A Blue Ridge Road Trip (Pt. 2)

It was our second full day on our Blue Ridge Parkway trip and we (rather I) woke early once again before the girls did. For some reason, this whole trip I was always the first one up. I guess knowing that I had Robin and Ashby to contend with for the bathroom, my subconscious decided it was best to be first before anyone else was up and avoid fights over the bathroom.

It wasn't long after I was done and ready, that Robin was up and at 'em. Not long after Ashby and Dinah were both up and going, we were packed up, loaded up, and ready to check out of the Hidden Valley Motel by 9am. Our first task was to sequester breakfast. It wasn't hard, as we had eyeballed a Cracker Barrel in the heart of Boone the day previous to this.

A Blue Ridge Road Trip (Pt. 1)

The third weekend in July is always family reunion time on my mom's side of the family. Every third Sunday in July, the Patteson Clan gather for fun, food, and reminiscing at Glenwood Park in Princeton, WV. Seeing how Dinah was new to the family, and all my aunts absolutely love to see her we decided we would go to the reunion this year. As an added bonus, I thought it would be fun if on the way back home we spent a couple days driving down the Blue Ridge Parkway. The four of us (Tim, Robin, Ashby, and Dinah) as a family doing a mini version of the vacations Robin took as a kid with her family.

Once the reunion was over, or rather close to the time people were starting to leave, we loaded back up into our SUV and we were Blue Ridge bound. We had made arrangements to stay over night at the Allegheny Inn in Sparta, NC shortly after making it to the Blue Ridge Parkway. We got all checked in and hung out for a little bit before going out in search of food. The Allegheny Inn was a wonderful motel, located in the heart of the quaint downtown of Sparta, North Carolina and only 15 minutes from the Blue Ridge Parkway, where we would begin our adventure on the next day. Unfortunately, our adventure wouldn't begin without some sort of hiccup.

Our First Trail Post On Trail Sherpa

As some of you may know, we are contributors for TrailSherpa.com. We were invited by Tim Miner to join the team of contributors and we gladly accepted as it would be a mutually beneficial relationship. Well our first trail report has just been posted on the site. This trail is the Ewing Trail up to White Rocks in Cumberland Gap National Historic Park.

Once you see the trail report, you might be wondering, "How on Earth did Robin make it up that trail and 8 months pregnant?" We did this trail last year and decided since we haven't been out on the trail since our trip to Judge Branch, we'd do a write up on White Rocks. We hadn't done a report for this hike because we hiked up to White Rocks well before the "Blog Revitalization" effort back in October last year.



Anyway, head on over to TrailSherpa.com and check out our report. While you're there, if you aren't already a member, sign up and join the fun. There's plenty of like minded people who love the outdoors and hiking. You won't be disappointed.

Happy Trails,
Tim and Robin

Camping Season is Upon Us

Camping season is upon us once again. All over Tennessee, campgrounds are getting ready to open or already have. The smell of camp fires and smores, the sounds of screech owls, children playing throughout the grounds, and the simplicity of just living in harmony with nature and very little technology, if any at all. What more could one want or ask for? A weekend or week long vacation away from the rat race. To unplug and unwind. The only concerns of the day: gathering firewood, food, ghost stories, and whether or not to go for a hike, ride the bike, read a book, or, best of all, take a nap. Ah yes, it's those times out camping that really help us to appreciate the simple things in life.

With the camp season here, I thought I'd take some time to go over some of the great parks in our area that offer wonderful camping opportunities. What better than to have it all in one area rather than have to scour the interwebs to find it all?

Big Ridge State Park - Maynardville, TN - (3 camp options)

Campground - $20/night. Open year round.
50 total sites with hookups and water, soft gravel pad, a picnic table, grill and fire ring. There are 3 modern bathhouses in the campground but bathhouse 2 and 3 are closed until March 31st.

Backcountry - There are 3 backcountry sites in the park. They are free to stay at but a permit is required and easily attainable at the park office. Pets are welcome but must remain on a leash. No pack animals allow. Locations of the campsites are as follows: one on the West Dark Hollow Trail, one at the end of the East Dark Hollow Trail, and one at Sharp's Station. It is suggested you call the park office for current trail conditions before heading into the backcountry.

Group Camp - A large group camp may be reserved ahead of time for your large group or function. Call the office for prices and availability.

Cove Lake State Park - Lake City, TN - (1 camp option)
Campground - $20/night ($18 for tent only)
102 campsites here with 4 that are tent only. Each campsite includes Water and electrical hookups, a grill, and picnic table. There are 2 modern bathhouses in the campground. Site are on a first come first serve basis with a 2 week stay limit.

Cumberland Mountain State Park - Crossville, TN - (2 camping options)
Campground - $20/night ($25 w/sewer)
145 Tent and RV sites are available on a first come first serve basis. Each site allows up to 7 adults and has hookups, picnic table and grill. There is also a bathhouse in the campground and a seasonal camp store which opens in May. One other note, non-campers can shower in the bathhouse for a $3 fee.

Backcountry - There is one backcountry site in the park, on the Cumberland Overnight Trail. This site is free to camp and at this time we have been unable to confirm if a permit is required.

Frozen Head State Park - Wartburg, TN - (3 camping options)
Campground - $13/night
20 rustic sites and 2 rustic group sites. The regular sites are on a first come first serve basis and include gravel tent pads, picnic table, grill, fire ring, and lantern hooks. The 2 groups site contain fire rings, grills, picnic tables, gravel pads, and lantern hooks. These sites can be reserved up to two weeks in advance and accommodate up to 20 people.
In the Big Cove Campground, there is a modern bathhouse, a wash basin, community water spigot and wood shed that isn't always stocked with wood. Campers are allowed to gather windfall for fire wood, but or restricted from cutting down trees. Additionally firewood from Indiana, Ohio, Michigan, Illinois is banned from the park due to insect infestation.
This campground opened on March 15th.

Primitive Group Camp - Price unknown.
The primitive campground contains 8 sites that accommodate up to 15 people each. These sites are open year round and are available on a first come first serve basis. There are portable toilets available to this area and bathroom facilities are only a walk or ride in the car away.

Backcountry - There are a total of 11 backcountry sites along the 80 miles of trails in Frozen Head State Park. These are free to stay at but a backcountry permit is required and available at the park office/visitor center. There is a bathhouse available to backcountry campers at the Old Mac trailhead when you come off the trail.

Note: For more information on Frozen Head State Park check out our Featured Parks page as it is our featured park for the months of March and April.

Norris Dam State Park - Norris, TN - (3 camping options)
Campground - $20/night ($18 if just tent camping)
There are two campgrounds at Norris Dam State Park with 25 sites on the eastern side of the dam and 50 sites on the west side. Each site features water and hookups, picnic table, and grill. Each campground area also features a modern bathhouse which are seasonal. The sites are also on a first come first serve basis with a 2 week limit.

Primitive Campground - $??/night (a few bucks less than regular campground)
On the east side of the dam at the back of the regular campground there is a primitive, tent only campground. These sites have fire rings and may or may not have a table.

Backcountry - There is one backcountry site on the Andrew's Ridge trail on the west side of the dam. There is no cost to camp here but a permit is required and possibly reservation. Please call the park office to ensure no one has reserved it prior to any trips you plan. (Correction - The backcountry site, we found out, is $11 to camp).

Panther Creek State Park - Morristown, TN - (1 camp option)
Campground - $20/night.
The campground at Panther Creek offers 50 campsites on a first come, first serve basis with a 2 week limit. Each site features water and electrical hookups, table, grill, and fire ring. Additionally, there are 2 bathhouses that are opened seasonally.

Pickett State Park - Jamestown, TN - (3 camping options)
Campground - $13/night.
The campground offers 35 campsites complete with water and electrical hookups, table, and grill. There is also a seasonal bathhouse available to campers. All sites are on a first come, first serve basis with a maximum 2 week stay.

Group Camp - The group camp is available for large groups/functions and can be reserved through the park office. Please call for rates and availability.

Backcountry - There are over 58 miles worth of trails that wind through Pickett State Park and the surrounding forests. Backcountry sites are abundant and free to stay at. Of course a backcountry permit is required and can be obtained at the park office/visitor center.

Roan Mountain State Park - Roan Mountain, TN - (2 camping options)
Campground - $25/night (tent only site may be cheaper, call the office for more information).
The campground offers 87 RV sites complete with water and electrical hookups, grill, and picnic table. There are also 20 tent only sites that offer the same as the RV sites minus water and hookups. The tent only area does have two community water spigots. There is a bathhouse that serves the campground as well. All sites are available on a first come, first serve basis.

Group Camp - There are 4 group camp sites that will accommodate up to 25 people for non-profit groups. Call the park office for reservations.

Note: The parks website notes that the sites are opened to self contained campers only from Nov. 15 - Apr 1st.

Big South Fork NRRA - Tennessee/Kentucky - (Multiple Camping Options)
Campgrounds - Rates Vary (Two campgrounds)
Big South Fork has 2 campgrounds (Bandy Creek and Blue Heron) Please visit each of their respective websites for more information.

Backcountry - There are a multitude of backcountry sites in the Big South Fork. Permits are required and fees are variable. Please see the website for more information. 

Great Smoky Mountains NP - Tennessee/North Carolina - (Multiple Camping Options)
Campgrounds - Rates vary (multiple campgrounds)
Front Country - There are multiple campgrounds in the Smokies. Please the their camping page for more information.

Group Camping - Each of the campgrounds also offer group camps that can be reserved. Please check out the group camping page for more information.

Horse Camping - There are multiple horse camps throughout the park. Check out their horse camping page for more information.

Backcountry Camping - Finally there are multiple backcountry sites and shelters throughout the Great Smoky Mountains. As we would need to write multiple blog entries to cover them all, it's best to check out their backcountry camping page for further information.

Cumberland Gap NHP - Tennessee/Virginia/Kentucky - (Multiple Camping Options)
Campground - $15/night w/o hookups - $17/night w/hookups
The Wilderness Road Campground in Cumberland Gap NHP offer 160 total campsites. 40 of the sites offer water and electrical hookups. All sites feature tables and fire rings. There's also a bathhouse for campers.

Group Camping -  $30/night up to 30 people. An additional $1 is charged for each person over 30 persons.
Reservations can be made for the group camps for up to 3 months in advance. Call the visitor center for more information.

Backcountry Camping - There are several backcountry sites in the park and are free of charge. They do require a permit which can be obtained at the park's visitor center.

For more information about camping at Cumberland Gap NHP check out their camping page.

That just about covers it for camping info in the State and National Parks here in our neck of the woods. A complete rate sheet for Tennessee's State Parks can be found here.




Now that you have this information at your finger tips, what are you waiting for? It's time to get to planning that camping outing with the family and/or friends. Oh that's right, what are you going to cook, what about safety, or camping activities? Well don't fret too much. If you have questions in those arenas, you are in luck. This next week at Appalachia & Beyond is "Theme Week". Bet you can't guess the theme. Okay so you can. Be sure to check back through the week for our camping themed posts where we will cover camp food, camp safety, camping gear and more.

Happy Camping,
Tim and Robin

Oh, and Ms. Coo says, "Happy St. Patrick's Day!"

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:

2010 - A Year in Review

2010 was quite the eventful year. Many trails have been hiked, projects started and/or completed, and many places visited. We like to take the time to recap the many miles our feet have plodded over the course of the year.




We started out with a goal, much like we have done in previous years and failed miserably, to hike at least 100 miles in a year. We've put forth a really great effort and have really expanded our horizons as far as trail locations but to no avail still fell short again. Places we've traveled to hike include the Great Smoky Mountains, Cumberland Gap, various parts of the Cumberland Trail, Big South Fork, Big Ridge State Park, Norris Dam State Park and much more to include some state natural and wild areas. We also got in our annual camping trip, which is always a welcomed delight, well usually. Another first in our outdoor experiences, we finally donned our backpacks for the first time for a 2 day trip up to LeConte Lodge for our anniversary. Finally we also took a trip up to Damascus Virginia to ride the Virginia Creeper Trail. Can we count that as part of an AT section hike? 0.o

So without further ado, the trails we've hiked this year including the date, miles, and location:

Date	Trail Name	Location	Distance
1/23/2010	Andrew's Ridge to Sinkhole Loop	Norris Dam State Park - Norris, TN	1.1 miles
2/20/2010	Stinging Fork Falls	Stinging Fork Falls State Natural Area  Spring City, TN	2.0 miles
2/21/2010	Andrew's Ridge	Norris Dam State Park - Norris, TN	1.78 miles
2/25/2010	Andrew's Ridge to Hootin Hollow	Norris Dam State Park - Norris, TN	1.4 miles
2/26/2010	Ozone Falls	Ozone Falls State Natural Area   Crab Orchard, TN	.75 miles
2/27/2010	Cumberland Trail - Black Mountain to Windless Cave	Grassy Cove, TN	4.0 miles
3/8/2010	West Overlook Trail	House Mountain State Natural Area Knoxville, TN	2.0 miles
3/19/2010	Piney Falls	Piney Falls State Natural Area Spring City, TN	1.5 miles
3/20/2010	Ewing Trail to White Rocks	Civic Park/ Cumberland Gap NHP - Ewing, VA	6.4 miles
3/24/2010	???	Fall Creek Falls State Park - Pikeville, TN	1.25 miles
4/7/2010 - 4/8/2010	Alum Cave Bluff to Mount LeConte	Great Smoky Mountains National Park - Gaitlinburg, TN	11.0 miles
4/10/2010	Panther Branch Trail to Debord Falls	Frozen Head State Park Wartburg, TN	1.2 miles
5/15/2010	Cumberland Trail - Bruce Gap Trailhead to Devil's Racetrack	Cove Lake State Park - Lake City, TN	6.6 miles
6/2/2010	Andrew's Ridge Loop(Trail Run)	Norris Dam State Park - Norris, TN	1.78 miles
6/4/2010	Songbird Loop(Trail Run)	Norris Dam State Park - Norris, TN	1.5 miles
6/5/2010	Laurel Falls	Laurel/Snow State Natural Area - Dayton, TN	6 miles
6/6/2010	Songbird Loop	Norris Dam State Park - Norris, TN	2 miles
9/4/2010	Byrd Creek Trail to Cumberland Plateau Nature Trail	Cumberland Mtn. State Park - Crossville, TN	2.7 miles
9/30/2010	Honey Creek Loop	Big South Fork NRRA - Onieda, TN	6 miles
11/13/2010	Club House Rd to Hemlock Bluff(Old Jeep Road)	Hemlock Bluff/ Loyston Point, Andersonville, TN	3 miles
11/21/2010	Big Valley Trail - Indian Rock - Big Valley - Ghost House Trail	Big Ridge State Park, Maynardville, TN	5.8 miles
11/28/2010	Marine Railway Loop	Norris Dam State Park - Norris, TN	4.6 miles
12/5/2010	River Bluff Loop	River Bluff Small Wild Area - Norris, TN	3.2 miles

In addition to the many miles hiked, we've started to become more self sufficient and live a more simple life. In so doing, we've tried our luck at winter gardening and have plans for year round gardening. We've been to several historic towns in TN just including Rogersville, TN, Cumberland Gap, TN, Ewing, TN, and Middlesboro, KY just to name a few. We even made it to a few festivals as well, the Apple Festival in Erwin, TN, The 25th Annual Harvest Street Festival in Newport, TN, Vestival down in South Knoxville, TN and the Louie Bluie Festival at Cove Lake State Park in Lake City, TN.

As you can tell, between holidays, festivals, hiking, and then of course the regular run of the mill life in general stuff, 2010 has been quite the active and fulfilling year we've been looking for. We've revamped the blog and have really put in the time into sharing our journeys and experiences with you, our family, friends, and fans.

You might be asking now, with such a jam packed year, how do we intend on topping it in 2011? Well, we can't divulge our secrets right now, if we did then why would you come to our place on the interwebs? I suppose you'll just have to wait and see.

Happy Trails and Happy New Year,
Tim and Robin

Featured Parks Page

We hope that you are all staying cozy and warm on this chilly autumn day. If you are like us then you are sitting back relaxing with a warm cup o' joe. We just wanted to stop in for a minute and let y'all know that we have a new page on the blog. It's the "Featured Parks" page. Every so often we plan on featuring a new park, forest, wilderness area, etc. This month our feature is Cumberland Gap National Historic Park which straddles the borders of Tennessee, Kentucky, and Virginia.  So take a moment and hop on over to the new page, give it a look-see, and let us know what you think.

Happy Trails,
Tim and Robin

What Do You Mean There's Very Little Virginia Creeper on the Virginia Creeper Trail?

Ladies and Gentlemen, children of all ages, welcome again to another exciting installment of that is just plain strange and weird. Umm wait... sorry wrong life again. Where was I? Oh yeah... So today's entry is all about the Virginia Creeper Trail that runs from White Top, VA to Damascus, VA. It actually goes a bit further than that but the 19 miles from White Top station to Damascus was all Robin and I did yesterday.

So tomorrow is my 35th birthday, and seeing how my birthday is during the week and I didn't take any days off, my darling wife decided she we would take me somewhere fun and special this past weekend. She rented us a nice little compact car to get up there and back and set up reservations with the Creeper Trail Bike Rentals. Initially, she thought it would be neat to rent a tandem bike, however considering we are both control freaks, and it was an off-road trail, upon reaching the bike rental shop she had reconsidered the cuteness of a bicycle built for two and we opted instead for individual steeds to carry us to Damascus. Hmm that somehow sounds like a song that should be wrote, "Riding to Damascus". Maybe I should change this entry's name?

Upon choosing our steeds, settling our affairs with the nice and lovely shopkeeper, and squaring away our gear, we were off on a 2.5 - 3 hour 19 mile adventure. I won't mention the fact that Robin had been diagnosed with a nasty sinus/upper respiratory infection just the day before, but she planned this prior to getting sick, and well she's stubborn and wouldn't take no for an answer. Have I mentioned how much I love that woman? Tough as nails I tell ya.

So our first stop along the trail, there was a few, was at White Top Station. It was 2 miles from the bike rental place to the station.White Top Station was a train depot along the railroad that is now the Virginia Creeper Trail. That's right, the Virginia Creeper Trail is a part of the Rails to Trails program. The trail actually starts at the North Carolina/Virginia line, which is about a half mile further back from the station, but for all intents and purposes, White Top might as well be the beginning. At an elevation of around 3500', White top was the last station in Virginia along the Rail line. The building that stands there now is a replica of the original station. After a brief visit inside, we were ready to continue on our way.

The trail meanders through dense, lush forest land and many Christmas Tree farms. This is likely one of the areas richest commodities. Frasier Firs are grown everywhere in the Highlands of Southwest Virginia, and there are plenty of farms to prove it along the trail. The odd thing we had noticed, well Robin more so than I at this point, was that we didn't see any Virginia Creeper along the trail. You'd think with a name like The Virginia Creeper Trail, the place would be covered in it, but alas there was hardly any at all. As a matter of fact, we've got more on and around our deck, that that trail has.

Our next major stop along the way was Green Cove station. This was the last station on the trail between White Top and Damascus. The Green Cove station is still the original building that now serves as a museum and rest stop for all who bike, hike, or ride horse back along the trail. The building contains several items worthy of note from a museum perspective. We highly suggest a stop here and take a look around.

Since time was getting short we were on our way again. There were several little stops here an there to take in the sights and sounds. Halfway down the trail is Taylor's Valley. Here is a nice little town with a cafe for you to  stop in and grab a bite to eat. For us, we didn't have enough time to stop and gallivant. So instead, we opted to stop long enough for a cigarette before heading down the trail. We had to be in Damascus to catch the shuttle back up to White Top by 4:30 and it was already 3:30 or so and we still had 10 miles to go.

Traveling the Virginia Creeper trail, there are several trestles to cross, wild flowers galore to gaze, and cool breezes from the creeks to enjoy. Also, there are several hikers on the trail along the way. It just so happens that the Appalachian Trail joins with the Virginia Creeper in 3 different segments. Additionally there are several cottages along the trail that serve as Bed and Breakfasts.

We eventually made it to Damascus and with a few minutes to spare before the shuttle arrived to carry us back to our starting point to begin our trek home. It was a lovely ride, and we intend on going again at some point in the near future. There is so much to offer in the Damascus and White Top area. There are 3 different parks, miles and miles of trails, stores and more to delight your fancy. Before we headed for home we stopped at a little ice cream parlor to treat ourselves to a job well done.

Just a couple tips before the pics...
- The trail is a bit bumpy at times, so always be alert.
- I highly suggest padded shorts or a gel seat. If you haven't rode a bike in a while, you will have a sore bum the next day. We guarantee it. However, don't let that stop you from one of the most enjoyable bike rides one can take.
- There is no cell phone service on the trail.
- Check out this site for more information: The Virginia Creeper Trail Guide.

Now for the pics.
Enjoy and happy trails,
Tim and Robin

 Our Steeds

Robin and I at White Top Station

White Top Station

Tim Crossing a Trestle

 Tree Hugger Robin

Tree Hugger Tim

Green Cove Station

He's Got a Little Captain in Him

The AT and The Virginia Creeper

Fin

Reward 1

Reward 2

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