This was to be my much anticipated return to Mt Cammerer but road conditions and closures due to TS Helene and recent weather prevented any access. This morning when I entered the Ramsey convention center to join the group, Marty Silver had a park map out and was looking for trails to substitute. A lengthy analysis left few choices. We settled on an ambitious 12 mile loop utilizing Rainbow Falls and Bullhead trails. Both trails have been recent "Trails Forever" projects. I've not hiked either since the work had been completed.
Here is some of the "Trails Forever" work on the trail close to the trailhead. Several of these elaborate stone staircases grace the trail in the first half mile. It has always been a very rocky trail and still is but the trailwork has made a nice improvement. Massive runouts are another enhancement I noticed.
We started hiking in the early morning shadow of Mt Leconte. The bus has dropped us off at the Rainbow Falls trailhead. Our leader and long time WWW hike leader is Marty Silver, a seasoned Park Ranger of 47 years and local celebrity at Warrior Path State Park. Fellow Ranger Claire is our sweep. She joins us from Seven Islands State Birding Park. There are just 5 of us for today's hike.
It wasn't long before we transitioned from frozen ground to snowy and icy frozen ground. The snow which has been walked upon a lot recently, is compacted into an icy trail. My microspikes went on and suddenly I had foot traction again.
The area we hiked through for the first mile and a half was logged long ago. Before reaching the Falls at 2.7 miles, we are walking in old growth forest.
A couple of bridges required slow and sure footing to cross. We did run into one hiker on his return before we reached the waterfall. He mentioned the really icy conditions ahead. I think we had similar conversations with everyone we passed today.
The above sign warns of hazardous conditions. The same sign is at many of the other waterfalls in the park.
icy bridge
The sun is just making its way to shine on the waterfall later today
When we arrived here it had taken us 2 hours and 20 minutes to go the 2.7 miles. A quick calculation revealed that if we continued on our way up to Bullhead and down, we'd be arriving quite late, after dark anyway. The decision was made to head back and then hike along the Old Sugarlands Trail to fill the time before our ride arrived. The hike was 9 miles and we finished around 3pm. Before we left the park, our driver spotted a bobcat in the brush along the roadside. A fitting end to a great day of hiking in the park.
It's hard to see but there is running water today. It has spent some time building that blue cone of ice.
