Trail Report - Frozen Head Loop Attempt - Frozen Head State Park - 7/17/2011

On day two of our camping trip at Frozen Head State Park, we awoke kind of late compared to our normal rise time while camping. We finally crawled out of the tent sometime after 9am and hung out about camp for a little bit. After the usual trips to the bath house, Robin started on water for coffee and breakfast and I started on getting a fire going to relax by before the day really got underway. Once breakfast and coffee was put down our throats though, we soon got dressed into our day clothes and immediately broke camp.

Just a little after noon time, we were all packed up and ready to go for another hike. Of course we had to run out to town first because Robin wasn't too keen on the coconut in the Granola and Blueberries with Milk from Mountain House, and thus didn't eat but half of it. Likewise Clover wasn't keen on the Mountain House Lasagna either so the both of them were still hungry and burgers were wanted in a major way.

Backpacking Front Country Camp Style

For the past few weeks I've really been bugging about going backpacking, and last week was no different. After two weekends of having to do things around the house instead, this week I wasn't taking "No" for an answer. Everyday since last Monday I'd check the weather forecast to see what the weather was going to be like and it was looking promising. Finally by Friday morning I had Robin convinced of the idea. That afternoon she started gathering up everything we were going to need. By the time I returned home from work that evening it was time to head out to Bass Pro Shops for a couple things we still needed. When we returned we started packing our packs with everything we were going to need for a night and two days in the woods.

A couple of hours later and we were trying on our packs and weighing ourselves. Our packs were both too heavy (although I think I can do 30lbs. no problem. Robin, on the other hand, is one of those gram weenies :P and wasn't going to settle for anything much over 15lbs.). So there we were going through our gear trying to lighten both loads and still have what we needed. I think I eventually got my weight down under 30 pounds and Robin had got her's down to about 18lbs. This is where things went south for the backpacking trip.

National Trails Day is Around the Corner

Saturday June 4th is National Trails Day and there's a lot of hikes and volunteer activities being held all over the place just for this occasion. In addition, our President just declared June as National Great Outdoors Month.




So what are your plans for Trails Day? Are you going on a hike or planning on giving back by volunteering in a trail maintenance activity? Let us know, we'd love to hear your plans. If your having troubles find activities or don't know what's available, check with your local State or National Parks. There's plenty of opportunities and it's not hard to find them. Remember Google is your friend.



For the East Tennessee area there are all sorts of events planned for different parks from hikes to clean ups and even trail maintenance. Tennessee State Parks page has a whole list of events on their website. To name a few, there is a trail work project to celebrate Trails Day at Frozen Head State Park on Saturday. Call the park office at 423-346-3318 for more information.

In the Footsteps of Daniel Boone - (Tri-State Peak Trail - 2/26/2011)

Finally, we are all getting over the nasty head colds we've had over the past couple of weeks. The weather forecast promised 60 degrees and sunny and that meant only one thing. Time to head out. Our destination was Cumberland Gap National Historic Park to hike to the Tri-State Peak trail and as a bonus another chance to walk in the footsteps of Daniel Boone.

Earlier this week, it had rained two inches in two days, so needless to say the creeks were flowing freely and abundantly. From the parking lot to the Iron Furnace in Cumberland Gap, TN we donned our gear (day-packs, cameras, mono-pod, etc.) and it was at this point with my new pack strapped with phone/gps, and two meter radio along with my camera, mono-pod, and a video camera stuffed in a pocket, the girls christened me with a new nickname, "Robo-Tim". At one point along the trail, kiddo says to me, "You may look silly with all your gear, but at least you come prepared".

Speaking of the kiddo, it was nice to have her along with us on a hike for once. You know, cause 14-year-old girls this day and age typically want nothing to do with their parents cause we aren't cool. She actually hiked the trail more energetically, and for almost the whole trail we didn't have to wait for her. In most instances it was the opposite, she was waiting on us. It's all due to her having joined the track team. She's been in conditioning the past few weeks before the season officially begins, and now (according to her) we're old and slow.


First stop on the trail is at the Iron Furnace located just .1 mile in. It was here that the waters were really rushing in cascades down the mountain side, and a couple centuries earlier, this would have meant a high-production day. Several people were out and about at this area. As we ventured .2 miles farther on the graveled path, we reached the Wilderness Road Trail. It was here that we walked in the past steps of Daniel Boone as he led pioneers west into the land of Kaintuk which eventually led to the opening of the Western lands to our pioneers and settlers. The thoughts come to mind as to how much harder it must have been for them to travel than for us. Robin and Ashby calculated that on a typical day, the workers at the Iron Furnace would have carted over 12,500 lbs of material using mules and wagons! Now-a-days, we drive to the trailhead in an air conditioned car, hike a small portion, and head back home again just as easy as we came.

Upon reaching the Saddle of the Gap - .6 miles into the trail - we climbed the hill to our right to get a bird's eye view. Afterwards, we turned onto the Tri-State Peak trail, and the terrain changed dramatically. No longer were we hiking on the soft and graveled Wilderness Road, but rather we now trod on the typical East Tennessee mountain trail; rocky, rooty, and uphill.

Immediately upon starting the 'Peak' trail, on the right is a pyramid shaped monument commemorating Daniel Boone's Trail. Of course this was another prime photographic opportunity to skin elbows capture the nature of man when faced with obstacles historical monuments on the trail. A bit further down the trail is the location of a man-made crater, the result of a purposeful munitions battery explosion. You see the Confederates were closing in on the Yanks and to provide the cover for a getaway, the Union troops blew up their munitions cache. This stopped the Confederates in their tracks for 18 hours, long enough for the North to fall back to safer ground.

Just a little further up the trail on the right is a path leading to the area where Fort Foote once stood. This small detour is only .2 miles and well worth the walk. From here you get a nice sense of the remoteness of the area. Of course, this is if you ignore the road across the small gap that leads up to The Pinnacle. It's a great place for stories, and Robin kept Ashby entertained with her vivid imagination - stories of castles, huuuuuge midgets, and a soldier ghost that pokes you in the ear. We rested here for a few minutes while kiddo initiated a ghost investigation ("If you're here, knock this rock off.") and graphically describe her desire for Popeye's Fried Chicken. It wasn't long after that we were on our way back to the trail and onward to the Peak. Anymore thoughts of cajun fried chicken might have stopped the trek from advancing any further.


Back on the Peak trail, we hiked another ~ .4 miles uphill all the way to the pavilion that marks the crosspoint of TN, KY, and VA. The elevation gain from this point to the peak I would guesstimate to be approximately 300 to 400 feet. Upon arriving at the top Robin promptly laid under the pavilion to claim napping rights in three states at once. How often is it that you can say that you were in three states at one time? The views from up here are quite nice. To the Tennessee side, you can gaze down upon the city of Cumberland Gap. To the Kentucky side, the town of Middlesboro was only slightly obstructed by power lines and haze.  As for the Virginia side, well it's the mountain side from this vantage point.

From the Tri-State peak one can choose to start the Cumberland Trail as this is the northern terminus point. One day, when the Cumberland trail is complete, we will be at this point again ready to begin a 300+ mile trek.

We stayed up at the Peak long enough to enjoy the views, take turns in being in three states at once, eat a snack or two, and for Robin to be struck down with a migraine. She can tell you from experience, the trail is no place for this. Previous to being on a mountaintop, the worst place she'd ever had one was bike riding in Cades Cove.

Shortly after this occurrence, we slowly made our way back down the trail so that we could get Robin home to sleep off the killer headache. Luckily, it was prior to heading back out that I discovered I had lost the mount for the camera to the mono-pod. While this sucked and it wasn't found, it at least was something to look for on the way out that would help keep Robin moving slow and somewhat distracted from the world champion troll bowling competition going on in her cranium. It's amazing how pain can be overcome by distraction when a task is at hand - and the fact that you don't want to be spending the night on a blustery mountaintop without gear.

After making it back out and all was said and done, it was a wonderful hike minus the migraine. We got Robin home where she was able to sleep it off and was back to normal by nightfall. The total distance covered today was 2.88 miles with an overall total elevation gain of 859ft. It was nice to get back out on the trail after taking about 2 weeks off due to illness. Hopefully, for Robin's sake, the next hike will be enjoyable from beginning to the end.

Happy Trails,
Tim and Robin.

P.S. The new day pack worked wonderfully. I will have to write a review on it soon.

To view more photos, check our Flickr Photostream for this hike.

Here is the details of the trail from our Trimble account:

Stinging Fork Falls - For the Archives

Posting for archival purposes. This was our first and only featured trail from our now extinct Featured Trails page.

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For the first trail highlight, I'd like to bring to your attention the many State Natural Areas across East Tennessee. That's right, trails aren't just in National or State Parks. There are other wilderness areas that have some of the most beautiful scenery, flora, fauna, you name it.

If you love waterfalls, then the Cumberland Plateau is the place for you. Of course the Smokies, Big South Fork, and many other parks in our area have some wonderful waterfalls in their own right. However, This past spring we traveled to a couple State Natural Areas on the Cumberland Plateau that featured some waterfalls that were to die for. These trails are very lightly traveled on most days. The one to highlight today is Stinging Fork Falls.

Stinging Fork Falls State Natural Area is located west of Spring City. Access to the natural area is via Highway 68. In Spring City turn onto Shut-In Gap Road and proceed five miles to the parking area on the right. The trail itself is only about a mile to the falls from the trail head. When you first start the trail it is nice and mostly flat and the terrain is pretty easy going. There is a little spur trail to a wonderful overlook of Stinging Fork Creek and the gorge it traverses through just before the trail descends into the gorge.

Upon leaving the Indian Head Point overlook and back to the trail its all downhill from there. The downhill is slightly challenging with stairs, rocks, and plenty of roots to walk over. In the late winter or early spring, there is a good chance of snow and/or ice being on the trail. Be sure to use caution and take it slow, especially on the stairs and points just off the stairs.

Once you get to the bottom of the gorge, the terrain softens and the space opens up a bit as you meander along the trail towards the creek. Along side the creek, there are several places to pull of the trail and take a gander at the flowing waters of the Stinging Fork Creek. There is one place in particular that would make for a great spot to picnic or let the kids play.

When you are done playing and/or picnicking, onward to the falls. From this spot the falls aren't very far. You can especially tell as you can hear it from this point. While I'm not certain the exact distance, I would guesstimate the falls to be a half mile or less. Of course the trail stays along the creek side and as you venture closer, the terrain become rooty and rocky once again.

Finally, the treasure of the trail shows itself and the reward is well worth the trip. Stinging Fork Falls is a 30' cascade water fall that is fed by the Stinging Fork Creek. Upon leaving the falls the waters, as you have realized by this point continue to travel down stream through chutes and cascade over boulders as it winds itself through the Stinging Fork Gorge.

Total trip distance is roughly 2 miles out and back. Total elevation loss/gain +/- 300ft. One other note of interest, there are plans already to have this trail connected with the Cumberland Trail.  You can get more information and maps at the Cumberland Trail Conference website for the Stinging Fork Falls trail.

Happy Trails.

Cumberland Trail Conference - Call for Volunteers

Spring is almost here and it's time to get outdoors. State parks, national parks, natural areas, and more offer an abundance of hiking trails, camping spots, and other outdoor recreational opportunities. However, the only way these outdoor destinations can continue to provide us with that escape from society and/or technology requires more than what the employees (park rangers, maintenance crews, etc.) can handle. That's where we, the outdoor lovers come in. We enjoy these places. Otherwise we wouldn't be out there. It's time to give back though. There are plenty of opportunities to pay it forward, to show our appreciation, to show that we care and want to continue to enjoy our natural environments.

This year we've already mentioned the volunteer opportunities available at Frozen Head State Park in Wartburg, TN. Now we have another opportunity to list, and this one is just as near and dear to our hearts as Frozen Head. The Cumberland Trail Conference (CTC) is need of volunteers. Remember that grant survey from the CTC that we posted last week? Well they are ready to get the project rolling and have several dates in the books for the New River segment projects. In addition to these projects, they also have a few trail maintenance projects for the Obed segment, a different portion of the New River Segment, and the Tennessee River Gorge segment of the trail.

So hop on over to the CTC's volunteer page, see what's on the schedule, and sign up to be a volunteer. They will be glad you did, and we would be too. I'm hoping that we can make it out to lend a helping hand on some of the weekends myself.

Happy Trails,
Tim and Robin

Cumberland Trail Conference Grant Survey

The Cumberland Trail Conference was awarded a Tennessee Recreational Trails Program grant to use to complete/maintain the New River segment of the Cumberland Trail. The funds for the grant are collected from gasoline tax from recreational vehicles such as ATV's, snowmobiles, off road motorcycles, etc. The grant is given to organizations to use to build and maintain sustainable recreational trails for motorized and non-motorized use and to provide and maintain recreational trails as directed by Congress via SAFETEA-LU.

As part of the grant requirements, the Cumberland Trail Conference must solicit public input about their project to complete the New River Segment of the Cumberland Trail with the grant money. To do so they are hosting a quick two question survey on their site. To help the Cumberland Trail Conference meet this requirement please take a couple minutes to fill out the survey.

When you are done with that you can come back here and enjoy our posts from earlier in the week. Until next time...

Happy Trails,
Tim and Robin

Looking to 2011

The New Year is rapidly approaching and it appears that we are once again going to fall short of our annual goal of 100 miles hiked. We aren’t dismayed by this. On the contrary, it has been a great year in terms of hiking. We came a lot closer to our goal than we ever have in past years, and hiked a whole slew of trails we had never hiked before. However, it is time to plan for 2011, and really we’ve never been the type for resolutions as we’ve accepted the fact that we will fail miserably within the first few weeks of the New Year. Seriously, who hasn’t? I suppose a better question would be who has stuck to a resolution and was successful? I’m sure there are a few and I admire those with the resolve, dedication, and will power it takes to accomplish such a feat.

Robin and I have taken to a new philosophy, one from the vein of simple, free living. The philosophy I speak of is living without goals or rather, very loose goals. We find that having hardened, strict goals tends to narrow our focus so much that we miss other opportunities along the way. Instead, we form very open ended goals so that we can stop and smell the roses along the way if you will. By doing this, we can easily adapt to situations and circumstances that might be out of our control. With this attitude it is my hope that we accomplish more than we ever imagined possible, and that God will lead us to where we are supposed to be.

As for our outdoor goals for 2011, our typical "hike 100 miles" still remains. If we make it then great, if not that’s okay, too.  Sometimes things don’t go as you hope they will but later you realize it’s probably best it didn’t.  Besides, if you dwell upon it too much, it might drive you nuts. Another loose goal for 2011 is to get at least 1 or 2 overnight backpacking trips in. Once again this is an open goal to which, if it happens, awesome and if not that’s okay, too. First, I have to convince Robin that Ms. Coo will be fine with the babysitter. Otherwise, I'll be packing in with a "Hamster on Board" sign.

Finally, we hope to hike some more of what is completed of the Cumberland Trail, climbing Bird Mountain at Frozen Head State Park and out towards Mushroom Rock on the Frozen Head Segment and climbing up to Cross Mountain on the New River Segment are two that stand out foremost in our minds.

That’s really about it. So long as we can get outdoors when possible or permissible, and enjoy all that the Appalachians have to offer, then satisfied we shall be.  Now we turn the page over to you, our readers. What goals, resolutions, or hopes do you have in 2011 pertaining to the great outdoors? Leave us your comments. We love hearing from you all and sharing ideas and information.

Happy Trails and Happy New Year,
Tim and Robin

P.S. This post was inspired by the writing prompt from OutdoorBloggerNetwork.com.

No, not Devil's Haircut by Beck... It was the Devil's Racetrack.

It almost sounds reminiscent of Rob Zombie's "Devil's Rejects" and... well... it might have seemed like it. This weekend we hiked the Devil's Racetrack and let me tell you what, if you think you've found a good trail description of a hike, you'd better try to dig a little more. The write up we found for this one was a far cry from accurate. Here is the link, Devil's Racetrack writeup, I suggest you read that first, then come back here and finish reading for a comparison to the blithe write-up.

So the Devil's Racetrack is 3.3 miles from the trail head. If you read the aforementioned trail description then you now know that this is part of the Cumberland Trail on the Cumberland Segment which leads to Cumberland Gap on the Tennessee, Virginia, and Kentucky border. Behind Cove Lake State Park is the parking area for the trail head. This is located on Bruce Gap road, again if you read the aforementioned trail write-up you would know this as well. For a little extra information you can check out the Cumberland segment of the Cumberland Trail on the Cumberland Trail Conference website.

Sorry for the digression, back to the trail description. From the trail head to the Devil's Racetrack overlook is a total of 3.3 tough miles. The average elevation gain, as best as I could ascertain, is almost 1900'. The terrain is pretty rough due to boulder fields, scree piles, overgrown thickets, etc. There are several switchbacks once you reach the man made waterfalls. This helps to make the ascent to the overlook a bit easier, but still for us experienced hikers, it was definitely challenging.

I have to admit, if you take away the lack of proper trail description, the detraction of I-75 traffic (yes the trail pretty much follows alongside I-75), the heat, and poison ivy galore, then the hike isn't all that bad. There is plenty flora and fauna to set your sites on, as well as geological features galore. The view from atop the 'Racetrack' ain't half bad either.

If you decide to go on this hike, I suggest plenty of water, a few snacks, and something to keep you from getting poison ivy, I pulled my socks up as far as they go. Gaiters would be a good suggestion or pants too. If it's as hot as it was for us then gaiters would be the way to go.

So here are some of the snapshots along the way. You can also view the following site for more pictures of the trail that I wish we had found prior to going. http://www.easttennesseewildflowers.com/gallery/view_album.php?set_albumName=Cumberland-Trail

Happy Trails,
Tim and Robin Bird

The Pictures --

Lot's of Hiking Already this Year

Well hello folks, and welcome to another edition of the great outdoors with your host Robin and Tim. It's been sometime since our last post and we would just like to apologize for that. For you see, we had some issues with funding and our sponsors... erm wait a minute... sorry... just ignore that...

Okay, so, right yes, this year has been quite the year so far. We've made it to May and already several hikes have been accomplished. We decided to keep a log of our hikes this year, and for the years to come, just to keep track of the miles we have hiked. To date, we have over 30 miles logged and our newest fancy spot for hiking, the area we seem to be focusing on, is the Cumberland's in Tennessee. From Cumberland Gap at the TN, KY, and VA border, all the way down to Spring City so far and even a little farther south to Dayton, TN.

We have been to several different and each uniquely beautiful water falls (Ozone Falls in Crab Orchard, Stinging Fork Falls in Spring City, Piney Falls in Spring city, and a couple others). We hiked to a cave (Windless Cave to be exact) and to White Rocks, (a huge rock outcropping that you can't miss). There are a few other trails that we've been on, but of those, the most memorable so far has been the backpacking trip Robin and I took up Mount LeConte in the Great Smoky Mountains to stay the night at LeConte Lodge for our anniversary.

For the hike up to LeConte Lodge, we took the Alum Cave Bluff trail. This is a 5.5 mile trail with an average elevation gain of 2,560'. It was an absolutely beautiful day to hike up a mountain even if we were lugging 15 or 20 pound packs. It took us roughly 3.5 hours to make it to the lodge, which included a rest stop at Alum Cave, and plenty of photo ops.

Staying at the lodge was absolutely wonderful and the charge isn't that much considering. There's plenty to do on top of the mountain, which includes but is not limited to, watching the sunset from the Cliff Tops trail, watching the sunrise from Myrtle's Point, or congregating with other visitors to the lodge who share the same love of nature. Staying at the lodge is a pure disconnect from our electronic world. It's refreshing to get away from the hustle and bustle of the everyday rat race.

Upon reaching the top of the mountain and getting to the lodge, we were escorted around on a brief tour. The dining hall, the facilities, our cabin, etc. We had a couple of hours to kill before supper would be served, so we sat around took in the sights, drank cups of coffee and cocoa, and rested a bit from the strenuous hike. Supper was served and we enjoyed beef w/gravy, mashed taters, soup, green beans, cinnamon apples and more. You can even drink wine if you've paid for it. After supper, the office has a host of games, puzzles, books and more to pass the time. We played checkers and chess until it was time for bed. It would be an early morning especially knowing that we would have to hike down the mountain in rain.

It was apparent that in our lodge, we had some visitors that kept Robin awake half the night. Luckily they were never able to get into our room even though they tried. Tim wouldn't have known anything about it as I slept soundly in the double bunk. That morning we awoke to a ominous morning sky, filled with dark clouds that told the story of approaching rain. Soon enough it was time for breakfast. A nice hearty meal to fuel up on prior to the hike down.We ate pancakes, eggs, grits, Canadian bacon, and more. We again enjoyed the company of other guests at the lodge while we feasted.

It wasn't long after breakfast that we had our packs ready to go and we were headed down the mountain. It was about 30 minutes worth of dry hiking before the sky decided to open up. Luckily it was a slow soaking rain, and much to our surprise, it wasn't as tough of a hike down as we initially thought it would be. By the end of it however, we were thoroughly soaked. Thankfully our pack's rain flies kept most everything inside dry as a bone. We reached the car and gave our lodge mates a ride to their vehicle which they parked at Newfound Gap. After that we headed home with the heater blowing full blast.

Well that's our story and we are sticking to it. Did we mention that LeConte Lodge offers day hiker services? Yes a day hike to the lodge can be just as rewarding as an over-night stay. We plan to one day return even if just for a day. There are plenty other trails to take up there and we'd like to say that we've hiked them all.

Until next time, enjoy the photos of our various hikes so far.

Peace,
Tim and Robin.

Black Mountain - Windless Cave

Stinging Fork Falls

Ozone Falls

Piney Falls

White Rocks

 

 Alum Cave Bluff to LeConte Lodge