TTA PLATEAU CHAPTER

JUNE 2019 SCHEDULED HIKES

Jun 1 - Saturday, National Trails Day, Fairfield Glade Community- Canyon,Hemlock, Rotherham Trails - hike is 6 mile loop, rated moderate. Depart from the gazebo at The corner of Stonehenge Dr and Peavine Rd rear lot at 8 a.m CDT. Carpool cost is $1. Don’t forget tick/bug spray and sunscreen. Pack water, snacks and lunch. For additional information contact the hike coordinator, Deb Westervelt, at plateauhikes@tennesseetrails.org or text/call 931-267-2243.

Jun 5 – Wednesday – Cherokee National Forest, Benton, TN- Benton Falls and Rainbow Falls.

This will be a moderate 6.7 miles total. The first hike is a lollipop to Benton Falls on Eldeberry, Arbutus,Redleaf and Benton Falls Trails for 3.2 mile. The second hike requires a 30 min drive to the Rainbow Falls trailhead for an in/out 3.5 miles. Bring water shoes. Depart 7:30 am CT from The Crossville Vanity Fair Outlet Mall West parking lot on Interstate Drive. Carpool cost is $10. Don’t forget tick/bug spray and sunscreen. Pack water, snacks and lunch. For additional information contact the hike coordinator, Deb Westervelt, plateauhikes@tennesseetrails.org or text/call 931-267-2243.

Jun 12, Wednesday – Pickett State Forest, Jamestown,TN - John Muir/Sheltowee Trace Trails. This is an in/out 6 mile hike along Rock Creek. Carpool cost is $5. Don’t forget tick/bug spray and sunscreen. Depart 7:30 am CT from Cracker Barrel's rear lot in Crossville. Bring water, snacks and lunch. Bring water shoes. additional information contact the hike coordinator, Deb Westervelt, plateauhikes@tennesseetrails.org or text/call 931-267-2243.

Jun 13, Thurs – Plateau Chapter Meeting. This a working meeting for the Annual Conference. Bring your ideas for fundraising, hike suggestions and speakers. Bring your own dinner. Meet at 5pm CT at First United Methodist Church Annex, 69 Neecham Street, Crossville. Contact Chapter Chair, Bruce Whitehead, 941-716-3620 or plateau@tennesseetrails.org for information.

Jun 15, Saturday – BSF, Jamestown, TN - Parker Mountain Trail/ Buffalo Arch. This will be a 5.1 mi in/out hike to Buffalo Arch and a wet weather waterfall. Depart 7:30 am CT from Cracker Barrel's rear lot in Crossville. Carpool cost is $6. Don’t forget tick/bug spray and sunscreen. 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.

Jun 19 – Wedneday – Rugby State Natural Area - Rugby, TN - White Oak, Kellogg, and Massengale Loop Trails. We will hike the easy 4.1 mi White Oak and Kellogg loops then eat lunch at the Harrow Rd Cafe or the RM Brooks General Store. After lunch we will hike the 1 mile easy Massengale Loop. Depart 7:30 am CT from Cracker Barrel's rear lot in Crossville. Carpool cost is $5. Don’t forget tick/bug spray and sunscreen. Pack water, snacks. For additional information contact Bruce Whitehead, 941 716 3620 or trailwalker80@gmail.com.

Jun 26 – Wedneday - Brushy Mountain Prison Tour, Petros, TN. This weeks journey will be a 1 hour guided tour ($20 - 10% senior or military discount) of Brushy Mountain Prison, which opened in 1896 and is now closed. This prison had no air conditioning or flat screen TVs. It housed James Earl Ray (Martin Luther King's assassin), Big John Tate (one time world heavy weight boxing champion), and Tony Robinson (UT and Redskins quarterback), among many others. We will also visit the End of Line Distillery and eat at the Wardens Table. Optional 2.2 in/out mi moderate (gradual grade up on an old road) hike to the Old Prison Mine where several buildings remain. Depart 8:00 AM CT from the Crossville Outlet Mall west parking lot. Carpool cost is $7. Pack water for the hike. For additional information contact Bruce Whitehead, 941 716 3620 or trailwalker80@gmail.com and to sign up.

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.

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