TTA PLATEAU CHAPTER

We Welcome all hikers and hope you will join us for our upcoming hikes below. Membership is not required however If you want to join go to this website https://tennesseetrails.org/plans/memberships/ and fill out the form. Annual membership is $25. Or print off the form and bring it and a check made out to Tennessee Trails Association to one of our hikes. Chapter Chair is Norm Brinsley (931) 202-2338, huxianlj@gmail.com or plateau@tennesseetrails.org.

TTA WEB ADDRESS

Attention all hikers starting Mar 1st use the TTA website "Plateau page" https://tennesseetrails.org/chapters/plateau-chapter/

has all our hikes listed on the Plateau Chaper Page. Copy the attached web address into your browser and bookmark it. Starting in March I will no longer maintain the blog.

FEBRUARY 2021 HIKES

Wednesday February 24 - Cloudland

Canyon - Rising Fawn, Georgia.

Located on the western edge of

Lookout Mountain, this is one of

the most scenic parks in Georgia,

offering rugged geology and

beautiful vistas. The park straddles

a deep gorge cut into the mountain

by Sitton Gulch Creek with elevations

from 800 to 1,980 feet. Short Hike:

5 mile moderate to strenuous loop

hike on West Rim and Waterfall trail.

Long Hike: This is a moderate to

strenuous 8 total mile hike. The

hike is along the West Rim and

Waterfalls Trail and includes a

600-step staircase on the way to

two waterfalls cascading over

layers of sandstone and shale into

pools below. Plus the 3 mile

Overlook Trail in/out. The driving

time from Crossville is a little over

2 hours. Gas cost $9. Bring water,

lunch, and snacks. Depart 7:30

AM CT from Central Baptist Church,

1346 S Main St, Crossville, TN. For

additional information, contact the

hike coordinator email

plateauhikes@tennesseetrails.org.

Saturday February 27 - Lilly Bluff/

Point Trail/Boulder Field Trails.

Short Hike: This is a moderate 5 mile

in/out hike from the upper parking lot

thru the woods to a point overlooking

the merger of two rivers. Long Hike:

8 mi moderate. From the bridge parking

area we'll climb to Lilly Bluff Overlook

then out the Point trail to another Overlook.

We can add the below the bluff trail before

retracing our steps to wander thru a giant

boulder field. Pack water, snacks and lunch.

Depart VF Outlet mall West parking lot on

Interstate Dr, Crossville at 8am CT. Gas

cost $4.00. For additional information,

contact the hike coordinator email

plateauhikes@tennesseetrails.org.

FEBRUARY 2021 HIKES

Wednesday February 3 - Big

South Fork, John Litton Farm, Jamestown, TN

.
The John Litton

loop is about a 7 mile hike with

some small waterfalls and some

rock formations along the way.

The trail is named for John Litton

who settled in the area around

1900 and his dwelling and

outbuildings are still standing.

The hike is rated moderate. Short

Hike: 4.2 mile loop. Short car shuttle.

Long Hike: 7 moderate miles in/out.

Depart 8 am CT from the Crossville

Cracker Barrel rear parking lot.

Gas cost is $6. Don’t forget tick/bug

spray and sunscreen. Pack water, snacks

and lunch. For additional information

contact the hike coordinator email

plateauhikes@tennesseetrails.org

Wednesday February 10 - Savage Gulf -

Greeter Falls, Ranger Falls, Stone Door,

Beersheba Springs, TN.

A shuttle will be required.

Short Hike: 1.1mi Greeter Fall loop

easy. Drive cars to the Stone Door

Trailhead. Hike the .3 mi to Laurel

Falls and .9 mi in/out thru the Stone

Door. Long Hike: This is a 8 mile

moderate sometimes strenuous

thru hike. The hike will start at

Greeter Falls Trailhead and then

continue along the Big Creek Rim.

We will end at the Stone Door

Trailhead Ranger Station. Depart

8am CT from Tractor Supply,

West Ave, Crossville. Bring lunch,

water and snack. Don’t forget

tick/bug spray and sunscreen.

Gas cost is $6. For additional

information, contact the hike

coordinator, email

plateauhikes@tennesseetrails.org.

Saturday February 13 - Cumberland

Trail - CT Laurel Falls - Buzzards Point -

Snow Falls Trail, Dayton, TN.

Short Hike Options: 2.1 miles

one-way to 150-foot bridge; Laurel

Falls 2.4 miles one-way; Bryan

overlook is 3.3 miles one-way.

Long Hike: Snow Falls spur 4.9 miles

one-way passing side trails to

Dunn Overlook and Buzzard Point

on the way to Snow Falls (9.8 mi

total). There are some short

strenuous portions uphill. Depart

8 am CT from Central Baptist Church,

1346 S Main St, Crossville, TN.

Gas cost is $7. Don’t forget

tick/bug spray and sunscreen.

Pack water, snacks and lunch.

For additional information contact

the hike coordinator email

plateauhikes@tennesseetrails.org.

Wednesday February 17 - Cumberland

Trail - Hebbetsburg Section, Crab Orchard, TN.

Shuttle required for this hike. Short Hike:

3.5 moderate miles from Keys Rd to the yellow

gate. Long Hike: 7 moderate miles

from Keyes Rd to the power lines.

Includes river side walk, nice rock

formations, and rock houses.

Non-FFG hikers depart from VF

Outlet Mall west parking lot on

Interstate Dr, Crossville at 8am CT.

FFG hikers meet in FFG at the 4-Way

STOP at 8:15am CT, where they will

meet the hikers from Crossville. GAS

cost $2. Pack water, snacks and

lunch. For additional information

contact the hike coordinator email

plateauhikes@tennesseetrails.org.

Wednesday February 24 - Cloudland

Canyon - Rising Fawn, Georgia.

Located on the western edge of

Lookout Mountain, this is one of

the most scenic parks in Georgia,

offering rugged geology and

beautiful vistas. The park straddles

a deep gorge cut into the mountain

by Sitton Gulch Creek with elevations

from 800 to 1,980 feet. Short Hike:

5 mile moderate to strenuous loop

hike on West Rim and Waterfall trail.

Long Hike: This is a moderate to

strenuous 8 total mile hike. The

hike is along the West Rim and

Waterfalls Trail and includes a

600-step staircase on the way to

two waterfalls cascading over

layers of sandstone and shale into

pools below. Plus the 3 mile

Overlook Trail in/out. The driving

time from Crossville is a little over

2 hours. Gas cost $9. Bring water,

lunch, and snacks. Depart 7:30

AM CT from Central Baptist Church,

1346 S Main St, Crossville, TN. For

additional information, contact the

hike coordinator email

plateauhikes@tennesseetrails.org.

Saturday February 27 - Lilly Bluff/

Point Trail/Boulder Field Trails.

Short Hike: This is a moderate 5 mile

in/out hike from the upper parking lot

thru the woods to a point overlooking

the merger of two rivers. Long Hike:

8 mi moderate. From the bridge parking

area we'll climb to Lilly Bluff Overlook

then out the Point trail to another Overlook.

We can add the below the bluff trail before

retracing our steps to wander thru a giant

boulder field. Pack water, snacks and lunch.

Depart VF Outlet mall West parking lot on

Interstate Dr, Crossville at 8am CT. Gas

cost $4.00. For additional information,

contact the hike coordinator email

plateauhikes@tennesseetrails.org.

WELCOMES ALL HIKERS

NOTE 1: Check Blog the Evening Before hikes and/or Early Morning on hike day; It May Be Necessary To Change/Cancel some hikes.

NOTE 2: Hike Information - contact plateauhikes@tennesseetrails.org

Hiking Rules & Information

Leadership—Wednesday hikes are leaderless. Unless otherwise announced there are usually hikers familiar with each hike, so we rarely get lost. But each hiker is responsible for his own safety, maintaining contact with the rest of the group, etc.

Hike Difficulty—Hikes typically range from 5-10 miles. There is usually a lot of elevation change and rugged terrain. Neighborhood walkers and inexperienced hikers will find nearly all our hikes difficult. More experienced hikers accustomed to climbs of thousands of feet in the Smoky’s would place most of our hikes in the moderate to difficult class.

Hazard—Hiking is not “a walk in the park”. Hazards exist on all our hikes. They range from high cliffs, steep rock scrambles, falling icicles, stream crossings, just to name a few. These hazards are so commonplace they are rarely mentioned in the trail descriptions.

Supplies and Equipment---Hiking boots are recommended for all our hikes. Several of our hikers wear snake proof gaiters. We have lunch on the trail. Drinking water is mandatory to prevent dehydration, leg cramps and other complications. Failure to bring adequate food and water is a hazard and an imposition on other hikers. Other discretionary items include compass, pocket knife, first aid supplies, etc.

Gasoline reimbursement---We car pool to trailheads typically a half hour to 2 1/2 hours from Crossville. Riders are expected to pay for the gasoline. Drivers incur wear and tear on the vehicle and risk that it may be damaged. Since the riders’ contribution varies with mileage and gas price, cost is decided before each hike, and indicated on the Blog. (Typical gas costs vary from $2 to $12 per person depending on driving distance.) Please bring extra shoes to avoid tracking mud into vehicles.

Trail etiquette---Experience has taught us that bad things happen when individuals separate from the group. Time and energy is expended looking for separated hikers even if it turns out they have not missed a turn. Therefore, each hiker should maintain eye contact with at least one other hiker. Small goups should maintain eye contact with the rest of the group. At least one hiker from the main group needs to be informed of bathroom breaks and other delays so that individuals don’t get separated. The group doesn’t split up unless there are extraordinary circumstances (eg, worn out hikers take a short cut). Under those circumstances there must be at least two hikers in each group and a clear understanding of the obligations of each group for driving arrangements or waiting at the trailhead.

Hike Pace---We normally hike around 2.5 mph depending on terrain. Practical experience indicates that this pace keeps us together pretty well. However, individual preferences vary with respect to desired time spent at a waterfall or other scenic highlight. There is no silver bullet for resolving these differences other than courtesy. Photographers and others who want to take a closer look need to be sensitive to the will of the majority as do the get-down-to business hikers. Since we spend a lot of energy and time to see sights that can not be seen from a car, ties should be broken in favor of the sightseers.

Liability---Bad things can happen on hike: auto accidents,injury,equipment damage or failure, etc. Our group does not assume any collective or individual liability for any such mishaps. Each hiker is individually responsible for his own safety.

Punctuality---Zero tolerance. We leave the car pool location promptly at the time announced on the Blog.

Hunting season---Hike plans are formulated to avoid the worst of the hunting hazards but, we cannot avoid all exposure to hunters. Therefore it is each hikers responsibility to dress in blaze orange or other bright,visible clothing during hunting season.

TTA PLATEAU CHAPTER

TTA WEB ADDRESS

FEBRUARY 2021 HIKES

FEBRUARY 2021 HIKES

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