TTA PLATEAU CHAPTER

February 2019 Scheduled Hikes

Feb 2 – ****Cherokee NF-Bald River Gorge Trail.

Long hike: This is an easy 6 mile one-way hike from the Holly Flats Campsite on Forest Road 126 to Bald River Falls Trailhead. Plan for a long car shuttle. Short hike: In-and-out 4 mile easy hike. Depart VF Outlet Mall at 8am CT. Carpool cost is $10. Pack water, snacks and lunch. Contact the hike coordinator, Deb Westervelt, via email plateauhikes@tennesseetrails.org or text/call 931-267-2243 for more info.

Feb 6 –** Fall Creek Falls State Park near Pikeville, TN. Mostly a walk in the woods.

Short Hike: 5 moderate miles on Upper Loop Trail from Newton Ford Picnic Area to the Backcountry Trailhead Parking area. Long Hike: 5 mi Upper Loop Trail plus 1.5 mi down Lower Loop Trail to the Nature Center. The hikers doing the short hike will go pick up the cars and meet the long hikers at the Nature Center. Depart 8 am CT from Tractor Supply West Ave and Emerson in Crossville. Carpool cost is $6. Pack water, snacks and lunch. For additional information contact the hike coordinator, Deb Westervelt, at plateauhikes@tennesseetrails.org or text/call 931-267-2243.

Feb 7 - Plateau Chapter Meeting. This will be all Annual conference committees working meeting. We need all members to bring their ideas to the committee chairs. All registration forms must be finalized no later than May 8 in order to get them into the June TTA Newsletter. Registrations must be returned to us NLT July 15 in order for Wyndam to block off enough Timeshare condos. PLEASE BRING A DISH TO SHARE FOR A POTLUCK DINNER. First United Methodist Church Annex, Neecham St, Crossville, TN. Please arrive by 5pm so we can work while we eat. Contact Bruce Whitehead -plateau@tennesseetrails.org or trailwalker80@gmail.com - 941-716-3620 that you will attend or for information.

Feb 13 –* Fall Creek Falls State Park near Pikeville, TN.

combined to give a total hiking distance of about 7 miles or less. Short Hike: 4.7 moderate miles doing a lollipop on the Link Trail, Upper Loop Trail and Chinquapin Trail. Long Hike: 8.5 moderate miles doing a lollipop on the Link Trail, Upper Loop Trail and all of the Chinquapin Trail. We’ll park near the intersection of Archie Rhinehart Parkway (HY 284) and Park Rd. Depart 8 am CT from Tractor Supply West Ave and Emerson in Crossville. Carpool cost is $6. Pack water, snacks and lunch. For additional information contact the hike coordinator, Deb Westervelt, at plateauhikes@tennesseetrails.org or text/call 931-267-2243.

Feb 16 – ***Smokie Mountains National Park - Long Hike: 7 moderate miles making a loop on Little River, Husky Gap and Sugarland MT Trails. Short Hike: In and out 4.8 easy miles on Little River Trail. Depart 7 am CT from Outlet Mall, Interstate Drive, west parking lot. Carpool cost is $10. Pack water, snacks and lunch. To sign up contact the hike coordinator Deb Westervelt, via text/call 931-267-2243 or email plateauhikes@tennesseetrails.org.

Feb 20 – **Fall Creek Falls State Park near Pikeville, TN - Short Hike: 4.15 easy miles on Gilbert Gual Loop Trail. Long Hike: 4.15 miles Gilbert Gaul Loop Trail plus 3 moderate miles of the Link Trail along the lake then either backtrack to finish the loop or continue on to a parking area requiring a car shuttle. Depart 8 am CT Tractor Supply West Ave and Emerson in Crossville. Carpool cost is $6. Pack water, snacks and lunch. For additional information contact the hike coordinator, Deb Westervelt, via email plateauhikes@tennesseetrails.org or text/call 931-267-2243.

Feb 27 – **Fall Creek Falls State Park near Pikeville, TN - Short Hike: 4 moderate miles on the Woodland, Overlook and Paw Paw Trails. Long Hike: 4.6 moderate miles WoodLand, Overlook and Paw Paw Trails plus the strenuous Base Trail to the bottom of the falls. Depart 8 am CT Trinity Tabernacle Church on HY 127 South. Carpool cost is $6. Pack water, snacks and we will eat lunch at Scotties in downtown Pikeville. For additional information contact the hike coordinator, Deb Westervelt, via email plateauhikes@tennesseetrails.org or text/call 931-267-2243.

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

Hiking Links

Blog Archive