TTA PLATEAU CHAPTER: Wednesday, March 30, 2016, Hike -- Porter's Creek (GSMNP)

This is a great spring wildflower hike with 60' Fern Branch Falls in the Greenbrier section of the Smokies. The forest floor can literally be carpeted with bloodroot, hepaticas, white fringed phacelia, violets, white trilliums and many other varieties. There are several old stone walls that are remnants from the Elbert Cantrell farmstead, who settled in the Porters Creek community in the early 1900s. We will also visit Ownby Cemetery, which also dates back to the early part of the 20th century. A short spur trail takes you to John Messer farm site, which includes a cantilevered barn that was built by John Whaley around 1875 and a cabin that was built by the Smoky Mountain Hiking Club in the mid-1930s. Members of the club were permitted to use the cabin as an overnight facility until 1981. It is a moderate 8.5 mile hike with a 1500' climb over 3.5 miles to a campsite and then return the same way back. Depart Vanity Fair west parking lot at 7:30 am CT. We plan to stop for dinner on the way home at a restaurant to be voted on at the end of the hike. Carpool cost $8. Photos: Cheryl, Pat, Clark

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 Deb Westervelt at plateauhikes@tennesseetrails.org or 931-267- 2243.

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

Wednesday, March 30, 2016, Hike -- Porter's Creek (GSMNP)

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