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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.
Just enter a trail name in the box and click SEARCH. The engine will list all the webpages on
my website where that term appears. It is so easy! Try it.
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)
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- 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)
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- 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)
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- 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)
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- '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)
Mt. LeConte Area Hikes
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)
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- 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)
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- 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).
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- 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)
- Feature Story: Backpacking Up Hazel Creek ....New York Style! (Hiking, October 2006)
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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)
- 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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