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"Did you read about the time when I hiked....."
All of the hiking journals I've posted to this website are
accessible from this page--both the "currently featured" journals and those that have been moved to "inactive/archived" status.
I'm in the process of adding many more journals I've written over the years but it is a low-priority project.
You'll find journals for hikes in the Smokies, Frozen Head,
Big South Fork, Fall Creek Falls and even the Swiss Alps. More are being added as I can compile them from my
notes.
Rather than listing all the trail names, I've elected to use a Custom
Google Search Engine for my website.
Hike Journals, Listed by Area (Smokies first then others)
N.W. Smokies (Townsend, Cades Cove, Tremont, Elkmont and Clingman's Dome areas)
- Ace Gap Hike (Smokies, April 2001)
- Anthony Creek (Smokies, June 2009. Included in the "The Fifth Trail from Never" hike journal.
Full route is Anthony Creek-Bote Mtn-AT-Jenkins Ridge-Hazel Creek-Proctor)
- Avent Cabin (Smokies, October 2007)
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- Blockaders' Glory - Hiking Sugarland Mtn Trail Into Kephart's "Sinful Tennessee"
(Smokies Hike, Aug 2002)
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- Coasting Down from Clingman's Dome via Goshen Prong trail (Smokies, August 2008, Clingman's Dome-AT-Goshen Prong-Little River trails)
- Cold Spring Knob section of the AT - 21 Mile Loop Hike out of Tremont (Smokies, November 2008, Middle Prong, Lynn Camp Prong, Miry Ridge, Appalachian Trail (AT),
Greenbrier Ridge trails)
- Curry He or Curry She? (Smokies Hike, Curry Mtn-Meigs Mtn-Meigs Creek Trails, August 2002)
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- Double Springs Gap Shelter Hike (Hiking from Clingman's Dome to Double Springs Gap shelter to check out the newly renovated hiking
shelter. September 2008).
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- Fall Color Hike - Clingman's Dome to Elkmont via the AT & Miry Ridge (Smokies Hike, Clingman's Dome-AT-Siler's Bald-Miry Ridge-Jake's Creek-Elkmont, October 2008)
- Fall Color Hikes - Rich Mtn-Indian Grave Gap-Scott Mtn Trails (Smokies hikes, October & November 2008)
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- Goshen Prong & Fish Camp Prong - Hidden Gems (Smokies, October 2007)
- Gregory Bald in Mid-Summer (Smokies, August 2001. Includes links to flame azalea photo gallery shot during June
2008 visit)
- Greenbrier Ridge/AT/Miry Ridge/Lynn Camp Prong trails (3-Day multi-trail hike, Sept 2001)
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- Lynn Camp Prong Loop Hike - (Smokies Hike, Middle Prong, Lynn Camp Prong, Miry Ridge, Panther Creek trails, July 2008)
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- Not on the Map but Worth Finding: Spruce Flats Trail (Smokies Hike, Lumber Ridge and Spruce Flats trails, March 2007)
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- Rocky Top and Thunderhead Mtn Loop Hike
(Smokies, November 2007, Anthony Creek, Bote Mtn, AT, Greenbrier Ridge & Middle Prong
Trails)
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- Scott Mtn-Indian Grave Gap-Rich Mtn Hike (Smokies, April 2007)
- Spence Field Bear Encounter (Anthony Creek, Bote Mtn, AT trails, Day 1 of 4-day multi-trail hike, Sept 2006)
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- 'Tis Not a Goat Trail Anymore (Smokies Hike, Cooper Rd, Little Bottoms, Hatcher Mtn trails, Feb 2007)
- Thunderhead Mtn Trail - An Off-Trail Adventure (Aug 2002 & 2003)
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- White Oak Sink Area Hikes
(Smokies, April 2007)
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N.E. Smokies (Gatlinburg, Mt. LeConte, Cosby & Big Creek areas)
Baxter Creek & Big Creek Trails - Early Spring Wildflower Hunt (Smokies, March 2007)
Big Creek-Camel Gap-AT-Inadu Knob-Snake Den Ridge (Smokies, May 2009)
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Camel Gap Trail Hikes:
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Gunter Fork Loop - (Smokies, November 2007, Those Nearly Impossible Smokies Dayhikes)
Moonshiner's Den--Lower Mt. Cammer Loop Hike (Smokies, April 2001)
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Where's That? Dry Sluice Gap & Grassy Branch Trails (Smokies, August 2008, Newfound Gap-AT-Charlie's
Bunion-Dry Sluice Gap-Grassy Branch-Kephart Prong trails)
Wrecked Steam Engines in the Smokies (Feature, includes trip to ruins located on Grapeyard Ridge trail with special routing
via "Injun Creek" trail--another unpublished trail we believe is a gem worth your time)
Mt. LeConte Area Hikes
Alum Cave Trail from Newfound Gap Road to Mt. LeConte Lodge (captioned
photo gallery only). (Smokies Hiking, 8/26/2009)
Trillium Gap Trail Improved for 2008 - Mt. LeConte Loop Hike via Trillium Gap and Bullhead Trails - (Smokies, August 2008)
Smoky Mtn High - Trekking to LeConte via Bull Head & Rainbow Falls
Trails - (Smokies, May 2008)
Yet Another LeConte Loop Hike--Alum Cave-LeConte-Boulevard-AT-Newfound
Gap (Smokies, August 2008)
LeConte Creek Trails--Up One Side and Down the Other (Smokies, October 2007, includes Rainbow Falls and Bull Head trails)
Hiking to Mt. LeConte with a Legend (Smokies, October 2007, hiking up Alum Cave trail with Ed Wright)
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S.E. Smokies (Waynesville, Cataloochee, Balsam Mtn, Cherokee, Smokemont areas)
- Cataloochee Divide Trail (Smokies hiking, May 2007)
- Enloe Creek in the Middle (Smokies hiking, Hyatt Ridge-Enloe Creek-Hughes Ridge-Chasteen Creek-Bradley Fork trails,
May 2009).
- Hyatt Ridge-Beech Gap I & II-Balsam Mtn Trails (Smokies Hiking Journal, August 2002)
- Kanati Fork-Thomas Divide-Newton Bald Hike (Smokies Hiking, April 2007)
- Little Cataloochee Surprise (Smokies Hiking with visits to hidden cabins and a fabulous old church not known to many visitors. Mt. Sterling,
Pretty Hollow and Little Cataloochee Trails, Sept 2005)
- Lufty Baptist Church & Cabin Flats Trail Hike (Smokies hiking, Bradley Fork, Cabin Flats trails, Feb 2008)
- Not Quite the Alps, but... (Smokies Hiking, Newton Bald, Thomas Divide, Kanati Fork, Deep Creek, Pole Road Creek, Noland
Divide Trails, July 2002)
- Oconaluftee River Trail and Collins Creek Manway (Smokies Hiking, April 2007)
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- Sweat, Grass & Bunions--A Hike with Many Faces (Smokies Hiking, Newfound Gap-AT-Sweat Heifer Creek-Grassy Branch-AT Loop, May
2009)
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- The Many Faces of Hemphill Bald Trail (Smokies hiking 2002-2007)
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- What Goes Crunch in the Night? (Feature-Smokies, Overnight bear encounter on Pretty
Hollow Gap trail, Nov 2001)
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S.W. Smokies (Bryson City, Deep Creek, Noland Divide, Forney Creek, Hazel Creek, Eagle Creek,
Fontana areas)
- Bear Creek Trail - aka the "Suck It UP!" Trail (Smokies, November 2008, Lakeshore, Forney Creek, Bear Creek & Whiteoak Branch trails)
- Bear Creek Trail - Up and Down Jumpup Ridge in One Day (Smokies, November 2008, Lakeshore, Forney Creek, Bear Creek & Whiteoak Branch trails)
- Beyond the Road to Nowhere: 18 miles of trails in one day (Smokies Hike, Lakeshore-White Oak Branch-Forney Creek-Springhouse Branch-Noland Creek Trails.
Hiked twice: October 2006 and May 2007)
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- Eagle Creek - 2008 Hike (Smokies Hike, boat shuttle, Eagle Creek, Spence Field, Bote Mtn, Lead Cove, Nov 2008)
- Eagle Creek--A Milestone Event (Smokies Hike, Al Smith completes the "900th mile", Nov 2006)
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- Chickens Along Thomas Divide Trail? (Smokies hiking, Sept 2007)
- Clingman's Dome to Lakeshore Tunnel via Welch Ridge & Bear Creek trails (Smokies, October 2006, AT, Welch Ridge, Bear Creek, Forney Creek & Lakeshore trails)
- Cold Spring Gap and Welch Ridge (Smokies hiking, July 2009, Clingman's Dome-AT-Welch Ridge-High Rocks-Cold Spring
Gap-Hazel Creek trails).
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- Hazel Creek & Bone Valley Trails--A Journal by Janice Henderson (Smokies hiking, July 2009, Clingman's Dome-AT-Welch Ridge-Hazel Creek-Bone Valley-Proctor)
- Icy Hot Trekking--Our Fork Ridge & Deep Creek Trails Hike (Smokies Hike, August 2008)
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- Jenkins Ridge in Late Spring (Smokies, June 2009. Included in the "The Fifth Trail from Never" hike journal.
Full route is Anthony Creek-Bote Mtn-AT-Jenkins Ridge-Hazel Creek-Proctor)
- Jenkins Ridge trail from AT to Bone Valley (Day 2, multi-trail 4-day hike, Sept 2006)
- Jumping Off Clingman's Dome via Forney Ridge Trail and beyond.... (Smokies hike, October 2008, Forney Ridge, Andrew's Bald, Springhouse Branch, Forney Creek, Whiteoak Branch and Lakeshore
trails).
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- Groundhog Day Marathon Hike (Smokies Hike, Noland Creek, Springhouse Branch, Deep Creek Horse trail, Indian Creek, Martins
Gap, Sunkota Ridge, Loop trail and Deep Creek trails. February 2, 2008)
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- Sunkota Ridge, top to bottom (Smokies Hike, Thomas Divide, Sunkota Ridge, Loop Trail, Indian Creek, Deep Creek trails.
November 2008)
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- Winter Hiking at its Best: Noland Creek and Noland Divide Trails (Smokies Hike, January 5, 2008)
- Wrecked Steam Engines in the Smokies (Feature - includes trip to ruins located near upper Forney Creek trail)
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hazel Creek: My 4 Day Walk Thru the Past 176
Years
- Day 1. Clingman's Dome to Silers Bald via the AT, Overnight (Day 1, Hazel Creek area 4-day hike, Oct 2006)
- Day 2. Silers Bald to Bone Valley via Welch Ridge & Hazel Creek trails, Overnight (Day 2, Hazel Creek area 4-day hike, Oct 2006)
- Day 2 (more). Bone Valley Hike (Day 2 side-trip, Hazel Creek area hike, Oct 2006)
- Day 3. Cold Spring Gap & Welch Ridge trails to High Rocks, Overnight (Day 3, Hazel Creek area 4-day hike, Oct 2006)
- Day 4. Hazel Creek trail from Bone Valley to Proctor/Fontana Lake (Day 4, Hazel Creek area 4-day hike, Oct 2006)
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Lakeshore Trail Hikes (3 different hikes below)
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Appalachian Trail & Connecting Trails (will include duplicate links to some of the journals
listed above)
- Clingman's Dome to Lakeshore Tunnel via Welch Ridge & Bear Creek trails (Smokies, October 2006, AT, Welch Ridge, Bear Creek, Forney Creek & Lakeshore trails)
- Cold Spring Gap and Welch Ridge (Smokies hiking, July 2009, Clingman's Dome-AT-Welch Ridge-High Rocks-Cold Spring
Gap-Hazel Creek trails).
- Rocky Top and Thunderhead Mtn Loop Hike (Smokies, November 2007, Anthony Creek, Bote Mtn, AT, Greenbrier Ridge & Middle Prong
Trails)
- Goshen Prong to Elkmont - A Hidden Gem (Oct 2007)
- Clingman's Dome to Silers Bald via AT, Overnight Day 1(Oct 2006)
- Silers Bald to Bone Valley via Welch Ridge & Hazel Creek trails, Overnight (Day 2 of my 4-day walk back thru 176 years in the Hazel Creek area, Oct 2006)
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- Spence Field Bear Encounter (Anthony Creek, Bote Mtn, AT trails, Day 1 of 4-day multi-trail hike, Sept 2006)
- Jenkins Ridge trail from AT to Bone Valley (Day 2 of 4-day multi-trail hike, Sept 2006)
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- Blockaders' Glory - Hiking Sugarland Mtn Trail Into Kephart's "Sinful Tennessee" (Smokies Hike, Aug 2002)
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- Sweat, Grass & Bunions--A Hike with Many Faces (Smokies Hiking, Newfound Gap-AT-Sweat Heifer Creek-Grassy Branch-AT Loop, May
2009)
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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Hikes Outside the Smokies.....
Frozen Head State Park--4 days & 7 major trails plus
newly opened North Bird Mountain trail
In addition to my most recent 2008 hike along newly opened North Bird Mountain trail, here you'll also find
Journals from 4 days of hiking during the period 3/28 thru 4/17/2007 during which I hiked seven major trails in
Frozen Head State Park. The wildflowers were stunningly beautiful right up until the last hike when I got an eyeful
of the damage caused by the Easter weekend freeze. On these webpages you'll find my mini-journals for those
four different hikes. Scroll down this webpage to locate the link to each of the stories. Links to photos for
each are included in the journals. Here's a link to the official state of Tennessee website for Frozen Head State Park.
~~~~~~~
Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area (click for my intro page on this area)
Angel Falls Trails (Hiking-Tennessee)
Honey Creek Loop Trails (Hiking-Tennessee. Captioned photo gallery only.
November 2002.)
Station Camp Creek Ford
Bear Creek Loop (Kentucky)
~~~~~~~~~~
More Hikes Outside the Smokies......
I hope you'll enjoy the hike journals. They aren't intended
as a substitute for a trail guide but instead are just as I've titled them: A Hiking Journal. My writing is typically
influenced by a variety of factors including the weather, trail conditions, unusual encounters, mishaps and sometimes a wee
bit of complaining. Each issue is unique and was written for the fun of sharing with others whatever I was
feeling at the time of the hike. If you need maps, directions, trail descriptions, etc. then get a trail guide.
If you want to know "the rest of the story" then read my journals.
If you have questions about a specific trail or area in the Smokies,
Big South Fork, Frozen Head, Slickrock/Citico Creek Wilderness or the Cohutta Wilderness then drop me an Email and I'll help if I can. I've hiked most trails in those areas. Also, if you have questions about
bicycling the Blue Ridge Parkway (or any of several other popular long-distance biking routes) I can help you
with that too (been there, done that).
Most of the hiking journals include links to a photo gallery for that
group of trails. I have lots of photos for all hiking trails in the Smokies--most of which have never been
posted to the internet--and I'm willing to share those on a trail-by-trail basis or, alternately, I'll extract them from my
database using a custom query for specific subjects, i.e. trilliums, Pink Lady's Slippers, mushrooms, footbridges, etc.
Just ask and I'll either upload them to my SmugMug gallery or put them on a CD/R and mail them to you. I
do not sell my photos--they are free for all to enjoy so long as you don't try to turn a profit
from their use.
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