The intended route for this off-trail hike begins at Beech Grove School in Cataloochee, picking up an old mountain road leading to an abandoned home site, then turns and traces the course of a wire that once provided phone communication between the fire tower on Spruce Mountain and a ranger outpost in Cataloochee. If you enjoy steep, seemingly interminable climbs through dense, seemingly impenetrable laurel thickets, as well as frequent altercations with sawbriers, greenbriers, and other species of malevolent vegetation, then this is the hike for you. If we are lucky, we may be treated to a Smoky Mountain rendition of a winter rainstorm. Please be forewarned, this hike will likely take nine to ten hours to complete. Near the end of the day, two wet stream crossings will provide a final highlight for the day.

Register for this hike with the hike leaders.

Leaders: Cindy McJunkin (mcjfive@aol.com) and Ken Wise (kwise@utk.edu).