Smoky Mountains Hiking Club Schedule for
July 2006
(Extracted from the published Newsletter*)
*The printed Newsletter sent to members and subscribers also contains reports of hikes done, info on new members, full names of leaders plus e-addresses, plus the Appalachian Trail Maintainers Newsletter. To subscribe: $10 to SMHC, Box 1454, Knoxville, TN 37901. (If start after August issue, subscription is good through next year.) After one signs in on 3 Club hikes an application for membership is provided.
Newsletter Editor: Charlie Klabunde (865) 483-8055
Area Code, unless otherwise noted, is 865.
CONTENTS: Items listed here for July
1 - Sat Big Creek to Mouse Creek Falls & Midnight Hole
15 - Sat Left Prong of Anthony Creek ¯ Hemlock Ridge <offtrail>
16 - Sun EZ: Rich Mtn + Tour GrtSmkyMtn Heritage Ctr
19 - Wed Charlies Bunion from Newfound Gap
22 - Sat LeConte via Boulevard and Alum Cave Trails
29-30 - S&S Backpack: Thomas Divide- Newton Bald #52
July 8 - Saturday
All section leaders are encouraged to organize small groups to cut vegetation on their sections. Look for notices in the SMHC list serve for opportunities to go on "weed whacking" expeditions. Check the ATMN for how-to of the list serve.
BIG CREEK TO MOUSE CREEK FALLS AND MIDNIGHT HOLE
July 1 – Saturday
Make this hike a part of your Independence Day weekend celebration. The familiar trail, which is an old rail bed, follows a beautiful, blue-green creek with large boulders from the Big Creek picnic area, once the site of the Crestmont lumber camp and later CCC camp, to Walnut Bottoms, where families used to ride the train to spend time camping and hunting. As a bonus, there are several interesting features to enjoy along the way. Scramble up to the Rock House, view Mouse Creek Falls, spy on lazy trout at the bottom of a deep pool, cross a high footbridge from which a horse and rider took a fatal plunge, wet your bandana at Brakeshoe Spring, and soak your toes, maybe more, in the cool water of Midnight Hole. The length of the hike will depend on the amount of time we spend exploring or swimming. Upon our return to the picnic area, we can continue the celebration with cold watermelon and other traditional summer treats. Who needs fireworks!
Meet at Asheville Highway Food Lion <see list> at 8:00 AM. If you plan to picnic after the hike, bring something to share. Round trip mileages: drive- 130, hike- 5 to 10. Rated easy.
Leaders: Philip & Betty 694-0160 proyer@knology.net
July 9 – Sunday
We meet at the Laurel Falls Parking lot at 8 AM and take this very popular hiking trail on up and past the Laurel Falls. Once past the falls, the trail should be ours! As we continue on into old growth forest we’ll enjoy mature Buckeye, Magnolia and then, into big White Oaks. We finish the 4 mile Laurel Falls trail near an old fire tower on top of Cove mountain. This tower is now being used for air quality monitoring, with no option to climb it. We’ll begin the Cove Mountain Trail along the boundary of the park, and for about six miles we’ll view the growing numbers of chalets, condominiums etc., on the left and the beauty of our national park on the right. This trail is high and dry — be sure to bring plenty of water. The evidence of pine bark beetles will be all around us and there’s very little shade. With our continuing easy downhill walk to the Sugarlands Visitor Center and Park Headquarters we’ll be passing the pretty little cascade of Cataract Falls. We will have the option of returning to the Laurel Falls Trailhead by Trolley from the SVC for a mere 25 cents.
Hikers coming from the west of the park, please meet Jean Bangham at the Alcoa-Food City at 7 AM for carpooling to the trailhead. Total mileage for this hike will be 12.5.
Leaders: Dee 436-7929 deemur@charter.net
Jean 483-9862 jbangham@comcast.net
LEFT PRONG OF ANTHONY CREEK AND HEMLOCK RIDGE
July 15 – Saturday
This hike offers a good level of diversity. A relatively short trail section will lead us to where we leave the trail and follow the left prong of Anthony Creek to nearly its terminus and veer to the west to find an old section of the Appalachian Trail (AT) that will lead us to an ex-bald located just north of the current AT. We will take a well-deserved lunch break at the beautiful ex-bald and descend to the AT and follow it west for a short distance to Maple Sugar Gap. There, we will leave the trail and follow "Hemlock Ridge" back down to the lower part of the Russell Field Trail. Unfortunately, during the scout trip it was discovered that the Hemlock Woolly Adelgid has already largely destroyed what was a towering stand of beautiful hemlock trees. This hike will most certainly demonstrate the devastation that is being caused by the adelgid. The deadening of the hemlocks on this ridge descent will move those who love the Smokies to tears, as there are hundreds of dead hemlocks on this one outing alone, and it previews the genuine disaster that is befalling our wonderful Park.
Meet at the Alcoa Food City <see list> to leave at 7:30 AM. Round trip mileages: drive- 80, hike– 8 with approximately 4,000 feet of climbing, rated difficult. Pre-registration with the leaders is required for this hike. If you do not do so, you will not be permitted to join the group.Both the ascent and descent are long and physically demanding for the average hiker. This hike should not be attempted by individuals having no experience with off trail hiking. Also, as this hike was unfortunately scheduled for mid-July, we will encounter large stands of stinging nettle on the creek ascent, AND large stands of thorny blackberry on the descent. We will expect the participants to have plenty of water, and be prepared for a challenging offtrail day.
Leaders: Mark 693-9795 mark.shipley@townoffarragut.org
Michael V. 925-8257
RICH MOUNTAIN TRAIL and
TOUR GREAT SMOKY MOUNTAINS HERITAGE CENTER AT TOWNSEND
EASY, Short Hike: July 16 - Sunday ~5 miles
8:00 AM – 4:00 PM (meet at Alcoa Food City)
Tour, with guides, at 1:30 ($2 each –special group rate) takes 1.5 – 2 hours. Ice cream and homemade blueberry crisp following the tour!
Debbie 368-7024 debbiegoddard@bellsouth.net
Gary (423) 581-9248
Just One July Wednesday
Jul 19 Charlies Bunion from Newfound Gap 8.4 miles
7:30 Alcoa Food City Carol 376-4895 ander743@bellsouth.net
MT. LECONTE VIA BOULEVARD AND ALUM CAVE
July 22 – Saturday
We’ll do this hike as a keyswap; some starting at Alum Cave with a nice stiff climb. The other half of our group will stretch out the morning by driving on to Newfound Gap, hiking first the AT for three miles to the Boulevard, then following this for five miles on to Mount LeConte. We’ll all regroup at the Lodge to swap keys, check out this year’s t-shirt choice and test the rockers. Weather permitting we’ll plan to visit Myrtle Point for lunch and take in the vista. After enjoying some time on the rocks, the groups will divide and swap trails to go back to their cars.
Meet to leave Asheville Hwy Food Lion at 7 AM <see list>. Round trip mileages: Drive- 110, hike- 13.1; rated difficult.
Leaders: Jodie 579-4962 lv2hyk@yahoo.com
Jennie 691-5133 jwhited@usit.net
BACKPACK: THOMAS DIVIDE- NEWTON BALD #52-
NEWTON BALD TRAIL
July 29-30 – Saturday-Sunday
After a short car shuttle our trip will start at the Thomas Divide Trailhead. The beginning elevation will be 4650' and may provide some cool air for this summer hike. The trail will roller coaster over 5.5 miles with an easy gain of 1300'. Campsite #52 will is small, so the group will be limited to 5 including the leader. We’ll take our time going out as we drop over 2200' along the Newton Bald Trail.
Hike 10.7 miles, rated moderate. Drive 140 miles RT. Participants must have their own equipment and know how to use it. Meeting time and place will be given to those who pre-register.
Leader: Bobby Trotter 621-1646 whiteblazing@yahoo.com
MEETING PLACES: "Asheville Hwy Food Lion"= From exit 394 ramp off I-40 go left (east) out Asheville Hwy, US-11E/25W/70, 1.0 mi to signal light; turn left, then right into Food Lion lot ( not visible from Hwy intersection). Park along front edge, to left of entry. Far east side of Knoxville
"Food City in Alcoa"= on right between 3 rd & 4th stoplight (on Hall Rd., TN 35), just before Big Lots- where we are not wanted.
5 - Sat AT Work Trip (?)
12 - Sat Tomahawk Prong Falls, Sugarland Mtn Tr- Chimneys Loop OT
19 - Sat Election and Potluck Picnic
26-27 – S&S Car Camp at Deep Creek with hikes
Hikes: Sat- Juney Whank Falls, Sun- Sunkota Ridge – Deep Creek Loop