Honey Creek - Sunday, November 18, 2012.  Seven intrepid hikers from Nashville hiked and scrambled around the difficult loop at Honey Creek: Karl Dupre, Doug Burroughs, Dianna Richter, Garnett Rush, Gloria Dale Williams, Rachel Jakubovitz, and Kathy Woods.  We had excellent weather and survived the difficult terrain with no injuries!

TTA Rock Creek hike, November 10, 2012.

This was a wonderful Cumberland Plateau hike, with the limestone bluffs, sparkling creek and terrain changes typical of that region.  It is also a place to admire the handiwork of the CTC trail builders, who have made a first-rate hiking trail with numerous small bridges, as well as a huge one further along.  We started at Lower Leggett trailhead, which has a nice paved parking lot. Just 4 of us on this hike, and hardly anyone on the trail either. The fall foliage was colorful in places.  It was a fairly good uphill trek, perhaps 800' elevation. We forked right to the Leggett Overlook, off a short spur trail. It's a very nice overlook for lunch or a snack.  Then we journeyed down into the gorge, and hiked beyond the loop, up to Rock Creek Overlook for lunch.  To finish by 3 pm, we reversed and re-joined the loop, heading back toward the parking lot on the trail, nearer the creek.  We had a couple splendid stops along the creek, which looked pristine.  We figured our total mileage was about 7.2.  A good time was had by all.

Notes to prospective hikers:  This is eastern standard time. If you want to deploy the night before (or after), I can recommend the Best Western motel in Dayton as clean and thrifty. There is also a new French cafe in old downtown Dayton, with a real French chef lady. This is near the courthouse where the Scopes Monkey Trial occurred.   We were alert for monkeys scampering across the road or in the trees, but nothing this time.   Faithfully submitted, Tom Vickstrom.

Jan, Tom, & Wanda.  Photography by Pat Serio. 

On  Saturday, November 3, 2012, Five happy hikers from Nashville, Hendersonville, and Tullahoma hiked the Grundy Lakes Trail and Grundy Forest Day Loop, near Tracy City. Grundy Lakes is the site of the Lone Rock Coke Ovens where locally mined coal was converted to coke using convict labor until 1896. The coke ovens remain as a historic reminder of these times. The trail circled the largest of the four lakes and looped by remains of the Coke Ovens. The fall colors were still brilliant and the water was flowing.  After a fabulous lunch at the Dutch Maid Bakery and enjoying all the samples we traveled to the Grundy Forest Day Loop Trailhead. This 2 mile hike gave us an introduction to the Fiery Gizzard area, passing by small cascades, old CCC camp remains, and a couple of nice swimming holes. It met up with the more difficult and dramatic Fiery Gizzard Trail midway through the loop, which we happily passed by. It was a perfect autumn day and we returned home tired but happy