So this morning, after a cup of coffee, Wifey suggests a bike ride at Big Ridge State Park. Of course I think this is a grand idea. It's still early, cool, and I've always loved cycling. This of course isn't the first bike ride we've been on. We've done the Virginia Creeper Trail earlier this year, mountain biked at Panther Creek State Park, even rode Cades Cove loop in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, and rode a nice mountain bike trail in Big South Fork NRRA.
Since I agreed enthusiastically, we left our back deck and went to don our cycling apparel and prepare for the ride. It had been quite some time since we last had the mountain bikes out, and you know what that means. That's right, you guessed it, they had to be wiped down and cleared from spider webs and the tires needed a good airing. Once that was complete I loaded the bikes into the back of the jeep. We recently purchased a new car and hadn't tried our bike rack on it yet for fear we might tear of the rear window wiper.
With the bikes loaded, water bottles at the ready and helmets in hand, we were off to Big Ridge. Upon arriving, the sun was shining bright, the weather was just a touch warmer. Looks like wifey's bet of freezing while on the ride was lost. We started down by the gristmill, up the hill towards the front of the park, around the campground, past the swimming area and tea room, out to the front entrance, back towards the gristmill to the back entrance, turned around and went back to the gristmill and for good measure back to the back entrance and to the gristmill once more.
Total approximate distance was 3.5 miles. Don't know how long it took us but I could tell it had been awhile since we had been in the saddle. For those who are interested, here is a link to the course we took, mapped out on gmap-pedometer.com. The course isn't exact as the campground and the tea room roads aren't properly mapped on Google maps. http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=4020623.
Anyway, it was truly a wonderful way to start our Labor Day. Until next time, stay out of doors as much as possible. There's a whole world outside waiting for you.
Well wishes,
Tim and Robin.
Monday, September 6, 2010
It's a Byrd, it's a Creek...
Fall is in the air this weekend here in East Tennessee. Although we are in the last stretch of Summer, this weekend has felt like the beginning of Autumn. With this being the case and the additional bonus of it being Labor Day weekend, we decided it was high time to get in the woods.
While a camping trip would have been wonderful, and I guarantee one is being planned for later in the month, we really couldn't swing one this weekend. So instead we opted for a nice hike at Cumberland Mountain State Park.
As always, the night before we werelooking researching a place to hike. We decided, since it had been a few months since our last hike, we'd do something that was a bit easy to more or less get back into the swing of things. Additionally, since we've done most of the short easy hikes that are in our vicinity we decided on Byrd Creek Trail to Cumberland Plateau Nature Trail.
This hike was only 2.7 miles and had a total elevation gain/loss of approximately 60ft. For the beginner to intermediate hiker, this is just enough to get the heart rate up and the terrain is good to "cut your teeth on". It was a mix of soft sand and pine needles in some spots and real rooty, and/or rocky in others.
The park itself is really pretty, offering plenty amenities for those that don't hike or need something extra. The history of the park is rather interesting much like the origin of the man-made dam. Unfortunately the lake was down causing Byrd Creek to seem rather unmoving and a bit stagnant. Aside from this, there was plenty of flora and fauna to admire along with birds, trees, and other cool trail features like the Boy Scout bridge just before the nature trail portion of the hike.
So that's all we've got on this adventure. Stay tuned for our next edition. As the weather turns cooler there will be more adventures to go on. Until then, enjoy the pictures.
P.S. - For a more in-depth trail description check out cloudhiking.com's entry. Keep in mind we did the hike in the reverse direction and did not do the Overnight trail portion.
While a camping trip would have been wonderful, and I guarantee one is being planned for later in the month, we really couldn't swing one this weekend. So instead we opted for a nice hike at Cumberland Mountain State Park.
As always, the night before we were
This hike was only 2.7 miles and had a total elevation gain/loss of approximately 60ft. For the beginner to intermediate hiker, this is just enough to get the heart rate up and the terrain is good to "cut your teeth on". It was a mix of soft sand and pine needles in some spots and real rooty, and/or rocky in others.
The park itself is really pretty, offering plenty amenities for those that don't hike or need something extra. The history of the park is rather interesting much like the origin of the man-made dam. Unfortunately the lake was down causing Byrd Creek to seem rather unmoving and a bit stagnant. Aside from this, there was plenty of flora and fauna to admire along with birds, trees, and other cool trail features like the Boy Scout bridge just before the nature trail portion of the hike.
So that's all we've got on this adventure. Stay tuned for our next edition. As the weather turns cooler there will be more adventures to go on. Until then, enjoy the pictures.
P.S. - For a more in-depth trail description check out cloudhiking.com's entry. Keep in mind we did the hike in the reverse direction and did not do the Overnight trail portion.
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| The Bird's on Byrd Creek Trail |
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| Byrd Creek |
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| Wintergreen WTF? The Little Dipper? O_o |
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| Zombies!!! Everyone, run for your lives!!! |
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| Byrd Lake |
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| Your's Truly: Some call me Tim |
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| Wifey, Kiddo, and Sidekick at Boy Scout Bridge |
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| Byrd Lake Dam |
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| Trail Head Signpost |
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| Smooth Phlox |
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| Dam Kiddo (LOL) |
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Some type of Agaric Mushroom. There's too many to know which one. If you happen to know please leave a comment. |
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| Looking up through the canopy |
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Evening Strolls
We haven't been going to many places lately to enjoy the outdoors as much as we would love to. We have made impromptu trips to Mississippi and then up to West Virginia for a family reunion and a 50th wedding anniversary party for my folks (Rose and Larry). We've also been busy with upkeep around the house such as clearing the outside of and patching a barn. (Really it's a huge detached garage that serves more as a barn, and up until recently a plush home for some four-legged masked bandits). There's been a yard to keep mowed, weeds to kill and eat with a weed-eater, flower gardens to tend and such.
While that has kept us quite busy we have made time for some outdoor fun, not much on the hiking, backpacking, or camping scene, but more so on the try everything we can to stay cool. Yes we've had plenty of trips to Aunt Patty's pool including a nice 4th of July celebration which included games of volleyball and a few libations.
Other than that, we have been having evening strolls for the last week. Mainly just some walks in the parks (Big Ridge and Norris Dam State Parks to be exact). The trusty side kick has been dying to get out so we have been trying to humor her by our evening strolls not to mention keeping ourselves active in addition to all that was stated above.
So with that said, it's late and time for bed. Here are some select shots of the past few days that the most excellent photog of the house (Wifey Robin) has taken. Enjoy.
Peace,
Tim and Robin
While that has kept us quite busy we have made time for some outdoor fun, not much on the hiking, backpacking, or camping scene, but more so on the try everything we can to stay cool. Yes we've had plenty of trips to Aunt Patty's pool including a nice 4th of July celebration which included games of volleyball and a few libations.
Other than that, we have been having evening strolls for the last week. Mainly just some walks in the parks (Big Ridge and Norris Dam State Parks to be exact). The trusty side kick has been dying to get out so we have been trying to humor her by our evening strolls not to mention keeping ourselves active in addition to all that was stated above.
So with that said, it's late and time for bed. Here are some select shots of the past few days that the most excellent photog of the house (Wifey Robin) has taken. Enjoy.
Peace,
Tim and Robin
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| Trusty Side Kick Clover on the Sniff |
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| Smooth Phlox |
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| Rose Pink |
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| Fog on the Clinch River |
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Sunset on the Clinch (Those are not our poles) |
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| Kiddo, Side Kick Clover, our God Sons (L to R Zorro and Gizmo) and me |
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| Wifey Robin and I munchin' on hotdogs at Frozen Head |
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| Mom and Dad Surprised at Anniversary |
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Mom and Dad's Wedding Photo (Aren't they beautiful?) |
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
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
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
Monday, May 17, 2010
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 --
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 --
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