TTA PLATEAU CHAPTER

MARCH 2020 SCHEDULED HIKES

Check the blog one hour prior to hike time for cancellation or for any other updates/changes to our schedule before hiking.

Wednesday, March 4 -- Gentleman's Swimming Hole, Rugby, TN & Colditz Cove, Allerdt, TN. This is a combined 3.5 mile moderate hike. Colditz Cove features a pristine 1.5 mile loop to the 60 foot high Northrop Falls. A short drive brings us to the Gentleman's Swimming Hole for an additional 2 mile hike. Don’t forget tick/bug spray and sunscreen. Pack water, snacks and lunch. Depart from Cracker Barrel at 7:30am CT. Carpool cost $5. For additional information contact the hike coordinator, Deb Westervelt, plateauhikes@tennesseetrails.org or text/call 931-267-2243.

Wednesday, March 11, Daddys Creek Section Trail, Hebbettsburg, TN. Long Hike: This will be a 7.5 moderate mile thru hike along Daddys Creek, past a 1940s cave house once home to a family for years. Requires an 8-mile shuttle. Short Hike: Starting from the Keyes Rd Trailhead to the connector trail yellow gated parking area is 4.7 moderate miles

Depart 7:30 am CDST from Southwest parking lot of the VF outlet mall on Interstate Drive. Those in the Fairfield Glade area may join the caravan at 7:45 am at the 4-way stop at the intersection of Peavine Road and Stonehenge Drive. Carpool cost is $2. Don’t forget tick/bug spray and sunscreen. Pack water, snacks and lunch. For more information contact the hike coordinator Deb Westervelt, via text/call 931-267-2243 or email plateauhikes@tennesseetrails.org.

Thursday, March 12, Chapter Monthly Meeting. Meeting held 6pm in the First Methodist Church Annex on Neecham St. Meet for dinner at 4:30pm Abuela's Cuban on Main Street downtown. Please let Norm know you are coming to dinner, (931) 202-2338.

Saturday, March 14 - Savage Gulf State Natural Area, Collins Rim Trail, Gruetli Laager, TN. Long hike: From the Collins West Trailhead. We will in/out hike 7-8 moderate miles on the East side of the rim with scenic overlooks. Short hike: 5 miles or less in/out. Don’t forget tick/bug spray and sunscreen. Pack water, snacks and lunch. Depart at 7:30am CDST from Trinity Tabernacle on HY127 South. Carpool cost is $7. For additional information contact the hike coordinator, Deb Westervelt, plateauhikes@tennesseetrails.org or text/call 931-267-2243.

Wednesday, March 18, Big South Fork (BSF), Grand Gap Loop, Oneida, TN

Long hike: This is a 6.8 mile moderate loop trail hike among cliffs and boulders with spectacular views of the BSF Gorge from Angel Falls Overlook. Short hike: 4 miles in/out. Don’t forget tick/bug spray and sunscreen. Pack water, snacks and lunch. Depart 7:30am CDST from the Crossville Cracker Barrel SW parking lot. Carpool cost is $6. For additional information contact the hike coordinator, Deb Westervelt, text/call 931-267-2243 or email plateauhikes@tennesseetrails.org.

Saturday, March 21, GSMNP Walker Sisters Cabin and Little Green Brier School. Long hike: 8 mile in/out moderate to strenuous due to 1500' elevation gain. Short hike: 4.5 mile easy hike in/out turning around at the end of Little Brier Gap Trail. Our hike will start from the Metcalf Bottoms campground on Metcalf Bottoms Trail .6 mi to the school then Little Brier Gap Trail to a junction of a gravel rd and Grassy Rd. The gravel Rd leads .25 mi to the Walker Sisters Cabin and spring house where 10 children were raised. Carpool cost $8. Don’t forget tick/bug spray and sunscreen. Pack water, snacks and lunch. Depart at 7:30am CDST from Dorton United Methodist Church one mile East of Peavine Rd on HY 70E. For additional information contact the hike coordinator, Deb Westervelt, plateauhikes@tennesseetrails.org or text/call 931-267-2243.

Wednesday, March 25 Cloudland Canyon, West Rim Loop Trail. Long hike: We'll hike 6 miles, lollypop loop, rated moderate to difficult starting from "Parking West Rim Loop Trailhead". Short hike: 3.5 miles in/out. Most of the hike is moderately difficult, becoming strenuous on several short sections. Gorgeous overlooks of the canyon, Cherokee Falls, Hemlock Falls, and views of the towns of Trenton and Lookout Valley, a drop of 1200'. There is a wide variety of mosses, ferns, mushrooms, and wildflowers. Depart fromTrinity Tabernacle Church HY 127 South 7:30 a.m CDST. Carpool cost is $9. 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.

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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