Well, it has taken a while to get to this blog up as I have been out logging great hikes for HikeSummer '16. However I still have business to finish with Spring-Thru ’16 and that is the Top 5 Hikes of the spring hiking season. Like I said in the Spring-Thru
’16 overview it was an up and down season. The one thing that was an up was the
number of excellent hikes. First it has been hard to pare the list down to
five, but I have. Then placing them in order has also been tough because some
of the hikes were pretty even and not a lot separates first from fifth. I am even adding an extra honorable mention to this blog. So with that said here are the Wood Booger's Top 5 Best Hikes of Spring-Thru '16.
Honorable Mention #1: Gatlinburg Trail Hikes (April 15 & 24, 2015) - Yes, I did this hike twice in nine days, the reason is Deb wanted to do this trail and I will say it was highly enjoyable. While not the most difficult hike it is a four miles out-and-back that has plenty of beauty including wildflowers and the Little River. On the first hike I received my first 100 Mile Hike the Smokies pin and on the second we headed back to Cataract Falls. This is a hike anyone can do and is a good introduction to the Smokies
Honorable Mention #2: AT Trail Magic Weekend Courtesy of Greeneville Hiking Club on Camp Creek Bald (May 7, 2015) - This was a really cool event to be a part of as the Greeneville Hiking Club did Trail Magic below Camp Creek Bald on Jones Meadow. They had a great set up to feed and give a rest bit to Appalachian Trail (AT) Thru-hikers. Don't think I didn't do any hiking. I headed up the AT to White Rock Cliffs, then Big Firescald Knob and back to Blackstack Cliffs. I even headed down the Jerry Miller Trail looking for Baxter Cliff. I finished the day with a trip to Camp Creek Bald Fire Tower.
Honorable Mention #3: AT Thru-Hiker Festival In Damascus (May 14, 2016) - This is on here not just because of the hike, as the ATC Hike was short, this day was a celebration of all things AT hiking. From the dealer booths to the Hike Parade if you are a hiker then this is somewhere you need to visit atleast once.
Number 5: AT Day Hiking From Camp Creek Bald To Allen Gap (April 30, 2016) - This hike is here because first I have wanted to do this section for a while and second it was just a fun day with the Greeneville Hiking Club. I got to hike to Camp Creek Bald Fire Tower, Little Laurel Shelter and got to see plenty of wildflowers (this will be a running theme). This was just a nice spring hike.
Number 4: Day Hiking In the Foothills Of The Smokies at Ramsey Cascades (April 26, 2016) - Don't let being at Number Four fool you this was a great hike, it just missed out on being Number Three in a photo finish. I loved this hike, it was a tough eight-mile out-and-back with 2000 feet of elevation gain, to maybe the most impressive waterfall in the Smokies. There is a reason Ramsey Cascades is on the drink machines at Sugarlands Visitors Center. Oh, and there was wildflowers a plenty. This was also my first visit to the Greenbier Area of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park (GSMNP) and it is nice. I will do this hike again.
Number 3: Taming the Dragon To Fontana Dam For Some Shuckstack Hiking (May 24, 2016) - The last hike of Spring-Thru '16 turned out to be one of the best, but it wasn't easy. The drive was three hours from Rogersville which included two trips on :the Dragon." Once I arrived at Fontana Dam it was a beautiful day. My hike took me across Fontana Dam and up the AT to Shuckstack Fire Tower. Once I climbed the old fire tower I was treated to spectacular views, including Fontana Lake below. Oh, there was plenty of wildflowers including two old favorites I had yet to see Fire Pink and Rattlesnake Weed. On the way home I completed the other part of the completed Foothills Parkway and I also did a short hike up to Look Rock Tower. This was an epic day.
Number 2: Hiking The Smokies High Country In Thru-Hiking Season (April 18, 2016) - Anytime I go to the Top of Tennessee at Clingmans Dome it is going to be a special day. Add to that it was perfect weather and I was hiking the high country of the Smokies, during thru-hiking season on the AT, this was going to be a great hike. This was a 10-plus mile hike from "the Dome" to Silers Bald and back. The views from Clingmans Dome were fantastic and they didn't stop there. All-along this ridge-line hike were excellent vistas. I summited four mountains (Clingmans Dome, Mt. Buckley, Jenkins Knob and Silers Bald got to converse with AT Thru-Hikers at Double Springs Shelter and hike to a spot (Silers Bald) I have wanted to do for some time. Oh and the wildflowers were wonderful. I spotted Yellow Trout Lilly's, but the star of the show was the Spring Beauties. There was a point near the Narrows were they looked like snow. This was a just a great day and it is hard to believe it came in second, but Number One was special....
Number 1: Second Annual St. Patty's Day Hike This Year To The Humps (March 17, 2016) - I have to admit that my favorite spot in the Southern Appalachian Mountains is the Roan Highlands. While I had hiked "the Balds" (Round, Jane & Grassy Ridge Balds) I had never traversed the Humps, Big & Little. I had seen them on hikes to the Roans, it wasn't until this past St. Patrick's Day that I finally got the chance to head over these two mountains. Unlike the hike up "the Balds" this hike doesn't start at Carvers Gap but comes up from Roaring Creek Road at the Overmountain Trailhead. This way passes the Overmountain Shelter and connects with the AT at Yellow Mountain Gap. From there it is a vista filled trip up Little Hump Mountain. Once I reached Bradley Gap it was up the panorama that is Hump Mountain. While it was real windy on the way up Hump but it was a spectacular view at the top that capped a wonderful hike that earned its Number One spot.
Honorable Mention #1: Gatlinburg Trail Hikes (April 15 & 24, 2015) - Yes, I did this hike twice in nine days, the reason is Deb wanted to do this trail and I will say it was highly enjoyable. While not the most difficult hike it is a four miles out-and-back that has plenty of beauty including wildflowers and the Little River. On the first hike I received my first 100 Mile Hike the Smokies pin and on the second we headed back to Cataract Falls. This is a hike anyone can do and is a good introduction to the Smokies
Honorable Mention #2: AT Trail Magic Weekend Courtesy of Greeneville Hiking Club on Camp Creek Bald (May 7, 2015) - This was a really cool event to be a part of as the Greeneville Hiking Club did Trail Magic below Camp Creek Bald on Jones Meadow. They had a great set up to feed and give a rest bit to Appalachian Trail (AT) Thru-hikers. Don't think I didn't do any hiking. I headed up the AT to White Rock Cliffs, then Big Firescald Knob and back to Blackstack Cliffs. I even headed down the Jerry Miller Trail looking for Baxter Cliff. I finished the day with a trip to Camp Creek Bald Fire Tower.
Honorable Mention #3: AT Thru-Hiker Festival In Damascus (May 14, 2016) - This is on here not just because of the hike, as the ATC Hike was short, this day was a celebration of all things AT hiking. From the dealer booths to the Hike Parade if you are a hiker then this is somewhere you need to visit atleast once.
Number 5: AT Day Hiking From Camp Creek Bald To Allen Gap (April 30, 2016) - This hike is here because first I have wanted to do this section for a while and second it was just a fun day with the Greeneville Hiking Club. I got to hike to Camp Creek Bald Fire Tower, Little Laurel Shelter and got to see plenty of wildflowers (this will be a running theme). This was just a nice spring hike.
Number 4: Day Hiking In the Foothills Of The Smokies at Ramsey Cascades (April 26, 2016) - Don't let being at Number Four fool you this was a great hike, it just missed out on being Number Three in a photo finish. I loved this hike, it was a tough eight-mile out-and-back with 2000 feet of elevation gain, to maybe the most impressive waterfall in the Smokies. There is a reason Ramsey Cascades is on the drink machines at Sugarlands Visitors Center. Oh, and there was wildflowers a plenty. This was also my first visit to the Greenbier Area of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park (GSMNP) and it is nice. I will do this hike again.
Number 3: Taming the Dragon To Fontana Dam For Some Shuckstack Hiking (May 24, 2016) - The last hike of Spring-Thru '16 turned out to be one of the best, but it wasn't easy. The drive was three hours from Rogersville which included two trips on :the Dragon." Once I arrived at Fontana Dam it was a beautiful day. My hike took me across Fontana Dam and up the AT to Shuckstack Fire Tower. Once I climbed the old fire tower I was treated to spectacular views, including Fontana Lake below. Oh, there was plenty of wildflowers including two old favorites I had yet to see Fire Pink and Rattlesnake Weed. On the way home I completed the other part of the completed Foothills Parkway and I also did a short hike up to Look Rock Tower. This was an epic day.
Number 2: Hiking The Smokies High Country In Thru-Hiking Season (April 18, 2016) - Anytime I go to the Top of Tennessee at Clingmans Dome it is going to be a special day. Add to that it was perfect weather and I was hiking the high country of the Smokies, during thru-hiking season on the AT, this was going to be a great hike. This was a 10-plus mile hike from "the Dome" to Silers Bald and back. The views from Clingmans Dome were fantastic and they didn't stop there. All-along this ridge-line hike were excellent vistas. I summited four mountains (Clingmans Dome, Mt. Buckley, Jenkins Knob and Silers Bald got to converse with AT Thru-Hikers at Double Springs Shelter and hike to a spot (Silers Bald) I have wanted to do for some time. Oh and the wildflowers were wonderful. I spotted Yellow Trout Lilly's, but the star of the show was the Spring Beauties. There was a point near the Narrows were they looked like snow. This was a just a great day and it is hard to believe it came in second, but Number One was special....
Number 1: Second Annual St. Patty's Day Hike This Year To The Humps (March 17, 2016) - I have to admit that my favorite spot in the Southern Appalachian Mountains is the Roan Highlands. While I had hiked "the Balds" (Round, Jane & Grassy Ridge Balds) I had never traversed the Humps, Big & Little. I had seen them on hikes to the Roans, it wasn't until this past St. Patrick's Day that I finally got the chance to head over these two mountains. Unlike the hike up "the Balds" this hike doesn't start at Carvers Gap but comes up from Roaring Creek Road at the Overmountain Trailhead. This way passes the Overmountain Shelter and connects with the AT at Yellow Mountain Gap. From there it is a vista filled trip up Little Hump Mountain. Once I reached Bradley Gap it was up the panorama that is Hump Mountain. While it was real windy on the way up Hump but it was a spectacular view at the top that capped a wonderful hike that earned its Number One spot.
