I believe that last Tuesday was only the fourth time that I have climbed since I moved to Tennessee over a year and half ago. I have maintained a good portion of my contact strength for holding onto holds by doing hands and fingertip pullups, but as I found out, I have not retained much endurance. It was the most pleasant weather for climbing and the company both new and old was good. Click on “Cheese Grater Special” to see and read what happened.
Posts Tagged ‘Outdoors’
Bays Mountain Climbing Again
Posted in Climbing, Consequences, Nature, Outdoors, Problems, tagged Climbing, Outdoors on April 9, 2024| Leave a Comment »
Jones Falls
Posted in General, Nature, Outdoors, Waterfall, tagged Hike, Jones Falls, Outdoors, Waterfalls on March 20, 2024| Leave a Comment »
Back in October I went on a hike with three young people from my church. I had been to Elk River Falls numerous times in years past and even recently, but I did not know until recently that there are two falls beyond that on downstream tributaries. My hiking partner and I were looking for the second one but didn’t find the trail. We have to go back and try again. On the way back I stopped for water and a snack while he went to catch up with the other two who had turned back after Jones Falls. They temporarily got off trail and I passed them, going all the way back to the parking lot at back. Finally, we met up, but I must confess that I was a bit nervous for them. None of that spoiled the beautiful day we enjoyed in the woods finding something new. Click on “Jones Falls” for a few pictures.
Mount Rogers VA
Posted in General, Hike, Nature, Outdoors, tagged Hike, Lewis Fork Wilderness, Mount Rogers, Mountain Ponies, Outdoors on March 17, 2024| Leave a Comment »
Due to time, distance, and responsibility, no sixer (1) in reach, we decided to hike Mt. Rogers, the highest point in Virginia at 5729′. The easiest access is from Grayson Highlands State Park, but that is not how we roll. So, we came from VA 603, 6.5 miles to the summit. The road does most of the elevation, leaving a 2400′ elevation gain to the summit. Though listed as hard, for 13 miles out and back, this is a very moderate route with easy grade and smooth trail surface.
My daughter and I hardly felt tired at the summit, so we decided to go back another way, lengthening the return a little and the difficulty a bit. But it was well worth it because the best views and most interesting details were on the return trip. We followed the Appalachian Trail around to the Lewis Fork Wilderness Trail and then the Lewis Fork Spur Trail back to the Mount Rogers Trail back to VA 603. As best I can calculate, our return trip was 7 to 7.5 miles. Being conservative, we hiked 13.5 miles. The cost was some bouldery, ankle-twisting sections and a good half-of-a-mile boggy section. My daughter corrected me to say it was a fen since it was flowing, but I don’t know if there is a term for flowing saturated flat areas in a high mountain forest. It was wet, squishy and required much rock and log hopping to navigate.
When got to the section where the Appalachian Trail and Grayson Highlands Trails used the same path, it was well frequented. On the rest of the Mount Rogers and Lewis Fork Trails, we saw no one. The hike was moderate enough that we finished in less than 8 hours with much sight-seeing and some lounging for peaks and views. If you would like to share a small bit of our adventure, click on “Virginia’s Highest” for pictures and commentary.
White Rocks and Sand Cave
Posted in Hike, Nature, Outdoors, Photo, tagged Cumberland Gap NHP, Geology, Hike, Outdoors, Sand Cave on February 19, 2024| Leave a Comment »
I took some young friends to another of the geological curiosities of SW Virginia, Sand Cave. White Rocks is impressive, too, but little odd along an escarpment that runs from SW Virginia to N Georgia. It is the reason the Cumberland Gap was so historically significant. A reasonable route for a wagon road was needed across to the Ohio Valley and Daniel Boone was the man to lead the building of it into Kentucky. On this day my four friends and I were at the NE end of the Cumberland Gap National Historic Park for a moderate climb up to ridgetop and the wonders of geology, forest, and weather. Check out my pictures at “Cliffs and Caves“.
Nostalgic Snow Day
Posted in General, Hike, Memories, Nature, Outdoors, Photo, Reminiscence, tagged Backpacking, Challenge, Memories, Nature, Outdoors on January 22, 2024| Leave a Comment »
Halfway through high school I took up backpacking with my older brother’s friend. We hiked quite regularly all through my senior year of high school, 4 years of college, and for a few years declining frequency into my marriage. Most of our trips were one, two, or three nights. Though we always intended to go longer, we never did go longer than 6 nights. Even so, two nights is enough to clear your head and your lungs. Carrying a pack weighing between 30 and 45 pounds up and down steep grades is challenging. Our packs tended to be on the heavier side because we preferred to hike in winter and carry our own tent. We could have cut a few pounds, but equipment was not as light then as now. I have spent many years and many miles day hiking since my 20’s but very few nights out since then. After our backpacking days, our families spent some time together camping and visiting for nearly a decade but various things in our lives over the years drew us apart.
Today the business I work for was shut down for snow. I arose late and had a leisurely day about the house with my wife, only going out for an afternoon walk in the snow. Midmorning I received a message from my old backpacking buddy. He sent a picture of three fresh faced young men in full gear at the beginning of the trail smiling for our pre-trail photo. Check it out at “Old Backpacking Memories.”
Revisiting Margarette and Bailey Falls
Posted in General, Hike, Nature, Outdoors, Photo, Waterfall, tagged Bushwhacking, Hike, Nature, Outdoors, Waterfalls on December 23, 2023| Leave a Comment »
I must confess that I have been to so many waterfalls in East Tennessee and Western North Carolina that relating names to scenes is a lost cause with me. So, when my hiking partner said that he would like to take his brother to Margarette Falls, I responded that I had probably been there but couldn’t remember. His brother was in for the week on business and to visit from Vancouver, WA. I knew miles before we got to the parking lot that I had been there not so long ago. In fact, it is a bit embarrassing to recall that it had been as recently as September, 2022 (check it out at “Birthday Hike“). This hike was different for many reasons. Compare this Tuesday hike of about ten days ago with the one 15 months ago at “M and B Falls.”
Thanksgiving 2023 Reflections
Posted in Blessing, Exercise, Family, Grandchildren, Nature, Outdoors, Photo, Thanksgiving, tagged Family, Grandchildren, Hike, Nature, Outdoors, Thanksgiving 2023 on November 28, 2023| 2 Comments »
The link does not include pictures or descriptions of the night before soup dinner, the flag football game, or the other meals and late evening discussions, but it does include details on things that I directly participated in and could take pictures of. I went hard at the flag football game and have the sore muscles to prove it. I realized that I am the last of my generation to be playing, the next oldest being in his early 40’s. I am thankful to have an active life. Check out my pictures and commentary at “Active Thanksgiving.”
The Channels VA
Posted in Beauty, General, Hike, Nature, Outdoors, Photo, tagged Hike, Nature, Outdoors, The Channels on November 5, 2023| Leave a Comment »
Yesterday, I went along with four young people to hike to and explore The Channels just north of Abingdon, VA. It was a beautiful day in every sense. Check it out at “The Channels“.
A Pleasant Weekend Visit
Posted in Family, General, Grandchildren, Nature, Outdoors, Photo, tagged Cave, Family, Grandchildren, Outdoors on October 29, 2023| Leave a Comment »
Last weekend our fourth-born, his wife and daughter came to visit. We enjoyed playing, talking, eating well, singing hymns, caving, church, enjoying a sunny day in the park, and a fire in the fire pit. Check out a very few of the things we did at “A Lovely Weekend“.
Up On the Side of Unaka Mtn.
Posted in Beauty, General, Hike, Nature, Outdoors, Photo, tagged Beauty, Beauty Spot, Hike, Nature, Outdoors, Red Fork Falls, Unaka Mountain, Waterfalls on October 14, 2023| Leave a Comment »
Unaka Mountain Road is a 12-mile gravel traverse of the flanks of Unaka Mountain between TN 107 and TN 395 above Erwin. From the TN 107 end, it is a short distance up to an unmarked wide place in the road to park for the short downhill scramble to Red Fork Falls. You cross the creek twice and arrive at the top of the falls. The way down to the base is quite steep but reasonable if you stay off of the enticing cascades. There are actually several smaller falls below the main one and a fascinating rock sluice in between them.
At just over halfway along the gravel (~7 miles), you come to the Emerald Forest Trailhead. A pleasant 1-mile stroll up the Appalachian Trail brings you to the top of the mountain, which is densely covered in Red Spruce trees. There is no view and nothing unusual, but the higher elevation environment with birches and beeches transitioning into Red Spruce and the occasional Balsam Fir (1) all carpeted with mosses, ferns, and wildflowers is pleasant and sparsely traveled. The pure stand of spruce at the peak nearly prevents undergrowth with trunks and dead needles the same color, giving the scene an eerie silence. From afar the peak appears foreboding with the dark cap of spruce needles.
After this leg stretcher, we drove on to Beauty Spot. I told my young friend that I had visited these places (2) last some 35 plus years earlier before he was born. The site has changed somewhat. Either they let the trees grow up around the parking lot or they have moved it, as it seemed to me, because it felt different. You used to be able to get a 360-degree view from the parking lot, but now you have to walk out into the field. And on the south slopes there are small trees grown up that prevent seeing the NC mountains as well. The Spot is aptly named and as is to be expected, this spot was crowded on this Sunday evening.
We didn’t go on any long or difficult hike, but we did get to do a little exploring, see miles of beauty in the macro-, meso-, and micro-environments along the way, and discuss things of interest and substance. Whether you look near or far, there is much beauty and reflected glory of the Creator. That is a good day out. Check out the pictures and commentary at “Red Fork Falls and Beauty Spot.”
- The Balsam Wooly Aphid has nearly eliminated the fir from atop this 5100′ peak unlike the top of other peaks (e.g. Clingman’s Dome) where they are making a strong comeback.
- Minus Red Fork Falls, a new find for me
Why Hiking?
Posted in Connotations, Delights, Exercise, Experience, Exploring, Hike, Nature, Outdoors, tagged Creation, Hike, Hiking, Mountains, Nature, Outdoors on August 27, 2023| Leave a Comment »
I was talking with a man who I had just met at church today. While sharing various things about each other, we agreed that we like mountains. I mentioned that I like hiking in the mountains. He responded, “Why do you like hiking?”
I paused, not because I had to think why, but because as I momentarily replied, “How don’t I like it?” I could go on and on. The list that I gave him was brief but suggested the deep variety of my reasons for liking to be in the woods. It was fun to make and a to z list of why I like to hike:
-availability: usually at no cost other than the gas to get there and ready whenever I
have the opportunity to avail myself
-challenge: pushing myself, exercise, distance, steepness, bushwhacking,
negotiating difficult terrain
-colors: leaves of early Spring, deep greens of Summer; Fall’s polychrome; the
bronze buds and hues of grays and browns of winter bark; the many faces of
sky and water per season, weather, and time of day
-conversation: with God and with a hiking partner
-exploration: finding new, rarely visited, unique, beautiful spots
-flora: trees in every season and species and shape and maturity; shrubs
from Flaming Azalea to Doghobble to Rhododendron to Sweetbush;
herbaceous varieties in bloom and sprouting and full foliage; fungi, lichen,
mosses, and liverworts
-geology: types; landforms in rock and soil, especially cliffs; random rocks- shiny,
unique, unexpected
-glory: Due and seen for the infinite, beauty-loving, intelligent, personal Creator
-growing: alive, flourishing, productive, resilient, reproducing
-health: to body, mind, and spirit or trying hard and resting in emotion
-invigorating: Am I beginning to be synonymously redundant?
-memories: of more than 50 years of consistently being on the trail
-promoting: curiosity, knowledge, scientific and Creationist thinking
-sharing: seeing one or two others’, only rarely with groups, pleasure at things I
show them
-solitude: alone (I do like to hike alone sometimes.), quiet, space for thinking, lack
         of people, distance and exclusion from development
-topography: Folded mountains particularly, I guess since that is what I grew up seeing.
-trails: smooth, rough, steep, flat, lightly traveled, leading somewhere or to the
known goal
-variety: Just look at this list!
-water: streams flowing and falling and frozen, ponds, sloughs and bogs, rain,
clouds, humidity and fog, snow and sleet and ice
-weather: anticipation, arrival, artistry, animating
-zoological: mammals from bears to bats to mountain boomers, deer
birds- song, raptors, water, gliders, woodpeckers owls; reptiles- lizards,
snakes (I don’t seek out the poisonous ones but they do bring and adrenaline
rush.); spiders and other arachnids, insects (not mosquitoes or gnats),
millipedes and centipedes; fish in the streams; crustaceans- snail and crayfish (We call them
crawdads.); amphibians- frogs, toads, salamanders
I wonder what I left off. I am so blessed and thankful to God for the opportunity and love of the mountains. They so speak of His loveliness and power and creativity and sustaining hand.
A Little Play Time
Posted in Family, General, Grandchildren, Nature, Outdoors, tagged Brithday, Canoeing, Caving, Family, Grandchildren, Kayaking, Outdoors on August 16, 2023| Leave a Comment »
Billed as a one night stay over on the way to elsewhere, the plans got changed by circumstances to be the main event. Instead of just Thursday night, the visit extended to late Saturday afternoon. It was a welcome surprise, but what do you do on the spur of the moment on days expected to have rain.
So, Thursday evening I went out to a little Chinese restaurant with my daughter after the children were put down for bedtime. Friday morning I went to work while my wife, daughter and her husband and two children went to the Hands-On Museum/Gray Fossil Site (which you may see a sampling of from a former visit at “Hand On and Gray Fossils“). Saturday my son-in-law, granddaughter, one of my sons, and I went to Appalachian Caverns before lunch and in the clearing skies to Steele Creek Lake to canoe and kayak after lunch. At the same time, my wife, daughter, and grandson went to a used bookstore and out to eat. It was fast paced but fun. You have to pack in the memories whether the sun shines or not. Check out some images at “Under and Over.”
A Stroll in the Woods
Posted in General, Grandchildren, Hike, Nature, Outdoors, tagged Grandchildren, Hike, Nature, Outdoors on July 30, 2023| Leave a Comment »
I use the phrase, “a stroll in the woods”, to describe many of my outings. Truth be told, they are usually anything but that, being more related to major challenges in the form of strenuous, extreme, view or waterfall goaled pursuits, or bushwhacking. This hike was little more than a stroll in the woods, easy walking, quite pleasant, not recently logged, low underbrush woods. I was amazed several times at how far we had come in such a little time. Only at the end did we break out of the pleasant wood onto a large field. And there we came across an unexpected surprise. Check it out at “Ridgewalk.”
Story Bookends
Posted in Ecology, Exploring, General, Hydroelectric Dam, Implications, Infrastructure, Outdoors, Photo, tagged Ecology, Exploring, Hydroelectric Dam, Infrastructure, Outdoors on July 23, 2023| Leave a Comment »
Soon after we bought a “new-used” car, I saw a Facebook sale of old books. The seller was offering one book, an antique children’s Bible story book, for $5. So, I decided to go check it out in my new car. Along the way, TN Hwy 394, was a sign that indicated that South Holston Dam was along a road turning off of the highway. On the way back from buying the books (He threw in 3 more for $5 additional), I turned off the highway toward the dam. Many years ago, I feel confident, I had visited this dam before, because my father liked to take Saturday or Sunday afternoon drives to engineering feats around the area. But I don’t rightly remember it. So, I made a few minutes of memories of my own. I will make an effort to go back again, perhaps for a picnic or a hike or a canoe ride. Until then, here are my pictures and impressions at “South Holston Works.”
Revisiting Old Haunts
Posted in General, Hike, Nature, Outdoors, Photo, tagged Friends on a hike, Gorge, Hike, Outdoors, Waterfall on July 19, 2023| Leave a Comment »
Was it just five weeks ago that I took a young friend to a couple of waterfalls? (see “Refalls“) Other friends heard his description of these places and wanted to see them. So, last Saturday we carpooled to a few of my old haunts, places I could give a tour of because of the number of times I have been there previously. Check out the pictures and commentary of this outing at “Linville Falls and Gorge.”
Laurel Run
Posted in Connotations, General, Hike, Nature, Outdoors, tagged Hike, Nature, Outdoors, Waterfalls, Word Meaning on July 10, 2023| Leave a Comment »
Not being an expert in my language and far less so in any other language, I am fascinated by multiple definitions of many words. Many times the different definitions share a focus, but other times you have to wonder what mental gymnastics occurred in order to bring about such a definition.
Topographic features have a multitude of names, sometimes with technical differences and other times with only regional usage differences. For example, terms for flowing water in English are many: river, stream, creek, branch, brook, tributary, estuary, course, rivulet, run, rill, and flow to name several. Many of these terms have specific definitions that differentiate them from the others. For instance, an estuary, which you might confuse for a bay, is actually a flooded riverbed. It gives evidence from the erosional pattern on its bed that the ocean was once shallower and the river flowed across the land there.
Other terms for flowing water are vaguer. Consider, what is the difference in a brook and a stream? A less used term, at least in my neck of the woods, is a run. It seems to be more commonly used for upscale subdivision names than actual watercourses. In my mind (opinion?) a run is a small stream that has more or less continuous flow.*
There is a run, Laurel Run, near where I live. I wonder who named it, or more specifically, where they were from that they used the word run rather than crick, a more popular slang in our parts.
The really amazing part of this musing is that the subject of this blog, a hike with a friend, was an excuse to go off on a language tangent about flowing water. Well, at least my mind is not stagnant. If you want to get to the pictures of our hike, click on “Laurel Run and Pretty Ridge.”
*That reminds me. Is a wash a dry watercourse or a stream that is frequently dry? One is a landform whereas the other is the flow across that landform.
Refalls
Posted in Beauty, Hike, Nature, Outdoors, Photo, tagged Hike, Nature, Outdoors, Waterfalls on July 2, 2023| 1 Comment »
I do like to explore new parts of the woods, mountains, and streams, but I also like to show others some frequented beauties. Check out my pictures of just that at “Refalls“.
Critters
Posted in Ecology, Gardening, General, Nature, Outdoors, Photo, tagged Gardening, Outdoors, Trapping, Wildlife on June 21, 2023| Leave a Comment »
We have a problem. I like wildlife. I like observing it and photographing it. I want to garden and raise fruit on trees and bushes and ground. Wildlife like my gardening and fruit production, too. My neighbors would not like for me to shoot the deer they are feeding and have enjoyed for years before we moved here. I don’t really have a need or desire to shoot them either, though I do like and wouldn’t mind venison. I considered shooting groundhogs, especially after my neighbor saw one crawling up into my truck. Now that I was watching, I saw it climb up about where the spare tire is. I was actually relieved since that meant it wasn’t crawling up into the engine compartment where wires and hoses may be chewed, yet. I had to put netting over my strawberries to exclude the birds who were beginning to peck my ripening berries. I put 50-lb test monofilament fishing line at three levels around my fruit trees to dissuade the deer from continuing to crop the branches. I abhor chemical repellants, herb/pesticides and my wife’s health can’t tolerate them.
The netting and monofilament line seems to be working. Concerning the groundhogs, my neighbor came to the rescue. Several days after telling me about the “truck-hog”, he left a live trap out next to my truck, later explaining the internet claims that groundhogs like apple. Thus far I have caught 2 groundhogs, 2 possum, and 1 raccoon with the trap. It has been a challenge to find a place to offload them. I will not loose them near a house and the country roads around here are narrow without pullouts other than driveways. I finally found a place with a large, wooded hill, but I am not telling where. Check out my pictures of my catch and release and yard wanderers at “Wildlife Blues.”
LeConte Descent
Posted in Family, Grandchildren, Hike, Nature, Outdoors, tagged Family, Hike, Mt. LeConte, Nature, Outdoors on May 30, 2023| Leave a Comment »
I was going to call this “The Downside” to go with the last entry, “The Upside“, but downside has too many unpleasant connotations. There was one downside, however. As of the last entry, we stood atop Cliff Top of Mt. LeConte, 6.6 miles into the trip. Given our chosen route, we still had another 9.0 miles to go, and it wore sorely upon us. Trillium Gap Trail (TGT) was definitely the better downhill choice, but we should have hiked across to the Rainbow Falls trailhead from the TGT-head rather than leaving that traverse for late in the day. It was a pleasant walk with things to see, but, tired as we were, I did not take as many pictures. Click on “LeConte Descent” to see what notable things we saw.
The Upside
Posted in Family, General, Grandchildren, Hike, Nature, Outdoors, Photo, tagged Family, Grandchild, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Hike, Mt. LeConte, Outdoors on May 28, 2023| 1 Comment »
Continuing the story about a Mt. LeConte hike this past week (see “Approach Day“), we arose just after 5 AM and got away at 6:15 for a one-hour drive to the trailhead. I had wanted to hike Trillium Gap and Rainbow Falls Trails. My daughter asked me about how they are different. I said Rainbow Falls Trail is shorter, steeper, and rockier. She said that she would prefer to go up on a steeper trail since coming down that way would be more painful on her knees.
So, carrying one pack with food and clothing and water, about 25 pounds, and carrying a second pack with her son and water, about 35 pounds, we started off. I record our progress with commentary and pictures at “Rainbow Falls Ascent“.
CreatorWorship 