Our Crew Today
Our hike today begins on the Trillium Gap Trail, connects to the Roaring Fork Nature Motor Trail, then Baskins Creek Trail with a spur to the falls. All day we hike and do trail maintenance. Yesterday's wind brought down trees and lots of small debris. We are told the winds were as high as 60 mph.
We encounter numerous blowdowns on Trillium Gap Trail. We clear what we can but do not have saws and have to leave most alone. Once on the road, we see a couple trees across it but mostly small stuff. The steepness of the road is hard on my knees. I am glad when we exit into the woods.
The Bales Cabin shelters us for a snack break. There is a slight wind today but temperatures are low and we are glad to seek its shelter. It appears, one of the adjacent building blew over in the wind. At first I think this was burned but you can see one roof side is a good 15 feet from the other - note the corner of that roof side to the far right of the photo above.
Back on the trail, we walk through what was the hottest area of the 2016 Gatlinburg fire. It would appear the Rhododendron was killed but it is sprouting up from the skeletons.
Baskins Creek Falls is on a .3 mile spur trail. It is a real "slip and slide" down to the base and most of our group manages to get down. Normally, you can cross the creek at the base of the falls but today it is not passable so we are not able to get a good angle for photos.
A couple creek crossings present some challenge but we all make it with only some minor splashing.
This tree which appears to have come down yesterday, presents a challenge as well. It fell in a steep area. With the ground being so wet, we slip and slide by it. There are numerous other blowdowns on this section of trail.
Tom and Sandi have a good laugh at this blowdown
We rise into the mist in the eerie and burned forest. Table Mountain Pine is sprouting everywhere. Its cones release seeds only after fire has popped them open.
The hike ends with a long steep climb which saps our energy. We are all tired and muddy after this hike.
Fire has exposed the quartz rock here
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