Spring-Thru '19: Top 5 Day Hikes

It is hard to believe that Spring has come and gone. There were plenty of Spring days, but there were also ones that felt like Winter and others like Summer...all in the same week.
There were a number of high peaks that I visited, like Roan High Knob (6,285 feet). However, the tallest was 6,643 feet at the Top of the Smokies on Clingmans Dome. There were a number of large waterfalls and they were all in one Tennessee State Park, Fall Creek Falls. The signature falls was the tallest at 256 feet, six feet taller than it's companion Coon Creek Falls. I also got to do a number of AT (Appalachian Trail) outings during Thru-Hiking season. Overall, it was a great Spring-Thru '19 and here are the best of the best...the Top 5 Hikes of the season...

Honorable Mention #1: Buffalo Mountain Hikes (April 24 & May

16, 2019) - I did two hikes in the Spring to my old stomping grounds of Buffalo Mountain. The first was up to White Rocks and its nice view. The second was my annual May wildflower hike where I saw plenty of Mountain Laurel and Pink Lady Slippers. Because of this, I have to give it an honorable mention.

Honorable Mention #2: Smokies High Country Hike (May 25, 2019) - Normally any hike in the High Country of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park would easily make the Top 5 of any season. However, for a number of reasons this Sierra Club outing from Clingmans Dome to Newfound Gap on the AT just missed out. This was the second time I did this one and it didn't go according to plan, either trip, but I did finish this time.

Number 5: Pete's Branch Falls (April 12, 2019) - This was one of the best Wildflower hikes of this Spring. I had done this hike before in the snow, but this one was flat out better. I saw my first Bent Trilliums (Wakerobin) and an area covered in Trout Lilies. There were so many wildflowers it filled most of a blog. Because it had snowed on Camp Creek Bald the water flow was better than my first trip here.

Number 4: Old Forge Loop (May 1, 2019) - This was a hike I had

wanted to do for some time. I had seen it in Molloy's Tri-Cites hiking book and it starts at the Old Forge Campground. You will travel on three trails and have 36-creek crossings on this five-mile loop. The hike also seems like three different hikes. First, it climbs next to Little Jennings Creek then it becomes a high country hike with great views. Once it goes back under the valley trees it is green and moist again. There were some nice waterfalls too.

Number 3: Hughes Gap AT Hike (April 10, 2019) - Spring-Thru

wouldn't be Spring-Thru if there wasn't a AT outing during Thru-Hiking season and this hike from Hughes Gap fit the bill. I never had hiked from Hughes Gap and was surprised to find out it was paved all the way. I hiked an out-and-back to Clyde Smith Shelter passing Little Rock Knob and it's great vista. I also ran into plenty of Thru-Hikers...it was a good day out.

Number 2: Waterfalls of Fall Creek Falls State Park (May 3-5,

2019) - I have combined the three days of the Sierra Club Spring Chapter Meeting. This was my first time to this wonderful state park and I did four hikes over three days. Friday I did a park tour with hikes to Cane Creek Cascade and Piney Creek Falls. I also went out to the beautiful vistas of Millikan's Overlook and Buzzards Roost.  On Saturday there was a hike cut short on the Paw Paw Trail, but the afternoon outing took us to the base of the park's signature cascade, Fall Creek Falls and it's "little sister" Coon Creek Falls. Before I left the park on Sunday I did one more hike with views of Cane Creek and Rock House Falls. It was a wonderful weekend, but still the second best...

Number 1: Roan Highlands Easter Snow Hike (April 21, 2019) -  It

was obvious what number one would be, I knew it that day. I mean, it's an AT hike, on the Roans and in the snow...not a fair fight at all. It was Easter weekend and the report was snow in the high country, so I decided to head up to Carvers Gap. This was the latest snow hike for me in Spring, so going up was definitely a good decision. Because of wind and Carvers Gap being banked in by clouds, I headed up to Roan High Knob and it's shelter. The second part of the hike I went up to Round and Jane Balds and like earlier it was still banked in but the wind had died down. But it was just a Winter Wonderland in Spring!