Panthers at Jakes Gap

Hello Happy Campers, It's raining in Townsend right now (10:43pm, 9/14). It started drizzling a few hours ago and has been pretty steady w/ some nice showers. This is a good thing, as I just finished and enjoyed a relatively short in distance, 3 day excursion and it is getting dry not only in the seeps but also in them small streams as well. Of course some of you folks have been out there and know.
Well my most recent excursion began at the end of Tremont Rd. and the Middle Prong trail. I followed this trail up 2.3 miles to the Panther Creek Trail and hopped what I thought was an easy stream crossing, though like many other stream crossings given normal or above rainfall things would be different.
Before turning left up Panther Crk. I spoke w/ some of the rangers working on the native brook trout restoration program and they made sure I was aware of the work being done and also to pay attention to the notices posted in the areas concerned. While the Middle Prong trail and other trails in this area will remain open September 7-September 19, 2008, to public use for the purpose of conducting the native, Southern Appalachian Brook Trout restoration, hikers should be aware that project personnel will be using all terrain vehicles on the trails to aid in the operation.
I enjoyed the hike up from here on Panther Crk. trail and water was available up until about a 1/2 mile before reaching the Jakes Gap (4055'). To the right at this intersection would have have put me on the Miry Ridge trail and the AT in about 5 miles but my route called for walking down Jakes Crk. Trail a short distance and camping at site #27. This was a nice quiet campsite and had plenty of water down below the lowest site, in the beginnings of what becomes a much larger Jakes Creek. The spot I chose; being the first here I had my choice, turned out to be the spot closest to the stream, about 35 yds., and had a big rock, probably some 15-20' long and several feet in diameter. This made a great table for stuff and/or a bench for me at times when I wasn't using the large log laying parallel to this boulder. The fire pit and site were well kept and the only garbage I saw, and carried out, was a small empty propane canister, found by accident in some tall weeds.
Saturday morn I arose after 8am and began an "unrushed" day. A few hours later I left the site cleaner than I found it and continued down Jakes Crk trail, which I really enjoyed. It was a wide trail following a former railroad route used by the Little River Logging Co., and under a thick canopy while dropping approx. 1500' in elevation over about 2.5 miles before meeting w/ the Meigs Mtn. trail on the left. The Meigs Mtn. trail connects Elkmont and Tremont (10 mls), though I was stopping at campsite #19 (4.6 mls), just past the Curry Mtn. intersection, oh, say a half mile. This is a small campsite w/ only 3 sites I could ID and 1 set of 4 wires to pull your packs and food bags up. There may have been more though I looked some and saw none. I did find water in the spring. Had to run the salamander off that was watching it for a few minutes but it returned after I made the "little one's" small domain deeper and more accessible to my filter hose. It was nice, two days in a row I found plenty of downed dry wood to build fires w/!! This campsite is on part of an old homestead which a Mr Andy Brackin established and this section of Meigs Mtn. trail up from Elkmont is full of history. I suggest taking along the small book 'History Hikes Of The Smokies' (Strutin '03), which can be purchased at the GSMNP visitor centers/bookstore, when walking here.
Sunday morning I got up around 7am, got my coffee, ate my last 2 Odwalla bars, packed my gear and walked back to the Curry Mtn. trail intersection (about .5) to begin my 3.3 ml. descent to the Little River road and the Metcalf Bottoms picnic area. This trail has a few relatively small inclines and the rest is pointing down the mountain for about 1100' of vertical. Along the top of this trail there were some nice views which of course will increase w/ the coming of the fall.
Overall a nice short excursion, on trails new to me, and relatively easy terrain once Jakes Gap is Reached from Panther crk.
Please call congress and let them know what you think about protecting our wild life from the destruction of Mountaintop Removal and the proposed I-3. You'll find the number(s) on the bottom of this page. For information on these topics investigate some of the action links provided here. Peace