Rescue Creek Trail, Yellowstone National Park

As we have made more trips to Yellowstone National Park we have began to hike more when we get there.  It allows us to get away from the crowds and experience the park on a more personal level.  We always purchase bear spray when we arrive in Bozeman and then donate it to someone when we leave since we can't fly with it.  For this hike, our landlord was kind enough to provide us with a shuttle.  We left our rental car at the Rescue Creek Trailhead near Gardiner, Montana. Our landlord picked us up at the trailhead and drove us to the Blacktail Creek Trailhead.  As we hiked it, the trail was 8 miles.  With the exception of the an uphill stretch during the first mile, the trail was either flat or downhill.  There is roughly 1000 feet of elevation change.

A raven perched on a rock to check our progress on the trail.  Electric Peak is visible in the background.  

As we hiked, we saw several elk and a black bear along the ridges to the south of the trail.  

We saw several Mountain Bluebirds in the sage along some marshland on the trail.

A male Bufflehead was strutting his stuff on a pond beside the trail.

In this area, the trail made its way through sagebrush flats between two ridges.  There were many ponds along the trail, most with waterfowl.

We were fortunate to have gorgeous blue skies for the hike.  

Uinta Ground Squirrels were using the trail as well as us.  

The trail eventually left the sagebrush flats and entered a deeper valley.  Near the junction of the two a male pronghorn watched us from his bed above the trail.

As the valley deepened, we entered a forest of evergreens.

We saw several skeletons along this section of trail.  Most appeared to be elk or mule deer.  None of the skeletons appeared to fresh, but it was still left us with an eerie feeling as we discussed what might have made the kills.

We stopped for lunch in an open area that allowed us to keep a look out.  

When we left the forest, the trail became drier as we continued down the valley.  The change in elevation and moisture made for a completely different ecosystem.  

One of the reasons we chose this hike was because it took us by Rattlesnake Butte.  True to its name, it is one of the few spots in the park where rattlesnakes are found because of its lower elevation.  A rattlesnake sighting gave us another animal to add to the list of sightings we had in the park.

The last couple of miles of the trail passed through an area that was almost desert like.  The ground was rather sandy and there were scattered  low growing cacti.  

This desert like area was interspersed with wetter areas where the plant life was completely different.

The trail ends with a sturdy bridge across the Gardner River.  

One of the most interesting things about this hike to me was the change in the ecosystems was the elevation changed.

A hike worth repeating.

Some hikes are finished, marked off a list and largely forgotten.  Some hikes are finished and likely to be repeated.  Then there are those hikes that are repeated year after year.  One of my favorite hikes in Great Smoky Mountains National Park is the man way to White Oak Sink during wildflower season.  The 2014 version of this hike for us was not as spectacular as it was in years past, but it was still a beautiful hike.   

We began at the School House Gap trailhead.  At the junction with Turkeypen Ridge trail we found a large number of Dwarf Iris.  The area around the junction was carpeted with them.

We stopped to check on a Yellow Lady Slipper that we knew the location of from a previous hike.  We found it rather frost damaged, but any lady slipper sighting is a treat.

We found lots of purple phlox blooming in the Sink, but not as many as in years past.

The Shooting Stars were putting on quite a show this year.  It was probably the best showing for them that we have seen thus far.

There were a few Pink Lady Slippers blooming along the circuitous trail around the Sink. 

Little Brown Jugs are a much less showy flower, but still fun to find. 

Large White Trillium was near peak, as well as a few off colored, near pink ones.

This dwarf iris appeared to me making an attempt at tree climbing.

I have yet to take a photo of Showy Orchis that even begins to show the beauty of this small orchid.

The shooting stars were quite popular with the bees.

A few Columbine were blooming above the bat cave, though it took a bit of climbing to find them.

As we headed home, we stopped at the Wye to hike the first bit of Chestnut Top to see the what was in bloom there.  Stonecrop was in bloom and very popular with the honey bees.

A spring trip to White Oak Sink is always a fun glimpse of wild flowers for a few fleeting days.  The most challenging part of this hike is knowing when to take it in the hopes of catching the flowers at peak.  Luckily there exists such a variety of flowers there that something is bound to be at peak.

Mt. Cammerer via Davenport Gap

This blog post details a hike that was taken months ago, but in my blog hiatus did not get posted.

I have been VERY slowly working on hiking all of the trails in Great Smoky Mountains National Park.  This endeavor leads to some odd hikes and road walking to make loops wherever I can.  On this particular hike we parked near the Big Creek ranger station.  We started by road walking from there to the Appalachian Trail trailhead at Davemport Gap.  This also marks the northern boundary of the park.  Our plan was to hike up the AT to the Mt. Cammerer trail and then return to the junction with Chestnut Branch Trail.  From that junction we could take Chestnut Branch back to our car.  

The hike up the AT was rather uneventful.  We took a break at the junction with the Lower Mt Cammerer Trail.  I always like to stop for a moment at junctions where I have been before and think about the time or times that I have been there before.  I hiked the Lower Mt Cammerer trail as my first ever solo hike.  It was neat to stand in that spot again and think about all the changes that have taken place since then.  

The trail between Lower Mt Cammerer and Mt Cammerer was just as rocky as I remembered.  I was glad to reach the Mt. Cammerer trail to give my feet a break.  Even though spring wildflowers were well past their prime in the lower park elevations, there were still a number of wildflowers along the higher trails.  We saw several painted trillium along the way.  They are one of my favorite flowers in the park.

Unfortunately, the fog had not yet left the area when we reached the fire lookout.  The views that I so enjoyed on my previous trip were nonexistent.  Instead it was a bit like being on an island in the fog.  From where we stood, the rest of the world had melted into the fog and we were the only two people on Earth,  A few ridge tops would occasionally pop into view, but they would quickly be swallowed again by the fog. 

We stopped for lunch on our island in the fog.  It was a peaceful break.

I don't really search out the US geological survey markers like some hikers, but I do usually take a picture when I happen upon one.

The lookout tower at Mt. Cammerer is a short tower that takes advantage of the landscape and the lack of trees on the rocky outcrop rather than a tall tower that rises above the trees.

After lunch, the fog still held tight so we headed back down the mountain.

A random pit stop along the Chestnut Branch led to the unexpected surprise of a late blooming Pink Lady Slipper.I was surprised to see one blooming so late in the season.

Chestnut Branch turned out to be a pleasant hike.  The lower parts of the trail followed and often crossed a small creek.  There were numerous rock piles that showed where houses had been.  

Our total mileage for the day was 11.8 trail miles and about a mile of road walking.  The road walking was pleasant as well with most of it being along a gravel road where we saw no traffic.  Of the nearly 12 trail miles that we hiked, only five were new miles to me that helped towards my goal of hiking all the trails in the park.  However, this was a quite enjoyable and uncrowded hike.

Something new...

          A couple of years ago while doing our New Year's goal setting, we set a goal of visiting one new place each month.  We've kept this goal each year since.  The new place can be as simple as trying a new restaurant or as involved as traveling to a new place.  We keep a list of the new places that we visit on the goal board at our house.  The idea behind the goal is to keep us out of a rut.  For 2014 we were able to keep this goal and visit at least one new place or have a new experience each month.

January – Vandy Game

           In January we traveled to Nashville to see a basketball game between Vanderbilt and the Lady Vols.  I had wanted to do this for a couple of years, but the timing of the game hadn't worked out very well until this year.  One trip to Vandy was enough though.  Worst. Gym. Ever.

February -  Ijams Nature Center

          Sometimes I'm amazed at the things close to home that we haven't done.  In February we visited Ijams Nature Center.  I have no idea how we have both lived in this area our whole lives and missed Ijams.  The trail system and facilities are outstanding.  I strongly suggest that anyone in the Knoxville area give it a visit if you haven't already.

March – SEC Tournament

      In March we decided at the last minute to travel to Duluth, GA for the Women's SEC Basketball Tournament.  Traveling to the tournament was a neat experience.  I would definitely consider going again when it is somewhere that I want to go.

April – Big South Fork

    

  April took us on a day trip to Big South Fork National Recreation Area.  We hiked a few short trails (Needle Arch, Slave Falls, Twin Arches).  We also drove through the campground on a reconnaissance mission for a later camping trip.  We also drove to Hatfield Knob near Lafollette on this trip hoping to see the elk that were released there, but luck was not with us.  

May – Grayson Highlands

      In May we took a rather lengthy drive to Grayson Highlands State Park and the Mount Rogers Recreation Area in Virginia.  This was probably my favorite day trip of the year.  We hiked to the summit of Mt Rogers.  Along the way we saw some of the feral ponies and longhorn cattle that road the park.  The combination of the ponies, cattle and landscape made for quite a surreal hike.  This is one trip that I can't wait to repeat.  

June – Mesa Falls, Idaho

      June took us back to Yellowstone National Park for the fifth time in five years.  As usual, we were able to do lots of new things as well as revisit our favorites.  One of the new experiences we had this year was a side trip to Mesa Falls in Idaho on a circuitous route to Grand Tetons National Park and back.  Upper and Lower Mesa Falls are both spectacular waterfalls that are well worth the trip if you are in the area.

July – Gulf Shores

      

       July took me to somewhere I had been once before, but under completely different circumstances.  A bare bones college spring break trip took me there the first time.  This time was a 19 person whole family, week long trip.  Definitely a tale of two cities. 

August – Norris Campground

      August took us on a camping trip in the Tin Can to Norris Dam State Park.  It was the first time we had camped there and our first trip in the Tin Can with hook-ups.  Having the AC definitely expands our options for summer camping. 

September – McCloud Mountain

       September took us fairly close to home but WAY up on a mountain.  On our trip to Big South Fork we saw signs for the restaurant at McCloud Mountain.  It took us until September, but we finally made it back there.  The restaurant sits way above Lafollete, TN.  The views are spectacular.  The food was just ok, but the view more than made up for it.

October – Amaluna

       We were off to Atlanta in October to see another Cirque du Soleil show.  This time it was Amaluna.  While this was definitely not our first show, each one is so unique and mind blowing that its like the first time every time. 

November – Courtside LV seats

      We normally plan what our new experience will be each month, but occasionally the experience comes to us.  This was the case in November.  A routine trip to see the Lady Vols play in Knoxville became a new experience when a marketing team member offered us an upgrade to court side seats and hospitality passes to the Ray Mear's room.  The game experience reaches a whole new level when fast breaks end in your lap. 

December – Lipscomb Game & Acme Feed and Seed

     We completed our new experiences for 2014 the same way we began them for January.  We headed to Nashville to see the Lady Vols play.  This time we were headed to Lipscomb University.  We had great seats for this game.  We also had dinner at Acme Feed and Seed on Broadway while we were in Nashville.  It was quite good and we'll be making return trips there.

Setting the goal of doing something new each month has made us more aware of the places that we visit and helps to keep us out of a rut.  We already have some new trips planned for 2015 in addition to some ideas for more spur of the moment trips.

Happy travels!

On Top of Tennessee

After a lengthy break, we decided to take a hike.  I've been planning to hike the Appalachian Trail from Newfound Gap to Clingman's Dome while Clingman's Dome road is closed for the season for the past couple of years, but never seemed to get around to it.  This past Saturday presented a great opportunity with clear skies and a bit of snow to make it interesting.  The Appalachian Trail from Newfound Gap to Clingman's dome covers 7.9 miles with approximately 1500 ft of net elevation gain.  There are several gains and losses that add to the amount of climbing that is actually required to reach Clingman's Dome.  The return trip includes a half mile "hike" along the Clingman's Dome trail followed by 7 miles of walking along Clingman's Dome Road.

We left the parking lot at Newfound Gap at 9:00 am.  We found a bit of snow and ice along the trail, but not enough to keep us from proceeding.  We found this icicle near the beginning of the trail.  I think I will pass on licking that one. 

Along the trail is an exclosure designed to keep feral hogs out of a beech forest.  Access to the exclosure is via a ramp.  

There are occasional gaps along the trail that provide views into North Carolina and Tennessee.

Near the end of the trail a spring had completely covered the trail in ice.  We had to do a bit of maneuvering to safely make it past this section.

Blue skies and cold wind awaited us when we finally made it to the tower.  The 7.9 miles took us roughly 4 hours to hike,  

The cold wind atop the tower kept us from staying too long.  We stopped for a quick lunch along the access trail to the tower out of the wind.  We started walking along the road at 1:45.

Seeps along the road made for some awesome icicle displays as we walked out.  They also made for some slick spots on the road that we had to watch out for. 

We made it back to Newfound Gap at 4:00 for 7 hours of hiking to cover approximately 16 miles, give or take a tenth.