Margarette Falls Wasn't What Doctors Ridge Ordered But It Worked Out Just Fine

Because of many factors, the first choice for a hike might change. That happened on Wednesday with my hike to Margarette Falls.

When I was deciding on a hike Margarette Falls wasn't the first or even second choice, but more like not even on the table. After canceling going to the mountains, because of the weather, on Tuesday I planned a less ambitious outing for Hump Day. The reason I had an appointment Wednesday afternoon, so I had to be home before 4 pm. So, the original plan was either of three areas...Laurel Run Park, Bays Mountain Park, or the Cherokee National Forest (CNF) near Greeneville. The last choice would be a choice of four spots with Margarette Falls number four. So technically it was at least number six. 

Anyway, because of the larger number of choices, I decided on the CNF option.

So, where to go? There were the two waterfall hikes (Pete's Branch and Squibb Creek) out of Horse Creek Recreation Area, but I decided on a trail I hadn't done the Doctors Ridge Trail. The first mission was to find the trailhead. I determined it was off the same road, Greystone, as the one that goes up to Round Knob. Doctors Ridge Trail is a 1.1-mile trail one end starts off Greystone Road and the other end comes out at Old Forge Road. This means this time of the year the trail is easily accessible from the North end of the trail. 

While it took a little more time than I liked I did eventually find the trailhead, but I had another problem where to park? Across from the trail, it was someone's driveway so I didn't think I could park there. Another spot was to the west of the trail, but I wasn't sure about it and I forgot my CNF book. However, if I had looked at the map as someone suggested (yes I am talking to you Pete) I would have known I could park there. 

Since I wasn't sure I could park here. So, I had a choice to make. I would have gone to Squibb Creek but since I wasted so much time trailhead hunting I just didn't have an adequate amount of time really for that hike. So, Margarette Falls came back into play as it was between it and Pete's Branch. The warmer temperatures meant there was a good amount of snowmelt, which makes those crossings going to Pete's Branch tough. I mean that was one of the factors that cut out Squibb Creek because it has 15 crossings one way. Tough Creek crossings eat uptime. 

So, to be good on time I decided on the one-mile shorter hike to Margarette Falls. This is the third time, recently, that this hike has been a back-up, the first was aborted attempts on both the Old Forge Loop and up to Camp Creek Bald in early December. Then a few weeks later it was because of snow issues on the Bullen Hollow Trail.

So, it was back to a trailhead I am really familiar with as I hiked from here just under a fortnight ago up the aforementioned Bullen Hollow Trail. I will say that there aren't many better waterfall hikes in the CNF and I not including going on to Bailey Falls. As I like to say any day on the trail is better than one that's not. Oh, one last thing there were some cool old ruins near the trailhead parking. Not bad for a sixth, seven...oh it doesn't matter it was a good choice!

I Wanted More Of A Challenge, But Margarette Falls Will Do...

Well, this day was almost another Lummox Cluster F**k, but for once he made a save with a hike at Margarette Falls.

Now don't think I am going to give him too much credit. I mean Margarette Falls is a simple hike for a Hiking Machine like myself. He did postpone yesterday to the mountains and snow. What is a little rain...more like, another, wet diaper. Today, he had an appointment with his head shrink (good excuse) so we couldn't go somewhere with snow like Beauty Spot. His idea was to do Doctors Ridge Trail, and we did find it but there wasn't a place to park. Well, if you could have read the damn map there might have been...yes this is what I have to deal with daily! You figure that was something you would know before going...what a bonehead! I wanted to go to Horse Creek and go to either my falls (Pete's Branch) or Squibb Creek, but he didn't think we had enough time. So, we went on to Margarette Falls. When we got up to the falls I put my paw down...we were going up to the top...HELL YEAH! Oh, and there was snow, nice! Well, I have had enough of this post and I will leave the rest to the Lummox. So with that, I am out...BITCHES!

Maple Sap '21 Collection Update...

This past Friday it was time to start Maple Syrup Making '21 with the 'Tennessee Tap.' Like I said I was encouraged when the holes I drilled were damp from the start. However, to my surprise, the tree closest to the house has produced the most sap. So much so I had to empty its receptacle. The other tree had put a decent amount, but there was just as much dripping out of the tree. Anyway, I did something that I have never done in six years...put in a second tap on a tree. I did this in hopes of catching some of the excesses that this Maple Tree is producing. As always I will blog with updates...

Snowshoe Hiking Super Snow Adventure Up On Roan Mountain

Snow...in East Tennessee in the lower elevations amounts can vary. So, if you want to see or enjoy the white stuff the best place for this is in the high elevation places like Roan Mountain.

I said I might go and find some snow following the light accumulation this past week. I had heard there were some larger snow totals in the mountains. My two go-to places are Newfound Gap in the Great Smoky Mountain National Park (GSMNP) and Carvers Gap on Roan Mountain. With this snow event, the High County of the Smokies had over a foot in some places. On Roan Mountain, it was in the range of a half-foot. 

One of the reasons these make for great launching pads for Snow Adventures is the roads are plowed. However, in the GSMNP they only scrape, but TDOT does that and salts too on TN-143. That means on Thursday morning I checked the GSMNP Traffic Twitter page to see if the Newfound Gap Road (US-441) had reopened since closing on Saturday. I figured with the 12+ inches of snow that the reason I hadn't seen anything on the site is the road was still closed. That was just the final reason for a decision I had already made it was on Carvers Gap.

As I drove up towards the Tri-Cites I started to see more snow and when I got to Johnson City there was plenty on the mountains in the distance and a good amount in the town of Roan Mountain. I must say I was a slight bit concerned when I reached the Roan Mountain State Park, but I pressed on. When I headed up the final part of the way to Carvers Gap the snow started to collect, but not on the road, well that wasn't until I got close to the top. Still, TDOT always does a good job clearing the road. Oh, I am glad I waited a day because I would have hated to see the road on Wednesday. Another reason, while it was windy and cold outside the car it was even more so the day before. One more thing on arriving I noticed the large North Carolina Welcome sign was gone, like the Tennessee State Line one which has been missing for at least five years (and counting). Hopefully, North Carolina won't take so long.

The beautiful Balds of the Roan Highlands were on the back burner for the day. I instead planned to hike up via snowshoes to the old Cloudland Hotel site and then hopefully on out to the Roan High Bluffs. Then coming back go down the Appalachian Trail (AT). If I had any time to spare I would go up to Round Bald. Anyway, that was the plan but we know "the best-laid plans of mice and men often go awry."

I got these snowshoes a few years ago on clearance from REI and used them a few times here at St. Clair. However, because I had only used them a few times I still didn't use to walking in them and it doesn't help that I hadn't got the hang of putting them on properly. I still wanted to take them out for a proper test hike and I thought this would work. 

So, I decided to go up the Forest Service Road to Toll House Gap. I had been up this paved road in summer to the Rhododendron Gardens, but that asphalt had been turned white by snow. So, I strapped on the snowshoes and headed up. One of the biggest things to get the hang of is it isn't the same as walking. A course their footprint is bigger that is why they're better in heavy snow. But they can be unwieldy as I found out stepping in some heavy snow my feet got tangled and into the snow I went ( I guess I should have worn my snow pants). Oh, it isn't easy getting up and I would topple over more than once.

On the way up I saw where skiers had been up the road and then two skied past me, it looked more fun than what I was doing...cross-country skies? I will admit it was slow going, real slow! But it was a beautiful climb up the road, I even started to work up a sweat. Then at some point, I crossed a line where the wind picked up and it got noticeably colder (even between gusts). 

Finally, I saw the 'Fee Station' sign and I knew I had made it. Like I said I have driven up here and even hiked it once in summer (I give examples of the differences between seasons), but the Cloudland parking area was blanked in snow, deep snow. The only sign of human visitation was ski lines and a snowman left behind. 

I sat down for lunch at one of the snow-covered picnic tables. Because I had sweated halfway up and it got cold and windy, I got chilled, so I decided to at least trek out to the Cloudland Overlook to keep moving. While someone had skied on the Cloudland Trail I had to cut it to the overlook. Let me say it took effort, I mean in the parking lot there were places with two feet of snow...yes I said two feet. Even with snowshoes that is a slog. I thought about going up to the hotel site and to the AT, but I didn't want to cut any more trails, so I started back via the road. 

However after a short bit, I again came to the vista off the trail to the right, but to left is a short distance to the AT, so to shut Pete up we went left. I have hiked the Coltens Cliff section before, but I don't remember it going uphill like this. By this point, I have decided not to go up to the Roan High Knob and the AT's Highest Shelter. 

But when I got to the shelter junction, someone had cut the trail up the blue blaze. So, I took off the snowshoes for the last time and headed to the shelter and summit.

Once back on the AT it had been cut and was downhill, so hiking was not that bad. It is a good thing I took the snowshoes off because I had to duck under quite a bit of snow bent fir trees. Trust me I would have been on my butt...again. 

Oh, one other thing of note. Just before making the last turn of the switchbacking down, I ran into a guy snowboarding. Yes, you heard me snowboarding. He told me he had grown weary of the ski resort (I didn't ask which one) and was snowboarding down between trees. If it was me I would have found said trees. One good thing though he flattened some of the AT which helped my tired legs. 

After more two-foot drifts just as the AT came up to Carvers Gap I was back at the car. It was 3:45, weather was approaching and I was gassed. Hiking in deep snow, even with snowshoes, will wear you out, so there would be no trip up to Round Bald. No, I just got in the car to headed home...