It was an April day especially made for a walk in the woods. The sky was blue, the temperature was mild, and a gentle breeze continuously refreshed us. A thunder storm had moved through the night before and cleansed the air. We enjoyed seeing the big, burly hemlock and beech trees, and the delicate little wild flowers of red, white, and blue. Mother Nature put on a powerful performance for us at Jack’s River Falls where the river was charged up and the falls were rockin’ and rollin’. About a half-mile down the trail past the falls we stopped for a quiet meditation at a bluff overlooking a bend in the river. Even when our jobs get stressful, our minds can take us back to that peaceful place where we can remember with each breath: there the river comes; here it is; and yonder it goes. Thanks to Joni for rescuing a trapped horse. Thanks to Susan for being a great co-leader. Everyone gets a gold star for a spring day full of fun and adventure in the wilderness. Hiking a Transformational Trail in the Cohuttas were Bill Kinnaman, Susan Faidley, John Hyler, Patti Giles, Kathy Ryan, Carolyn Perry, Sheila Bailey, Donna Ruiz, Joni Fisher, Jane Finch, Sherrie Dredeck, Elvis, and Tony Cook reporting

During the previous 48 hours we had received a couple of inches of rain. When we started hiking at 8:15, the temperature was about 33 degrees. By the time we got off the trail, it was near 40. It was windy and overcast most of the day, and we had snow flurries until about noon. There was only a trace of snow on the ground at the beginning, and a light coat of snow at the top of the mountain. Frogs were singing in the stream as we began in the cold, wind, and flurries.
We began on a humorous note as Wayne had to borrow a pair of boot socks since he failed to bring his, and then discovered his trekking pole was still in his car in Ringgold, where we met. We passed through 4 of the tunnels on the Estelle Mine Trail, walked part of the Wildflower Trail boardwalk (a few small flowers were blooming, and several, such as trilliums, were budding), climbed to the pocket, and then to the top of the mountain before looping back down to our cars on the Cane Creek Trail, arriving at 2:45. - - Several of our trails were horse trails, which due to all of the rain we have had, were quite muddy, mucky, and slippery in many places. ( Wayne doesn’t ever want to do this hike again.) - reported by Donald Box

What had been a very foggy drive to Cherokee turned into a beautiful sunny morning that was the perfect beginning for our hike up Kephart Prong to the Kephart Shelter. The water was very high, and the log bridge crossings may have been under appreciated for the time. After a short break at the shelter we headed up the steep climb on Grassy Branch to the Dry Sluice Trail. The rain that had fallen Thursday must have been substantial as the first two normally easy creek crossings were but a warm-up for the fun to follow in the afternoon. Several great views opened up as we approached the ridge top. We stopped for lunch at the Dry Sluice intersection where Wayne presented butterscotch & chocolate “Magic Brownies” that his wife Vickie had baked for us to enjoy on the hike. The weather that had been sunny and warm throughout the climb started to become a little overcast and chilly, so we headed down Dry Sluice towards Smokemont. After a few miles and several rather large bear scat piles, we discovered just how much rain had fallen that week. The “easy side creek crossings” and “easy rock hops” were 6-7 fairly difficult crossings that tested the group’s balance and true waterproof-ness of their Goretex boots. But the creeks and cascades were a great addition to the scenery. We soon arrived at the Cabin Flats Trail intersection where we split up as seven of us decided to visit campsite # 49 while the others headed down the Bradley Fork Trail to Smokemont. We enjoyed several great views of Bradley Fork and a very nice waterfall at one bridge crossing. We soon met back at the cars and enjoyed a nice dinner at the NOC’s River’s Edge Restaurant. Hiking this day were Michelle Anderson, Hoss Baghay, Wayne Chambers, Tim Chomyn, Bob Fannin, Tom Herring, Karen/Sharon Hixon, Bill Kinnaman, Cheryl Morris, John Rowlands, Ralph Van Pelt, Jerry Wright, and Eric Anderson, reporting.

It was under brisk conditions (mid-30s, windy) when 15 of us started at the Snooper’s Rock Overlook in Prentice Cooper State Forest and hiked to the Ransom Hollow Overlook, enjoying the view at each overlook. We then continued to Tower Drive where 4 of our group left us, and 4 others joined us.
Our reconfigured group then hiked to the McNabb Campsite. Due to the cold, the wind, and the shade, we elected to push on and find a more accommodating lunch spot. “Pushing on” entailed fighting our way through a couple hundred yards of blowdowns. Must have been a recent wind shear, uprooting and breaking off many massive and sub-massive hemlock and other trees. At the end of the last blowdown area, we found a very accommodating lunch spot (protected from the wind, with warming sunshine, seating on some downed trees, and with a blue sky with white fluffy clouds overhead). - - The trail then climbed from along the creek bed and into a several mile stretch that had been burned with this summer’s forest fires. Along the way we took a break at Raccoon Mountain Overlook, and later at the Natural Bridge, before reaching Snooper’s Rock Overlook again and returning to our vehicles. During the last 3 miles or so, it was becoming overcast and we were again subjected to the wind. During the day, the temperature rose to just over 40.
Participating in this great way to begin 2008 were Eric & Michelle Anderson, Sheila Bailey, Wayne Chambers, Tony & Carol Cook, Kendra Cross, Karen Dale, Chris Dohmen, Susan Faidley, Wendy Gunn, Janet Hale, Bill Kinnamen, Elizabeth O’Connor, Harold Wilkey, Caroline Woerner, Jerry Wright, and Mary Young. Donald Box, reporting.