TTA PLATEAU CHAPTER: Saturday, December 29, 2012 Hike -- Wheeler Farm Hike

Upper Cumberland Chapter is doing a hike on December 29 that some of us want to do. Due to parking being very limited if you are interested in doing this hike with us please register with Cheryl, and let her know if you can drive so she can arrange the car pool and notify hike leader Pete Broehl how many we have. Contact Cheryl Heckler at cell 931-200-7436 or thehecklers@charter.net. We will meet at Tractor Supply at 7:00am CT to depart shortly thereafter. Gas cost is $5. Photos: Cheryl

Dec 29 - Wheeler Farm Loop, Fall Creek State Park, Spencer TN. 3.5 miles. Moderate. This trail in the Lower Cane Creek extension of Falls Creek Falls is only 3.5 miles long but we will explore several attractions. First we'll visit Medley Arch, a unique 90' high arch/natural bridge formed by the collapse of the mountain side into 3 large sinks. We'll venture off-trail to see the other side of the arch and the undercuts of the remaining ridge. Then we'll view the other sinks and a multi-level waterfall that emerges from the side of one of the holes and disappears at its bottom. After exploring this area, we'll rejoin the trail to descend to the Cane Creek Valley. If the water is high, we may need to backtrack a short distance to the area of the arch to take an alternate route into the valley. After a short side trip to view Cane Creek, we'll head down the Cane Creek Valley to view Wheeler Falls, a 120 foot tiered waterfall with 2 separate sources at the upper levels. Continuing down the valley we will visit the remains of a bottomland farm. After retracing our steps back to Wheeler Falls we'll ascend a farm road along another stream to complete the loop. The hike is rated moderate with a total elevation loss/gain of 400 ft. Additional hiking is available nearby. Bring lunch, water, snacks, and wear good hiking boots. We will meet at the US Bank in Sparta across from McDonald’s at 8:00 am CT. Contact Pete Broehl at 931-738-3551, or by email at pabroehl@blomand.net to register.

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, December 29, 2012 Hike -- Wheeler Farm Hike

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