October 12-13, 2021 A divide is nothing more than a dividing ridge between drainage areas. Noland separates Deep and Noland Creek. The northern terminus starts a mile and a half from Clingman’s Dome and the Appalachian Trail and runs south for 11.5 miles to the Deep Creek Campground. My friends and co-workers, Margo and Howie … More Noland Divide Trail
August 20-22, 2021 My slow, sloth-like completion of the Smoky 900 continued in August. On a really pleasant weekend, my friend Howie and Johnny met just outside Bryson City, NC and left a car at the Deep Creek Campground. We then all rode together to the northern trailhead for the Deep Creek Trail just off … More Deep Creek Trail
June 18-19, 2021 Cabin Flats is a very short trail at .8 miles. For some reason, I had never hiked it before, even though I’ve hiked Dry Sluice Gap Trail and Bradley Fork. Aside from hiking the Smoky 900 challenge, why would one hike this trail? Well, it has one of the best campsites in … More Cabin Flats Trail
May 21-23, 2021 My plan was to spend 3 days in the Smoky’s and hike in via Mingus Creek Trail, spend the night at campsite #52 (Newton Bald), hike down to campsite #60 (Bumgarner Branch) via Sunkota Ridge Trail and then back to the car on Sunday via the Deeplow Gap Trail. In total, I … More Mingus Creek Trail, Sunkota Ridge Trail, Deeplow Gap Trail
May 9, 2021 I am catching up on blog posts. So much has changed, but I am so happy to be back writing and back blogging. In May of this year, I continued the Smoky 900 challenge with a delightful trail in the Cataloochee area of the park. To get to the Little Cataloochee trailhead, … More Little Cataloochee Trail
May 7, 2021 The best laid plans of mice and men often go awry. – Burns The original idea was to finish a huge chunk of the Cataloochee portion of the Smoky 900 challenge; hike up Pretty Hollow Gap to Mt. Sterling, spend the night then descend Long Bunk and Little Cataloochee. The hike up … More Pretty Hollow Gap Trail
April 17-18, 2021 Psalm 104:1 (KJV)Bless the Lord, O my soul. O Lord my God, thou art very great; thou art clothed with honour and majesty. Psalm104:10-11 (NIV) He makes springs pour water into the ravines; it flows between the mountains. He waters the mountains from his upper chambers; the land is satisfied by the … More Palmer Creek Trail
April 7, 2021 The Big Fork Ridge Trail starts at Rough Fork at a nice single-log bridge. This is a nice trail, wide in parts, that gradually ascends Big Fork Ridge with only 612′ of elevation gain. There are some nice switchbacks and the ridge provides a wide spot for water and a snack. There … More Big Fork Ridge Trail, McKee Branch Trail
July 12, 2020 In undergrad one of my favorite subjects was phonetics, the study of speech and sounds. So many of the names in the mountains are simplistic in their genesis; deep gap, because the gap is deep; blue mountains, because in low light they are blue, etc. Once in a while, you will happen … More Boogerman Trail
July 8, 2020 Pandemic or not; I am jumping back on the Smoky 900 trail challenge. My family and I have dutifully stayed at home since March 12, 2020. We have cancelled all vacations, trips, extracurricular activities, outings, not eaten out or gotten take-out in an effort to flatten the proverbial curve. Alas, most Americans … More Cataloochee Divide Trail
sweetwilder 