MUTINY

The women were cold the next morning. As mentioned previously, this is bad. Hot cocoa, eggs, and hashbrowns may have helped a little, but not much. Over breakfast, I observed them looking at one another in silent communication. Something was up. I sensed a plot, and I was pretty sure I was the intended victim.

My plan for the day involved a dayhike in Savage Gulf. The hike would be around 13 miles, and that was more than Christy and Thao were up for. After some discussion, they decided to stay behind. Christy needed to do a 9-mile run as part of her triathlon training. Thao had homework to do. They wanted to have access to the car though, so they decided to drop me off at the trailhead and pick me up that evening.

We were barely out of the campground when the other shoe dropped. Christy politely asked what I thought about heading home that evening, after my hike. Sigh. I looked at Thao. She smiled back at me. I looked at Saucony. She snorted. Good lord, even the dog was against me.

I considered this as Christy drove. Originally I had planned on doing a hike in the Smokies on the way home. That same original plan had called for visits to three other waterfalls on the first day, too. Once we added Thao to our group, I cut back on the ambition level. I didn’t want to make the mistake of cramming too much into this trip. Instead, we’d visit the other three waterfalls on the way home. Under this new proposal, we’d miss out on them. On the other hand, leaving that evening meant that I would miss out on the fun of breaking camp and repacking the car. It was quite a dilemma.

Ultimately, the need to keep the women happy won. Also, there was the remote possibility that they might drop me off at the trailhead and go home without me. I didn’t really think that would happen, but you never know. I agreed to head home that evening, but I kept my joy at not having to pack up to myself.

After a longer than expected drive, we arrived at the Stone Door Ranger Station, on the west side of Savage Gulf, at 11AM (EDT). The ranger station is just north of the town of Beersheba Springs (sorry, no, beer doesn’t run out of the side of the mountain there). I told Christy I’d try to be back by 6pm, which was rather ambitious, with 13 miles of trail, some of it strenuous, ahead of me. I left Saucony behind, as dogs are required to be on leashes. After registering at the trailhead and using the facilities, I headed out. When I left, the Xterra’s thermometer showed that the temperature had warmed up to 30 degrees.

I followed a level, paved path to an overlook of Laurel Gulf. The view here is nice, and it makes a nice destination for the less-ambitious. Laurel Gulf is a tributary gorge of Big Creek Gulf, which is itself a tributary of Collins Gulf. The Collins River runs through Collins Gulf, before eventually joining the Caney Fork River in Great Falls Lake in Rock Island State Park. To the east of Collins Gulf is Savage Gulf. For one reason or another, the entire area is typically referred to as Savage Gulf, although it’s really all part of the South Cumberland Recreation Area. The area features an extensive trail network, with paths along the cliffs and down in the gorges. The area offers scenic views, waterfalls, disappearing streams, and backcountry campsites. It’s probably the best place for backpacking in south-central Tennessee.

I was only dayhiking, but I saw quite a few backpackers. Many were heading out as I was hiking in. One poor fellow was wearing shorts. I guess he wasn’t expecting sub-freezing temperatures in April.

I reached the Stone Door overlooks a few minutes later. The Stone Door is a crevice between the main cliffs of Big Creek Gulf and a large rock outcrop. A steep trail descends through the crack, and it would provide my return route. First though, I took a moment to enjoy the view from the overlook. The Stone Door overlook provides one of the best views around, and there were quite a few people there enjoying it with me.

My intended route would take me along the rim of Big Creek Gulf for about 3 miles to the Alum Gap camping area. From there, I planned to hike a mile and a half (one way) to Greeter Falls. From the falls I’d backtrack, before descending into the gorge. I’d follow the gorge back to the trail leading up to the Stone Door. The trail through the gorge back up to the rim is considered strenuous, so I knew I needed to make decent time at the beginning of the hike.

I followed the rim trail, which provides views from several overlooks along the way. The views varied, but none were better than the one from the Stone Door Overlook. The trail was quite easy, as it remained fairly level along the rim of the gorge. The Alum Gap camping area looked pleasant, and there were several tents there when I arrived. I continued past the campsites to the marked junction with the Greeter Falls Trail. I was looking forward to Greeter Falls, as it’s considered one of the nicer waterfalls in an area full of spectacular cataracts.

The Greeter Falls Trail led a short distance to a fantastic overlook from Big Bluff. This was probably my favorite view of the day, as the vista extended all the way down Big Creek Gulf. It was approaching 1pm, so I decided to enjoy that view over lunch. I ate quickly though, as I still had a long way to go, and I didn’t want to keep Christy waiting for me.

I continued down the trail, which remained easy all the way to the bridge over Boardtree Creek. Just beyond the bridge, I was distracted by a side trail leading down to Boardtree Falls. It’s a nice cascading waterfall, and it was worth a stop. The path led the base of the first drop. I didn’t see an easy way down to the bottom of the lower drop though. The upper drop is more attractive anyway, and I even managed a decent photo.

From there, the trail became more rugged. I hiked below a line of cliffs along a rocky trail. A few minutes later, I arrived at a junction. First, I decided to check out Upper Greeter Falls. This waterfall was ok, but nothing spectacular. After a brief visit, I headed down to the main falls. The trail there is marked with a sign stating that the path is closed during periods of ice. I quickly found out why. Reaching the falls requires descending a metal spiral staircase. I’m pretty sure that was the first spiral stairs I’ve ever seen on a hike!

The spiral stairs led to a more conventional wooded stairway that brought me to the base of Greeter Falls. Greeter Falls is lovely, as it spills some 50’ into a beautiful green pool that is probably a popular swimming hole in the warmer months. Surprisingly, there was nobody here. I enjoyed the falls all by myself for 20 minutes or so before another group arrived. I needed that time, as I had to wait for the occasional cloud to obscure the sun to get a decent photo.

After a lengthy break I headed back towards Alum Gap. Just short of the gap I joined the main trail leading down into the gorge. Initially I followed an old, rocky road. This was a bit tedious, but I was distracted by the copious wildflowers. What a difference a few hundred feet of elevation makes! Up on the rim, the forest was still deep in the grip of winter. The trees were leafless, and nothing was blooming. Down here, everything was green, except the flowers. There were many varieties, including Phlox and 3 types of Trillium. I noticed a few Toadstool Trillium, and a few Red Trillium, but the Great White Trillium were everywhere. I’m sure I saw thousands of them as I hiked along Big Creek. Some of them had started to turn pink, so they had been in bloom for some time.

I really enjoyed the hike through the gorge. The wildflowers provided constant entertainment. Some time later, I reached the Big Creek Sink. Here, Big Creek descends through some rapids to the base of a tall limestone bluff. At the point, the creek goes underground. On the other side of the bluff, a small stream drops in an elegant waterfall. The Big Creek Sink was one of those spots that turns out to be unexpectedly spectacular.

I continued downstream to the signed junction with the trail to Ranger Falls. I didn’t really have time for the 1 mile round trip, but who knew when I’d make it back there? I decided to check it out.

I followed a rocky path to an even rockier “crossing” of Big Creek. There’s no water in Big Creek here, so there’s no need for sandals. There are a lot of boulders though, so rock hopping was still necessary. Beyond, I followed Ranger Creek, which is also dry. That creek goes underground at the base of Ranger Falls.

I crossed the Ranger Creek bed a couple of times, and passed through another wildflower garden before reaching Ranger Falls. Ranger Falls isn’t terribly tall (maybe 25’), but it’s still impressive. The falls are wide, and powerful. The spray there was intense, and so was the sunshine. Unfortunately, the sun was perched just above the falls. I waited a few minutes for a cloud, which failed to materialize. I was out of patience, so I clambered across the boulders to get into the shade along the right side of the falls. After much effort, I found a suitable vantage point for a photo. Then my batteries died.

I wasn’t willing to give up at that point. I went back to my pack, retrieved my spare batteries, and returned. After all that, I managed a few decent photos, despite the spray.

From there, I headed back to the trail. It wasn’t long before I reached another junction. This time I turned left, and began the climb back up to the Stone Door. This climb, which is 600’ over just under a mile, is described as strenuous. I was pleasantly surprised to find it relatively easy. This was fortunate, because I was running late.

I reached the base of the Stone Door, and ascended an incredible stone stairway through the crevice. Whoever built this trail put a lot of effort into it! At the top, I paused briefly again to admire the view. It was almost 6pm when I left for the easy 1 mile hike back to the trailhead.

I arrived about 10 minutes late, which isn’t bad all things considered. If my batteries hadn’t died at Ranger Falls, I would’ve been right on time. Christy, Thao, Saucony, and I did one more short hike before we left. We all walked down to Laurel Falls, which is just behind the ranger station. Laurel Falls is pretty, although it doesn’t compare with Greeter Falls.

It was a long drive home. There is no good way to Charlotte from Beersheba Springs, Tennessee. We ended up driving back through Sparta and Cookeville before stopping at a Wendy’s for dinner. We made it home by 1:30, and slept in the next morning. I hate to say it, but even I enjoyed sleeping in a bed in a heated house that night!

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