Five Striders hiked along Big Creek on Saturday - and not in the cold snow for a change. The weather was perfect. We navigated a rock slide on the trail with ease and even reported it to a ranger when we got back to the campground parking area. Wildflowers were up, and we encountered quite a few other hikers, two equestrians and some backpackers. To see all the photos, check out the Second Saturday Striders Facebook page.
Many thanks to Corinne for hosting the resurrection of Strider Supper Club. Those of us who braved the snowy cold weather (Corinne, Portia, Rachel S, Justine, Jenna, Harriet, Trena and Ellen) had a lovely evening in Corinne's cozy, warm home enjoying foods we wished we'd had for the holidays (or a variation on the theme). It was really nice reconnecting with old pals and meeting some new ones.
Ellen will be in touch soon with a date for a March supper club, and I am hoping to have a Strider hike on March 10 (wow, three second Saturdays in a row - will it actually happen?)
Four hard core Striders hiked Middle Prong trail yesterday despite freezing temperatures, bitter wind chill and accumulating snowfall. My food and water froze up which was just as well since it was too cold to stop to eat anyway.
There were quite a few other hikers out considering the weather.
Well done, all! Looking forward to a warmer supper club experience next weekend.
Next hike: tentatively March 10.
What a great anniversary hike! Seven Striders braved the cold and muddy trail conditions to hike the 8.5 mile Rich Mountain loop today. We welcomed Helen, our newest Strider, and enjoyed reconnecting with Striders from hikes over the past year.
Here are photos from today. And, the word on the street is that some supper clubs are in the works!
We'll be hiking the Rich Mountain Loop on Saturday.
The forecast is sunny and a high of 40, which means it will be in the 30s up there. Dress in layers, avoid cotton, and remember your hat and gloves : )
All the rain we are getting here this week might could be snow up there, so we could encounter some snow/ice on the trail. The uphill climb will keep us warm!!
If we get to the trail head by 10:30 a.m., and plan on 5 hours for the hike, we should be back in Knoxville around 5 pm.
Let's plan on meeting at the old Food City on Alcoa Highway and hitting the road no later than 9 a.m.
We should be a group of around 9; I'm looking forward to a first time hike with new Striders this month.
Photos from my last hike there, three years ago this month!
This month marks the 5 year anniversary of the Second Saturday Striders! Granted we haven't been as active over the past year, but I'm hoping to change that now that life has settled down a bit.
In December Deb, Margaret and I did the always lovely Chestnut Tops hike.
Here's hoping for a fifth anniversary hike on January 14, weather permitting! Happy new year to you all! (And like us on Facebook.)
Two new Striders, Rachel and Cyndy joined us today for our hike to Rainbow Falls and back. There was virtually no traffic in Pigeon Forge or Gatlinburg, perhaps because of the game..? It was a beautiful day for a hike!
Rachel, Corinne, Trena, Margaret & Deb
Rainbow Falls in its semi frozen glory.
Cyndy and Susan enjoy the views.
We made it back!
Heading up the trail
A few of us did an impromptu hike up Lead Cove Trail and down the manway to Spruce Flat Falls last weekend. It was a lovely day to be out.
Brian, Debbie, Mary Ann, Kelly, Trena, Dre & Catherine
We ran into Catherine's mom, Heather, and her s.o., Hugh, who took photos and shot video of the journey.
I can't say enough marvelous things about Shining Rock Wilderness. I had no idea how stunning the views would be - very much like the stretch of A.T. in southwest Virginia that we have visited several times, but warmer. It was downright hot - without a cloud in the sky.
Two Brutes and four Babes took on the challenge, hiking 7 miles in on the Art Loeb trail, camping at the foot of Cold Mountain, and hiking out again the next day. The trail was really rugged and steep, with lots of climbing, and it was kind of hard to stay on course as the wilderness areas aren't nearly as well signposted as the national park. We only made about one mile per hour progress.
We didn't have the energy for the additional 1.8 miles it would have required to summit Cold Mountain. None of us were too concerned about that. "The Narrows" lived up to its name, and I nearly had a panic attack as the sides of the trail dropped away.
Most surprising of all were the stunning fall colors. We were at 5,000-6,000 feet all weekend and the colors have all popped up there.
Our weekend bonus was the elk that we saw near the Oconaluftee visitor's center - nowhere near where they are supposed to be. After we hiked out on Sunday we took the Blue Ridge parkway all the way to the national park and came home that way to avoid the I40 traffic congestion. The elk was our reward for the 2 hours of extra drive time, I guess.
Photos from the weekend's Shining Rock Wilderness backpacking trip.
