Friday, February 9, 2018

South Cumberland State Park: Grundy Day Loop

It's the middle of winter, and I'm going stir crazy from being stuck inside, so writing about the outdoors seemed like the perfect solution.

Last month on MLK Day the temperature was relatively "warm," so we decided to venture out for a hike. (My idea of "warm" has changed significantly as the last two months have seen many days with highs in the 20's and 30's!) I suggested South Cumberland's Grundy Day Loop, because I knew it was a nice hike along a creek, and I hoped I would see some beautiful ice along the way. I was not disappointed!


I discovered South Cumberland State Park (SCSP) a few years ago, and it has become one of my local favorites. Located less than an hour from Chattanooga on the Cumberland Plateau, it's the perfect location for a day hike. Grundy Day Loop was the first hike I completed in SCSP, and it's still one of my favorites. SCSP is a somewhat confusing state park for a couple of reasons. First, it's large and there are many different sections and hikes to choose from which can make it overwhelming. In addition, it's physically disconnected. It actually looks like it's made up of several smaller unrelated state parks that simply happen to share a name. And some of the sections are quite a distance from each other. Grundy Day Loop is a moderate 2 mile loop trail located in the Fiery Gizzard section.

Our first time visiting the park, we stopped at the visitor center, where they recommended 3 hikes for us. We ended up completing the Grundy Day Loop hike first, and stopped by the second two briefly (but returned on other days to explore them more). In the nearby town of Tracy City, we visited the oldest bakery in TN (which was brought to our attention by the visitor center staff). It was a quaint little bakery with some delicious bread, and we have returned many times since then.

Grundy day Loop is pleasant during the summer. The trees provide a nice shade cover, and since we're hiking along the creek the entire time there are plenty of opportunities to stop and dip our toes in the water. There's also several very nice swimming holes if we're feeling up for a swim. The waterfalls aren't huge, but there are several of them along the way.


My favorite waterfall is right past where the two creeks merge. You have to detour from the day loop and take a bridge across one of the creeks. After walking a slight distance on the fiery gizzard trail, you will come to rushing cascade. At the bottom of the cascade, the narrow creek passes through two tall rock walls, creating a narrow passageway. I always think it looks like it would be fun to ride down this section in a tube. (But probably not the smartest idea as it's a pretty steep waterfall!) If you hike a little farther along the trail, there are some huge boulders which are fun to climb around on and explore. The trail continues on and connects to the much longer Fiery Gizzard trail, but we always turn around and head back to finish the day loop.


I've also now completed this hike in the fall and winter also, and it's just as beautiful. In fact MLK Day was one of my favorite visits because the water running off the rocks had frozen creating beautiful formations and ice cycles. There is something so gorgeous and delicate about ice along a rushing creek.


I'm so thankful for the numerous beautiful locations to hike and explore so close to home. And even though winter is not my favorite season, I'm glad I can enjoy the beauty of places like South Cumberland in all seasons.

Directions: Grundy Day Loop Parking Area & Trailhead (Google Maps)
Map:SCSP Fiery Gizzard Section Map (Includes Grundy Day Loop)

Wednesday, June 15, 2016

Hiwassee River

I stumbled upon the Hiwassee quite by accident. I'd heard of it before, but my first visit was a result of getting lost while looking for a creek in the middle of the woods. I love Google Maps, but in this instant, it failed; leading us on a wild goose chase through the woods while looking for Goforth creek. When we emerged from the woods, we were driving down a country road and happened upon a little quick stop store. We stopped, and the kind couple gave us directions to the actual Goforth creek. But they then said, "If you drive down this road for a few more miles, you'll go through Reliance, TN and the Hiwassee River." We changed our plans, set off, and a few minutes later arrived in Reliance.  I was enchanted.
This adorable little store name the Webb Brothers General Store is one of the few stores in Reliance and it doubles as the gas station, convenience store, post office, tourist stop, and boat rental shop. I felt like we had gone back in time. We then explored the Hiwassee River itself (which runs right behind the store). It's a meandering river surrounded by mountains, that winds through the Cherokee National Forest.

Since then, I've taken many subsequent trips to the Hiwassee and spent two summers exploring its different parts. This past summer we decided to rent duckies (sit on top kayaks) and float down the river. You put in not too far below Appalachia Dam (where the water is released) and float 3 miles downstream to the little store in Reliance. The Hiwassee is a fairly tame river, so it was mostly a leisurely trip. However, it was absolutely beautiful floating down this winding river surrounded by mountains. Not long into our trip, it started to sprinkle rain. Then the thunder and lightening started, and soon we were caught in an all-out thunderstorm. We were in a part of the river with no take-outs nearby, so we had no idea what to do! At first, we parked on a (very) small island, but it provided us barely any shelter and I was pretty worried about getting struck by lightening. We then noticed a couple of boaters inside a tall concrete culvert on the shore. They motioned us over, so we paddled across the river and jumped out of our boats. We waited out the storm with our new friends in the culvert. After the storm, we continued our trip downstream. I was now very wet and cold, but the mist rising off the water after the storm gave the river an enchanted look.


Later that summer I bought a tube and ended up tubing different sections of the river several times. I was disappointed when fall and winter arrived, thinking I would have to take a break from the Hiwassee. Instead,  I've found that it's still a fun place to go. The little store in Reliance closed for the winter, but I discovered another cute store farther down the river that is open year round. I obviously don't get in the water during the winter, but it's still pleasant to walk along the river or to sit on its banks. One of my favorite places to walk is the John Muir Trail, which stays right next to river for around 4 miles. While I enjoy the different experiences the Hiwassee offers in the winter, I'm thrilled that it's summer again so that I can explore this lovely river some more.


           

Wednesday, March 30, 2016

Chattanooga Nature Center


My class was reading a text about wolves last week and it reminded me of my first time visiting Chattanooga Nature Center (also known as Reflection Riding). My first experience here was on a date, and it was a memorable visit. A friend had taken my boyfriend to this place before, so knowing I loved the outdoors, he wanted to show me. We arrived around sunset. The nature center is surrounded by woods and as we got out of the car, I noticed the sign that said "Members only; No trespassing" We weren't members, so I was a little uneasy about walking around. We walked a little distance away from the car on the road through the woods (without actually entering the center). A few minutes into our walk a loud and very eerie howling started that sounded like it was pretty close by in the woods.  There was no question in my mind that it was wolves. I was trying to stay as calm as possible, but it was obvious to me that we were walking around in the woods and there were wolves on the loose! I very calmly, but firmly asked to return to the car. Thankfully, my date realized I was freaked out and obliged.

This creepy experience caused me to research Chattanooga Nature Center. I found out that they are raising Red Wolves there, but I had nothing to fear as they are kept in an enclosed area. They also have other wildlife that they have rescued, such as a bobcat, owls, hawks, and an eagle.

We returned to visit the Center during the day and I immediately fell in love. I purchased an annual membership (which is actually pretty cheap) and it is one of my favorite places to go and walk on almost any day. The trails make a huge loop and go through both fields and the woods. On a typical day, it's not unusual to see deer, turkey, rabbits, geese, horses, and many birds.

One of the best parts about Chattanooga Nature Center is that it's 5 minutes from my house and only 10 minutes or so from downtown Chattanooga. It's a wonderful place to walk in any season; in fact, I actually prefer visiting in fall or winter, because there is just something beautiful about the woods on a cold, foggy day. And in the Fall, the leaves are gorgeous.


I've often thought that if I have money one day, I will buy land to leave in its natural state. I'm so glad that people thought of that with the land that is now Chattanooga Nature Center, and gave us this little pocket of nature right in the middle of Chattanooga.


Friday, July 3, 2015

The Smokies: Tremont and Lynn Camp Prong

"The mountains are calling and I must go."-John Muir

Eventually I knew I would write about the most beautiful place on earth. There is something that has always drawn me to the mountains. Growing up, my family would go camping at Deep Creek (which is a whole post in itself) The mountains were a huge part of why I left (mostly flat) Alabama and went to a small college in Tennessee. It's tucked into the foothills and you can see the mountains in the distance from campus. I fell in love immediately. Throughout my four years there, going to the grassy bowl to view the mountains on the horizon remained one of my favorite pastimes.


I still live close to the mountains. Though they're not close enough to see from my house, I can easily make a day trip to them. The Great Smoky Mountains National Park is the most visited park in the U.S., yet I find it easy to get away from the crowds and find my own secluded area. In the last couple of years, I've mostly explored the Tremont area of the park. Little River, which is a pretty typical Smoky Mountain stream, runs through this part of the park. Tremont and the hike to Spruce Flats Falls is the more well-known area. The moderate hike to Spruce Flats Falls starts at the Great Smoky Mountains Institute at Tremont  and ends at a beautiful cascade waterfall. You arrive at the top of the waterfall, but it's actually fairly easy to climb down the waterfall to where it spills into Little River below.

 If you continue past Tremont on the main road, it winds along beside Little River. There are many secluded pull-offs where you can easily access the stream to sit, swim, or fish. Every time we go, we choose a different section to explore. I really enjoy just sitting and reading by the stream, but it's also fun to hike up or downstream on the rocks. It's hard to do this without getting wet though, so this is best in the summer when the ice cold water feels refreshing.




Finally, if  you follow the road all the way up Little River (along a dirt road) until the road ends, you will be at Lynn Camp Prong. The Lynn Camp Prong Cascades is a fairly easy hike from the trailhead. This is the largest and most popular of the waterfalls on this trail, but it's not the only one! I actually prefer the two waterfalls that are farther upstream. They are smaller, but still beautiful and you can climb down right next to them.



One final interesting fact. When we first discovered Lynn Camp Prong over a year ago, there were "no fishing " signs on the trail, however when we went back this past spring, the signs were gone and people were fishing (This is different from the lower part of the stream where fishing has always been allowed). We did a little bit of research and found out that the Lynn Camp Prong part of the stream had been part of a seven year brook trout restoration effort. I wasn't aware of this, but brook trout are the only trout native to the Smokies. Rainbow and brown trout are not native, and they were overrunning the brook trout. The restoration was successful and people are now allowed to fish in this section again. One of my favorite memories was watching and catching baby brook trout in the upper part of the stream this past spring. The tiny fish were congregating in the very shallow pools and it was quite a challenge to catch them with our hands, but they were so pretty to look at!

The Great Smoky Mountains National Park is one of the most beautiful places on earth  I'm thankful that our ancestors had the foresight to preserve these mountains in their natural state for generations to enjoy. Every time I visit, I fall a little more in love with the park.


Directions:  The directions in Google Maps to Lynn Camp Prong, TN are accurate. You can stop anywhere along the Upper Tremont Road or start hiking at the Middle Prong Trail Trailhead.

Sunday, March 22, 2015

Lula Lake

For a lover of the outdoors winter can be a boring season. Many outdoor places are better in the summer, fall or spring, but opportunities to enjoy the outdoors are limited in the winter. However, one of my favorite hidden places near Chattanooga is just as beautiful and exciting in the winter as in the other seasons.

Lula Lake seemed like the perfect place to write about first, because it's quite possibly my favorite place near Chattanooga. And I love visiting it in the winter just as much as in the summer! Lula Lake is a private land trust atop Lookout Mountain that's part of the Rock Creek Watershed. It's open to the public on the first and last Saturday of each month. My first visit to Lula was actually in the winter, and I fell in love with it immediately. I've since visited Lula in every season and it's just as beautiful every time.

Lula contains many pretty and fairly easy trails, but there are 2 main attractions.

The first is a lake with a small waterfall pouring into it (hence the name "Lula Lake") It's gorgeous in the winter because something gives the lake a greenish tint and there's often icicles hanging from the cliffs surrounding the lake.



The second attraction is the Lula Lake waterfall.

There are several different ways to view the around 80 ft. waterfall. You can walk down the riverbed to the top of the waterfall and stand on the rocks next to it looking down. You can view it from the main trail (looking at it from the side). You can climb up a large boulder and view it straight on (this is my favorite view). Finally, you can hike down to the bottom of the waterfall and actually go behind it.

One of my all time favorite visits to Lula Lake was last winter when the temperature had stayed below freezing for days. Cabin fever was starting to set in, so we planned a trip to Lula (despite the temperature still being below freezing). I did not anticipate just how amazing the waterfall would be. The continuous below freezing temperatures had caused the waterfall to almost entirely freeze over. And it had turned the part below the waterfall (where the water hits the ground) into a icy wonderland. To make it to the actual waterfall we had to crawl over 30+ feet of ice, which was quite a task. Once we made it to the falls, we were able to walk behind it and look out. Surrounded by ice, we felt like we were in an ice cave in the Arctic somewhere. And the way that the light interacts with ice is amazing.

I'll be the first to admit I HATE winter, but this experience made me almost like it. And it certainly reminded me that there's beauty in every season. Of course, I also enjoy going back to Lula in the spring when it's warm and all the ice starts melting.

Lula will always be a special to me. It's such a gorgeous, peaceful place and amazing that we have a magnificent waterfall around 15 minutes from home.


If you're interested in knowing more or visiting Lula Lake, here's a link to their website:  lulalake.org

Tuesday, February 24, 2015

Introduction: Exploring East Tennessee (and beyond)

I've wanted to start a blog for a while. While I was studying in Spain I kept a blog of my experiences there, but since returning to the U.S., I wasn't sure what to blog about. I've always loved traveling, so a travel blog seemed like an obvious choice...except that I've been living in the same city for over 2 years, and have not traveled a whole lot.

However, I'm blessed to live in one of the most beautiful parts of our country. Surrounded by mountains, Chattanooga has been named one of the best outdoor cities and it's certainly one of the prettiest. I'm amazed almost every day at how gorgeous this city is! I know that I'm fortunate to live in a city that I love.

What's even more exciting is the myriad of places within driving distance of Chattanooga that offer spectacular views, excellent hiking, and a fun adventure outdoors. While some of the these places are well-known, there are many that I've found that are "off the beaten path."

I've enjoyed discovering new places to explore, and I'm excited to share some of those places here!