New Places

The day started with Matt waking me up AGAIN, this time to stumble outside and push his car out of the mud.  I logged onto messenger to yet another hiking cancellation, I flubbed my morning workout because I hurt my stupid knee the day before slipping off a granny ladder (a low stepladder with a HUGE HANDLE TO HOLD ON TO, though pushing a tiny car while half asleep likely did not help things either) and the finale was yelling, "Well fuck you too!" at the scale.

The kids were off with friends, Jake had work, there was no reason to be home.  So, I ran away.  Well, no, I got my hiking stuff and drove off to Tennessee determined to hike even if I had to hike alone.

I stopped for gas and set the GPS for Franklin State Forest.  I arrived with no drama, turned on the road the GPS said to and headed down an increasingly tighter road.  It was like hiking but in a minivan.  The only mud had been at the start, I was feeling fine.  I parked at the end of that road and headed out hiking on the blazed trail that went along the bluff.  I walked about a mile before deciding to head back and find what I had come there for, Tom Pack Falls.

I plugged it into the GPS and it had me turn onto another dirt road instead of going back to the paved road.  So I turned and headed off into the trees.

90 minutes later, after being wenched out of the mud by an unnamed state employee, I was back out on the main road, slinging muddy rocks out of my tire tread and listening to my mud flaps banging around.  I had managed to tear both of them loose in my efforts to get out of the quagmire I ended up accidentally parking in.  There was no steady cell signal, I managed to get a call into AAA, but the woman who answered was NOT listening and kept 'splaining to me where I was.  NO, I knew where I was and I was telling her how to direct the tow truck.  Finally, the connection gave up and I walked to the road to see if it was better there and that is when state employee drove by, turned around and drove back and asked if I was okay.  He thought I was geocaching but didn't see a car.  I told him I left it in the mud a ways back!

That went as well as could ever have been hoped for, he pushed the van out to the road, clipped in, backed me up about 10 feet and I was able to drive out on my own.

From there, I went to the Sherwood Forest area of South Cumberland.  They sneaked a new trail in after my glorious triumph last summer of completing every trail in the park.  Well, I still have not done the stretch from Horsepound Falls to Ranger Falls.  But I did finish up that other 11 miles I was missing.

The trailhead is at the end of CCC road off of 56.  It's only finished to the overlook, roughly half a mile one way.  It is still WELL worth the hike.

The road I drove/hiked until it all went wrong

View from the trail.  I had no map and no idea the trail name.

Even the forestry guy did not have a map.

He did say there are bears, though.

I approve

The Sherwood Forest Trail is a VERY easy walk:

And it's ridiculously well blazed considering the trail bed is 4 feet wide and VERY obvious.

Ice still along the cliffs!

As close as this is to Chattanooga, I foresee having to make hammock tree reservations 3 weekends ahead to soak in that view.

I was surprised by this little natural bridge!

Jason is pretty awesome.

Next, I went to the Tom Pack Falls trailhead.  It's another mile round trip hike, but the terrain was a little tougher.

The trailhead is at a primitive campground, no privies, but there are trash cans! 

It was about here that I remembered I had left my phone charger plugged in, draining my battery.  I have a jump box (thanks, Jeff and Gina!) AND a brand new 6-year battery, but I still had a few moments of self-berating.  I know solo hiking is a learning process.  I just didn't want to learn so much in one day.

I am excited to go back and explore more, especially if I can find a blasted trail map!

Friday, I went back over and hiked the 8-10 mile Honeycomb Trail at Guntersville.  I hiked it the previous week from the dam to the campground, this time I did it from the campground to the dam.

It's easier to get off the trail going campground-to-dam.

I went with Sue the second time, she's an avid geocacher and tracked us with her Garmin to keep us on the trail.  We still got off on a side trail and added over a mile to the day.  It was fine hiking weather, we were not bothered with the addition though until this hike (9.4 on my tracker 9.9 on hers) her longest hike ever was 7.2 miles.

The trail has several long climbs that get the heart pumping, loads of views (in winter anyway) and skirts the lake nearly the whole way either at the water level or along the cliff line above.  It swings widely back into the woods twice to go around steep coves and is mostly blazed with white blotches except where it isn't.  You can't get too lost, just keep the lake to the right if going from the dam and to the left if going from the campground.  Both parking areas are in sight of the lake.

If you geocache, this is a power trail, meaning it is LOADED with caches.  I got a new Batman!

I'm stoked about the find, it's less than an hour from me to the trailhead, I can knock it out once every week or two and if I can't find someone to go with me, Matt can get me after work until it gets ticky or snakey.

Freewheelin, Ramblin, Tent Talk

I have been hiking on my own of late because I can't seem to drag anyone off to join me.  I started a Facebook group and 38 people joined it and NONE of them seem free to hike.  It's am amazing phenomenon that hits group after group.  People think they will be more 'this' and join a group and they are just as themselves as ever.  But they like hiking memes, so they are hikers.  (insert teary eyed laughing head here)

It's not like I have loads of room to talk, I have done it too.  And I join other groups hikes sometimes, but not the 'walk the greenway' weekly stuff, I'm looking for exciting destinations in this state I have walked every decent trail in twice already.  And I don't want to walk with 15 other people.  And it can't be too hot or rainy.  See? I can be a little bitch, too.

So I have started heading out on my own, but I find myself stopping short of anything interesting.  It's been, well, interesting, to watch myself branching out.  For the past 21+ years, I have had a hiking companion, even if I did have to grow them myself.   Matt will go, of course, but with having regular 2 day weekends now and the band he is in has released a new cd, so at least 2 weekends a month he is off playing (free) gigs to promote that.  Before the release, he was in the studio.  Gary is already talking up the NEXT cd.  Add in the waves of rain/heat/rain that are making up our weather and it's not been a really active spring and summer for our tiny hiking duo.

I find myself retracing the places I went with the kids, specifically to feel safer in case anything happened.  Parks, small trails at the Refuge and Bankhead.  No doubt I will hit Cane Creek Canyon as soon as a cool day presents itself.  Greenways.  hahaha!  Richard Martin.

I wish Kuma were more portable, but he won't leave Jessie and she is past her hiking days.  Nia would go...not to be intimidating, but to bowl for toddlers and the elderly and to LEAP onto people who are terrified of dogs-her three main talents.  But Murph is a puker.  If, IF, I ever get another dog, it will be a 50 pound non-shedder who loves car rides and hiking and me and that's it.  No companion dog for my companion dog.  He can have his own hammock and I'll name him...Hiking Dog.  He'll be a Belgian shepherd trained just for me.  Those are only $12k for basic skills.  I see where, for $60k, I can get one trained to kill on command.  Hey, dress like a raccoon and Kuma will kill for free.

I did eventually manage to take the kids on some pretty spectacular trips, so I am hopeful I will eventually take myself on a few as well.

Took the dogs in for rabies shots.

Jess is in the floor.

I don't take many pics when I am walking, I guess because I don't go anywhere new.
But I did hit the natural arch nearby, I have always liked the mossy trail there.

Poison oak along the trails EVERYWHERE.  It's robust this year.

I bought what I considered to be my final piece of equipment (an insulated pad for Chandler) over the weekend and lo and behold, Massdrop put the backpack I want up for sale this week, and it's available in purple.  I need someone to give me $5k from something like money that was stolen from drug lords or given to them by an uncle they never liked and therefore don't want to use his money for anything.  Corrupt cop money.  Yeah, like the stash from Santa Clarita Diet.  Anyway, basically money that needs to have some good karma.  That can be my public service.  hahahaha.  I will spend your dirty money on my crack-like gear habit.  And you can feel good about it.  This is such a win-win situation, I imagine I will have many takers.  I can take a personal check or PayPal.

Jake once said (about 10:30 this morning)
"When I feel bad about spending money on yet another video game, I just think of Mom and her god dammed tents."
Yes, this IS the person I was in labor with for THIRTY SIX hours.

I have resold all but 4 of the tents I bought.  2 are going up for sale my next round and 2 I am keeping because they are excellent tents.  I'll do a review at some point, maybe save someone some hassle.

I also have sleeping pads I need to sell, a hammock camping system, 2 pairs of boots, 2 pairs of shoes and 2 hiking skirts.  I have a dozen odds and ends type things as well-pillows, liners, cookware, a stove, water filters...I buy things as I find them on sale, then usually upgrade once I discover what I am really looking for in a product.  Or I am gifted things I cannot use.  Or I buy something, certain I will use it all the time and realize there's another less-complicated way.  Like with the water filters.  It's all a learning process and luckily resale value in barely or unused gear is comparable to sale pricing. 

Here is what I have learned:
This is assuming you have read reviews and are sure of the exact product you want, not just shopping for random 'backpacking gear'.
Check used gear pages first, every time.
Post that you are looking for X item.  Sometimes people will message you about selling theirs, sometimes they will send you a link to a good discount for buying it new.  Use the network.

Always check for warehouse sales, refurbished items and bulk buy discounts (ex: Massdrop, steep and cheap, even groupon) once you have a brand name in mind.  Some sites will send a 20% (or more) off coupon for joining their mailing list.  Most places you buy from new will honor a sale price within 14-30 days.  I have gotten back nearly $300 using this, so keep shopping even after you buy.

If you have the time, put the item in your cart, fill out the contact and shipping info, then leave before paying.  About half the time, the site will contact you within 72 hours with a discount code for completing the purchase.  Sometimes they send a 25% off for 3 days sale flyer for that brand name, or they will send a catalog to your mailing address with discount codes.  If you have to buy new-and there are plenty of reasons to do that-don't pay retail.

There, hopefully that will save somewhere somewhere some hassle.