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Tennessee!
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| South and North Fork Loop, Citico Wilderness, East Tennessee |
Early Summer of 2006 - I went out to Citico to scout out a good trip and to get my bearings with the area. After I parked off FR 35, I started down the trail catching glimpses of car campers below and across Citico Creek. I reach the South Fork Citico Trailhead and began crossing, hiking, and re-crossing the creek. I met up with about three men who were out tromping around for the week. They had a huge pot of rice and stir fry and offered me some. I ate with them and one man handed me a card with the picture of Jesus on one side and Scripture on the back. I thanked him. After hiking South Fork for awhile, I remembered Johnny telling me that campsites were far and few between. The day was getting late. I chose a campsite on the left and South Fork Citico meandered quietly behind it. The next morn, I finished out the rest of South Fork and made a left onto Fodderstack Horse Trail and trekked up to Bob's Bald. Very nice! I came back down to what I thought was Cherry Log Gap, and took Trail #2. I was very confused. I had to take #149 of which was closed to North Fork Citico yet I wasn't sure I was on North Fork until I verified my surroundings with a young couple that had three dogs. North Fork Citico was a green jewell. I definitely was coming back here. I enjoyed it more than South Fork and couldn't wait to come back. |
| Loop from Cherahala (Fodderstack to Bob's Bald to Crowder Branch, then Rocky Flats Trail to North Fork), Citico Wilderness, East Tennessee |
August 18-21, 2006 - Gabrielle and I met on Cherahala Skyway at the Cherokee National Forest sign and gate where Fodderstack Horse Trail #95 starts. We hiked in Friday night to Bob's Bald before it got dark. We met a nice man with his folks out on the bald who were so kind to invite us to their fire. We set our tarp up in the woods and joined them. The next morn, Gabi and I had our coffee and breakfast out on the grass and headed down the bald back to Fodderstack Trail. We hiked out to Crowder Branch and after wading through high grass, we came to a comfortable campsite with a great spring to the rear of it. We wanted to stay there, but we hadn't put in enough miles yet. We pushed on and bashed our way through thick rhododendron - my fishing pole kept fighting with branches and I ended up crawling around too many times to count. I had a great time though. We were pretty beat so we threw down camp next to Crowder Branch near the trailhead. A ranger came by and we thought he was stopping to say hello, but he jumped out of his jeep to tell us that we were within 100 yards of the trailhead. Shoot! We moved across the road to a muddy trashy flat. Sunday morning was wet with rain. The thunder and clouds tapered off for a bit as we climbed up Pine Ridge on Rocky Flats trail. We passed an old chimney - pretty neat homesite along that trail! Not far after that, I saw a bear on a hill up ahead. I waited for Gabi, but he scampered away before she came upon the scene. Another shoot! Anyway, we somehow ended up on the forest road too soon. I was thinking that Rocky Flats would run us into that Citico Creek car campground. Nonetheless, we ended up wondering around the car campground scouting a way to get to the trail I was familiar with. We wandered past tents, coolers, and eventually tons of human waste with toilet paper right on the bank of Citico Creek! We were so disgusted we stomped up the road to the official trailhead complaining about it until we got on track with which I was familiar. It wasn't long until we were greated with North Fork Citico and cooled our feet in it. Right before we settled on a campsite along this small gorge and pool big enough for swimming, the rain came down hard. Monday morning was tough. We climbed out of North Fork Citico onto Fodderstack again. The clouds had fully cleared away and the sun came out. We ended up taking a lower trail instead of going up and over Bob's Bald again. It was a nice old road. |
| Big Creek and Savage Gulfs, South Cumberland State Park, Tennessee |
December 22-26, 2006 - Friday night, I met up with my brother, Greg, and his wife, Anja at Stone Door entrance. We met up in the dark at the walk-in campsites. We made a fire in the rain and had left-over chicken and dumplins. They smoked cigars. The next morning, I gave them a backpacking clinic much to the annoyance of my brother (I like to hear myself talk). They put on backpacks for the first time and we hiked to Stone Door Overlook. It was beautiful. We crept through the Door and had lunch near the wooden stairs. We went back through the Door huffin' it up the stairs and hiked the Big Creek Rim Trail to Alum Gap Campsite. We stayed at #5 and we were all impressed with the setting. After setting up camp, we dayhiked the 1.5 mile to Boardtree and Greeter Falls. Wow! You could hear and feel Greeter Falls pounding before you turned the corner to face it. Christmas Eve morning, we rose and readied ourselves for the day. Greg and Anja were hiking out via Laurel Falls Trail to their car. I was hiking down to the gulf via Big Creek Gulf Trail. After making the descent, I hiked to the Ranger Falls junction where the blue-blazer crosses Big Creek itself. I had lunch there, but did not investigate the falls. The trail to Cator Cabin and Sawmill Campsite was rocky in spots and old road in sections. It was a good hike! I still had 3.5 miles to go to Hobbs Cabin and I heard it was rocky. Boy, it was. The rocks were big and twitchy on the way up to the cabin. The woods was beautiful and I heard a bunch of owls on the way up. When I got to Hobbs, I had it all to myself and had a very hot fire two backlogs high. That night, the wind picked up and the rain poured. The day broke and the rain never stopped. I hiked the North Rim trail to Savage Falls and then the South Rim trail to Stage Road Campsite. I stayed at #5, I think? It was very windy and my fire was smokin' bad cause of the rain. I was tired of cryin' and ready to read so I retired to my low-hung tarp. My last morning, I hiked Stage Historic Road Trail back to Sawmill Campsite and retraced my footsteps along the Connecter Trail to the Stone Door Trail. Stone Door was a tough little hike, but I unrelented and never stopped for a break during that mile even up the steps through the Door. I was proud of that! It was about 33 degrees when I got to the car. I made some hot chocolate for my ride out. |
 Greg and Anja hiking through Stone Door |
 Ready to hike Laurel Falls Trail |
 Me at Savage Falls |
 View of North Rim from South Rim Trail |
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