O&W... Ain't that a root beer?

It was a beautiful Spring day on March 21, and after making it through the rainy days and the weekly grind, we were itching to get outdoors. Kiddo's cousin had spent the night (most of the week really, having been their Spring Break and all) and had mentioned the last time she was over that she wanted to go on a hike with us sometime. We figured this would be a good opportunity for that to occur. We had really been thinking about hiking all week.

So the day came for the hike. We had decided the night before that we would drive up to the Big South Fork and hike the O&W Bridge trail and cookout some hotdogs upon the conclusion of the hike. With our plans made and packs packed, we all (Robin, Rugrat, Cos, Beene, and myself) loaded up into the car and headed out.

We arrived at the Leatherwood Ford area of BSF where we found a parking spot, got our packs on and headed down the trail. O&W is a 2.3 mile in and out trail to the bridge making it a total 4.6 mile round trip. It meanders alongside the Big South Fork of the Cumberland River. It is also a part of the John Muir Trail in the Big South Fork. From the trail you can see all sorts of sights including big rapids in the river, all sorts of wildlife and vegetation, and some amazing geological structures. Upon starting the trail you see evidence of natures best lumberjacks. When asking the kids what might have fell the trees in this area, one reply was a lumber jack. Of course we laughed about that one and properly informed the kids that it was the work of beavers. As we continued hiking we noticed how much higher the river was compared to last year as we had been in bad drought conditions last year which made the river run very low indeed.

The trail provided some minor obstacles in the form of creek crossings. These weren't ordinary creek crossings either. Almost every crossing was set in the middle of a cutback on the trail in which you had to hop rocks to cross. I have to say, Beene and I have worked out the best plan to overcome these obstacles. Beene is our Border Collie mix, and she has got to be the best and smartest trail dog ever. Once everyone was across a creek, Beene and I would step up to the creek crossing and I would slacken her leash all the way. Upon command she would run to the other side upon which she would sit and wait with the others while I crossed. There were also some pretty step declines on the way back out as well to which I would let her go first and then I would start after her and stop half way down to stop her from pulling me down with her. Eventually, we got to the point where we would stand at the top of the decline are at a creek crossing, the rest of the group would head down or across and upon reaching the bottom or other side, I would release Beene from her leash and let her go to them. That was indeed the best approach of all.

Along the trail we spotted some flowering Yellow Trillium, some sandstone bluffs, a party of rafters and a duo of canoers upon the river. We also crossed paths with a handful of other hikers. At one point along the trail we spotted an animal standing in the trail. At first glance we were sure what it was. We then started to think it was a deer. Upon getting a bit closer we came to realize it was a dog running ahead of it's party. We called down the trail to the owners to let them know we were there and that we had a dog as well. At this point they leashed their dog and proceeded to pass us. We let the dogs sniff each other for a minute and exchanges some pleasent words with each other. At the end of the exchange the owner of the other dog must have gotten scared or thought that the dogs might begin to fight with each other. It was at this moment the women decided to dash off with her dog and immediately trip over the hound when it darted in front of her. I stood there shocked and concerned for her well being all the while trying to stifle a laugh that was building inside me. She got up and brushed herself off and assured me that she was okay and that it was regular for her and her friend to take falls on trails. It appears the only thing that might have been hurt was her pride. With that out of the way they went on down the trail as we continued back out.

Of course prior to this point we had reached our destination at the O&W bridge. This is a trestle bridge that was once used by the O&W (Oneida & Western) Railroad, which was used to run coal and timber from the area. The area here is absolutely beautiful. From the bridge you can really see the bluffs and gaze upon the rushing white water of the Big South Fork of the Cumberland River. We had stopped here for a breather and a snack. The kids decided to hunt rocks to which they tossed to the raging river below. I reckon this struck their fancy more than anything else that day. At this point you can head up to the Devil's Den which is a tough half mile hike up to a beautiful water fall. Considering that both kids were either just getting over or coming down with colds, we decided that this day we would forgo that side trip and head back out.

When we made it back out to the parking area, we found us a picnic table with a grill and treated ourselves to a well deserved hot dog lunch complete with chips, bananas, and potato salad. We were all relieved to kick our boots/shoes off and don our flip flops to let our feet receive much needed fresh air. Once our bellies were full, we packed up and headed back home.

As for other trail details, it is an easy to moderate trail. 4.6 mile out and back. The elevation gain is minimal unless you add the .5 miles for Devil's Den. Total time was approx. 3 hours which included the stop at the Bridge and water breaks in between. This a definite must hike and easy for the youngins. If you want something a little easier, there is the Angel Falls trail on the other side of the parking area.

And finally, what you've all been waiting for.... The shots of the day...



 

Trees....

It was February 9, 2008 and winter had beared down upon us for far too long in our opinions, we decided the pretty day would be the perfect opportunity to bring our daughter to see the trees. The trees I speak of are the enormous 200 - 400 year old untouched tulip poplars that stand in the old growth forest known to us around here as the Joyce Kilmer Memorial Forest, thus named after the poet, Joyce Kilmer, known for the work "Trees". Joyce Kilmer Memorial Forest is located in the Slick Rock Wilderness Area in Robbinsville, North Carolina, just off the Cherohala Skyway, and is part of the Nantahala National Forest.

The trail around the memorial forest is a easy 2 mile figure-eight loop trail that meanders through the forest and along the Little Santeetlah Creek. The four of us (Robin, Kiddo, and our trusty side kick Clover Beene) began the hike. The first half mile or so is very pretty with lots of vegetation and a few wooden steps along the way. You can just start to imagine the size of the trees on up in the forest at this point as you gaze at the one in the first half of the trail.

After the first half mile or so you come to the intersection of the two loops of the figure eight. Here lies a memorial to Joyce Kilmer. As we continued along the trail we really began to see the awesomeness of the tulip poplars in all their glory. At one point along the trail we all decided to see if we could wrap ourselves around one of the trees. We each took sides of the tree and stretched our arms as far as they could and just barely touch each others finger tips.

As the hike continued the trees got bigger and bigger. I believe the yougin' was rather impressed with the beauty that laid upon her eyes. Some trees we posed at pretending to try and climb with all our might. We came to a pair of trees that were close enough together so that we could climb up a couple feet between them with our backs on one and our feet on the other. We did so and took pictures of each other. Even Beene wanted in on this fun.

Before long we were back at the intersection and beginning the last section of the hike, which meanders through a thick growth of Rhododendron and eventually joins back alongside the creek. After a little bit we emerged from the trail pleased with the wondrous views. Once of the trail we made our calls to nature, found some sticks to use as wizard wands, which to this day kiddo stills likes to find sticks to play Harry Potter with.

If you have children, or love the outdoors and nature, we highly recommend this trail as it is relatively easy, and very beautiful indeed. Robin and I have now done the trail twice, but have yet to do it in any other season than the end of winter. We will definitely have to go back in the spring, summer, and fall to see the trees and their natural surroundings in the rest of their splendor.

Indian's and Their Boundries

It was the 13th of January and the winter season was still bearing down upon us. Nevertheless, our cabin fever was nearing critical limits and we were itching to get out of the house. So, after sitting down in front of the trusty computer for a short while to figure out what to do, we had a plan to battle the cabin fever. We decided we would set out to glimpse some wildlife of the avian kind and any other woodland creatures we might find. Our destination was a bird viewing motor loop.

Being as cold as it was, we decided it would be best not to attempt any major hikes, we set out in the car and headed south towards the Cherohala Skyway in the Cherokee National Forest to drive the Tellico Auto Loop for wildlife viewing.

It was a beautiful drive, and we couldn't have asked for better weather. A few points of interest along the loop included The Indian Boundary, and the river area campgrounds along one of the Forest Service roads. The country back here was beautiful indeed, especially off the beaten path along the service road where the woods are thick and the river runs wild.

We did see a handful of wild birds, but other than that we didn't see much else. Below are some of the captures of the day.

Be on the look out for for the upcoming posts: Joyce Kilmer (Any relation to Val?) and O&W Bridge, do they make rootbeer too?

2007, Where did it go???

Well 2007 is long gone and 2008 is well underway. I've decided that if I'm going to keep this blog up with entries on our various outdoor activities then I should stop trying to catch up on all that we did last year and just start fresh after this post. With that said, I believe I will give a quick look at everything else we did last year.

We ventured out to Frozen Head State Park again for a little fun. We cooked out Hot dogs and played and what not. We also went on two Appalachian Quilt trails. These are real fun as it lets you get into the heart of Tennessee. The cities and the downtown areas are great and all, but if you really want to see the heart of Tennessee I suggest you take a picnic lunch or something and get out of the house for a drive along one of the quilt trails. You will definitely see some beautiful country.

We finally ended the out of doors season with a camping trip to Frozen Head State Park. We camped for a whole week and really enjoyed ourselves immensely. Mom and Dad came out to visit a couple of days while we were out there. We hunted firewood almost daily, walked around the park, played, and rode bikes. On one of our last couple of days, we decided it was time to do a nice hike. We set out for Bird Mountain. This was a beautiful trail that runs along with the Cumberland Trail for a little ways. We stopped and ate lunch at one of the back country campsites. We finally continued our trek until at last we were out and back at the campground. If I remember correctly, the trail was 8 miles and there was an elevation gain of 1600ft in just over two miles.

As for the winter time, our out of doors activities were pretty limited due to the cold. However, we did get out for a few astronomical viewings. We watched the Leonids and Geminids or was it the Orionids. We went and gazed at Comet P17 Holmes a couple of times. We played with our video cam attachment to Robin's telescope a couple of times. We also saw a handful of Iridium Flares as well as watched the Space Station pass overhead one night. If you want to learn more about our astronomical Exploits, we have a separate blog dedicated to just that. You can see it here

As for 2008, well, I reckon I can start fresh with a new blog entry for our first two hikes of the year, Joyce Kilmer Memorial Forest, and yesterdays O&W Bridge trail in the Big South Fork National Recreational Area.

Keep on the look out for these two posts as I plan to have them up this week.

Happy Easter everyone.

T and R.

What is that Heron Mining???

The day was August 26th and we were itching to get out of the house. The rugrat was sleeping over at her friend's house and we had nothing better to do. It was a beautiful sunny day that shouldn't have been wasted. As always though, we spent a good 30 minutes or more trying to decide what we should do. Robin, finally came up with an idea after a little research online. We decided to take off and make our way to a part of the Big South Fork we had never been too. Well at least I hadn't been there.

After a good hour and a half drive or so we ended up at Blue Heron, an old mining town complete with all buildings restored to just shells. The interesting thing about this mining camp is that all the buildings are just skeletons of buildings with wooden cutouts of people, exhibits encased with plexi-glass containing various items such as books and pictures for the school house, bibles and church programs for the church, etc. Each exhibit had a big red button which upon pressing, you could here a tape recording of people talking about the place when they inhabited the camp some 50 years ago.

One of the funniest things was when we entered one of the building which contained life-size wooden cut-outs of people to which Clover apparently did find very trustworthy. To see her hairs stand up on the back of her neck and listen to her bark and carry on was quite funny. For at least a good five minutes she kept it up, barking and growling of the life-sized, lifeless, wooden people.

The camp still had what looked to be the original tipple which was pretty neat to see. By the end of the day we must have walked at least a mile or so around the whole place. Upon our departure we past the train bring tourists in from town. Our mission was accomplished and our day was wonderful.