The Fall Outdoor Series is always filled with great hikes and the 2016 edition was no exception. So, cutting the list down for the Top 5 is especially tough. With that said I have decided to limit the Top 5 to solo outings. Because I hate to judge hikes I do with others I have decided this is the best option. There is a precedent for this as last season, HikeSummer '16, I placed my backpacking trips in the Honorable Mention category because that doesn't mean it wasn't a great hike. So, with the ground rules laid down here are my Top 5 Hikes of the 2016 Fall Outdoor Series.
Honorable Mention 1: Sugarlands Area Hikes (Sept. 3 & Oct. 22, 2016) - These were hikes around the Sugarlands Visitor Center, in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park (GSMNP), that Deb and I did. The first was just on the Gatlinburg Trail, which is four miles out-and-back. On this September hike, Deb's Mom accompanied us. The second hike in October was during the leaf season in the park. On this day we started out doing the Fighting Creek Nature Trail, passing the John Ownby's Cabin. We then headed up the Old Sugarlands Trail, but that was cut short when two other hikers told us there was a bear up ahead that didn't seem to concern about people. So, we then finished up doing part of the Gatlinburg Trail. Overall it was an excellent day out.
Honorable Mention 2: Part 1 of My Weekend Weekend In Southwest Virginia At The High Knob Naturalist Rally (September 24, 2016) - The Clinch Coalition hosts this annual event which was celebrating its 10th year. I have wanted to attend this for a few years but I lived in Georgia and when I moved back to Tennessee last year was suppose to go but it was raining hard when we were heading out, so we didn't go. Anyway, my Dad, Deb and I headed up to the High Knob Recreation Area not far from the summit of the mountain. There were presentations, like the Birds of Prey show, I got try casting a fly rod and I tried out kayaking for the first time. While I didn't get to sign up for the morning hikes I did hike around High Knob Lake and we finished the day driving up and hiking to the High Knob Tower.
Honorable Mention 3: Harvey Broome Group Hikes In The GSMNP (Sept. 25, Oct. 19 & 26, 2016) - These were a series of three hikes with the Knoxville Chapter of the Sierra Club, the Harvey Broome Group. The first hike from Clingmans Dome to Newfound Gap was the only official hike. This hike was a makeup from August, which was rained out, which is ironic because in September we had to cut the hike short (ending the day at Indian Gap) because of rain. The next two were unofficial hikes I did with members of the group. The first was to one of my favorite spots in the Smokies, Charlies Bunion. Also on this hike, we went to the Jump Off. The second was a shuttle hike which completed the hike from September as we started out at Newfound Gap and hiked to Indian Gap. From here we headed down the Road Prong Trail which runs into the Chimney Tops Trail from here we headed to the Chimneys. When we did this hike I had no idea that just over a month later it would go up in flames and be ground zero for the tragedy that befall the mountain and Gatlinburg. I am just glad we got to enjoy the mountain, it all its glory, before it was scared for the foreseeable future. Because of this I am breaking tradition and using a photo of the Chimney Tops vista as the cover photo.
Number 5: Finally Got My Butt To Big Butt & Throw In Round Knob (September 21, 2016) - This was close as this hike to Big Butt just edged out my journey to Calloway Peak. What is fun both hikes were finishing up ones I had to cut short. Back in August, I hiked out of Jones Meadow with the goal of making it to Big Butt, but I only made it as far as Jerry's Cabin Shelter. So, this time I came up from Round Knob Recreation Area (which I had always wanted to visit) making the hike to Big Butt a 10-mile outing. The highlight was the meadow bald of Coldspring Mountain, it was beautiful.
Number 4: Finally Back on the Trail During Thanksgiving Week To Chimney Rocks (November 22, 2016) - Maybe it was the fact I hadn't been on the trail in a couple of weeks or I found a day without smoke from the forest fires, but the main reason this hike made the Top 5 was it is a hidden gem. The trailhead at Weaver's Bend is just inside Cocke County right on the French Broad River. The river will be the dominate feature of the hike as I ascended the Chimney Rocks Trail up to the area with said name. On the way, there was plenty of beautiful views of the river and surrounding mountains. Once at Chimney Rocks, Hot Springs was visible in the distance. One other bound was the area featured a lot of Oak Trees which meant that the area was awash in late fall colors. The only downside was I got a late start, which meant I'm didn't do the loop or go to Paint Rock. But, don't worry I will be going back in the future.
Number 3: It Has Taken Time But Mt. Pisgah Was Worth The Wait (October 13, 2016) - Mount Pisgah, one of the most iconic mountains in Western North Carolina, but one I had never had been able to hike. However, in mid-October, I got to stay at the Pisgah Inn and I had to hike the mountain where it gets its name. Deb and I went to stay at the Pisgah Inn after our trip to Emerald Isle got washed out. I started from the main parking area for the Mount Pisgah Trailhead for the 1.3 miles to the summit. It is a nice trail and not quite as hard as advertised. Once up top, the effort was more than worth it. Besides Asheville a number of prominent peaks are visible, plus the Inn where I was staying. The only negative is the 339-foot WLOS Tower on the summit. I then hiked back to the Inn passing the site of the old Buck Springs Lodge. This great hike was topped off by an even better stay at the Pisgah Inn.
Number 2: Icy Day At Camp Creek Bald For The Annual Thanksgiving Weekend Outing (November 26, 2016) - This one was a surprise entry because I didn't expect to be greeted with the winter wonderland on the summit of Camp Creek Bald. I decided to do this because it was close to Greeneville and I needed an outing for my annual Thanksgiving Weekend Hike. The top was covered in Hoarfrost and made for such a breathtaking scene which just adds to one of my favorite hikes. Not only was Camp Creek Bald covered in ice, but so was Jones Meadow, White Rock Cliffs, Big Firescald Knob and the most spectacular was Blackstack Cliffs. In a normal season this might have been number one, but not this fall.
Number 1: Mile-High Wonders On Grandfather Mountain (September 7, 2016) - In the Southern Appalachian Mountains there are not many places as famous as Grandfather Mountain. I had seen it many times on other hikes and had always wanted to go there. So, my first trip I decided to do the "tourist" thing and pay to enter the nature park. Still, I didn't drive to the top (where the Mile-High Swinging Bridge is) I hiked up. Once I got to the area of the Swinging Bridge I enjoyed it, hiked the short distance to Linville Peak and visited the Top Shop. This was just the warm-up as my main goal was MacRae Peak. It is not an easy hike up, the Grandfather Trail is as described very difficult. It features multiple ladders, including a set of four where I think Pete pulled me up. This was the hardest and one of the sketchiest trails I had been on, luckily I didn't have to go back that way (for that I hiked the Underwood Trail). Once a MacRae Peak you had to know there would be a ladder up to it. But, once there it was well worth the effort as the 360-degree vista was breathtaking. After drinking in the view I hiked up to Attic Window Peak and Indian House Cave, but this is as far as I went. Because I needed to be back at the car by 5pm and how rugged the trail was I decided not to head out to Calloway Peak, I saved it for another day. Once back at the car, I did a short hike on the easy Black Rock Trail to Arch Rock and Grandmother View. I finished the day at the Nature Museum and visited the animal park...what a day, and number one for 2016 Fall Outdoor Series.
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