther down the road to Ramsey's. The trail was unmarked, but it was a trail and was easy to follow for the 1st couple miles. Eventually, we made a turn onto a much less well marked trail and started up the side of the mountain. Along the way we passed a small cemetery where 3 young children from a family were buried. At the cemetery, the trail got very feint. While facing the cemetery, you do a 180 turn and head into the woods. Shortly thereafter, an old home site sits next the the trail. Part of the chimney was about all that remained.
The trail continued directly behind the chimney. From that point, there was lots of climbing until you reach a cliff that you must climb up. There are 3 sections in the climb. It was a difficult climb, but I didn't feel in danger at any time.
On top of the mountain, the ruins of an old firetower made a beautiful place for lunch.
Along the trail there were also 3 or 4 overlooks that gave impressive views of the valley below.
The walk down to Ramsey's spent a lot of time in a Rhododendron forest that made the hiking a little slow. I was constantly ducking and twisting to avoid the plants. There were also a number of trees across the trail that we had to crawl over. Eventually the trail opened up and the hiking was easy.
The trail came out on the Ramsey's Cascade gravel road. The final mile or so was on this road.
Gorgeous day and a challenging hike made for a very enjoyable day.
Start: 9:00
Lunch at the Firetower: 1:15
Finish: 4:15
Date: 4/6/2013
Today's hike was an "off trail" adventure in the Greenbrier area. I went the the GSHAG meetup group. We left several cars at the Ramsey's cascade trailhead, but actually started the hike farther down the road to Ramsey's. The trail was unmarked, but it was a trail and was easy to follow for the 1st couple miles. Eventually, we made a turn onto a much less well marked trail and started up the side of the mountain. Along the way we passed a small cemetery where 3 young children from a family were buried. At the cemetery, the trail got very feint. While facing the cemetery, you do a 180 turn and head into the woods. Shortly thereafter, an old home site sits next the the trail. Part of the chimney was about all that remained.
The trail continued directly behind the chimney. From that point, there was lots of climbing until you reach a cliff that you must climb up. There are 3 sections in the climb. It was a difficult climb, but I didn't feel in danger at any time.
On top of the mountain, the ruins of an old firetower made a beautiful place for lunch.
Along the trail there were also 3 or 4 overlooks that gave impressive views of the valley below.
The trail came out on the Ramsey's Cascade gravel road. The final mile or so was on this road.
Gorgeous day and a challenging hike made for a very enjoyable day.
Start: 9:00
Lunch at the Firetower: 1:15
Finish: 4:15
Sunday, March 10, 2013
Sugarland Mountain Trail with AT from Newfound Gap
Date: 3/9/13
Distance: 16.5 mi
This hike was initially going to be a 12.3 mile mostly downhill hike on the Sugarland Mountain trail. However bad weather during the week closed the Clingmans Dome Road, so the hike leader added on the section of the AT from Newfound Gap to the Sugarlands trailhead. I hiked it with 7 other hearty souls in the GSHAG meetup group.
We quickly learned that this hike was going to be a challenge. 8" of snow was on the trail with drifts over 2' deep. It wasn't the kind of snow that you walk on top of. Every step sank in 5 or 6". Fortunately there had been one or two hikers ahead of us so we had some footprints to walk in. However it was still very tiring. The climb up to the Sugarland Mountain trailhead had an elevation gain of > 900ft. The trail was beautiful with the snow cover and the views were amazing. We started about 8:50, but didn't reach the Mt Collins shelter till nearly noon.
The sun was shining bright and the high was in the 50's, so we weren't cold even with the snow.
After lunch the trail was supposed to be mostly down hill, but there were still a number of up hill sections that gave the illusion that we were still going up more than down. A few trees on the ground added to the excitement.
The views along the Sugarland Mountain trail were spectacular. There were lots of good views of the Chimney tops, Mount Leconte, Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge.
At one point, you could look back and see the Clingmons Dome tower. Look close it is hiding in the branches in the picture below.
We were still walking in a fair amount of snow until about 5 miles from the finish, so we didn't pick up speed until that last few miles of the trail.
This Hike was very challenging, but mostly due to the snow. I think the snow added 1-2 hours to the Adventure. We finished about 6:00. By the time, we shuttled the cars, I didn't get home until 8:30. It was a long day with lots of new experiences, challenges and adventures. Can't beat that.
Distance: 16.5 mi
This hike was initially going to be a 12.3 mile mostly downhill hike on the Sugarland Mountain trail. However bad weather during the week closed the Clingmans Dome Road, so the hike leader added on the section of the AT from Newfound Gap to the Sugarlands trailhead. I hiked it with 7 other hearty souls in the GSHAG meetup group.
We quickly learned that this hike was going to be a challenge. 8" of snow was on the trail with drifts over 2' deep. It wasn't the kind of snow that you walk on top of. Every step sank in 5 or 6". Fortunately there had been one or two hikers ahead of us so we had some footprints to walk in. However it was still very tiring. The climb up to the Sugarland Mountain trailhead had an elevation gain of > 900ft. The trail was beautiful with the snow cover and the views were amazing. We started about 8:50, but didn't reach the Mt Collins shelter till nearly noon.The sun was shining bright and the high was in the 50's, so we weren't cold even with the snow.
After lunch the trail was supposed to be mostly down hill, but there were still a number of up hill sections that gave the illusion that we were still going up more than down. A few trees on the ground added to the excitement.
The views along the Sugarland Mountain trail were spectacular. There were lots of good views of the Chimney tops, Mount Leconte, Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge.
At one point, you could look back and see the Clingmons Dome tower. Look close it is hiding in the branches in the picture below.
We were still walking in a fair amount of snow until about 5 miles from the finish, so we didn't pick up speed until that last few miles of the trail.
This Hike was very challenging, but mostly due to the snow. I think the snow added 1-2 hours to the Adventure. We finished about 6:00. By the time, we shuttled the cars, I didn't get home until 8:30. It was a long day with lots of new experiences, challenges and adventures. Can't beat that.
Saturday, February 23, 2013
Spence Field-Russell Field-Rocky Top
Date: 2/23/13
Distance: 15.2 mi
Today I hiked with the GSHAG group up to Rocky Top. We started from the back of the Cades Cove Picnic area. We climbed up the Anthony Creek Trail (3.5mi) to the Bote Mountain trail. It was quite a climb (1800') to Bote Mountain and then another hard climb to the AT on Bote Mountain. At the AT, we turned left and went out to Rocky Top (~1mi) which was also a hard climb. There were a few nice views as the clouds moved through. I could imagine that on a clear day, it would be very spectacular. Regardless of the clouds it was very rewarding to reach the summit and the views we did see were beautiful. The total elevation gain was approximately 3600'. The open fields on the top of the mountain were interesting to see.
We returned on the AT to the Bote Mountain trail intersection and then continued on the AT to Russell Field. We then returned to the Cades Cove picnic area via the Russell Field trail. The final 1.6 miles was back on the Anthony creek trail.
We started at approximately 8:30 and didn't get back until 4:30. However I spent about 30 minutes at the summit, an additional 30 minutes at Russell Field, and stopped for 10-15 minute breaks at the Anthony Creek/Bote Mtn intersection and 10-15 minutes at the Anthony/AT intersection.
Saturday, February 16, 2013
Crib Gap - Turkeypen Ridge - School House Gap - Chestnut Top
Date: 2/16/13
Distance: 10.6
Today's hike was a shuttle hike that I did with the Meetup group. We left cars at the Y and drove to the Cades Cove Picnic area. The trail starts in the very back of the picnic area. The 1st 0.3 miles was on Anthony Creek Trail. The Crib Gap trail follows very close to the road to Cades Cove. At 0.5 miles or so, the trail crosses the road. From that point, the trail moves away from the road and all of the noises associated with the road move away as well. The day we hiked there was light snow, so the trail was very scenic.
After 1.6 miles, the trail intersects with Turkeypen Ridge Trail. We turned to the right to pick up the 0.2 miles and then turned around and hiked back to the intersection and continued on Turkeypen. There was enough climbing for me to strip down to a couple of long sleeve shirts even though the temperature was about 32.
We stopped for lunch at the School House Gab trail intersection. After lunch, we headed up the old road to Chestnut Top Trail. I continued past the Chestnut Top trail to get the 0.2 miles where the Scott mountain trail intersects.
Final leg was the Chestnut top trail. I hiked it earlier in the winter, so there is already an entry in the blog about it.
Distance: 10.6
Today's hike was a shuttle hike that I did with the Meetup group. We left cars at the Y and drove to the Cades Cove Picnic area. The trail starts in the very back of the picnic area. The 1st 0.3 miles was on Anthony Creek Trail. The Crib Gap trail follows very close to the road to Cades Cove. At 0.5 miles or so, the trail crosses the road. From that point, the trail moves away from the road and all of the noises associated with the road move away as well. The day we hiked there was light snow, so the trail was very scenic.
After 1.6 miles, the trail intersects with Turkeypen Ridge Trail. We turned to the right to pick up the 0.2 miles and then turned around and hiked back to the intersection and continued on Turkeypen. There was enough climbing for me to strip down to a couple of long sleeve shirts even though the temperature was about 32.
We stopped for lunch at the School House Gab trail intersection. After lunch, we headed up the old road to Chestnut Top Trail. I continued past the Chestnut Top trail to get the 0.2 miles where the Scott mountain trail intersects.
Final leg was the Chestnut top trail. I hiked it earlier in the winter, so there is already an entry in the blog about it.
Saturday, February 9, 2013
Bearwaller Gap Trail - Carthage TN
Date: 2/9/13
Distance: ~13 miles
I spent some time in the Nashville area this weekend. Since I had some time, I drove over to Carthage and hiked the Bearwaller Gap Trail. This trail skirts the edge of Cordell Hull Lake. The distance is marked as 10km at the trailhead. Along the way, I took a short side trail up to an overlook, thus the 13 mile estimate. I started from the Defeated Creek Recreation Area at about 11:30.
About 1 mile into the hike, a sign indicated that an overlook trail was to the right. It was a steep climb up to the ridge and the blazes didn't seem to make much sense. The view was nice with the leaves off of the trees. I expect that in the summer there isn't much to see. There is a park bench at the overlook, so I sat and ate my lunch before making a phone call to home. I had cell service throughout the hike, so it seems relatively safe to hike alone.
After hiking back down the Overlook trail, I continued on the Bearwaller trail. It hugged the shoreline of the lake for the majority of the hike. There are about 4 rather steep climbs as the bluffs on the edge of the lake rise and fall. I saw on one website that the gain while climbing was 1200 ft one way. I felt it and was pretty tired at the end.
The trail ends at another parking lot of another overlook. There is a restroom and plenty of parking. The hike would be a good shuttle hike. I didn't have a shuttle, so I climbed up to the overlook, just to turn around after a look at the Dam. There were many places on the trail with nice views of the lake and the surrounding hills. I don't imagine that there are many views when the leaves are out.
There were about 6 or 7 dry stream beds that I crossed. They looked like they carried lots of water at times, so I don't think I'd try this one if there is rain in the forecast.
At about the middle of the hike, there was a very nice backcountry camp site. It had an outhouse, a picnic table with a trashcan and lots of space.
The day was bright and sunny. An excellent day in the woods.
Approximate Times:
11:30 Started
12:00 Finished lunch at the overlook and back on trail
1:20 Campsite
2:20 Half Done
4:35 Back at Car
Distance: ~13 miles
I spent some time in the Nashville area this weekend. Since I had some time, I drove over to Carthage and hiked the Bearwaller Gap Trail. This trail skirts the edge of Cordell Hull Lake. The distance is marked as 10km at the trailhead. Along the way, I took a short side trail up to an overlook, thus the 13 mile estimate. I started from the Defeated Creek Recreation Area at about 11:30.
About 1 mile into the hike, a sign indicated that an overlook trail was to the right. It was a steep climb up to the ridge and the blazes didn't seem to make much sense. The view was nice with the leaves off of the trees. I expect that in the summer there isn't much to see. There is a park bench at the overlook, so I sat and ate my lunch before making a phone call to home. I had cell service throughout the hike, so it seems relatively safe to hike alone.
After hiking back down the Overlook trail, I continued on the Bearwaller trail. It hugged the shoreline of the lake for the majority of the hike. There are about 4 rather steep climbs as the bluffs on the edge of the lake rise and fall. I saw on one website that the gain while climbing was 1200 ft one way. I felt it and was pretty tired at the end.
The trail ends at another parking lot of another overlook. There is a restroom and plenty of parking. The hike would be a good shuttle hike. I didn't have a shuttle, so I climbed up to the overlook, just to turn around after a look at the Dam. There were many places on the trail with nice views of the lake and the surrounding hills. I don't imagine that there are many views when the leaves are out.
There were about 6 or 7 dry stream beds that I crossed. They looked like they carried lots of water at times, so I don't think I'd try this one if there is rain in the forecast.
At about the middle of the hike, there was a very nice backcountry camp site. It had an outhouse, a picnic table with a trashcan and lots of space.
The day was bright and sunny. An excellent day in the woods.
Approximate Times:
11:30 Started
12:00 Finished lunch at the overlook and back on trail
1:20 Campsite
2:20 Half Done
4:35 Back at Car
Saturday, January 5, 2013
Ace Gap Trail
Date: 1/5/12
Distance: ~12mi (5.6 mi out and back on Ace Gap + a short walk to a cave near the trailhead)
The Ace Gap trail is a trail along the park boundary near Townsend. On this day, I hiked with the GSHAG Meetup group. We met at a the Back Porch in Townsend and carpooled to the trail head. The road to the trail ends with a small gravel parking area. There is probably room for 15-20 cars at the most.
The trail is smooth and well maintained. It has several up and down sections with only a few hundred feet of total elevation change. We reached the end of Ace Gap after about 2 hours of hiking. There were a few nice views along the way and a few small stream crossings. We did pass several very nice houses which were very close to the trail, yet outside of the park. Being so close to the edge of the park, I had cell phone service for nearly all of the hike.
At the end of the trail, there are a couple trails from Blackberry farms that meet up at the trail intersection. There were no marking, but there were purple blazes showing the trails. The leader of our group knew that the trails were associated with Blackberry Farms.
In the trail head parking lot, a small trail leads off to the left of Ace Gap to a deep sinkhole and a cave. It was worth the walk down to look at it. A guy in our party indicated that the cave has a drop in it of over 400'.
Distance: ~12mi (5.6 mi out and back on Ace Gap + a short walk to a cave near the trailhead)
The Ace Gap trail is a trail along the park boundary near Townsend. On this day, I hiked with the GSHAG Meetup group. We met at a the Back Porch in Townsend and carpooled to the trail head. The road to the trail ends with a small gravel parking area. There is probably room for 15-20 cars at the most.
The trail is smooth and well maintained. It has several up and down sections with only a few hundred feet of total elevation change. We reached the end of Ace Gap after about 2 hours of hiking. There were a few nice views along the way and a few small stream crossings. We did pass several very nice houses which were very close to the trail, yet outside of the park. Being so close to the edge of the park, I had cell phone service for nearly all of the hike.
At the end of the trail, there are a couple trails from Blackberry farms that meet up at the trail intersection. There were no marking, but there were purple blazes showing the trails. The leader of our group knew that the trails were associated with Blackberry Farms.
In the trail head parking lot, a small trail leads off to the left of Ace Gap to a deep sinkhole and a cave. It was worth the walk down to look at it. A guy in our party indicated that the cave has a drop in it of over 400'.
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