September 22, 2022 Old Sugardlands is not a difficult trail; it may gain 1,000 ft. over 3.9 miles. It’s a historic hike full of side treks to a former CCC camp, rock walls, a rock house and sketchings of a bygone era. On this day, an easy trail turned into a hassle. I started from … More Old Sugarlands Trail
September 17, 2022 The first 2.7 miles of the Rainbow Falls Trail are very popular. Throngs of tourists traipse up what is a very well-maintained trail to the famous 80 ft. falls. Large, hand-hewn stones make stairs upon trails large enough fit 4-5 people side-by-side. On this day, the falls were but a trickle as … More Rainbow Falls Trail, Bullhead Trail (last 1/3)
August 20, 2022 There are 6 different trails that lead to the summit of Mount LeConte. They say Bullhead is the most remote and least traveled. I have no idea why. This trail is a gem and utterly magnificent. I read some accounts that the trail was obscured with no views until Balsam Point, but … More Bullhead Trail (2/3), Twin Creeks Trail
August 7, 2022 Over the past month I have been reading a lot about fast-packing and thru-hiking. I stumbled upon a lot of information, but the best article was by Andrew Skurka. He presents a wonderful cost/benefit analysis of how to hike a fast thru hike. With my own time constraints and while hiking the … More Boulevard Trail
July 11, 2022 It is fascinating to let your mind wonder when hiking in the Smoky’s, because certain paths have feelings and sensations that are unexplainable. Almost as if one can sense the timeliness of the trail. Perhaps the Cherokee or some precursors cut this path to reach water or to hunt. Did settlers bring … More Mt. Sterling Trail, Long Bunk Trail
December 30, 2018 For years I have spied a fire tower just off of I-26 outside of Unicoi and Erwin, Tennessee. Sunday, I resolved to finally hike to the top of it. Pinnacle Mountain Fire Tower sits atop Buffalo Mountain along a nice and very new trail. From the easily accessed parking area, it’s 4.8 … More Pinnacle Mountain Fire Tower Trail
December 2, 2018 It’s been several months since my last blog entry. While I have not been idle, I decided to take a break from writing. In November, my brother-in-law and I hiked the Bartram Trail. It was nice to not write every day, to take pictures for fun and generally just enjoy a hike. … More Pond Mountain Wilderness – Laurel Falls Trail
September 9, 2018 Nestled on the border of McDowell and Yancey County just off the Blue Ridge Parkway (milepost #339) are the wonderful Crabtree Falls. The 70 ft. falls are known as being one of the most popular and eye-catching in the High Country. It’s a simple .9 mile hike from the parking area, with … More Crabtree Falls
August 26, 2018 The second hike of the day was to another fire tower in Western North Carolina. This one located near the border of Henderson and Buncombe Counties in what is called the Hickory Nut Gorge area. I have not done any hiking in this area, so I knew little of what to expect … More Bearwallow Mountain Fire Tower
August 26, 2018 Nestled in the middle Wilkes County, Rendezvous Mountain State Educational Forest is a place of solitude and historical significance. I was in the area to hike a fire tower as part of the NC Lookout Tower Challenge, but found an area teeming with intrigue. The Hike According to the parameters of the … More Rendezvous Mountain Fire Tower
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