TENNESSEE JED
“I woke up a feelin’
mean,
Went down to play the slot machine,
The wheels turned around,
And the letters read,
‘You better head back to Tennessee, Jed.’
Tennessee, Tennessee, there ain’t no place I'd rather
be,
Baby won’t you carry me
Back to
Tennessee.”
Christy
and I finished our summer vacation in Las Vegas. After two nights, I couldn’t wait to get out
of there. We returned home on Sunday
evening. Originally I was scheduled to
work on Monday, but my assignment was postponed at the last minute. Due to the late cancellation and the 4th
of July holiday, I ended up being free the following week. Christy had already planned to drive to
Cleveland, TN on Thursday to visit her friend, Marsha. Her friend was getting ready to move to
Michigan, and she wanted to visit while we were still within driving
distance. They were also planning to do
a triathlon together in Chattanooga on Sunday.
Since I wasn’t working, I decided to go along. I figured I’d do some hiking, since Cleveland
is surrounded by some fantastic destinations.
July is probably the worst time of year to hike in that area, but I knew
I’d manage.
We
had actually planned this trip for spring break, back in April. However, Christy hurt her back the day before
we were planning to leave. We ended up
having to cancel the trip.
We
left a bit later on Thursday than we’d originally planned. Fortunately the drive was smooth, and we
arrived in Cleveland by mid-afternoon.
The dogs seemed excited to be back at Marsha’s, since they have two dogs
of their own, along with three cats.
Christy had brought Boone and Kona for a visit back in December, when
Kona was only two months old. I missed
that trip as I was working that week.
I
met Marsha, her husband, Ian, and their children, Audrey (7) and Ben (5). We spent most of the rest of the afternoon
cooling off in their pool. The evening
was disrupted by a power outage, but power was restored shortly after Marsha
and Christy drove to a friend’s house to finish cooking dinner. Despite the power outage, our visit was
wonderful. Marsha and Ian were generous,
accommodating hosts despite the fact that they were getting ready to move half
way across the country!
The
dogs and I were up at 5:30 on Friday morning.
I had an ambitious hike planned, and wanted to get started ahead of the
worst of the heat. I also hoped to hit
some of the waterfalls early enough to have good light for photography. My plan was to make a brief visit to Foster
Falls, which is a bit northwest of Chattanooga.
From there I’d drive up to the Savage Gulf State Natural Area. I’d hiked there once before, but this time
I’d planned a different hike on the south side of the natural area. It would be a 13 mile loop around Collins
Gulf, a tributary canyon to Savage Gulf.
The hike offered several waterfalls, overlooks, caves, cliffs, and rock
houses.
I
picked up a bagel and coffee in Chattanooga before heading west on I-24. I was driving along the Tennessee River when
I missed an outstanding photo opportunity.
Lookout Mountain was behind me, peeking through an orange fog
brilliantly illuminated by the rising sun.
Unfortunately I was on a freeway, heading the wrong direction. Pulling off wasn’t really an option. I contemplated taking the next exit and then
hunting for a good vantage point, but figured that the opportunity would be
lost by the time I found one.
Regretfully I drove on.
I
found the turn for Foster Falls and the Fiery Gizzard Trail without any
trouble. There were several cars in the
parking lot when I arrived, despite the early hour. The Fiery Gizzard Trail is fairly long, and
I’m guessing the cars belonged to backpackers since I didn’t see anyone
around. I made quick use of the restroom
before releasing the hounds. They were stir crazy after being confined to the car the previous
day. I followed them as they led the way
to the official Foster Falls overlook.
Despite
the dogs galloping on the boardwalk, the morning seemed too quite. As I approached the overlook I realized why –
I didn’t hear the sound of water. I
reached the overlook a minute later and my fears were confirmed – there wasn’t
any water. I gazed across the canyon to
Foster Falls, or at least to where Foster Falls is supposed to be. Instead of a raging waterfall, there was only
a damp cliff. There wasn’t even a
trickle of water, though I could make out the sound of water dripping far
below.
The
good news is that the light was ideal for waterfall photography. Unfortunately there wasn’t a waterfall to
photograph.
Originally
I’d planned to hike to the base of the falls, but I didn’t see any point. Disappointed, I headed back to the car. Seeing Foster Falls without any actual water
was a huge let down, but what did it mean for my hike in Savage Gulf? The hike I’d planned features four waterfalls. Would those be dry, too? More importantly, would there be any water
sources for the dogs? I had six liters
of water, but that wouldn’t be nearly enough for the three of us to hike 13
miles in 90 degree heat.
I
decided to drive up there anyway, for lack of a better backup plan. The first waterfalls were less than a mile
from the trailhead. If there was water,
I’d complete the hike as planned. If not
I’d bail out. I’d come up with a
spontaneous backup plan, or just head back to Cleveland for another afternoon
lounging by the pool.
I
drove through several small towns before reaching the Swedish settlements of Grueti-Laager. As I
was passing through I noticed numerous signs indicating that Jeffrey Bottoms
was running for county commissioner. Jeffery
may be his legal name, but his friends call him Spanky.
I
found my way to 55th avenue, which is rather oddly named for being
in such a rural location. I followed
this road for a couple of miles to a small but well-marked parking area and
trailhead. There were no other cars
there.
The
trail register had sign dated June 29th that stated that water
sources were scarce due to the hot, dry conditions. This did not sound encouraging. Despite this I signed in, grabbed my pack,
and freed the dogs.
I
hiked down an old jeep road passing a dry spring. A bit later I passed a spur trail to the
Collins West designated campsites.
Another rocky descent followed. I
then reached a junction with the Collins River Trail and the beginning of my
loop. I turned left there to do the loop
clockwise. That way I’d hit the
waterfalls on Rocky Mountain Creek right away.
A
rocky trail brought me to an impressive rock house. I passed through it, immediately above Lower
and Middle Suter Falls. Unfortunately these waterfalls were
completely dry, too. Upper Suter Falls, which is just upstream, wasn’t even damp. The only saving grace was that there were
some deep pools of water in between the various drops. The dogs indulged in one of them while I
contemplated my options.
After
reviewing my map, I decided to hike the trail in the opposite direction. That portion of the loop follows the rim of
Collins Gulf. According to the guide on
the back of the map, I’d be treated to views from several overlooks along the
way. The map also indicated that we
would cross the Collins River and several tributaries along the way. I wasn’t sure if any of them would have
actual water, but I was confident that I had enough water for us to do a shorter
version of the hike I’d originally planned.
I
doubled-back to the junction and continued ahead, high above to the Collins
River. This stretch of trail traverses a
boulder-field along the base of the some impressive cliffs. While the scenery was nice, the walking was
awful. I must’ve spent at least a
half-hour literally hopping from boulder to boulder. I had to stare at my feet the whole time, so
I wasn’t really able to appreciate the scenery.
That stretch of trail finally ended at a swinging bridge over the
Collins River. On this morning, the
Collins River consisted of an impressive array of boulders separated by the
occasional puddle. The dogs got another
drink before Boone and I crossed the bridge.
However, Kona wouldn’t set foot on it.
I couldn’t coax her across, so eventually all three of us descended to
the river, rock hopped across (there was no danger of getting wet) and then
climbed up the hillside to regain the trail on the far side. This worked fine, but it was probably a
mistake on my part. The next time Kona
encounters a swinging bridge, crossing it may not be optional. I should’ve put more effort into getting her
to cross it.
Fortunately
the trail beyond the bridge was much better.
I enjoyed some easy walking to another stream that featured one small
puddle. I spotted the remains of a moonshine still here, so I assume that it normally holds
quite a bit of water. Several more
streams followed, but all of them had only small puddles, or were completely
dry. Despite this, the dogs seemed to be
doing fine in the relatively mild morning air.
At each puddle Boone would get a drink before Kona would lay down in it.
A
few miles from the bridge I reached the first spur trail to an overlook. That view was mediocre, as it was mostly
obscured by trees. The second had no
view at all, but I pressed on hopeful that the vistas would improve. The third was a little better, and I actually
stopped to take photos. I was adjusting
my polarizing filter when it popped off.
It hit the ground, rolled across the cliff I was standing on, and
launched itself down into the canyon.
Sigh. I hadn’t brought a spare,
so I’d have to manage without one for the rest of the trip.
I
had lunch there and once again contemplated my options. Returning by the same route would be more
than 5 miles, and would require crossing the swinging bridge again (or not,
depending on Kona’s mood) and traversing that awful stretch of trail on the
opposite side. Finishing the loop would
be a couple of miles farther, but would avoid those annoyances. Based on the map, I thought there might
actually be more viable water sources going that direction. I still had most of the water I’d started
with, but I knew it would go fast in the afternoon heat.
I
decided to continue ahead. I reached
Blue Branch after a short distance. This
is a much larger creek, and it featured more substantial puddles. After another break there for the dogs, we
continued on to a junction with the Old Stagecoach Road. This road was built by settlers, and some of
the original rock walls remain. For me
it offered a fairly easy but rocky descent to the bottom of the canyon. There we passed the Sawmill Campsites on the
Connector Trail. After a short distance
we joined the Collins River Trail and began to work our way up the canyon
towards the trailhead.
This
part of the Collins River was completely dry, but that is actually normal. Like many streams in the area, the Collins
River disappears underground at a natural sink.
At a sink, the river or stream drops through the porous limestone on the
surface and travels through subterranean caverns. In some cases the river or stream re-emerges
later. I used to find this fascinating, but it seemed as though all of the
streams on the Cumberland Plateau had disappeared in the last few weeks. I hope this isn’t a hint of what the future
holds – many experts predict that the biggest environmental crisis of the 21st
century will be a lack of clean, fresh water.
I
hiked up the rocky canyon to a side junction for the Schwoon
Cave and spring. Although I wasn’t
really in the mood to lengthen the hike, I was hopeful that the cave would
offer cooler air, even if the spring was dry.
A short but steep climb brought me to the cave, which is actually
another rock house. Even though it isn’t
a true cave, the air was probably 20 degrees cooler there. The air near a sinkhole just outside of the
rock house was even cooler. I hiked back
into the shadows to enjoy the cool air, which was almost chilly. I found a place to rest before I heard the
faint sound of trickling water.
I
searched among the boulders for a few minutes before finding the spring. There was fresh water flowing from under a
boulder into a small but clear pool. I
filled up a couple of bottles with cold water before allowing the dogs to
indulge. Boone was able to drink some
before Kona laid down in it.
It
was hard to leave Schwoon Cave, but it was getting
late and I was behind schedule. Christy
and Marsha were expecting me back by late afternoon and it was already after
2pm. I returned to the main trail and
continued up the canyon. I crossed the
dry riverbed and resumed the climb on a good path. Before long I reached the sink of Fall Creek. There was no water there, but I found a
pleasant flowing creek just upstream.
There wasn’t much water there, but compared to the other streams and
even the river, it was practically a raging torrent.
We
took another break before resuming the hike.
Eventually we reached a spur trail to Horsepound
Falls on the Collins River. I was pretty
sure it wasn’t worth bothering with, but we hiked down there anyway. The falls did feature a trickle of water
dropping over a 20’ ledge. There was a
little flowing water upstream, too, and I noticed that every deep spot was full
of minnows. The fish were barely hanging
on, and won’t last much longer without rain.
I
returned to the trail and resumed the climb.
I passed a large oak along here, along with lots of healthy
hemlocks. The hemlock blight has not
reached this area, and some of the trees in Savage Gulf have been treated with
pesticides. It was a real joy to walk in
the shade of healthy hemlocks all day.
I
eventually made it back to Suter Falls. The dogs took one more water break before we
completed the hike out. At the top I
took a short side trip over to the Collins Gulf viewpoint, which is adjacent to
the Collins West Campsites. I followed
the path past the outhouse out to a cliff.
There I was treated to the best vista of the day, though the view was
still fairly modest. From there we
returned to the car. I gave the dogs
more water before we headed back to Cleveland.
My
hike ended up being pretty nice despite the heat and lack of water. I’d like to do it again sometime to see the
waterfalls though! The highlights were Schwoon Cave (cool air and cold water), Fall Creek (flowing
water) and the final view adjacent to the Collins West campsites. The other highlight was total solitude – I
didn’t see anyone else all day. That’s
probably because nobody else is stupid enough to go hiking in those conditions!
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