Blooms Along The Trail

Blooms along Chestnut Top trail that is and mostly along the first two or three hundred yards up from the Townsend 'Y'. It was a great day with light rain and a late afternoon start I saw only two folks as they were making the final descent back to their vehicle.
This being the case the trail was quiet except for raindrops and my occasional laughter from the joy I felt walking in the rain over the next 2 hours. With the flatness of sound from the steady rain and my breathing times like this are exceptional opportunities to utilize ones visual awareness and practice looking off the trail frequently and into the trees for wildlife.










This is a practice to which I attribute a large part of the visuals I have put on bears and other animals. If I am staring at my feet for 5 miles I'm wasting opportunity's to see the lizard on the log or the bear quietly moving off the trail to avoid being seen. Saw neither today...seems they had a enough sense. The trail is currently loaded with various wild blooms here are a few. Peace

Chestnut Top

This walk covered about 4mls. RT, and was along the Chestnut Top trail beginning at the Townsend 'Y' parking. That is the river access area just as you enter the GSMNP from Townsend. As noted before the trail has a relatively steep ascent over the first quarter mile or so and then dips and climbs over the next 1.5 give or take. There had been some recent maintenance on the trail where it looked like a tree had fallen and it's root had pulled part of the trail with it and some drainage run-offs added within the first half mile.
The picture of the cut tree caught my attention as the "spikes" of the branches that once stretched from it poked back into the tree. "Meg the Hiker" should be asked about this if you have any questions, as she is the Master Gardener. And the other photo of the mosses shaped like a mushroom caused me to think of pizza at the Mellow Mushroom in Chattanooga, by the aquarium. I was on my way out when that occurred and it was a good thing for I was hungry!

Chestnut Top on Saturday the 14th

This 8.6 ml. RT started at the Townsend 'Y', parking area alongside the Little River. What was different about this hike today was that I went ahead and completed the 4.3 ml. one way from the 'Y', to the junction w/ the School House Gap trail, and the number of people, 7,; and one domestic animal, I passed. Yes, the second couple of folks who I crossed paths w/ had one of those "large poodles" w/ them. Not sure what kind of dog it was though I do know that it was not providing any needed assistance to the man who had it and it DID NOT belong in the park! After greeting them; turns out I knew one of them through mutual friends, I pointed out that it was illegal to have the dog on the trails and that he could get a big ticket/fine if caught.
Now folks I do have a problem w/ you putting me at a higher risk of encountering a tired, hungry, and angry bear, which is what you do, when you carry your useless, domestic, overgrown, lap dog into the woods of this and any other wilderness area. It is Against the Law, a federal law that applies to all of us.
Well I got over it and developed a packaged comment for the next person I see doing this which will sound like this..."Oh, and be careful there's a couple of rangers just starting some work at the trailhead you'll be coming out at"...hee,hee,hee.
Along the way I saw bunches of Squirrels foraging for grub in the "warm weather" and despite the quiet trails I could not get close enough for a good picture.
This trail could be part of several one way routes provided you have the transportation and is enjoyable as a RT for the views, rock formations, and wildlife. Peace

Big Deer

Hello, this walk was a short (approx. 3+mls.) RT, up and along Chestnut Top trail beginning at the 'Y'.
The temperature was in the 50's, w/ sunny skies when on a southwest facing ridge. The trail was extremely quiet w/ the recent rains softening the fallen leaves. As I walked I saw squirrels, birds, bear skat, and this large deer showed himself on the last section of the walk. I heard him and some other animals moving in a ravine below and I stood and listened as he drew closer coming up to access the trail. He saw me shortly after coming out on to the trail but showed no concern and casually began walking the other direction. This has been an invigorating hike each time I've taken it, be it from the variety of animals seen or simply the difficulty of the first 1/2ml+ coming from the 'Y'.

Chestnut Top Colors

Hey! This was new for me. I saw where James the Walker had done this route a few weeks ago and wanted to try it out. Just did about 3 mls. RT, from the 'Y'. I made a deal w/ a bear; who I saw the backside of as it ran, that I'd turn around at the point I did so sticking to my word kinda limited the length (about a mile and a half in). The bear was running so I did not get a picture but got several other nice pictures I think. The first 1/2 mile or so of this trail could be tough because initially it's a steep incline w/ some more moderate grades after the first 1/4 ml.

Campsite #18, via Bote Mtn. Trail

Today,(8/23/08), we have a VP on the Democratic ticket and I hiked for about 4.5 miles in the GSMNP. I started the morning w/ big plans and found I was unintentionally delaying my start through repeated evaluations and second guessing. So finally I got my stuff and went to the Post Office to mail a letter to the editor. W/ this done I was on my way to the park entrance and went right at the Townsend 'Y', to "force" the issue for myself and decide the route for the day. I chose the the Bote Mtn. trailhead which begins approx. 3.5 miles in from the 'Y', w/ a parking area at the Schoolhouse Gap trailhead on the right. The Bote Mtn. trail is about 250 yards back and across the street. This trail was described on another day in an entry from 7/7/08, of a walk on June 25th. I found the route similar to that day minus the "creature sighting", and add dust from the lack of rain. After the 1.2 mile climb and intersection w/ the end of the West Prong trail I went left on that trail and to campsite #18, which was like only a half a mile or so. I've walked through this site a few times but this time having no agenda, I stopped and looked around. What a great campsite! The water was still running well in the West Prong, which separates the tent sites at this campsite and the folks who have "adopted" this site for upkeep had apparently been here recently w/ signs of cleaned fire pits and grounds. Thank you for your help. The sites are spread apart giving lots of privacy w/ each having a fire ring, easy water if the West Prong is running, and pulleys for the packs etc... . This site, #18, is easily accessible from the West Prong trailhead parking at Tremont as well and both routes appear to be about the same distance, approx. 2mls.
While I was at #18, I walked to each camping area and really liked 'A', and 'C', for the distance from the main trail, and other reasons like this "large puddle" of moving water, one of several at #18, which flowed just beyond 'A'. Come walk w/ us and you can decide for yourself.
I followed a trail up the creek from site 'C', which appeared to be along an old road; or railway from the logging years, and also an area which looked like it once had a building(s) of some sort on it. Actually I noted a couple of spots where this looked to be the case so I'll ask about it when I'm volunteering next week at the visitor center. Really a nice hike complete w/ Cardinal Flowers, and big trees. Peace

The Other Half

Well the other half began from the Townsend 'Y', parking area and the Chestnut Top Trailhead. This trail has an intimidating beginning which deterred me some in the past and made the excuse that "it's not gonna be any fun, it's too close to the road and probably has lots of noise", more believable. Yea, yea, yea! This behavior of mine was described by Herbert Spencer as "contempt prior to investigation".
This trail has a steep incline from the start and after a 1/2 mile begins to level some. At times. For the two miles or so walked I'd say I was going up most of it until I began to overlap the route walked on Sunday. Some really cool rock formations on the climb up, though as noted in the "lil brown book", you'll wanna watch your step through here because off the trail to the right it is damn near vertical. The trail becomes quiet w/ the elevation gain, and like the other half will have some wonderful views this fall and winter. Once I began to recognize the trail and views from the walk on Sunday I gave thanks, again, and turned around. W/ the almost continuous decline in elevation from the turnaround I made great time coming out. This trail has no permanent water source though I saw some fresh water in a wet spring about a mile plus into the walk, that had I my MSR filter I would have had no problem drinking this water.

Beginning from this side the Chestnut Top Trail is difficult, yet doable even for the smoker or novice w/ frequent rest. Oh, yippee! and there was no litter on this section of trail that I noticed, minus a big band-aid that someone left. The noise was at times noticeable from Hwy #321, but not lasting and surely not enough to prevent my return. Should the spirits permit it. Peace

Chestnut Top Today

This walk along the Chestnut Top Trail began on the School House Gap side of it's length, which extends from there, 4.3 miles to the Townsend 'Y'. From the car and approx. 2 miles along the trail this was a 5 mile+ RT walk along the ridge line. It was moderate to easy and offered some nice vistas even w/ the summer foilage. The most difficult part of the hike would be from the car to the trailhead. I saw Thunderhead Mtn., which is visable from this trail, and was allowed different perspectives of this for about 1/2 mile along the route. Or at least until I turned around. Some noise from motor traffic at times from Hwy #321, Townsend, yet it was not nearly what I had feared. Several times before I've approached this trail and not followed it because of pre-concieved conclusions which had little validity. Hmmmm? Heck, this was the middle of the summer, on a sunny Sunday and the noise pollution was not a problem any more than one encounters along other trails in the GSMNP.
This trail was well kept and, as the "lil' brown trail book" points out, will have many more wide vistas during the winter. Great trail for a longer RT, (8.6 mls., from School Hs.Gp. to the 'Y', and back), and one I'll try later, maybe in the fall.