August 12 Up and Down the Creeper

On this Piedmont Hiking and Outing Group bicycle ride, we had a group of 4 riding from Damascus to Whitetop Station to meet a group of 8 being shuttled up. Our timing was near perfect arriving at the top within minutes of each other. The 17 mile uphill ride took 2:45 in cool weather.

Our group gathers near the the most visited loo on the trail. 

What was blooming? Joe Pye Weed, Pale and Orange Jewelweed, Sun Drops, Ironweed, lots of sunflowers, Heal All, Chicory, and Common Mullein.

Our group did not escape without incident but it was only a flat. Overall, it was a beautiful day to ride on the creeper. It was about a 2 hour ride down.

August 9 Husky Gap Trail

Again a humid day for hiking. Beginning at the trailhead on Newfound Gap Road, you begin uphill immediately and it does let up until you have attained the gap and intersection with Sugarland Mountain Trail. I required a long break here, downing lots of gatorade. The next couple miles head down to Little River.

The trail ends at a T with Little River Trail which was a railroad  bed at one time. The Little River Lumber company extracted timber from here until 1938, four years after the park was established. The land purchase agreement permitted the company to continue cutting virgin timber for a period of years after the land sale. And they did up until the very last day of the agreement. Above is an old railroad bridge crossing Little River as seen from my lunchstop.

This hike added 4.1 miles to my S900 challenge.

August 8 Little Cataloochee Trail

A humid day for hiking in the GSMNP. Rather common this time of year. We began hiking Pretty Hollow Gap Trail to access Little Cataloochee Trail. The area known as little Cataloochee is barely a couple miles as the raven flies, from Cataloochee. The park has preserved several original building in Little Cataloochee including the Dan Cook cabin above. This picture perfect place saw a recent renovation. The yard is maintained by park crew. A gravel road of 2 miles provides park service access. 

Above, the remnants of an apple house can be seen with the Dan Cook cabin visible in the doorway. The two structure are separated by a small creek. Further upcreek is the ruins of a dam, further indication of how settled and independent this community once was. 

You might expect this church to be seen along a roadway as you drive along but is merely trailside here in Little Cataloochee. A well maintained cemetery accompanies it nearby. 

There is one long uphill section we had to climb twice. The second time through the gap was slow due to the humidity. On the way out of Cataloochee we saw several elk and a juvenile coyote lunching on a turkey.

This hike added 4.1 miles to my S900 challenge

June 16 Bicycling Cades Cove

On Wednesday and Saturday morning during the summer, the Cades Cove Loop Road is closed to motor vehicles until 10 am to allow bicyclists and walkers/joggers to enjoy the loop traffic free. I was able to get started on both Wednesday and Saturday slightly after 6am for a couple laps around the 11 mile loop. The parking area fills quickly so it is advisable to begin early. 

On my 4 laps I was able to see 3 bears and dozens of deer. The bears quickly move away from you but the deer often don't show any inclination of doing so. There is also a sizable turkey population here. They are sometimes hard to spot in the high grass. 

I believe these are Jack O Lantern mushrooms growing at the base of a dead red oak.

Wildlife is one of the big attraction in Cades Cove. I was not disappointed. Here we have the usual suspects - a bear and deer.

June 15 Cooper Road and the Super Bloom

Driving and hiking through the park this week was a real treat. The Rosebay Rhododendron seemed to be everywhere. Every bush seemed to be blooming. The GSMA is calling it a hundred year Super Bloom. I suspect it has something to do with the absence of the hemlock trees. Hemlocks are dying throughout the park and exposing the understory to lots more sunlight than it has ever seen. Hemlocks and rhododendron like similar terrain along creeks. 

Cooper Road Trail is accessed in the Cades Cove loop. The trail is a driveable road. I walked an out and back route of 11.2 miles. Today, park service rangers were doing maintenance on the trail. They rode horses and three ATVs, a John Deere, Cub Cadet and a Kawasaki. If that didn't stir up the yellow jackets, the weed whackers surely did.

The Rosebay display was unparalleled. For much of the trail, I was creekside and in a sea of white snowball blossoms. The scene above was repeated many times, as far as you could see.

This trail was impacted by the tornado which ripped through this area a little over a year ago. Several other trails remained closed. What was once a forest scene, is now a open area of tangled wood and lots and lots of new ground vegetation. Keeping this new vegetation down is going to be a challenge.

This trail added 5.6 miles toward my S900 Challenge. 

June 14 Andrews Bald

In 2008, the Friends of the Smokies, through their Trails Forever program, rehabilitated this formerly rocky, rough trail to a super highway of trails. The trail work is outstanding. Presently, Chimney Tops Trail is undergoing a similar makeover. 

Clingman's Dome parking area was crowded as usual and shrouded in fog. I quickly escaped the crowds on this 1.9 mile trail that only a fraction of the visitors will venture out on. Immediately I am intrigued by the odd round marks on the rocks. They look as if some has carved a series of various sized circles. One such display looks like a mural of natural randomness - several circles and an odd shaped torpedolike image.

Unlike Gregory Bald, Andrews Bald sports Flame Azalea only. There are some shades and a few with patches of yellow but it is predominately a one color bald. Andrews appears to have grown back more than Gregory. The main part of the bald is open grass and azalea but the fringes are a mixture of returning trees and grass and azalea. Today it was foggy so no view but the flowers were sufficiently engrossing.

June 13 Lead Cove-Bote Mtn-Finley Cane Trails

This 9.4 mile loop with a side hike was a fairly easy walk. Going up Lead Cove trail was a bit tough in the heat and humidity. I spotted one bear in the rhodo along here. Once at Bote Mountain Trail, I hiked an extra 2.4 miles to complete an unhiked portion of that trail. Bote Mountain Trail is a wide two track with few redeeming features. The final leg back is along a very pretty trail, Finley Cane Trail. there is a small patch of cane along it. 

With about 2 miles to go I stepped over a freshly fallen tree and immediately felt the unmistakable sting of a yellow jacket. I think he got me twice and maybe a third time. I thought it was a good time to break out the Epi pen. I tossed my pack on the ground and unzipped. Just as the pack was opening I realized I had transferred the Epi pen to my bicycling gear that morning for the ride around Cades Cove. Fortunately, the trail was fairly level for the last 2 miles. I walked as fast I could, feeling the stinging sensation more and more as I went. It took about 40 minutes and I finished strong so no ill effects from the stings. Damn yellow jackets.

This hike added 8.2 miles toward my S900 Challenge.