Waterfalls of Savage Gulf Pt 1

I have notified everyone I regularly hike with that I will no longer be giving heads-up about hikes because I grow weary of all the reasons people can't go and even more weary of not getting any sort of feedback on when they CAN go, so barring some latent psychic ability kicking in, I am currently really crappy at just hoping and guessing.  I had resigned myself to solo hiking.

So imagine my surprise when a lady I hiked with once last year, Jennifer, asked if anyone wanted to hike Sunday!  Well, yes.  Matt was in the studio and the kids were scattered to friends and job.  Another FB friend chimed in on the thread and joined us!  A hike I didn't plan!

We went to South Cumberland because it's the best hiking destination with the most options.  We met up and carpooled so we could talk through all the different trails and we agreed we wanted to see waterfalls, wildflowers, and take photos.  Helen had never been to the Altamont area, so we decided to start with Greeter Falls and ended up just hiking out from there into Savage Gulf.

So we parked, walked to Greeter, then continued the trail to Boardtree Falls, then crossed the swinging bridge and crossed over to the rim of Savage Gulf directly below the Alum Gap camping area.  We dropped down on the Big Creek Trail there and planned to hike to Ranger Falls.  When we got to the sinkhole, there was so much water that it was just swirling around the hole and the creek level barely dropped below that!  I've never seen water in that creek below the sinks!

We opted to keep going to see if we could cross, and ran into a pack of young women out for the weekend (yay!) who had just returned from crossing and said the falls was going so strong that the trail to reach them was awash and it was hard going.  We turned around and headed back, content with all we had seen already.  The water was up so high and the gulf so narrow at that point that we could barely talk over the sound of the rush.  I LOVE that!

I shocked myself on that climb out.  It's a 600-foot elevation gain and I just kept going.   I finally had to stop because I was mouth-breathing hard enough to dry my lips out and I needed water.  Helen and Jennifer caught up and Helen tagged me and said it was a life goal achieved to catch up to me on a hike.  I nearly rolled laughing because I am NOT fast, I have no idea why people think they won't be able to keep up, but she's not the first to think it would be difficult.  We made it out, the last stretch of the climb is INSANELY steep!  I only had to stop once or twice more, later at dinner when they called me the Energizer Bunny, I said no one was more shocked than I was.  I REALLY think the asthma meds have helped a ton and I only use them two or three times a week!  That and working those hills!  Yay, lungs.  I think we may be a team again!

Also, this:

I HOPE there is muscle under my fat! 

Jennifer and Helen looking at the falls. 

These scare me when it's wet.

Rainbow

Trying to figure out if this wall is from an old structure or just ranger-stacked.

The trail, ack

Boardtree Falls

This one bounced more than swinginged.  Swung. 

Pointy treeeeees!
All the trees across the way are level, so that would have pleased the Benner.  He does not like when there is one very tall tree poking up!  So I always check now.  haha!

The trail AFTER the steep bit

The steep bit is 100% rolling rocks

I do not know the name of these falls.

This is where the creek usually goes underground!

Lots of stream/trail combos down in the gulf

I always forget these stairs!

We hiked out, panting and gasping, then recovered on the relatively flat section between Alum Gap and Boardtree Falls.  There was some grumbling about the MANY stairs that had to be climbed to finish the loop past the falls, but we prevailed.

We got back to the car with loads of daylight left and went up to Stone Door to get Helen a map and to use the bathrooms there.  There is a new water bottle refill station located outside the bathroom building!  There's one at the VC as well with plans to add even more.

Both ladies had eaten at a place called Papa Ron's in Monteagle before, so we drove all the way down there to get dinner.  It was well worth the detour!  I had a calzone so stuffed with zucchini, we were calling it Ratatoulie.  They were not stingy with the feta either.

Jennifer had a sandwich and fries, the sandwich was in a little loaf of bread and had been assembled similarly to a baked potato being filled with toppings, then covered in cheese across the whole top.  The fries were really good, crisp and salty.  I will admit to having had several.  I also had 2 slices of the tiny bread loaves they serve while you wait-complete with herbed butter.  I was in heaven.

Helen got carbonara, which is apparently really good.  I really liked her commitment to getting as many carbs as possible, including the name.  hahaha!

By going this route, I was able to close a tiny gap of missed trail between Boardtree and Alum Gap, I still have not done that stretch from Ranger Falls to Horsepound Falls including seeing the Savage Decatur cabin!  It will happen, and in the meantime, we have decided to not only thru the Fiery Gizzard in one go later in just a few weeks, but to do it with another lady training to climb Everest this summer.  ACK!

But before that, I have a trip coming up backpacking with a women's group on the Pinhoti!  That will knock 2 of the 5 nights of my goal out.  Yay!

Matt stayed home today via a combo of an exhausting weekend for him (race Saturday and studio session yesterday) and general not feeling well.  I made us apple fritter bread French toast with maple syrup and turkey bacon.  It was so freaking yummy!

We'd planned to go for at least a walk today, but the off and on rain and chilly, damp wind changed our minds.  I don't mind a cozy day now and then, but I am looking forward to getting back out and hiking again!

Walls of Jericho

It's the eve of the first backpacking trip of the year!  I have my backpack loaded up, it's 19 pounds with food and water.

The "big 3" and half my pack weight:
Pack: Osprey Viva 3.5 pounds
Sleep system: Klymit (30 inches wide) 2 pounds
                     Sierra 20 degree down mummy bag 1.5 pounds.
Shelter: Hennessy Asym Hammock with under hammock and rain fly 3.5 pounds
            Big Agnes HV UL2 Copper Spur and ground cloth 3 pounds (last minute swap)

Clothes: wearing as I hike: wicking base layer, hiking pants, wicking tank, wool hoodie,
Sleeping: Merino wool hat, down booties, fleece pullover and leggings, fresh underwear
Extra: Buff
Added: down jacket (it got down into the 30's)

Gear: bear bag kit, fire starting kit, first aid kit, earplugs, UV light and extra batteries, UCO headlamp, water bottle, camera, phone, earbuds, charger, toilet kit, digital thermometer, camp towel, toothbrush/powder, and a comb and one extra hair tie.
Actually used: earplugs, water bottle, camera, phone (to listen to music, there was no cell coverage), earbuds, thermometer.  I also used the bear bag, but mostly to show my hiking partner how to use the PCT method.  That's right.  I did not brush my teeth, my hair or treat my water!

Consumables: 1 liter of water, 3 protein/meal bars, 2 packs of gummies, 2 coconut chews, breakfast wafers with nut butter, I will stop en route and get a burrito for dinner.  I also have my vitamins in a tiny baggie.
Added: Monster energy drink (a POUND) for morning

1 liter of water will be plenty as the trail we are doing crosses or parallels various creeks over 80% of the route.

I will wear my Chacos to hike in and have my hiking poles.

I opted to not take my down quilt because I think it will be really muddy and wet and I don't want to get it messy.  My Sierra Designs down bag is a little tougher...and a little heavier.

Total pack weight at trailhead: 20 pounds with food and water

So we hiked Walls of Jericho.  Kimberly had not been there before and I thought, "eh...I'm not in shape.  Let me start the season with the hardest trail IN THE STATE."  Then I relented and we went in and out the TN side, which is 2 miles longer and 50% easier than the AL side.

We took the red trail to see Mill Creek Blowhole, then hooked into the white trail and stopped for the night at Clark Cemetery.  It was already dark when we were setting up, I did not think it would take so long to hike in!  We had a full moon to help!

My backpacking vitamin regimen

Ibuprofen, turmeric, biotin, allergy tablet, valerian root

It dropped into the mid 30's, I was able to get warm, but not stay warm.  When I moved to get more comfortable, the heat in my bag would foof away and I would have to build up body heat again.  It took until about midnight to get the inside of the tent warmed up.  I am not a furnace by ANY stretch.

We got going just after 6 a.m.  It was right after Kimberly woke up and announced she did not want to be awake, or move, then promptly got up.

We camped on this slope because the flatter areas were so damp.  It was not the best choice, but it was already dark and we were tired.  I slid a little on my pad and kept touching the lower wall with my feet, which kept them cold.  Plus, I was on a rock or root that was just under the ground, I could feel it through my pad. That sounds more miserable than it was, it was more of an annoyance really.  But enough so that I will be more careful next time!

Headstones

We were nearly against the cemetery

The early sun was glorious!

Hepatica

This photo, on Instagram, got more likes than anything else I have ever posted AND was featured by a hiking group. It was seriously a surreal experience since this is my view 90% of every hike.  My feet, encased in Injini socks and Chacos.
And it looks like I wear these socks over and over-and I do-but I also have 3 pairs of them because they were $9 instead of $15

We got back to camp and finished packing up, letting our rain flies dry a bit in the sun.

I was shaking mine and watching the rainbow that would appear in the droplets as they sprayed up in the light.  I did it four or five times before my inner emo said, "Stop it. That's your spit."  Spitbow.  Ew.  It was the condensation on the inside of the rain fly.

I love these!  Yummy Earth gummies.  There are peach, strawberry, cherry, and banana.

If you don't see the banana ones, you are not alone.  :(  Or cherry, but the banana are my FAVORITE.  I once got a packet that was all banana.  I squealed I was so excited.

I love this patch.

I also ate these.  Very good, better when not partly frozen though.
#OWmyteeth!

There are 3 blazes in this shot, they keep going up and up.  The trail was SO DANG STEEP for about 3/4 mile, it never stopped climbing.

Still, it was better than the AL side that climbs for a solid 2 miles. 

NEARLY AT THE TOP!

And still nearly...

Made it!  I took this shot to give an idea of how far away the next level of terrain is, to show how much that last climb does, but photos never give the perspective I want.  Just imagine all of the trees on the forest floor are 800 feet tall and that will be pretty close.

We hiked out in 4 hours, which was faster than we walked in and that was nearly all downhill.  I was FAR more tired after the hike in, I could not believe how easy the climb out was compared to last year.  I think the Honeycomb Trail is helping!