Click this entry title and See For Yourself

I must not be fooling myself into thinking that it's not my problem. Did you use any electricity today? http://www.ilovemountains.org/tva-spill/ Call your senator and representative Today. Ask them what they are doing to support clean fuel technologies and development.

Afternoon Stroll OTG

Today was another great day for an afternoon walk. Weather in the mountains was probably in the mid to upper 50's, clear skies, streams full of water! I was getting into a "bad spot" mentally from thinking and pondering about life events too much so I went out for a 3+ mile stroll OTG. The only folks I passed were at the beginning of this peaceful route along this noisy prong seen in the picture here.
Despite any concerns I may be having this walk takes them away completely...for a little while, and after doing this these concerns are not as strong as they once seemed. Trying to figure out the best "rock hopping" path over a full stream or paying attention to wild life around me as I enter an area of forest that is not frequented by the novice hiker distracts me from the "human-made reality" which surrounds me. Jobs, school, cars, war, mediocrity...Yes! give me more....time for solitude. Peace

Clean Coal?

I have to bring this up again in response to the disaster in Kingston Tn. There ain't no such thing as clean coal. Get the facts at http://www.thisisreality.org/#/?p=canary

LOST

Friday after Christmas I decided I was in need of a “walk”. Being too late in the afternoon to get away into the mountains I ran down to Chickamauga Battlefield Park. Normally crowded with walkers, runners, bikers and cars I found it almost empty, due possibly to the heavy fog and threatening weather.
Regardless that was more to my liking, after all I was only here for a walk. At the back of the park there is an area bordered on two sides by Chickamauga Creek and the other two by roads. In the middle is an area no more than 500 acres with dozens of trails. I took one that I did not remember being on before and started walking. Along the way I became engrossed in the deer, squirrels and a white heron. After several trail intersections and several turns I suddenly realized I had been over confident and was “lost”.
I was not concerned about being able to get out, almost any direction I headed in would take me to a land mark of some sort I would be familiar with, but it was growing dark and due to the fog I knew I only had 30 minutes. After that I would be blacked out and my only recourse would be to sit down and wait it out. If I took of in the wrong direction and came to the creek it was too deep to ford after all the rain we have had lately and I would not want to risk bushwhacking out.
The event ended successfully, I used my instincts to select the right trail at an intersection and was back at the car just before dark, but it reminded me I had not taking some of the same advice I would have given and have indeed lived with when in wilder areas.
1. I had no gear with me for warmth, no matches to build a fire, and I had not taken flashlighteven though I was going in close to dark.
2. I had told no one where I was going.
3. I had not followed the advice of my forest ranger grandfather who used to say, “You never get lost coming out… you get lost going in. In other words I had not paid attention to the route I had taken in and was overconfident due to my “familiarity” of the area.
Everything ended okay. I got back before dark and was never really in any danger. However what could have been was a night in the dark with no warm clothes, a drizzling rain and a predicted low of 45, plenty cold enough to cause hypothermia.

The Truth of Coal

This is Now, Real, and Very close to home! Click on the title of this entry then read about this local current event. Please call your State Representative and Senators today and leave a message! The phone numbers are at the bottom of the page. If you want more information on the poisons found in these sludge ponds click the link on the right side of this page for http://www.ilovemountains.org/tva-spill/ . Peace

Hidden Springs (Thurs. 12/18)

Hector's place is benefiting from the abundant rainfalls along the Cumberland Plateau and the surrounding regions over the last month or so. I learned how to shell corn during my short visit, as a "Woofer", Ian, and I worked a sheller/grinder and shelled several bags of dried corn. Know anyone w/ strong farming experience who wants a low stress position?
The efforts on protecting this area are still in the process. These pictures are of some of the same spots shown in blog entries from July-September, just type "Hidden Springs", in the box located in the upper left of the screen on this site and see the similarities and changes. Damn I like this place! The 1.5 mls. I probably hiked were easy to difficult and challenging. It had rained all night and through the morning and so the steep hillsides were very loose (made several "great saves") as I climbed to the top of the pinnacle and then descended the other side to view other cascading falls. Peace

Roundtop Trail (Sat. 12/13)

This trail runs between Metcalf Bottoms and the Townsend "Y", 7.5 mls, w/ a stream crossing at the end if you chose to cover the distance on what would be a wonderful day hike. Provided you have a second car or ride as there are no campsites along this route.
I began my 5 ml.(RT) walk from the Metcalf Bottoms side and even if I had wanted to complete the 7.5 mile trail the recent rains and snow would have prevented a safe crossing at the 'Y'. Soon after I started the walk I encountered snow and ice on the trail and as I gained the maximum elevation on this trail the snow cover only increased. Making for some "glorious bright white" as the sun moved up and over it at parts as I walked w/ the trees and and rodo's covered in the frozen gift. This trail requires a moderate though consistent effort. The elevation gain to the point I turned around at was just around 1300', if I remember correctly, though, as mentioned it was consistent. I noted some bear skat that appeared to have been left since the snow. The views for the most part, up to the point I walked, were wonderful and several would be open even in the dense summer coverage. I say "for the most part" because soon after the trail starts you walk by a rental cabin w/ another up on the rise before it and at couple other times you treated to the obscene development in Wear Valley. Of course that's just my view.
I enjoyed this portion of the Roundtop trail a bunch, really cool hike! and look forward to completing it as one way walk soon. Peace

West Prong (Fri. 12/12)

I chose this trail for it's convenience and to see what the creek that runs through campsite #18, looks like after heavy rains and some snow. Compare this picture of the stream w/the one taken on August 26th, which are only a few yards from each other. The West Prong trail took me through some snow about halfway through the walk which peaked just above the snow line. Along which the temperature (40's) varied w/ elevation, some wind, and the often cloudy skies. Beautiful views could be seen of the frozen peaks surrounding this area. This is a fun, moderate, walk and is usually abscent of many hikers. Peace

Meigs Creek (Tues.12/09)

This short walk is about 2mls.+- RT, over and through easy to moderate terrain beginning at the small parking area off the Little River rd. at "The Sinks". A friend and I began this walk w/ temperatures in the 50's, and overcast skies, hiking the mile+ or so to the wonderful cascading falls and returned.

Lynn Camp Prong 12/03/08

This approx. 6 mile walk began at the Middle Prong trail on a cold and partly cloudy day. The difficulty is easy to moderate w/ the moderate section contained in the last 2 miles. My walk began w/ snow in the woods and for the last 3 miles or so the snow was frequently covering the trail. By the time I made it to the site it was probably 6 inches deep off the trail.
I got on the trail about 2:20pm, and made the trip to #28 on the Lynn Prong Trail about 35 minutes before it got dark. Upon arrival I set up my tent, prepared my cooking stuff, and gathered some small sticks for a fire. After eating some Zatarain's chicken and rice I got a small fire going w/ the sticks I had gathered, and the help of a small fire starter. Just as the fire was getting strong the crescent moon was showing w/ Jupiter and Venus bright in the sky beside it. A friend and I were talking the other day about how fast these celestial bodies move through the night and I was reminded of this as these two planets were hard to locate mixed amongst the stars a short time later.
Tuesday night was cold! My sleeping bag is rated to zero and I was glad because it felt like the temperature dropped easily into the low 20's maybe lower, w/ the elevation gain and all the snow. As a fellow hiker had cautioned me several days before, I chose not to make an attempt for Derrick's Knob on Wednesday alone and had canceled my plans w/ the Backcountry office already. I took this picture along the walk as it reminded me of a good friends favorite childhood story.
This excursion tested my relative inexperience in these conditions and will better prepare me for my next! Peace