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 Hiking VacationsOn Wednesday, January 6 through Monday, January 11, 1995, Jennie and I took three days off from our jobs, and combined this time with the weekend resulting in what we thought would be a five-day hiking vacation. Excitedly, we drove the three and one-half hours through snow to reach Big South Fork. By the time we arrived at our destination, sundown was nigh at hand. Nonetheless, we decided to walk down a portion of an ice-covered trail to kick off the extended trip. We used the spear portion of our staves for stability, but the trek was still quite chancy. Just before time to head back to the truck in avoidance of total darkness, I unknowingly placed my right foot on a large ice covered rock and took a hard fall on my rear end. Luckily, the fall was broken to some degree by my aluminum staff, which in turn became bent out of shape. Jennie gave me her staff so that I could hobble out of the woods and off the trail. However, I was in excruciating pain. I had literally obtained “a pain in the rear.” Once back at the lodge, I took a long, hot sitz bath, which seemed to help ease the discomfort for a period of time. Determined not to let this occurrence spoil the remainder of our trip, I would go on to limp approximately twenty-five additional miles over the balance of our vacation. The following day we hiked a total of approximately six miles down the Colditz Cave Loop and the middle Creek Nature Trail. Both of these trails were somewhat ice covered, and I experienced agonizing pain given the fact that this was the day immediately following my fall. I would rate both trails as a 3. My hobbling gait slowed us down quite a bit, but we still enjoyed the excursion. That night back at the lodge, I attempted to take a picture of the extensive bruise on my butt to have for memory’s sake as Jennie had refused to take the picture herself. On Friday Jennie and I hiked 6.6 miles to encompass the John Litton Farm Loop, which I would rate as a 3, and the 2.6 mile Sunset Overlook Trail, which I would rate as a 2. Again, despite my pain and hobbling, we had a great time together. The Farm Loop in particular offered a diversity of terrain. Saturday proved to be an exciting day as we hiked 5.8 miles up the Angel Falls Overlook Trail and another couple of miles up and back down the Leatherwood Ford Overlook Trail. By this time the weather had taken a turn for the better, and the temperature was much more pleasant. The Angel Falls Trail was exceptionally enjoyable and challenging. This is the second of the only three “4’s” Jennie and I have successfully embarked upon. The trail extends up a long, steep 0.25 mile incline that includes slippery and somewhat dangerous cliffs. In fact, parts of the trail contain cable for safety’s sake. Once at the top, we witnessed a beautiful overlook giving a breathtaking view of the river and surrounding woods below. We could see a significant span outward, and we viewed hikers embarking upon other trails from the distance. The Sunset trail wasn’t as spectacular, but it, too, was enjoyable; I would rate this second trail as a 2. Finally, Sunday we attempted the Honey Creek Pocket Wilderness Trail, which is about 5 miles in length and covers moderate to very rough terrain. The Tennessee Trails Association ranks this trail as the most difficult in Tennessee. I would likewise rate it a 5, the only 5 that Jennie and I have undertaken. By the time we arrived at the trail, we were pressed for time, so we decided to attempt a shortcut. We made the oversight of not reading our book’s description of the trail and decided to hike a portion of it backwards. We later discovered that this was a big mistake. We headed down the trail excited about the surrounding beauty of the region. The first mile was somewhat easy going. However, we soon encountered an area in which we were forced to crawl under an extensive area of rock. Jennie had to carry her small dog, Brandy, through the opening, and she seriously nicked her eye in the process. After this point the trail became more and more difficult to traverse. We finally came to a creek bed where the trail seemingly ended. We tried in vain to scale the bank but finally retreated. In doing so we became seriously lost. We made an uphill jaunt and intersected another section of the trail, which zigzags back and forth through a relatively small section of acreage. However, at this point darkness was setting in, and we were still bewildered. I mentioned to Jennie that we needed to locate cover, as we would most likely be forced to spend the night on the trail. Jennie frantically continued down the trail attempting to catch her bearings. When she finally succumbed to the reality of the situation, her anxiety heightened until she began to cry. I must say that I was scared myself, but I knew we had to seek shelter before nightfall. We found, what seemed at the time, a good place to establish camp, which was adjacent to a rock wall. I tied my two-sided emergency tent to rocks at each end, and we consumed what little food we had remaining saving some for the dogs. Soon after eating we retired for the night within our emergency space blankets. Huddled close together we attempted to conserve body heat. Jennie also used Brandy for the same purpose. I tried to coax my dog, Mattie, to lie beside me for the same exchange of body heat, but for whatever reason, she refused. We were laying on a rock surface, and the longer we lay there the colder we became. We were both shivering profusely when we finally determined that hypothermia was sure to set in should we remain on the ground much longer. Wearily, we rose and started a small fire, unbelievably enough; Jennie stumbled across several long stalks of some sort of plant that caused the fire to burn intensely. At first, I attempted to stay warm by standing near the fire taking in the heat. But when Jennie demanded my participation, I moved my weary rear end and started pulling up more and more stalks. We burned that plant all night long maintaining a blazing fire. Fortunately for us the temperature never reached much below 50 degrees. When morning finally arrived, we were both quite exhausted from the ordeal. Moreover, I became quite ill to the extent that Jennie had to carry my pack most of the way back to the truck. The owner of the lodge where we had been staying notified the park rangers that we were missing for the night. As we drove back through the park, the rangers flagged us down to confirm that we were the ones who had been lost. They were already in the process of assembling a team to walk down the trail in search for us. The good Lord must have been watching over us during this calamity. I arrived back in Nashville just in time to act as technical support for an evening class where I worked as the first videoconferencing technician in Nashville. March 13 – 21, 1999 My vacation started on Saturday morning, March 13. I excitedly drove to Jennie’s house in the sleet. By the time I reached her house, the sleet had changed over to rain. We drove to the Stone Door vicinity of the South Cumberland Recreation Area and hiked the 2.9 mile Laurel Trail and the 3.2 mile Big Creek Rim Trail, both at the top of the gorge, mostly in the rain. Donned with a Gore Tex cap, a backpacker’s poncho, Windstopper gloves, nylon “over” pants, and Gore Tex hiking boots, I remained quite dry despite the weather. The terrain was relatively easy going; I would rate both trails as a “2.” The Laurel Trail strictly consisted of forest without any scenic views. However, my hiking experiences with Jennie are always rewarding and therapeutic making the effort quite worthwhile. The trail ended at a backcountry campsite where we rested briefly. From the campsite we embarked upon the Big Creek Rim Trail, this paralleled the gorge and provided beautiful overlooks all along the way. At this point the rain had subsided making the trek even more enjoyable. I was really pleased with my new hiking boots as they held me firmly to the slick rocks. Despite the shallow change in elevation of these two trails, an old knee injury came back to haunt me during the trek. However, the pain was miniscule in comparison to the Stone Door itself. On Sunday morning, Jennie and I headed for Cloudland Canyon in north Georgia. There we hiked the West Rim Trail and tacked on some connector trails to make a total hike of approximately 5.75 miles. The terrain on this trail was moderate, and I would rate the trail as a “3.” The early section of the loop included some breathtaking sights overlooking the town of Trenton below. We made time to explore the walk-in campsites at the far end of the trail. Cloudland is unique in that the park provides rustic but accommodating camping spots that extend in a circle about half a mile in length divided by a running stream. A modern bathhouse, normally only seen in less primitive camping areas, is also provided. These tent camping sites make the area quite desirable for those like me who prefer a bit of seclusion in their camping experience, without requiring one to backpack for several miles. The remainder of the loop extended down a scenic canyon in which the previous rain had left an awesome smoky effect. The sound of the rushing water below made for a very peaceful escape, and the only rain encountered on this trip took place within the last thirty minutes of the hike. Unlike the previous day, this rain was bitter cold, and it fell in torrents. We were somewhat relieved to see the truck at the end of our journey that day. Tuesday was an action packed day. I awoke at 4:00am excited about drafting this new chapter of my hiking journal, which I began two hours later. I then drove to Montgomery Bell Park where Matte and I hiked approximately eight miles. The terrain of the majority of Montgomery Bell’s trails is moderate; I would rate the ones Matte and I hiked as a “3”. Forgetting my lunch that day, I was forced to rely on two Snickers bars to sustain me during the hike. While I certainly relish the time Jennie or Doris and I spend together on the trail, I have also found that hiking solo can be most rewarding as was the case that day. Indeed, hiking alone almost always renders a spiritual experience in itself. Hiking during the middle of the week at that time of year, I never encountered another single hiker along the way. Normally, I am not much of a dancer. However, I danced ungracefully for several minutes while hiking on wet, slippery leaves in the low-lying areas of the park. About midway through the trail, Mattie and I were surprised by six deer, which split up and veered off in two different directions. We must have been up wind of the deer as they are seldom encountered when hiking with one or more dogs. Shortly afterward, my feet starting aching profusely to the degree that I decided to access a connector trail leading to the Woodland campsite for relief. There I removed my boots and massaged my irritated feet. I had elected to wear lesser expensive socks on this trail, and I could feel the difference. Montgomery Bell offers three backcountry campsites, all with an outhouse and three sided shelters that sleep up to eight people each. At this particular campsite, I noticed an accumulation of aluminum food containers. This left me disgusted as inconsiderate backpackers who refuse to carry out their non-burnable trash always irritate me. Mattie and I reached the Hall Springs campsite about one and a half miles further up the trail. Immediately following, I was forced to walk six feet across a stream along slippery, submerged rocks. Even while standing on the rocks, the water was at least four inches deep. However, unbelievably enough, I was able to cross the stream without getting my feet wet. Considering my normal lack of balance and coordination, this was somewhat of a feat for me to accomplish. My energy level tapered off quickly after this point, and my pace slowed considerably to the degree of about one-mile an hour. Even so this solo hike proved to be an extremely exhilarating experience. Friday, Mattie and I left the house around 7:00 am headed for Big South Fork country. We arrived at the Leatherwood Ford Trailhead three hours and twenty minutes later. Anxious to get started, Mattie and I embarked upon the O & W Bridge Trail. I made the mistake of leaving behind my staff, which I later regretted. This trail is 4.6 miles roundtrip and is considered to be moderate in difficulty. However, I would rate the trail as a “2,” nevertheless. It is a good little trail to get your blood circulating after a long drive. Paralleling the river and winding around massive boulders, the trail offers scenic views along the way. Shortly after starting up the trail, I encountered some other hikers walking in my same direction. I do not mean to appear unfriendly, but when I am hiking solo, I do not appreciate walking in close proximity to other hikers. Fortunately for me they were walking lackadaisically, and I was able to pass them quickly leaving them far behind. About half a mile into the trail, I did meet one gentleman walking toward me with whom I did strike up a conversation. He was a local, and he related several interesting trails for me to hike. He was also quite knowledgeable about the history of the area, and I found the twenty-minute conversation with him to be interesting and enlightening. He mentioned that he had lost from 230 pounds down to 220 pounds. Of course, I could not help but mentioning the fact that I had lost from 353 pounds down to 270 pounds over the past five and one-half months. We parted company, and I continued on up the trail. An hour or so later, I tripped while walking up a steep incline and slammed my previously injured knee down on a large rock, but fortunately for me, no harm was done. Shortly afterward, I pulled out my butt cloth, a piece of heavy gauge plastic 30 inches long by 18 inches wide, and sat down on a large, moist rock for fifteen minutes or so to eat lunch, which I shared with Mattie. Among other food items, I ate a couple handfuls of my homemade trail mix, a concoction consisting of peanut covered M&M’s, yogurt raisins, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, Brazil nuts, cashews and raisins. This high carbohydrate mixture provides sustaining energy that is necessary for the duration of a hike. The sound of the rushing river and the hammering of a woodpecker added to the ambience of the restful period. I finally reached the O & W Bridge and proceeded to walk across it. The bridge consisted of six-foot sections of lumber leaving one to two inch gaps in between each section. Viewing the swift moving water through these gaps caused a mesmerizing effect. Consequently, Mattie refused to walk across with me. Once again my lesser expensive socks caused my feet to ache while hiking back to the trailhead. I was, nonetheless, able to complete the hike in two hours and forty-five minutes, which is actually average for such a hike. I then drove to my favorite hotel, the Galloway Inn in Oneida, long enough to check in. Shortly following I drove to the Bandy Creek Trailhead and hiked down a horse trail for forty-five minutes to pass the time before eating supper. Tired from my long drive and the day’s hiking, I retired for the night around 8:30pm and woke at 2:00am the next morning excited about the hike that was to take place later that morning. After tossing and turning for a couple of hours, I read a portion of the middle Tennessee trails book that I had purchased from the visitor’s center the previous day. I was able to locate eleven trails in the mid state area that appeared interesting enough to justify the drive to them. Unable to contain my excitement any longer, I finally rose at 5:00am Saturday morning and arrived at the Leatherwood Ford Trailhead at 7:00am. A few minutes later, I began hiking the Angel Falls Overlook Trail, the difficulty of which is considered to be moderate to strenuous. Consequently, I would rate this trail as a “4,” and it extends 2.8 miles one way. Donned with an “over” shirt, jacket, day packet, two pint sized Gatorade bottles, one on each side, camera in my left pocket, mini tape recorder in my right pocket, GPS unit in my left hand, and staff in my right hand, I must have looked quite hideous to the other hikers. However, when I am on the trail, I could not give a rat’s behind as to what people think of me. After walking a considerable distance down the trail, which also parallels the river for a couple of miles, I encountered two backpackers at their campsite. Just a little further down the way, I passed a third backpacker with his pants down taking a dump. The fellow must have been experiencing constipation as he was leaning against a rock wall for leverage. I do not think he was expecting me. I was tempted to inquire as to whether “everything was coming out alright,” but I resisted temptation and continued up the trail. Shortly afterward I missed an abrupt turn to the left and headed toward a second campsite. Not wanting to disturb the backpackers, I turned and walked down an embankment to what I thought was the continuation of the trail. After passing by many other previous campsites, I encountered several fallen trees that made the trek much more difficult to follow. Walking around and over the trees, I finally turned around and headed back as the path ahead was obviously too difficult for the average backpacker to scale. By the time I reached the previously occupied campsite, the backpackers had gone on their way. I doubled back to the point at which I lost my bearings and continued up the trail, which started a steep ascent at that point. The abrupt climb extended about 500 feet. Before reaching the top, my breathing increased immensely, as the trail began to level off; I encountered vast rock overhangs ahead. A cable was provided to enable safe passage along slippery rock surfaces. I then encountered a wood ladder at such a slight angle that the ladder was almost horizontal. While I had a difficult time walking on it, Mattie somehow managed to scamper across the ladder without assistance. Well, after an hour and forty-five minutes of hiking, I finally reached the end of the trail and headed toward its overlook. I was so pleased with myself for having reached the top. Though I was obviously winded, the climb was not as difficult as I had remembered it to be. Just before reaching the rock bluff leading to the overlook, a Boy Scout troop was sighted. Desiring to avoid interaction with the kids, I sat down on the ground and waited from them to leave. A bit impatient I rose after ten minutes or so and headed out to the bluff. The view was breathtaking. I could see three sides of the gorge, and I counted twelve hikers and a dog down below who were headed up the trail. After capturing several pictures, I sat down within four feet of the ledge taking in the panoramic scene. Not wanting to venture out near the ledge, Mattie refused to join me. The Boy Scout troop retreated after a few minutes leaving me to enjoy the panorama to myself. After twenty minutes of enjoying the awesome sight, I headed back down the trail. Though I had worn my expensive Thorlo trekking socks for this trail, my feet still bothered me immensely most of the way back to the trailhead. Along the way I passed a couple who were backpacking up the trail. They were using trekking poles to assist them in their climb. I envied the fellow, as he was fortunate enough to be backpacking with his wife, something that I will never have the opportunity to do. The pain from my injured knee became annoying while descending down the trail whereas my climb was nearly pain free. Two and one-half hours into the hike, my feet hurt so intensely that I was forced to sit on a downed tree for several minutes taking the weight off them. However, determined not to let the foot and knee pain hamper the enjoyment of my excursion, I soon pressed on ignoring pain as best I could. Shortly after taking the break, I ran across a through-backpacker and his dog. He had been on the John Muir Trail, which overlaps the Angel Falls Overlook Trail, for two days, and he had two days remaining. I was encouraged by his progress as I too plan to backpack the trail in its entirety within a year. I completed the trail at 11:25am, four hours after starting the hike. After reaching the trailhead, I drove to the hotel where I napped for a short time thereby rejuvenating my energy reserves. Desiring to maximize my time, I then drove to the Bandy Creek Trailhead, which was barren of other hikers. Not wanting to tackle another difficult trail, limited by declining daylight, and the fact that my feet were now hurting profusely, I elected to embark upon the Oscar Belvins Loop, which is 3.6 miles and is considered to be an easy trail. If not for my knee problem, I could have run this trail, as the terrain included almost no changes in elevation. I would rate this trail as a “1”, such an easy trek is unusual for the Big South Fork area. Once I replaced my tennis shoes with my boots and started up the trail, my foot pain seemingly subsided. The trail proved to be a refreshing change of pace, and I was able to maintain a good stride. Covered over by several layers of fallen leaves, the start of my trek was a bit difficult to follow. The O & W Bridge trail and the Angel Falls Overlook Trail overlap the John Muir Trail, which is blazed by a blue silhouette of John Muir on a white background. A red arrowhead on a white background marks all other trails in the area, including this one. Consequently, God help you should you encounter the intersection of two or more trails without knowledge of the use of map and compass because which direction to follow is anyone’s guess. I hiked the first 1.6 miles, which led to the historic Oscar Belvins farm, in forty-five minutes. Having rested for ten minutes, I continued down the loop, which overlapped a bicycle trail for approximately one-mile. Toward the end of the trail, I encountered rock overhangs with dripping water runoffs. This section of the trail was not as mundane as the beginning, and it involved climbing short flights of stairs over large rock surfaces. I completed the 3.6 mile trail in one hour and forty-five minutes. Not wanting to over exert myself so as to inhibit my displacement of energy the following day, I decided to eat an early supper and to head back to the hotel. Tired from the day’s excursions, I slept straight through from 8:00pm to 5:00am. Given the perfect temperature range for Sunday of forty to fifty degrees, I decided to embark upon the Leatherwood Loop, which is another moderate to strenuous trail that well earns a “4”. While not as scenic as the Angels Falls Overlook Trail, this trek offered somewhat more of a challenge. I took the left fork, which paralleled highway 297 for a short distance. I then climbed for twenty-seven minutes without stopping to make a 0.4 mile ascent. My breathing was analogous to the sound of a steam locomotive most of the way up. The trail then leveled off for a few minutes, and brought me to an overlook that rendered a spectacular view of the river and surrounding area below. After returning from the overlook, the trail led to an abrupt descent back down the other side that lasted for several minutes. I slipped off a large rock while descending but somehow managed to stay on my feet in the process. While the allotted time for completing this trail is two to three hours, I completed the hike in one hour and forty-nine minutes. The passage leading to the overlook made this trail a total of 3.4 miles in length. Dissatisfied with the brevity of the hike, I headed down the Angels Falls Rapid Trail after a short break. I had to laugh because Mattie did not want to jump out of the truck to begin the second excursion. The Angel Falls Rapid Trail is considered to be easy, and I would rate it as a “1” accordingly. After hiking the first two miles of this trail, so much heat was generated on the bottoms of my feet that my socks actually stuck to them. Consequently, my feet hurt me so intensely from this point onward that my pace slowed to around one mile per hour while heading back to the trailhead. Despite my aching feet and my ailing knee, this proved to be one of the most rewarding and challenging weeks that I have pleasurably experienced. I hiked in excess of forty miles over six days, twenty-eight miles of which were hiked solo. That averages out to 6.67 miles per day. I plan to increase that number considerably over time. Within the next five years, my goal is to average between ten and twelve miles per day. I also drove a total of 1,193 miles over that same period. The only thing that brings me more joy than hiking is sharing my hiking experiences with someone whom is somewhat new to this most gratifying sport. |
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March 13 - 21, 1999 The Laurel Trail strictly consisted of forest without any scenic views. However, my hiking experiences with Jennie are always rewarding and therapeutic making the effort quite worthwhile. The trail ended at a backcountry campsite where we rested briefly. From the campsite we embarked upon the Big Creek Rim Trail, this paralleled the gorge and provided beautiful overlooks all along the way. At this point the rain had subsided making the trek even more enjoyable. I was really pleased with my new hiking boots as they held me firmly to the slick rocks. Despite the shallow change in elevation of these two trails, an old knee injury came back to haunt me during the trek. However, the pain was miniscule in comparison to the Stone Door itself. On Sunday morning, Jennie and I headed for Cloudland Canyon in north Georgia. There we hiked the West Rim Trail and tacked on some connector trails to make a total hike of approximately 5.75 miles. The terrain on this trail was moderate, and I would rate the trail as a “3.” The early section of the loop included some breathtaking sights overlooking the town of Trenton below. We made time to explore the walk-in campsites at the far end of the trail. Cloudland is unique in that the park provides rustic but accommodating camping spots that extend in a circle about half a mile in length divided by a running stream. A modern bathhouse, normally only seen in less primitive camping areas, is also provided. These tent camping sites make the area quite desirable for those like me who prefer a bit of seclusion in their camping experience, without requiring one to backpack for several miles. The remainder of the loop extended down a scenic canyon in which the previous rain had left an awesome smoky effect. The sound of the rushing water below made for a very peaceful escape, and the only rain encountered on this trip took place within the last thirty minutes of the hike. Unlike the previous day, this rain was bitter cold, and it fell in torrents. We were somewhat relieved to see the truck at the end of our journey that day. Tuesday was an action packed day. I awoke at 4:00am excited about drafting this new chapter of my hiking journal, which I began two hours later. I then drove to Montgomery Bell Park where Matte and I hiked approximately eight miles. The terrain of the majority of Montgomery Bell’s trails is moderate; I would rate the ones Matte and I hiked as a “3”. Forgetting my lunch that day, I was forced to rely on two Snickers bars to sustain me during the hike. While I certainly relish the time Jennie or Doris and I spend together on the trail, I have also found that hiking solo can be most rewarding as was the case that day. Indeed, hiking alone almost always renders a spiritual experience in itself. Hiking during the middle of the week at that time of year, I never encountered another single hiker along the way. Normally, I am not much of a dancer. However, I danced ungracefully for several minutes while hiking on wet, slippery leaves in the low-lying areas of the park. About midway through the trail, Mattie and I were surprised by six deer, which split up and veered off in two different directions. We must have been up wind of the deer as they are seldom encountered when hiking with one or more dogs. Shortly afterward, my feet starting aching profusely to the degree that I decided to access a connector trail leading to the Woodland campsite for relief. There I removed my boots and massaged my irritated feet. I had elected to wear lesser expensive socks on this trail, and I could feel the difference. Montgomery Bell offers three backcountry campsites, all with an outhouse and three sided shelters that sleep up to eight people each. At this particular campsite, I noticed an accumulation of aluminum food containers. This left me disgusted as inconsiderate backpackers who refuse to carry out their non-burnable trash always irritate me. Mattie and I reached the Hall Springs campsite about one and a half miles further up the trail. Immediately following, I was forced to walk six feet across a stream along slippery, submerged rocks. Even while standing on the rocks, the water was at least four inches deep. However, unbelievably enough, I was able to cross the stream without getting my feet wet. Considering my normal lack of balance and coordination, this was somewhat of a feat for me to accomplish. My energy level tapered off quickly after this point, and my pace slowed considerably to the degree of about one-mile an hour. Even so this solo hike proved to be an extremely exhilarating experience. Friday, Mattie and I left the house around 7:00 am headed for Big South Fork country. We arrived at the Leatherwood Ford Trailhead three hours and twenty minutes later. Anxious to get started, Mattie and I embarked upon the O & W Bridge Trail. I made the mistake of leaving behind my staff, which I later regretted. This trail is 4.6 miles roundtrip and is considered to be moderate in difficulty. However, I would rate the trail as a “2,” nevertheless. It is a good little trail to get your blood circulating after a long drive. Paralleling the river and winding around massive boulders, the trail offers scenic views along the way. Shortly after starting up the trail, I encountered some other hikers walking in my same direction. I do not mean to appear unfriendly, but when I am hiking solo, I do not appreciate walking in close proximity to other hikers. Fortunately for me they were walking lackadaisically, and I was able to pass them quickly leaving them far behind. About half a mile into the trail, I did meet one gentleman walking toward me with whom I did strike up a conversation. He was a local, and he related several interesting trails for me to hike. He was also quite knowledgeable about the history of the area, and I found the twenty-minute conversation with him to be interesting and enlightening. He mentioned that he had lost from 230 pounds down to 220 pounds. Of course, I could not help but mentioning the fact that I had lost from 353 pounds down to 270 pounds over the past five and one-half months. We parted company, and I continued on up the trail. An hour or so later, I tripped while walking up a steep incline and slammed my previously injured knee down on a large rock, but fortunately for me, no harm was done. Shortly afterward, I pulled out my butt cloth, a piece of heavy gauge plastic 30 inches long by 18 inches wide, and sat down on a large, moist rock for fifteen minutes or so to eat lunch, which I shared with Mattie. Among other food items, I ate a couple handfuls of my homemade trail mix, a concoction consisting of peanut covered M&M’s, yogurt raisins, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, Brazil nuts, cashews and raisins. This high carbohydrate mixture provides sustaining energy that is necessary for the duration of a hike. The sound of the rushing river and the hammering of a woodpecker added to the ambience of the restful period. I finally reached the O & W Bridge and proceeded to walk across it. The bridge consisted of six-foot sections of lumber leaving one to two inch gaps in between each section. Viewing the swift moving water through these gaps caused a mesmerizing effect. Consequently, Mattie refused to walk across with me. Once again my lesser expensive socks caused my feet to ache while hiking back to the trailhead. I was, nonetheless, able to complete the hike in two hours and forty-five minutes, which is actually average for such a hike. I then drove to my favorite hotel, the Galloway Inn in Oneida, long enough to check in. Shortly following I drove to the Bandy Creek Trailhead and hiked down a horse trail for forty-five minutes to pass the time before eating supper. Tired from my long drive and the day’s hiking, I retired for the night around 8:30pm and woke at 2:00am the next morning excited about the hike that was to take place later that morning. After tossing and turning for a couple of hours, I read a portion of the middle Tennessee trails book that I had purchased from the visitor’s center the previous day. I was able to locate eleven trails in the mid state area that appeared interesting enough to justify the drive to them. Unable to contain my excitement any longer, I finally rose at 5:00am Saturday morning and arrived at the Leatherwood Ford Trailhead at 7:00am. A few minutes later, I began hiking the Angel Falls Overlook Trail, the difficulty of which is considered to be moderate to strenuous. Consequently, I would rate this trail as a “4,” and it extends 2.8 miles one way. Donned with an “over” shirt, jacket, day packet, two pint sized Gatorade bottles, one on each side, camera in my left pocket, mini tape recorder in my right pocket, GPS unit in my left hand, and staff in my right hand, I must have looked quite hideous to the other hikers. However, when I am on the trail, I could not give a rat’s behind as to what people think of me. After walking a considerable distance down the trail, which also parallels the river for a couple of miles, I encountered two backpackers at their campsite. Just a little further down the way, I passed a third backpacker with his pants down taking a dump. The fellow must have been experiencing constipation as he was leaning against a rock wall for leverage. I do not think he was expecting me. I was tempted to inquire as to whether “everything was coming out alright,” but I resisted temptation and continued up the trail. Shortly afterward I missed an abrupt turn to the left and headed toward a second campsite. Not wanting to disturb the backpackers, I turned and walked down an embankment to what I thought was the continuation of the trail. After passing by many other previous campsites, I encountered several fallen trees that made the trek much more difficult to follow. Walking around and over the trees, I finally turned around and headed back as the path ahead was obviously too difficult for the average backpacker to scale. By the time I reached the previously occupied campsite, the backpackers had gone on their way. I doubled back to the point at which I lost my bearings and continued up the trail, which started a steep ascent at that point. The abrupt climb extended about 500 feet. Before reaching the top, my breathing increased immensely, as the trail began to level off; I encountered vast rock overhangs ahead. A cable was provided to enable safe passage along slippery rock surfaces. I then encountered a wood ladder at such a slight angle that the ladder was almost horizontal. While I had a difficult time walking on it, Mattie somehow managed to scamper across the ladder without assistance. Well, after an hour and forty-five minutes of hiking, I finally reached the end of the trail and headed toward its overlook. I was so pleased with myself for having reached the top. Though I was obviously winded, the climb was not as difficult as I had remembered it to be. Just before reaching the rock bluff leading to the overlook, a Boy Scout troop was sighted. Desiring to avoid interaction with the kids, I sat down on the ground and waited from them to leave. A bit impatient I rose after ten minutes or so and headed out to the bluff. The view was breathtaking. I could see three sides of the gorge, and I counted twelve hikers and a dog down below who were headed up the trail. After capturing several pictures, I sat down within four feet of the ledge taking in the panoramic scene. Not wanting to venture out near the ledge, Mattie refused to join me. The Boy Scout troop retreated after a few minutes leaving me to enjoy the panorama to myself. After twenty minutes of enjoying the awesome sight, I headed back down the trail. Though I had worn my expensive Thorlo trekking socks for this trail, my feet still bothered me immensely most of the way back to the trailhead. Along the way I passed a couple who were backpacking up the trail. They were using trekking poles to assist them in their climb. I envied the fellow, as he was fortunate enough to be backpacking with his wife, something that I will never have the opportunity to do. The pain from my injured knee became annoying while descending down the trail whereas my climb was nearly pain free. Two and one-half hours into the hike, my feet hurt so intensely that I was forced to sit on a downed tree for several minutes taking the weight off them. However, determined not to let the foot and knee pain hamper the enjoyment of my excursion, I soon pressed on ignoring pain as best I could. Shortly after taking the break, I ran across a through-backpacker and his dog. He had been on the John Muir Trail, which overlaps the Angel Falls Overlook Trail, for two days, and he had two days remaining. I was encouraged by his progress as I too plan to backpack the trail in its entirety within a year. I completed the trail at 11:25am, four hours after starting the hike. After reaching the trailhead, I drove to the hotel where I napped for a short time thereby rejuvenating my energy reserves. Desiring to maximize my time, I then drove to the Bandy Creek Trailhead, which was barren of other hikers. Not wanting to tackle another difficult trail, limited by declining daylight, and the fact that my feet were now hurting profusely, I elected to embark upon the Oscar Belvins Loop, which is 3.6 miles and is considered to be an easy trail. If not for my knee problem, I could have run this trail, as the terrain included almost no changes in elevation. I would rate this trail as a “1”, such an easy trek is unusual for the Big South Fork area. Once I replaced my tennis shoes with my boots and started up the trail, my foot pain seemingly subsided. The trail proved to be a refreshing change of pace, and I was able to maintain a good stride. Covered over by several layers of fallen leaves, the start of my trek was a bit difficult to follow. The O & W Bridge trail and the Angel Falls Overlook Trail overlap the John Muir Trail, which is blazed by a blue silhouette of John Muir on a white background. A red arrowhead on a white background marks all other trails in the area, including this one. Consequently, God help you should you encounter the intersection of two or more trails without knowledge of the use of map and compass because which direction to follow is anyone’s guess. I hiked the first 1.6 miles, which led to the historic Oscar Belvins farm, in forty-five minutes. Having rested for ten minutes, I continued down the loop, which overlapped a bicycle trail for approximately one-mile. Toward the end of the trail, I encountered rock overhangs with dripping water runoffs. This section of the trail was not as mundane as the beginning, and it involved climbing short flights of stairs over large rock surfaces. I completed the 3.6 mile trail in one hour and forty-five minutes. Not wanting to over exert myself so as to inhibit my displacement of energy the following day, I decided to eat an early supper and to head back to the hotel. Tired from the day’s excursions, I slept straight through from 8:00pm to 5:00am. Given the perfect temperature range for Sunday of forty to fifty degrees, I decided to embark upon the Leatherwood Loop, which is another moderate to strenuous trail that well earns a “4”. While not as scenic as the Angels Falls Overlook Trail, this trek offered somewhat more of a challenge. I took the left fork, which paralleled highway 297 for a short distance. I then climbed for twenty-seven minutes without stopping to make a 0.4 mile ascent. My breathing was analogous to the sound of a steam locomotive most of the way up. The trail then leveled off for a few minutes, and brought me to an overlook that rendered a spectacular view of the river and surrounding area below. After returning from the overlook, the trail led to an abrupt descent back down the other side that lasted for several minutes. I slipped off a large rock while descending but somehow managed to stay on my feet in the process. While the allotted time for completing this trail is two to three hours, I completed the hike in one hour and forty-nine minutes. The passage leading to the overlook made this trail a total of 3.4 miles in length. Dissatisfied with the brevity of the hike, I headed down the Angels Falls Rapid Trail after a short break. I had to laugh because Mattie did not want to jump out of the truck to begin the second excursion. The Angel Falls Rapid Trail is considered to be easy, and I would rate it as a “1” accordingly. After hiking the first two miles of this trail, so much heat was generated on the bottoms of my feet that my socks actually stuck to them. Consequently, my feet hurt me so intensely from this point onward that my pace slowed to around one mile per hour while heading back to the trailhead. Despite my aching feet and my ailing knee, this proved to be one of the most rewarding and challenging weeks that I have pleasurably experienced. I hiked in excess of forty miles over six days, twenty-eight miles of which were hiked solo. That averages out to 6.67 miles per day. I plan to increase that number considerably over time. Within the next five years, my goal is to average between ten and twelve miles per day. I also drove a total of 1,193 miles over that same period. The only thing that brings me more joy than hiking is sharing my hiking experiences with someone whom is somewhat new to this most gratifying sport. |
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very interesting |
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I hike often in the Mountains around my house |
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