TTA PLATEAU CHAPTER: Saturday, June 2, 2012 -- National Trails Day at Cumberland Mountain State Park, Crossville, TN

National Trails Day events at Cumberland Mountain State Park:

Registration will be between 7:30 and 8:00 AM on the restaurant patio. You can stop by the park’s wildlife booth while waiting for the hikes to begin at 8 AM. The Friends of Cumberland Mountain State Park will be selling bottles of water and snacks to take on your hike. We will have various levels of hikes from an easy 2 miles to a moderate 8 miles. Please bring water and snacks for the trail or buy them at the Friends of Cumberland Mountain State Park booth. Wear sturdy athletic shoes or hiking boots and clothing appropriate for the weather including a rain jacket or poncho in case of rain.

The four hikes to choose from are:

A 2 mile loop on Byrd Creek trail: The hike is an easy loop around the banks of Byrd Creek enjoying a diverse forest, Mountain Laurel and Rhododendron along the way.

A 3 mile loop on Pioneer Short Loop and Byrd Lake trails: The hike is a fairly level trail that begins on Byrd Lake Trail crossing over the park’s old stone dam before continuing on a pleasant, easy walk around Byrd Lake. The hike will continue on Pioneer Short Loop which follows one of Byrd Lake’s feeder streams before crossing on a suspension bridge and returning along the other side of the lake.

A 5 mile loop on Pioneer Short Loop with Pioneer Loop, Moderate: This hike begins fairly level on the Pioneer Short Loop which follows one of Byrd Lake’s feeder streams before continuing on Pioneer Loop along upper Byrd Creek to Old Mail Road. There are a couple of short steep stream crossings. After crossing a stone bridge the hike returns along upper Byrd Creek through fat man’s squeeze. The hike continues along the creek lined with Mountain Laurel & Rhododendron. A short segment continues in the woods along the golf course before crossing a suspension bridge for your return.

An 8 mile loop on Cumberland Plateau Trail & Overnight Trail, Moderate; this hike will begin on the Cumberland Plateau Trail which loops through a diverse forest downstream from the dam along Byrd Creek. It continues on Byrd Creek trail crossing over the Boy Scout bridge before intersecting with the Overnight trail. The Overnight Trail winds through the hills flanking Three-mile Creek and a diverse forest before returning back on the Cumberland Plateau Trail.

For more information contact Cheryl Heckler by e-mail at thehecklers@charter.net or at 931-456-6437. Photos: Pat

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

Saturday, June 2, 2012 -- National Trails Day at Cumberland Mountain State Park, Crossville, TN

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