Big Ridge State Park

DAY ONE: 5.8                                                                 Outcast Total Miles: 1367.49
Lake Trail 1.5
Ghost House Loop 1.2
Road Walk 0.5
Big Valley Trail 1.3
East Dark Hollow Trail 1.3

DAY TWO: 8.8
East Dark Hollow Trail 1.3
Big Valley 0.4
Indian Rock Loop 2.6
Sharp's Station 0.4
Big Valley 0.4
West Dark Hollow Trail 2.7
Loyston Overlook 0.5
Lake Trail 0.5

Total Miles: 14.6

Well we finally made it to Big Ridge State Park on Norris Lake.  Troy had to cancel for family reasons, but we had Travis join us.  This was his first backpacking trip.  So my Dad, Marco, Travis, and I made it to the park by 12:30.  We got our permit and then hit the trail.  The park ranger was extremely friendly and helpful.  The park only has around 16 miles of trail so we did some figuring to get as many in as we could.

We started out on the Lake Trail just North of the park office.  The first big thing you come to is the park dam which holds the lake up for the park.  The rest of Norris Lake was about 35 feet down from normal.  We continued on the Lake Trail and stopped to look at the Snodderly Cemetery.  From there we took the Ghost House Loop counterclockwise and then road walked past the old Grist Mill to the Big Valley trail.  We took the Big Valley trail to the East Dark Hollow trail to Norris Lake where we camped for the night.  With the water down on the lake, Travis and I hiked another quarter mile down to actually see the lake.

There is a spring next to the campsite so that is where we collected our water.  After being told that he was in charge of the fire, Travis had flames before we got our hammocks set up.  We visited and then ate just before dark.  Afterwards we told lies and took our cough medicine.

The next morning we hiked back up East Dark Hollow and took the Big Valley trail up to the Indian Rock Loop trail.  We hiked it counter clock wise.  When we got to the site of Peter Graves attack by Indians, I heard a big "Thump" where my Dad tripped over a root and hit head first on the biggest bolder he could find.  He is always looking for attention and I think he was teaching Travis why you never backpack alone.  He busted his forehead and nose open so we got to do a little of that first responder thing.  Luckily he does have a hard head so after getting some of his sense back, he hiked on like a true hero would.

When you drop off the side of Big Ridge, the trail goes straight down the side very steeply.  I wouldn't want to try it when it was wet!  The campsite on the Indian Rock Loop is only about a twenty foot circle.  There is another campsite on the Sharp's Station trail which also has a fire pit.  There is another plaque out at the lake's edge for Sharp's Station.

As the trail follows the edge of the lake it is covered with Raspberry thorns.  At the right time of year, you could eat your way along this trail.  After we climbed back up Big Ridge we took a break and saw two Bald Eagles fly by.  We ate some lunch here and then hiked back to Dark Hollow.

We took the West Dark Hollow trail back to the Dam.  We got to see a doe on this section and heard some more up higher on the ridge.  The campsite on this trail is bigger and there is a good water source there too.  After we crossed the Dam we climbed to the Loyston Overlook.  This trail is really not worth the climb as you really don't get any good views and probably none when there are leaves on the trees.

We got back to the car by one and the Ranger wanted to know what happened to dear old Dad.  We had to tell the story. 

We had a great hike.  The trails are in really good shape.  There are some hills that need some switch backs, but it will give you a good work out.  As for Travis, this is what he had to say for his first ever backpack:

"This being my first hike I was amazed to the tranquillity that can come over one. The hike was more than just a walk in the woods, when was the last time you were able the hear peace and quite, I mean real quite. The night came upon us with a whisper, the stars look so close you hit one with a stone and a good arm. I do not believe I have ever seen so many in the night sky. Under stand that I had to pay a price for the trip in the way of sore muscles, but I would gladly pay it again."

Pictures:

Grassy Cove Segment- Cumberland Trail

Day One: 6.7 Miles..............Outcast Total: 1248.94
Day Two: 5.6
Total: 12.3

Marco, Dad, and I made this hike. We met at the top of Black Mountain and Dropped our cars. Then we loaded up the van and headed to Jewett Road to start the hike.

You can see maps at the Cumberland trail website.

From the Jewett road trailhead, its a pretty good climb to the top of Brady Mountain. The first overlook, Donnelly Overlook, is off to the right at the first split after the top. It has a slight uphill climb to it. Not marked well!

Lost Overlook is right off the right side of the trail.

The airplane crash site is even harder to find. When you go by some major big rocks on your right, there is a four wheeler path off to the left of the trail that looks like it goes over the edge. You will not see the crash site unless you go to the end and look over the edge. It is a steep slope that the wreckage is on. This is not marked on the trail. After you pass the large rocks if you look back to your left the four wheeler trail comes back up here.

Brady Bluff Overlook is the hot spot. The trail runs to the right. You can see to the Smoky Mountains. Grassy Cove is below you and you see all the farms. Beautiful spot. This is where we found our first people. A family of four.

We camped on the way down Brady Mountain on low gap. We saw the only other couple where we made camp. We made camp and told lies around the campfire. It was a beautiful starry night.

The next morning we hiked down to Hwy 68. Dad showed us how to slide down the trail. Experience I tell you!

We did a road walk to the Cox Valley Road trailhead. The creek was flowing so we filtered our water. Then we walked the creek, or I mean trail up to Windless Cave.

There are a couple of turns you need to know. First you get to a five way split. Turn right. There is a sign, but it is misleading. When you get to the bottom and cross the creek, turn right on the service road. No sign there. Just past this point you come to Windless Cave. They have the cave closed now for white nose syndrome. See picture as Marco didn't believe.

From here you go up to the top of Black Mountain. Look for the trail off to the left. It's a good climb to the top.

We ate lunch at the campsite on Black Mountain. Then we went through the big rocks and up the stairs which are similar to the "Stone Door", but narrower.

At the top there is a loop trail. The Cumberland trail goes to the right. The Southern Overlook is great! You can see all the way to the Smokey's here too. We continued on to the parking lot. Just before you get to the parking lot there are a couple of chimney's and a spring house from day's gone by.

Pictures:

Hobb's Cabin- TTA Hike

North Rim Trail to Hobb's Cabin...8.2 Miles...Easy..Outcast Total:1236.64
North Plateau Trail to Office.....9.4 Miles....Easy
Total: 17.6 Miles

The Outcasts hiked with the Tennessee Trail Association to Hobb's Cabin at the Savage Gulf.

Craig, Paula, and Marco are members of the Murfreesboro TTA, Lora is with the Soddy Daisy chapter. Dad also joined us as well as Pam. This was Pams first backpack.

We got on the trail around 9:30. We took the day loop trail to see the Savage Falls and then head down the Rim trail to Hobb's Cabin. It was a beautiful day and we got some great views in. We met up with the Upper Cumberland Chapter lead by Margaret that were doing a day hike in the area.

After we got to Hobb's Cabin, George joined us for the night. He had hiked in the Connector trail.

The first real entertainment was setting up Pam's tent. Of course this was the first time she set it up. We got some laughs as the four of us tried to figure it out.

We were then entertained by Pam as she carefully picked out a rock, wrapped it up in tin foil and then placed it over the fire. We were all thinking that there are other lightweight meals with more flavor. She was thinking that she was going to warm up her sleeping bag with this. We explained the melting of fabric and she changed her mind. She made a good comeback with making smores for everyone.

There were stories told from pies to chickens and some cough medicine taken. Ranger light foot stopped by to visit as well. Lot's of laughs all night. We apologized to other campers in the morning for our wild behavior.

The next morning we hiked out on the Plateau trail. We took a good rest break at lunch and Paula waited until the last bit of the trail before she showed Pam the correct procedure to use while falling with a backpack on. Always the teacher.

Pictures:

More Pictures:

Cooper Road- Smoky Mountains

Day One:6.5 Miles...............Outcast Total: 1082.84 Miles
Cooper Road Trail 5.5
Beard Cane Trail to campsite 11. 1.0
Day Two:9.0 Miles
Beard Cane Trail 1.0
Hatcher Mtn Trail 2.8
Abrams Fall Trail 4.2
Wet Bottoms Trail 1.0
Total Hike: 15.5 Miles

It was like something that we had not seen in a long time! It was something different. There was no snow, there was no ice, there was no rain, no storms, no tornado, no blizzard. It was like walking in a dream. We didn't have to break our candy bars and hold them in our mouths until they melted. We didn't have to dive right into setting up shelter and praying for fire. We didn't even have to break the ice to take a bath. What's up with that?

After work Marco and I headed to the Ponderosa to meet up with Dad. There we were served a three course lunch, given brownies, and sent out the door. We headed to Cades Cove. Our origal plan was changed as the Abrams Creek was higher than expected. Instead of going up Rabbit Creek Trail we reversed routes and took Abrams Falls trail out.

On our drive to the trailhead, we got to see turkey and deer in the cove. We got on the trail at 1:30. Cooper Road Trail is an old road bed that would take you all the way to Abrams campground if you stayed on it. It's an easy climb. When we got to the Beard Cane Trail junction we met a day hiker that had come from Abrams campground. We had a nice visit with him and his family has been hiking the Smoky's for generations.

We took Beard Cane trail to campsite #11 which is along the creek in rhododendron. The weather was cooling down with a strong breeze which made us put on pant legs and a windbreaker. We hung out around the fire and watched the stars. We didn't have to put tarps up so we slept under the stars. In the night a full moon lite up the woods like daylight.

The next morning we got up and headed out after breakfast. We took Beard Cane to Hatcher Mountain trail. We came across a couple of turkeys and a Barred owl on the trail.

When we got to Abrams creek we took a break and enjoyed the view. From here we hiked to Abrams Falls where the traffic began. We ate lunch at the falls and visited with a few folks. From here all the way to the trailhead we met people. I figured that around 50% of them would not make it all the way to the falls.

As we went down Wet Bottoms Trail we somehow managed to get off the trail. I felt like Troy was with us as my Dad headed for the road and we road walked the rest of the way to the Van.

Wow, what beautiful weather!

Pictures:

Possum and Rock Creek, CT

Trail.................Rating......Miles.................Outcast Total:585.4
Possum Creek Trail…….Moderate…….10 Miles
Rock Creek Trail………..Moderate……..9.9 Miles

At work, getting to sleep until 2:30am was like getting a treat before hiking the next day. Marco and I headed out to meet my cousin, Austin, and my Dad at the Lower Leggett Road Trailhead. We left the van at this trailhead and drove my truck to the Heiss Mountain Road Trailhead.

We got on the trail by 11:00am and were immediately impressed by the Blanchard Creek waterfall right off the get go. Just past the falls we met the only other hikers on the trail. They said that they had hiked in three miles the day before and had gotten soaked by the rain. The trail had some slippery spots and the rocks were even more slippery. Even though it was his first hike, Austin jumped right in to doing the trail dance and even included the trips. It must run in the family.

We were glad to see the bridge over the Big Possum Creek, as the water was deep and fast. We were quite impressed to see the new fiberglass type bridge. That is real nice and I'm sure will last a long time. We ate lunch just past the bridge where the old narrow-gage railroad grade connected with the trail.

The short side trail to the overlook of the Tennessee River valley is worth the time. You can see all the way to the Appalachian Mountains. Then you descend to Little Possum Creek.

Dad and Austin impressed me with walking right over a two-foot long Copperhead snake. After investigating, we found out that someone had already cut the head off the snake, which I guess was a good thing for those that don’t look down.

Little Possum Creek was anything but little. We ended up crossing on a fallen tree that stretched between two boulders. With the slippy rocks, it turned out to be a good workout on the nerves. After crossing the creek, we hiked back to the trail.

On the way to Stack Rock, Austin with his snake fetish stepped on a small gray snake with an orange bottom. Of course Austin didn’t realize what he had done until I let him know.

Stack Rock was impressive and after you reach the top, there is a good campsite with a stream running next to it and a stack of firewood. Way too good for us. We head on.

Between the Stack Rock and the Imodium Falls we had some impressive falls. Marco put up a fight, but Dad took the all time prize with imitating the swimming sidestroke across a flat rock as he grabbed for anything he could grab while he was traveling across it. That is where experience pays off and we had to bow to the Master.

Crossing Little Possum creek below the Hughes Branch, we had to take to wading. Put on the Crocks and go for it. It got up to the thighs and you know what that means for poor all Marco!

We camped just after descending from Coalbank Hill in a flat area of pines next to the Coalbank Branch of Possum Creek. It was about a mile short of Retro-Hughes Road. It was time to eat and we got a pretty good workout with all the ups and downs of the trail.

When it finally got dark enough for a campfire, we had some entertainment lighting wet wood. Marco found an old Cedar that really helped us out. We sat around sipping medicine and telling lies. They were calling for 47-degrees for tonight, so we went for the 35-degree Outcast temperature instead. Oh yea, Austin did it again and found a snake under his tarp before it got dark.

We got on trial at 8:30am and crossed Retro-Hughes Road to start the Rock Creek Section. The blackberries will be good this year and I know the place to pick. After about a mile you start down into Rock Creek gorge. The trail was not nearly as slippery today, which was good because I know where Rock Creek got its name.

We got to climb the wooden ladder on the way to the fiberglass bridge over Rock Creek. The Leggett Branch cascades were beautiful and we stopped at the Rock Creek Overlook and ate lunch. It was a beautiful day and we watched the hawks flying over the gorge.

We decided to take the Upper rim trail to see Leggett Point Overlook. It was a good climb, but the trees block most of the view. We got to the Lower Leggett Road trailhead at 2:00pm.

This is a wonderful hiking trail and I commend the many people that helped to build this trail. The flowers were all bloomed out putting on a show. You definitely want to visit the Cumberland trail website to print off the maps and trail descriptions as well as register to hike.

Pictures:

Canal Loop Trail

Canal Loop Trail total 18.3 Miles................Outcasts Total: 387.9 Miles
West Canal Loop Trail…………..4.9 Miles
North/South Trail…………………4 Miles
Day One total…………………….8.9 Miles
North/South Trail………………..0.5 Miles
Hike/Bike Paved Trail………….2 Miles
East Canal Loop Trail…………..6.9 Miles
Second Day total……………… 9.4 Miles

We originally had seven people planning on hiking. When we got to the trailhead we had four. The weather was questionable with rain snow mix in the forecast. Hiking today were Dad, Marco, Raleigh, and myself. Raleigh is a firefighter who has some hiking experience. He had talked about hiking with us for the last two years and we never took him serious. This time he showed up to work with a backpack. We knew he was in this time. We did a quick shake down of his pack in the bedroom at work as I worked at lowering his pack weight. By the time I was done he was crying and sniveling looking over what was left. I left him alone and a short time later he was hiking around the station with his backpack on talking about how good it felt.

We watched as the weathermen talked of the snow to come, telling the children they may not have school, and the radar showing rain. First thing in the morning, I found Marco on his computer studying the weather radar. It looked like we would have to drive through rain on the way there, but it was clear on the other side until the snow got there. A vote was taken and we headed out.

I was use to heading in through Cadiz and taking 79 into the Land Between the Lakes. As we got to the North end we saw a sign showing 8 miles to I-24. I never even thought about just coming in the north end. I got a little ribbing about that. We went to the trail access parking on 101 to catch the Canal Loop trail.

Marco impressed us with his lightweight packing technique right off the bat. He threw his pack in the back of his truck to get organized. When he picked it up there was a puddle of water in the back of the truck with a stream heading off the back. He had put his pack on the mouthpiece of his bladder and drained half of his water out on the ground. He is always thinking about lightening the load.

We got on the trail by 10:30 which was earlier than I had expected. Our goal was Brown Spring which we made by 3. It was nice hiking weather with a cold wind off the lake. Marco was worried about the hunters, which we didn’t see any while on the trail. We stopped for lunch when we found a place out of the wind. The trail has some beautiful lake views. At Twin lakes boat launch we took our group picture. There was also a grave for someone’s cat and Marco found a clam shell. There was also a nice looking sailboat that was blown up on the shore. I’m sure someone was sick. At Moss creek day-use area we found a fish by the path which looked like a bird had dropped. Marco took a pose with it for the camera.

When we got to Brown Spring we found a camper trailer by the spring trail. We decided to fill our water bags and head further down the trail to make camp. We found a spot with some downed trees to use as firewood and a bench. It started to drizzle on us as we set up camp.

After I set up my hammock, I turned and saw some hunter orange coming towards us. This was one of the hunters that were staying in the camper. He said that he had seen the tarps and wanted to see what we were doing. He couldn’t believe that we were going to stay out here all night. He wandered off shaking his head and mumbling.

By the time we got fire wood collected and water filtered, the drizzle stopped. Marco used his Backpacker magazine training to get a wet wood fire going. The only problem was that he didn’t get the memo and put the fire too far away from the tree we were going to use as a bench.

It was still early and our next excitement was time for dinner. During our story time at the campfire we had to put on our ponchos about three times because of the sleet, but never for very long. After the coyotes started howling, Raleigh felt more comfortable. I did notice a couple of items that I had taken out of his pack showed up. When I asked about it he said that he was taking baby steps.

Dad was first up in the morning. I thought that I was going to have to make the fire, when I heard the breaking of sticks. Yes, Dad was making the fire already. We had a good breakfast then had a snow flurry while we broke down camp. We got on the trail by 8:30 and headed to 110. From there we took the hike/bike paved trail back to the North welcome center. When we got there we used the bathrooms and replenished our water supply. From there we crossed the Trace and hit the East side of the Canal Loop trail.

Right before we got to Nickell Branch boat ramp, we heard a scream behind us. We turned to find a woman on a mountain bike heading at us at full speed. This got our attention and brought on some good laughs.

We stopped at boat ramp and had lunch at the picnic area. This is where we got to enjoy seeing a Bald Eagle checking out some ducks in the water. We had a good lunch and tried to lighten our loads some more. It was cold especially on the hands while we ate but there was an outhouse here. Marco wanted credit for hiking more than the trail as we did the walk to the picnic table.

After lunch we continued our hike. There are some large fields to view and then we came to the north bridge. We didn’t see any deer, but we saw a mole, squirrels, bison, cranes, ducks, a bald eagle and a dead fish.

Pictures

Collins Gulf

 

Trail......................Miles.........Rating................Outcasts Total:239.3
Access Trail............25...........Easy
Collins Gulf Trail....6.2........Moderate
South Rim Trail.......1.0.........Easy
Day one total.......7.5

South Rim Trail.....1.0.........Easy
Collins Gulf Trail....6.2........Moderate
Access Trail...........25...........Easy
Day two total........7.5

This time we have Troy, My Dad, Myself, and Taylor who is another firefighter who finally built up enough nerve to join us. Our original plan was to hike from the Collins West access to Savage Falls campground. We started the day with our traditional night of medical calls followed by an early morning car fire. With a good two hours of sleep I get up to find that my relief man was not here and I had to wait until they got another driver. My Dad drove over from Maryville and met us at the trailhead. Troy and I were going to meet at the Savage Ranger Station to get our permit. Well first off you may note that you can get your permit at the Collins West access, which the map says that you cannot. I learned this from the lady at the ranger station.

Well I thought that Troy was ten to fifteen minutes behind me. After signing in and waiting an additional fifteen minutes Taylor and I went to the trailhead to see if Troy had gone direct. Luckily with the connivance of cell phones....oh never mind, they don't work here. We found Dad but no Troy. So back to the Ranger station we go. Still no Troy. We head up to the nearest cell tower and got a message from Dad that Troy was now at the trailhead. So our 9:30 start turned in to a 10:30 start.

We started out by missing our turn and going through the Collins West camping area. We were amused by the sign that you had to step over in the middle of the trail stating that many Copperhead snakes have been seen here. The first mile of Collins Gulf trail takes a steep drop into the Gulf followed by a three quarter mile rock-jumping trail to the 100' swinging bridge. This is a good test of the ankles not to mention finding the trail amongst all the rock. Before the bridge we looked like a pack of wolfs devouring Troy's famous fried chicken. After the swinging bridge we take a steep climb back to the rim of the Gulf. I mean you will have to climb a rock wall to get there. At this time we decided to make the Stage Road campsite for tonight.

We all practiced our slips and trips, but my Dad took the honor of the best slide down the trail. We stopped and checked out the many overlooks and beautiful stream crossings. We finally made it to camp around 4:30.

The boy scouts had already set up camp in the large group site and there were ten other sites for us to pick from. OK, only one big enough to have a fire and a tent in. Not sure why they have such small sites, but of course number ten, which is the farthest from the spring, is the one we picked. After we got camp set up we gathered firewood and drinking water. We got a fire going, ate dinner, and told lies.

Around nine o'clock, I couldn't take it anymore and went to bed. I woke up with one side of my tarp pinned against my hammock and the other blowing like a balloon. I got up and saw Troy next to the fire which was blowing straight sideways by the wind. He notified me that it was about ten. Surely this wind would die down in a little while. Surely never showed up. We blew away all night long. Dad had one of his tarp stakes pull out of the ground. There were a lot of creaking trees, rubbing trees, banging branches, and one tree hit the ground during the night. Needless to say, not much sleeping went on.

I woke the next morning with one side of my tarp pinned against my hammock and the other blowing like a balloon. I peeked out to see everyone else had already broken down their tents. My Dad notified me that it was seven and they hadn't eaten yet. The wind had blown my water bag over so we didn't have water for breakfast. I just emptied my water bladder and figured I would fill it up on the trail. The wind blew so hard that the fire didn't even have any coal left. It was a challenge to pack up the tents and tarps as they were trying to go to Arkansas.

We got on the trail around 8:30 and stopped at the creek where the old stage road crossed to fill water bottles. Right at 10:00 the rain started and only stopped one time long enough for us to eat lunch. It didn't let us sit around afterwards either. Taylor got out in front of us and we didn't see him until we got to the cars. His poncho had ripped so he headed out without stopping. He was soaked and we found him with a fresh change of clothes standing tight up against the check in sign. He didn't get any keys from us and this was the only dry spot around.

Other than the weather, this was a great hike and would suggest it to anyone. We will have to see if we scared Taylor off or not.

Pictures

Long Hunter II

October 2007
Long Hunter.........................Trail Rating.............Outcasts Total: 150.4 Miles
Volunteer Trail...6.0 Miles.........Easy
Day Loop............2.0Miles..........Easy
Volunteer Trail...6.0Miles..........Easy
Day Loop............2.0Miles..........Easy
Total………………16.0 Miles

The Outcasts decided to start out the hiking year with an easier trail that we had already checked out. We took a vote and Long Hunter won. We had a couple of guests on this hike. My Dad and a fellow firefighter joined us. This would be Marco's first backpacking trip. He might have had a couple of questions, a few doubts, and definitely a few concerns. Basically he called me every day for the three weeks before the hike. He did take the hike serious and broke out the scale to weigh everything that he had. After we were misled by Marco about the conditions of the water in the lake, we carried all the water that we would need. So after adding food and water, he came up with 30lbs for his first hike.

The weatherman said that we would be having some cold weather coming in so we packed a little extra warm stuff. With the history of our hikes, cold is not a surprise. As it turned out the weatherman, surprisingly enough was wrong and it never did cool off. It was beautiful hiking weather and we really enjoyed getting out. My Dad came in the night before.

Troy and I wanted to keep with the tradition of staying up all the night before the hike making fire calls. We got off work and headed to the trail. Troy went home and picked up his dog. I went home and picked up my Dad. Marco went home with me just encase he came up with some more questions. Greg went to pick up his son, but as some of us know teenagers have a way of making life difficult. I got a call later saying that neither of them would be joining us today on the hike due to disciplinary problems. Been there, done that!

We signed up at the ranger station and met Troy at the trail-head. The dog and four of us headed out. The hike in went pretty much uneventful. We met a lot of dog walkers on the Day Loop, but had the Volunteer Trail all to ourselves. There were five other hikers that came in later that evening and took the other campsite. We never saw or heard from them after they went by our camp. After we soaked our feet in the lake, we set up camp. Marco got a chance to check out the hammocks. I found me a flat rock by the lake and took a little nap. When I got up I found that Troy had followed suit in his tent.

We had our dinner, which was made up of some experimental meals. Everything turned out OK and we all got full belles. When darkness caught up we got the campfire going and sat around and told lies. I called it an early evening and Marco said that I didn't have any problem getting to sleep. He said that my tarp was going up and down with my snoring. He was quite glad that I wear a breathing machine at work.

The next day on the way out we got to see a Black snake and Box turtle. Being the one to start all of this lightweight backpacking, We were quite amused that after hearing something hitting my plastic bottle in my pack pocket, I found a railroad spike that I had picked up in the Smokey Mountains last July and never took out of my pack. Actually I was trying to show everyone how tuff I was and threw in a little iron.

After all of the complaining about everyone walking too fast at work when we exercise, Marco took the lead and left everyone behind. I was expecting him to want to skip the extra couple of miles on the way out, but when it came time to pick the way when the trail split, he was all for the long way out. Marco has been back into gear talk since we got off the trail so I think that he may actually join us again. We had a wonderful hike, but missed our partner Greg.