August 28th - Big Creek & Baxter Creek - Mt. Sterling - Distance is 16.6 miles (there may be a small amount of additional mileage to/from the parking lot to the trailhead) + .2 for Elise (spur from Big Creek to Low Gap I Trailhead). This is a loop hike (no shuttle required). Big Creek to Swallow Fork to Mt. Sterling Ridge Trail and down Baxter Creek. Here is the elevation gain/loss info: Big Creek to Swallow Fork (1300 foot gain/ascent over 5.1 miles); Swallow Fork to Mt. Sterling Ridge (2200 gain/ascent over 4.0 miles); Mt. Sterling Ridge Trail to Baxter Creek (500 gain/ascent over 1.4 miles); Baxter Creek to trailhead (4100 loss/decent over 6.1 miles). Hikers: Jen K. & Elise E. Pictures
August 27th – Volunteer Restoration Project in Happy Valley - If you would like to help out Foothills Land Conservancy Saturday morning please call me at 201-5806 or email me at eliseeus@hotmail.com. Pictures - Link to Knoxville News Sentinel Article
August 27th – Volunteer Restoration Project in Happy Valley - If you would like to help out Foothills Land Conservancy Saturday morning please call me at 201-5806 or email me at eliseeus@hotmail.com. Pictures - Link to Knoxville News Sentinel Article
August 23rd - Jakes Creek to Panther Creek and down Middle Prong - 7. 5 miles - Hikers: Jen K. & Elise E. Pictures Pictures
August 20th - No hiking that day due to car issues. Cindy plowed ahead and led a great hike to Silar's Bald and back from the Clingmans Dome parking area. Rebekah followed me to Knoxville where I thankfully dropped off my car at the mechanic's without the need for a tow truck.
August 12-14th - Hazel Creek/Jenkings/AT/Bote Mtn. - 3 day (2 night) hike (STRENUOUS!!) - Day 1 - From Clingman's parking area -Appalachian Trail to Welch Ridge Trail to Hazel Creek to Bone Valley. Stayed at campsite #83. Day 2 - Jenkins Ridge Trail & AT (b/t Spence and Russell shelters) - Stayed at Russell Field Shelter since Spence was closed due to bear activity. Day 3 - AT to Bote Mtn. - picked up our car at School House Gap parking area... Total mileage 40+ for all three days but my applicable milage was 29.2. Hikers: Jen K. & Elise E. Pictures
August 7th - (Mt. LeConte) - up Bull Head & down Rainbow Falls - Loop hike and distance is 13.3 - Hikers: Mary D., Cindy S., Amber, David & Elise E. Pictures
August 6th - Metcalf Bottoms/Little Brier/Little Greenbrier/Round Top - Leave one car at the Townsend 'Y' and the other at Metcalf.... Once at Metcalf we will hike along the Metcalf Bottoms Trail at .7 miles (distance is not on the trail map but in the brown book). We can visit the Little Greenbrier School. From there we will hike along the Little Brier Gap Trail and junction with the Little Greenbrier Trail. We will do an in/out on the Little Greenbrier Trail and head back down it all the way to the road. From the road we will cross over and hike the Roundtop Trail. The total mileage is 16.3. Hikers: Rebekah B. & Elise E. (with Mary D. meeting us for the Round Top portion) Pictures
