Bryan July 25th, 2008
In a surprise defense in federal court in Asheville, TVA admits it blankets Middle Tennessee with air pollution from its inadequately abated smoke stacks in Alabama and Kentucky. The landmark case was filed in federal court to seek relief from TVA pollution wafting across the Great Smoky Mountains into western North Carolina.
Read more about the pollution lawsuit at the Tennessean.
Bryan January 16th, 2008
Well, I can’t say anything else about my super guides Frank Carter and John Burgess, my guides for this off trail hike through the Ash Hopper Branch and Spring Branch drainages.
I’d been through the first half of this hike before with these guys about 3 years ago. We came running down the Ash Hopper Branch drainage escaping the falling trees from a freak wind storm. That day three years ago, we heard trees snapping off like twigs and actually watched one slide to rest and explode just 100 feet behind us. Who says hiking isn’t exciting?
Distance: posted at 6 miles, but by GPS and pedometer our group figured it at about 3.8 miles
Total Elevation climb: I didn’t record it
Trail Type: single track dirt and manways, but mostly off-trail
Temperature: 30s, cloudy
Time: I didn’t record it
Significant Features: old homesteads and a still standing rock chimney
Started out on the Husky Gap Trail, but quickly left it trudging off trail. I should mention that this is not something I normally do or encourage anyone else to do. Frank and John are very familiar with the area. It would be very easy for me to get lost out here.
We hiked past some old homesteads and some of the park’s hog traps. Russian hogs run around in the park now. Prior to the park’s formation, a portion had been used as a private hunting ground. Once the caretaker stopped getting paid, he left to find the owners and collect his pay. The year was 1929 and when he found the owners, they had no money to pay him. These non-native hogs run lose today in the park and rangers try to trap them. One of the three traps we saw had a small piglet (or hoglet?) dead from being there a long time.
After a LONG ciimb we got to the Ash Hopper Branch drainage where we stopped for lunch at an old homesite. Since it was still chilly, we didn’t tarry long. After another climb we ended up in the Spring Branch drainage where we found a chimney still standing. These are unusual as most in the park have fallen over (or been pushed over) in the 70 years since the park was formed.
Just a little ways (really, it wasn’t a fir piece at all) and we were out on Little River Road. Overall a nice hike and better than any day I’ve spent in the office.
Pictures are HERE
Bryan January 15th, 2008
Today, I had the great pleasure of hiking again with Tom Morton. Tom knows these mountains and hollows like the back of his hand. He’s a wonderful story-teller and an all around great human being. Once again, take advantage of hiking with the locals when you get the opportunity.
Distance: about 6 miles
Total Elevation climb: I didn’t record it
Trail Type: single track dirt and manways, but mostly off-trail
Temperature: 30s, cloudy
Time: I didn’t record it
Significant Features: Courthouse Rock and Quilliam’s Cave
It was a chilly morning as we drove up Newfound Gap Road to the trailhead. The wind whipped and I was wondering if I needed another layer. The climb soon put an end to that worry.
I finally made it to Courthouse Rock. Last year, my group aborted our trip there due to transportation issues. The rock itself is huge, probably 50-60 feet high. I walked around it and would have loved to spend a few minutes climbing it, but alas, time to move on.
We took off up an old manway. When it ended, we started scrambling over trees and blowdowns to get up to Quilliams’s Cave. The snow that dusted the area gave it such a great feeling. The ice formations on the cave were a real treat. The picture above is of ice on a gnarled stump just outside the cave. It’s not really a cave though. It’s more of a large outcropping, going back about 20 feet. We stopped and ate lunch there and then headed back.
Both destinations are must sees in the Smokies!
On the way down, I got a nice snapshot of Bullhead Mountain dusted with snow.
Pictures are HERE
Bryan January 14th, 2008
I always enjoy hikes with John Burgess and Frank Carter. They both hike regularly with the Retired Citizens of the Smokies and do their research into the areas where they lead. They are a great couple of guys.
Distance: about 5 miles one way
Total Elevation climb: I didn’t record it
Trail Type: single track dirt, but mostly off-trail
Temperature: 40s, cloudy
Time: I didn’t record it
Significant Features: the walk through Meigs Valley and the Old Elkmont settlement
This hike starts on the Sugerland Mountain Trail at the Laurel Falls Parking Lot and ascends for about a mile where it turns down an old manway into Meigs Valley. There were several creek crossings, but no one fell in. The walk through the valley was gorgeous, and an easy walk for off trail.
We stopped for lunch at the Elkmont Campground, then explored the old settlement of Elkmont and the remains of the old Wonderland Hotel. When the park was formed, the residents of Elkmont were allowed lifetime leases to live on their property. The last of those folks he passed away now, and there has been quite a bit of controversy over the fate of the settlement. It appears the Park Service will destroy all but a few of the cabins there. The Wonderland Hotel is already demolished.
Then we took a bit of time in the Old Elkmont Cemetery where the large number of children buried there are an indication of the harshness of mountain life. Several never survived their first day.
The short return to the beginning was a nice stroll. Take the chance to hike with John and Frank if you get it.
Pictures are HERE
Bryan January 13th, 2008
I decided for my first full day to test out my new boots and do something on my own. I flipped through my day hikes book and found this one, an eight mile round trip from the Sugarlands Visitor’s Center.
Distance: about 8 miles round trip
Total Elevation climb: about 1200 feet
Trail Type: sections of single track dirt and gravel horse trail
Temperature: 40s, cloudy
Time: 1:30 moving uphill, 1:00 moving downhill
Significant Features: the crick
I chose this hike because it was threatening rain for the afternoon. I had intended to turn around after about 2 miles, but found out the rain was holding off. I hiked the whole thing, all the way up to the Rainbow Falls Trailhead. I ate lunch there and then headed back. The trail is a steady climb up from Sugarlands, so be ready. A little rain did start to fall and I was a bit concerned about getting caught in a downpour, so I didn’t find the old school, CCC camp or cemetery along the trail.
Overall a nice warm up hike that is easily accessible.
Pictures are HERE
Bryan January 18th, 2007
John Burgess and Frank Carter stand beside an old bear holding pen near a homestead near Ted’s Creek. The pen was used to hold and fatten bears until they were ready for slaughter. The bear provided meat and fat for the lucky mountain folk.
John and Frank hike weekly with the Retired Citizens of the Smokies. Should you ever get the opportunity to hike with them, I highly recommend it. These guys do an excellent job of researching the area. This particular hike was reached via an unmaintained trail.
Rhododendron Creek to Grapeyard Ridge Trail to Ted’s Creek in Greenbriar.
Distance: 6 miles, one way, different pickup
Elevation change: about 300 feet, steep climbs at times
Time: 6 hours total
Trail type: Unmaintained, several creek crossings
Temperature: 38 degrees
Significant features: one significant overlook opportunity of Greenbriar Pinnacle, numerous creek crossings, and 3 significant cascades on Rhododendron Creek worth the viewing.
Bryan January 17th, 2007
Lower Mt. Cammerer Trail
Distance: 3.8 miles from Cosby campground to back country camp site 35 via Low Gap trail
Elevation change: 400 ft, steady up, then steady back down.
Time: 2 hours one way
Trail type: mostly firm, muddy at times
Temperature: guessing about 30
This was a beautiful hike as yesterday’s snow still hung on the trees. There is an overlook about 1/2 mile in that yields an absolutely gorgeous view. Another few openings along the trail give similar views.
It was so cold, some hikers’ hydration tubes were freezing up. When we did stop, it wasn’t for long. It got cold very quickly.
The picture is a stock photo of Mt. Cammerrer from the AT from spring 2002 (my camera died last night).
Bryan January 16th, 2007
Back to see Dwight McCarter again with Tales from Lost! They had to break down the wall between rooms to seat everyone for his talk. Dwight is a truly gifted storyteller. Tonight he recounted the story of tracking a 9 year old girl lost near Clingman’s Dome. He could tell by the tracks he was getting closer, and that she had veered off the trail. He thought she was running from him (don’t we tell our children not to talk to strangers?) Rather than continue chasing this little girl off trail and towards the dangerous bluffs, he sat down in the middle of the trail (within sight of the girl), fired up his stove and made tea while he radioed for the parents. When they arrived, the girl ran out of the woods and into their arms.
Dwight also mentioned numerous books he has written that are as yet unpublished. I look forward eagerly to their publication.
Bryan January 16th, 2007
This is the scene that awaited us at Greenbrier this morning as we arrived… it was a beautiful snowy mid-morning. The high temperature changed rapidly from mid 60s yesterday to low 30s today. Some great friends of mine invited me on this unofficial hike today. I was signed up to go to Courthouse Rock today, but decided to go on this one. Boy, am I glad I did! One of the very knowledgeable locals, Tom Morton, who grew up in this area lead our hike through the backwoods of Greenbrier. Normally, this would be a moderate hike, but the snow fall made it strenuous due to the muck and mud we went through.
Distance: about 1.5 miles one way
Elevation change: about 600 ft, slight until the last 1/2 mile.
Time: About 1.5 hours, one way.
Trail type: unmaintained
This is the objective of our hike, Bench Falls.
The cascades lead upstream for a few hundred feet to this beautiful 20-30 foot bench falls. If you get to chance to hike with the locals, do yourself a favor and go!
Bryan January 15th, 2007
We were all set to hike to Courthouse Rock this morning. Except, our bus just couldn’t make it. It kept overheating and so we modified our plan.
Husky Gap Trail
Distance: 1.3 miles from the trail head, one way
Elevation change: 1000ft, steady climb
Time: 1 hour one way
Trail type: one stream crossing, but other than that, flat, dry, and very few rocks
This was an enjoyable, albeit impromptu, hike with Dwight McCarter. Dwight was a back country ranger with the park for 30 years. An excellent tracker, he has found over 100 children lost in the woods as well as his share of criminals hiding in the woods. Dwight is also the author of Lost! A Ranger’s Journal of Search and Rescue and co-author of Mayday! Mayday!: Aircraft Crashes in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, 1920-2000.
The hike had no major clear overlooks, but Dwight pointed out a number of different, rare tree species (Yellow wood for example) as he saw them. Most interesting, Dwight pointed to tracks made by turkeys and black bears that were from several months old to two years old.
Perhaps the most entertaining was his analysis of what appeared to be the claw marks of a bear cub left while climbing a tree incorrectly. Bears usually climb trees on the uphill side of the tree. This one climbed up on the downhill side. This picture is of Dwight near the tree and pointing out a well worn bear route.
Dwight is also quite the storyteller. If you ever get the chance to hear him speak, do it. I promise, you won’t regret it. This picture is at lunchtime with Dwight holding court and telling the story of tracking escaped convicts in North Carolina.
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