Mammoth Cave

Total Miles 16.98 Miles....Easy..............OUTCAST TOTAL: 887.38 Miles

Mammoth Cave Lantern Tour......3 Miles
Good Springs Trail.............4.21 Miles
Collie Ridge Trail.............0.67 Miles
DAY ONE: 7.88 Miles

Collie Ridge Trail............2.02 Miles
Good Springs Trail............2.08 Miles
Service Center to Mammoth Dome Sink Trail 1 Mile
Mammoth Dome Sink Trail.......2 Miles
Overlook plus Heritage trail...2 Miles
DAY TWO: 9.1 Miles

Marco and I headed to Kentucky for an overnight hike. Neither of us had been to Mammoth Cave so we thought that we would check it out. They have 300 miles of cave, 60 miles of hiking trails, and 27 miles of river to explore.

We left straight from work and caught the first tour they had when we got there which turned out to be the three mile lantern tour. They had some really cool guides that fed us a lot of information about the cave. We were amazed as to how large this cave is. It took us three hours for the tour. While we were waiting for the bus the one tour guide about talked us out of hiking with his warning about the snakes and ticks. He was pretty descriptive about what the bites would do. We ate lunch at the restaurant there and then headed to the hiking trails.

We got to take the Green river ferry across the river which can take up to three cars at a time. From there we headed to the Good Spring Church trailhead parking. Since we didn't reserve a spot we took the available campsite which was the Collie Ridge Campsite. Marco went to sign in at the trailhead marque. The last person to write in it wrote down "WASPS" in big print. Marco looked up to see a swarm of wasps looking him in the eye. He slowly backed away from the marque. Needless to say we didn't sign in.

The trails were in good condition and as we hiked we were thinking about the tour guide's warnings. We passed a couple of horse back riders who asked if we had seen any yellow jackets. They told us that in the last week they had to haul two different people off the trail because of stings. Well isn't that nice. It wasn't a quarter mile more down the trail when Marco said the dreaded words.....SEED TICKS! And the panic began. We picked, swiped, and finally drowned them in DEET.

We hiked on the the campsite. They have a good size site and there was water flowing at the spring. We washed first to finish off the ticks and then set up camp and collected firewood. The temps finally dropped down to where we could get a fire going so we could tell some lies and take some cough medicine. We also tried out Marco's new platypus gravity filter which turned out to be pretty impressive.

The next morning we got up and hiked out. When we got back to the car there was another couple that were heading out on the trail. They had a blow up double size air mattress carrying between them. He was carrying a gallon jug of water and she had a backpack on. Kinda makes you wonder.

We drove back to the Visitor center area and parked at the camping store. From there we hiked to Whites cave and then the Mammoth Dome Sink trail. We hiked back to the restaurant for lunch. After lunch we headed out for home.

This park has a alot of activities to enjoy and I know we will be back to do some more hiking.

Pictures:

Sheltowee Trace Part V

Day one: 4.7 miles……………………………………Outcast Total: 870.4 Miles
Day Two: 17.3 miles
Day Three: 11.3 miles
Day Four: 10.5
Total: 43.8 miles

Well Marco is out for the season with his ankle. Troy, Shadow, and I went ahead with the five day hike scheduled for the Sheltowee Trace. Since Troy got picked up at Camp Wildcat on our last hike, he wanted to start again from that location. I just wanted to hike so I agreed and that is where we started.

Aaron from Holly Bay Marina dropped us off. As he was driving the three miles up the one lane road to Wildcat, he said something about this being a rough road with all the pot holes. I told him that this was the easy part. The hard part would be backing all the way back down to the main road. What a look I got. Troy jumped in and said not to be so rough on the man. There is a turn around on the top. Aaron said that there were no bets being placed this time as the weather was too good.

Off we went. Got on the trail around two o’clock. The 2.8 mile section of trail between 4078 and 490 crosses Denny Branch 24 times. This is where the “two seat” hunting stand is in the woods. Two car seats mounted up on a platform. We stopped before the last two crossings and made camp. It was a wonderful night with the stars shining. This was the coldest night in the low twenties and we had frost on the inside and outside of our tarps.

DAY TWO:

We got up a little late this morning. We hiked up the hill and back down to Parker branch which we just rock hopped this time. Then we hit the pavement. What is worse than road hiking? Road walking with spiders! I guess that spiders think it is spring. They were all over the road. I guess that We hiked 490 to 89 and this time just kept going on pass Horse Lick Creek, knowing from our previous hike that the water was too high to cross. I was going to take a picture of the shed by the road with the stove pipe coming out, but when we got there the man was standing outside. He had hair down to his waist and a beard to match. The only way to tell his front from his back was the nose that stuck out. He seemed like a nice guy as he said hi as we passed.

We cut off the road and took the four wheeler trail up to 431. Some more road walking, all the way to S-Tree campground. We knew that there was no water at the campground so we hiked to the Sheltowee and headed west a half mile to Raccoon Creek. We made camp there. Some cough medicine was taken and lies told. This was the night that Troy threw his raisins into the fire. Actually, his stove did as he laid them on top of it and when it came to a boil the lid bounced and the raisins flew. That night the coyotes sang to us.

DAY THREE:

The section from S-Tree campground to Turkey foot campground is open to four wheelers and motorbikes. I would suggest that you do not hike this section on a weekend. Especially on a really nice weekend. We got to see a lot of both. The trail is in good condition and only needs marking at intersections.

We stopped for a good old creek bath before 421. Luckily we managed without being interrupted by four wheelers. After we crossed 421 and hiked the road the trail heads off by Elisha Branch Road. Troy wanted to walk just a little farther up the road. I was trying to see what he wanted. Finally he said that he had found a restaurant on line that was supposed to be right in this area. We found out that it had moved down town.

We collected our water from Elisha Branch then hiked up the mountain and camped on top. We had an owl talk to us and then it was a peaceful evening.

DAY FOUR:

We slept in again and then headed out. The trail follows the road most of the way. After you get away from the road it goes downhill and follows the middle and Elsam fork. Since we were a day early getting to Turkey Foot, we called and Randy was able to pick us up that night. We hiked another two miles up to 587 to meet Randy and of course he came in the other way off 89.

Another wonderful hike.

Pictures:

Sheltowee Trace Part IV

Day One: 4.6 Miles.........................................Outcast Total: 826.6
Day Two: 17 Miles
Day Three: 13 Miles
Total Miles: 34.6


On this hike Marco, Troy, Shadow and Craig went. We started out the usual way with running fire calls all the night before. As we headed out we watched the weather as Memphis had already gotten four inches of snow that morning. What were the chances that it would go all the way to Kentucky?

We headed to Holly Bay Marina again as Randy was willing to help us do the shuttle to the trailheads. We were starting out at I-75 and heading North to Hwy 421. For some unknown reason, the further we go North the longer it takes to get to the trailhead. This part of the Sheltowee Trace is a lot of road hiking.

We started out with some beautiful weather for hiking. Marco was having problem with his ankle from a previous hike. As the famous words of Greg, "Pain is Fear leaving the body." We hiked to the Camp Wildcat Battle Monument the first day which is about five miles. This is all road hiking. There is a monument at the railroad crossing, then a sign half way up the hill, and another monument on the top to include a pavilion and outhouses. It's a pretty good uphill climb. There is a small spring on the top of the hill. I don't know if it runs all year long or not, but it had water this time.

We ran into two ladies from Ohio at the pavilion. They were heading home from Georgia when they saw the sign and stopped to check it out. We had a good visit with them and then they headed out.

We found us a place off the trail to make camp. We got camp set up and a fire going before sitting down for dinner. After dinner, we started to get a light dusting of snow. We were all tired from the long night before, so it didn't take long for us to call it a night and go to bed.

I got up some time that night to find about an inch of snow on the ground. Later I woke to the sound of rain hitting the tarp. It was a steady rain that lasted all through the morning.

Marco and I got our breakfast going under the tarps and packed up. When I got with Troy, he said that he was soaked, his clothes were soaked, and his tent was soaked. He said that while he was stuffing his tent in the bag, that water was running out the other end. He was wet and with the rain supposed to keep coming all day he was ready to head to the house. We hiked back to the pavilion at Wildcat and made a phone call to Greg to come pick up Troy. Knowing that all was well, Marco and I headed out in the rain.

The next section of trail is all dirt or jeep road. This road had large mud puddles all down it and you wouldn't think that anyone could drive down it unless they had four wheel drive. Well, here comes a little Toyota pickup with a guy and gal in it. They stopped and asked what we were doing walking in this kind of weather. We told them and they said that they were out picking up trash as this was their fathers land. I don't know about that, but we asked them to offer Troy a ride to the restaurant when they drove by him. When we got further up the hill we found a spot with a view. You could tell that they had stopped here with the truck and then turned around. There was some fresh tissue on the ground too. I don't think it was trash they were after.

We hiked this jeep trail in the rain to road 760 which was paved. You definitely want a map to follow all the road sections. There are some interesting trailers in this area and where you turn on road 4078. From there we got on the three miles of actual trail. During these three miles you cross Denny Branch about twelve times. None of these crossings has bridges and some are rather challenging. The last creek crossing is Parker Branch with an old fashion foot washing. Put on the crocks and go about knee deep.

From here you are hiking Road 490 to Lamero, which is a collection of houses. Once you cross the bridge over Rockcastle River you turn right on Road 89. The rain had stopped and we got to view some interesting Kentucky homes. We passed one 10x12 shed that had a smoke stack out of the top. There was smoke coming from it, but it had no electricity or for that matter any windows. As we went by, the traditional dogs started barking and we passed the front which had a single door on the front made of rough cut lumber. There was one space between the boards that was about two inches wide. Well, when I looked back at it again, I saw a person pulling his head back in and closing the door.

You turn off of Road 89 onto White Oak Branch Road which is a dirt road. On the corner was another of these fancy sheds with the stack out the top. This one had a single dog house next to it. A dog stuck his head out and started barking. He came out and another head stuck out and started barking. He came out and another head stuck out and started barking. He came out and another head stuck out and started barking. He came out and another head stuck out and started barking. In all, five dogs came out of that little house. On the other side of the road there was a small camper trailer. In the window was a sign that said "Dog food inside". Not sure what that was all about.

We followed this road until you cross the bridge and take a right on another jeep trail 455. This road followed Horse Lick Creek until you came to a river crossing. Well this crossing was way over our heads and about thirty feet wide. We studied the maps and saw where there was suppose to be another crossing up stream with a concrete plank. On we hiked. When we finally got to where this crossing was and I pulled myself out of the knee deep mud, the water was way over our heads and about twenty feet wide. If there was concrete, it was deep. There was no safe way to cross and this was the end of the road I guess you could say. Well the road ended.

It was getting dark and we decided to make camp. We got a fire going and ate dinner. Then the snow kicked in. It came in strong with big flakes. We gave up and headed to the hammocks. Enough was enough. I studied on the maps and the only way I saw to get across was to go back to Road 89 and hike an unnamed road to road 431.

After a good LONG sleep, we woke up to three inches of snow and snow still falling. The wind had beat the tarps against our hammocks most of the night. It takes a while to get the ambition up to get out of bed in these conditions. Both of our boots were froze so solid it took us forever to get our feet in them. Finally we got packed up and started back tracking. We had to hike 5.7 Miles back to Road 89

We got to go by the dogs again and then headed East on Road 89 to an unnamed unmarked road. I was worried about leaving the trail because we hadn't had a phone signal since we left Wildcat. We passed a trailer with the traditional dogs barking and a lady came out to yell at them. We asked her about the road and of course there was no such thing to this lady. On we hiked.

Finally we found a two rut road that fit the description with a no trespassing sign on both sides. It ran along a farm fence so we walked down to the farm house to ask permission. A lady answered the door and said to go ahead. She gave me a description that matched the map, so I felt like this was the right one. I tried one more time for a signal and got one on the phone. I called my people so they knew where we were and what our plan was.

It was a steep climb to the top and about a hundred mile an hour wind when we got there. The logging road across the top was in really good condition. We finally found a dirt bank that was high enough that we could get out of the wind and eat some lunch. After that we walked on to 431 which other than the four inches of snow and high winds, was easy walking.

We walked to the S-Tree campground where Marco called it quits with his sore ankle. He had lost enough "fear". We called Randy to pick us up at the campground. We got under a pavilion and sat at a picnic table in our sleeping bags drinking hot chocolate until Randy showed up. We did have another car stop by which made us feel good that they could make it through the snow. These people were just out joy riding.

Randy and his brother showed up and gave us a ride back to London where our car had been prepositioned for us to get on I-75. At one point I thought that we might have to give Randy a ride as his transmission was acting up. It ended up that he was low on fluid.

Pictures:

Collins Gulf-Unplanned Group Hike

Collins Gulf Rim Trail to Stage Road Campground 7.4 Miles
Stage Road Campground down Stage Road to exit 7 Miles
Total 14.4 Miles

This is the story of curly locks and the three bears. Millette has made many trips to the Smokey Mountains and has yet to see a bear. As another attempt to see a bear in the wild, she took Marco, Lora, and I out to Collins Gulf where there are suppose to be three bears living in the area.

We met after shift and head out. We met Lora at the Savage Gulf visitor center to sign in, then we headed to the Collins Gulf trail head. We got on the trail around 9:30am. We hiked to the split and then we headed East across the swinging bridge and up to the rim trail.

I had practiced my bear call with a couple of whistles and then "Here Bear, Here Bear". I tried it numerous times while we were hiking with no luck. I think that the bears got tired trying to keep up with Millette as she smoked down the trail. She even tried to starve me to death, until I finally caught up to her and begged for a lunch break.

Anyway, it was a beautiful day for hiking and once you get across the bridge and up on the rim it is easy hiking.

We hiked into the Stage Road campground and made up camp. We got a pile of wood collected for the night and then set in to burning it. Some stories were told as cough medicine was taken. We were talking about the bears when I heard something coming up behind me. I turned around to see Ranger Litefoot walking up. He didn't say anything until he saw me looking at him. He had walked up with his light off and not letting us know he was coming. Good thing we don't get excited! As always in the Salvage Gulf, the rangers were extremely friendly and we had a good visit.

We just happened to carry in three stuffed bears for Millette and waited patiently for her to take a potty break from camp so we could plant them in her tent. She got a bit of a surprise when she went to bed.

The next morning we got up and Millette fed her new friends and attached them to her pack for a nice hike. We hiked down Stage Road and took a break at Saw Mill campsite. The trail through the Gulf was very pretty and a nice hiking trail. As you get toward the falls the trail gets more difficult with a lot of uphill. There are bluffs and water crossings before you get to the falls.

The ice formations get better as we reached Horsepound Falls. When we got to Suter Falls we were almost overwhelmed by the sight of the frozen falls and all the ice. It was a bit challenging to get to the trail here let alone make it along the trail covered with ice and having to go around large icicles.

We never did get to look at any real bears, but I think that Millette was happy to see the ones she did.

Pictures:

Sheltowee Trace Part III

Day One.......4.3 Miles......Easy.........................Outcast Total:792 Miles
Day Two......11.1 Miles......Difficult
Day Three.....8.4 Miles......Difficult
Day Four.....8.15 Miles......Difficult
Day Five.....1.75 Miles......Easy
Total........33.7 Miles

Crazy, Insane, Lost your mine, what the h___? Just a few of the things we heard as we carried our packs out through the snow to the truck. Yes, there were two inches of snow on the ground in Kentucky and another inch falling while we drove to the trail head. Troy, Greg, Marco, and I headed out. Shadow was left behind because of the snow, which would mean wet dog for five days. She made her point as she tore something up every day that Troy was gone. Shoes, trash, another shoe, something every day.

Well on the way to Kentucky I had to explain to the guys that they had nothing to worry about. Yes, we were driving through snow, but the further north we go the warmer it gets. I told them that we would be driving out of the snow. Well when we got to Corbin, the snow had stopped. We went to a Wendy's for lunch which was a mistake. The guys saw that Corbin had a Holiday Inn Express. So every time the trail got hard they reminded me that they had a blue card and platinum card and Corbin had a Holiday Inn Express. Yes, I heard that alot.

We drove up to Holly Grove Marina wwwhollybayMarina.com to start this hike. Randy, the manager, was planning on picking us up and bringing us back to the Marina on day five. There was plenty of snow when we got there and the lady at the office was very polite as she never called us nuts to our faces. We dropped off the truck keys, picked up our packs, and started hiking.

The scenery was beautiful with the fresh coat of snow on the ground. We made it North of Laurel Lake by Road 775 when we called it a night. The snow fell as we made camp and got a fire going. The trail up to this point had been gentle rolling hills and well marked. Make sure that you take a left and the North end of the lake and don't go over the earthen dam. It's not marked.

We got done with dinner and tried to stay warm by the fire. The guys made fun of me for sitting barefoot by the fire. They were still in the learning process of becoming Outcast tuff. Some lies were told and cough medicine was taken.

We were woke up at one point in the night by a couple of coyotes that were celebrating a kill. Everyone but Marco got to hear them. It brings one to immediate attention even from a dead sleep. During one of those many bathroom breaks in the middle of the night, I saw a million bright stars shining down on the new inch of snow that had fallen.

Greg had gotten up first and got the fire going. It was going to be another beautiful snow day to hike. We hiked into the Cane Creek Wildlife Management Area, which is a beautiful area to hike. One of the prettiest areas on this hike. It was especially cool to see all the snow on the evergreens. We got pictures of the frozen solid Van Hook water fall.

You really need the map when it comes to the road hiking sections of this trail. They are not marked very well at all. Especially when you get to a spilt in the road or have the option to go either way.

We met one of those "Road Hunters" while we walked down the road. He said that he was hunting coyotes. We figure that he was hunting anything that moved and that might also include hikers. After a short visit, we hiked down to the Big Dog Branch and camped at the campsite there. Another wonderful campsite along the creek with icicles hanging all along the other side.

We had a little trouble keeping the fire going as the wood was damp and the temperature was dropping fast. Marco impressed us again, by picking another dead branch for the bear bag. Yes, it broke again. Greg gave up and just hung his on the tree by the fire. I know it was a good five feet in the air. If a bear would have come into camp, it would have hit him on the head. His reply was that if the bear ate his food he would go to the Holiday Express.

We did some visiting and took a little cough medicine for health reasons. This was one of the 0 degree nights. When I woke up to my face hurting, I knew it was cold. I zipped up the old bag and went back to sleep. Sometime in the night, Troy heard a four legged visitor heading through camp.

We woke up to some very cold temperatures. It didn't take long to get the fire going, but it sure took a long time to get the guys away from the fire. We got a late start this morning. We started with a couple of good water crossings. One right at the camp. Luckily we didn't have to get wet. We did a little bridge building and rock placing to get us across. As soon as we crossed the first one and figured out which way to go at the split in the trail, we came to the second. This one was wider and deeper and frozen over. A little exploration and talent and we got across.

Just after the bridge on Sinking creek there is a campsite where we got a fire going for lunch. It was the longest lunch we had on this trip due to us freezing every time we stopped. The trail involved some road hiking and then headed down to Pine Creek where we had to break the ice and do some old fashion foot washing. While we were figuring out how we were going to cross, Marco changed into his crocks. I was so proud of his training. Couldn't hop this one. It did build some character. We made camp just on the other side.

We got flurries while we sat by the fire. This was one of those fires that put Marco on the second row. The tree we were sitting on had two branches. Every time the fire got up, Marco moved to the other branch because it got so hot. This was also the night that Greg made the mistake of hanging his hammock on the same tree as I did. Yes, he got to enjoy my snoring and breathing breaks. He didn't sleep all that well for some reason.

Today we had a lot of hills to climb. Just to add to the spirit, it snowed all day. We crossed the Poison Honey Fork and Hwy 80. We had a short but cold lunch on the other side down in a valley.

When we hiked down to Hawk Creek, we got to see some things! On one of the hills, we stopped for a break. Troy walked by us repeating over and over "My name is Troy, there is B shift tuff and then there is Outcast tuff!" He always comes up with something. The ice formations were wonderful as well as the frozen water fall. We also got to see the chimney rock formation.

Once you get past Hawk Creek you start doing some "road hiking". I use this term loosely cause it is mainly four wheeler trails across the top of the mountains. No sooner did we get on the road, I turn around and Marco has his pants off. I guess his zipper broke, but he wasn't scared of the cold!

There is no water there so make sure that you fill up before you leave the waters of Hawk Creek. We camped somewhere where the map shows a Laurel Branch off to the west. We never saw this branch but assume that it was down at the bottom.

Another very cold night around 0 degrees. The same guys that were making fun of me on day one about being barefoot around the campfire all had their shoes and socks off. I guess it's something that Outcasts do for comfort.

Marco entertained us with holding up his cup to wipe the snow off the bottom. When he did, he tipped it and spilled water right on top of his stove putting it out. That brought on some horse laughter. Then he tried to light it again. He ended up having to dump the water out first. We all stayed up late that night just having a good visit.

Over all our campfires claimed more equipment than ever. All of our clothing got burn holes in them. The prefilter of my water filter fell off into the fire. Greg melted the leg darn near off one pair of pants. A water bladder had a hole melted into it. My inflatable seat got two holes in it. And at the end three out of four pairs of shoes were shrunk. Guess who's wasn't......HEE HEE HEE! Oh yea, Marco caught Greg when he lost his balance and almost fell into the fire himself.

The next morning we hiked to I-75 and stopped at Spur Oil RV Park. They have a really good restaurant there where we could get some good old fashion burgers. It is a clean place that offers showers along with the fine cooking.

Arron from Holly Bay Marina picked us up there and took us to our truck. What a wonderful hike. At the end, I proved my point. The further we hiked North, the warmer it got!

Pictures:

Hobb's Cabin III, Savage Gulf

North Rim Trail to Hobb's Cabin...8.2 Miles....Easy........Outcast Total:758.3
North Plateau Trail to Office.....9.4 Miles....Easy
Total: 17.6 Miles

Troy, Shadow, Marco, and Craig were able to make this hike. Yes, they were calling for snow. Yes, they were calling for a 11 degree low and highs in mid twenties. WE AIN'T SCARED! We were trying to decide if we should bring both sleeping bags or just one.

After work we headed out to do some hiking. Originally we were suppose to hike Virgin Falls and Bridgestone/Firestone. The river is over four feet deep right now and flowing fast. So, this brings us to plan B. Where do you want to hike? Marco had never hiked to Hobb's cabin so here we go.

We got on the trail by 10am. We decided on the way in to hike the Rim Trail to Hobb's cabin and hike out on the Plateau trail. On the way in we met a couple of new hikers that were just getting into backpacking. We like to see more people get into backpacking. It's a great sport and there is so many places in Tennessee to see. We can take pictures, but you don't see the true beauty unless you are standing there.

Shadow was so excited on this hike she just kept running back and forth between us. I don't know if it was the cold weather or just her love for hiking. We did have to use gloves and some face protection from the temperature. The views were beautiful as always out here. The guys pushed me on past my lunch time til we made it to the next overlook. When I refused to leave the overlook until I ate, they gave in. Marco had brought some baked chicken for our lunch and dinner.

We past three hikers that had been at Hobb's cabin for the last two nights. They were heading out. They said that there was still some firewood left.

A few miles before we got to the cabin, we had another couple of guy's pass us heading to the same spot. We would meet them at the cabin.

We arrived at Hobb's cabin around 2:30pm. Our camping partners were there and already had smoke coming out the chimney. That's always a good sign. After introductions we started the collecting of wood. This area had been cleared out pretty well.

After we got a good stack of wood and collected some drinking water from the creek, the decision was made to have an outdoor fire as well. We needed to burn some of the longer wood in half so we could use it in the cabin. Also, the fire warmed the cabin up, but we needed something to warm ourselves up a little faster. This provided some entertainment as the wood, leaves, and twigs were all frozen and did not want to burn.

After the fire started, Marco and I set up our hammocks. Troy, Shadow, and the other guys were going to stay in the cabin. Marco and I are the stupid, I mean diehard backpackers. We came to camp!

First things first. Dinner! We got our dinners going and Marco boiled his water twice as he used his first cup to wash down the table top. Always cleaning! After dinner we gathered around the multiple fires and started taking cough medicine. The temperature dropped as we looked at the extremely clear sky filled with an amazing amount of stars. Lies were told and the fire building class was entertaining as ever. I have never seen a fire rearranged and rebuilt as many times as this. Sometimes you just have to stand around a say WOW! We had multiple fire designs with rolling logs and gear burns. Yes, I had plenty of laughs.

After the last killing of the outside fire, I went in to watch Troy working the inside fire. It was bed time and out to the hammock I went. I asked Marco if he was warm enough as I passed his and he said yes. He was snoring by the time I got in my bags.

We woke up to snow. What a beautiful morning. Marco had gotten up and got the fire going in the cabin. The water in the back of the cabin was frozen, but our bladders that we left by the mantle were not. We thawed our water and filter while making breakfast and packed up for another day of hiking. Our new friends never stirred so we left them with a warm fire.

The snow that was falling was so cold that when it landed on your clothes, you could see the individual design of each. It was beautiful. Our trip out was pretty much non eventful. We saw the rangers driving through the woods, but that was it for other people.

Pictures:

Shaltowee Part II

Trail........................................................Outcast Total: 740.7
Day One: 5 miles
Day Two: 10.6 miles
Day Three: 8.3 miles
Day Four: 7.5 miles
Day Five: 4.5 miles
Total: 35.9 miles

In attendance were Troy, Shadow, Marco, and I. After shift we headed to Troy’s house where we loaded up in Troy’s car and headed to the trailhead on Hwy 27. It had rained all night and we had gotten soaked on the fire runs during the night which had us worried about the weather. We drove up in a light rain, which turned to a fog mist by the time we got to the trailhead. Needless to say, water source was not a problem on this hike.

The first section of the trail was mainly ups and downs with a lot of rock cropping along the Railroad Fork of Indian Creek. We had one deep river crossing at road 679. We ran out of daylight by the time we reached road 678 going to the 4H camp. So we camped there for the night. Not a good camping site, just one of those times you have to make due. The trail was detoured at this area due to a wash out. We had to do a little wood drying after we got the fire going, but the stars were out and it turned into a wonderful evening.

The next morning we got on the trail by 8am and headed out. There is a major climb going up to 700 and there is no marking saying that is where you are. The side road is labeled as Catsron, which is road 6050 on the map. We crossed road 700 and ate lunch down by the creek. The trail here is old roadbed.

The trail climbs back up to road 700 and then its time for some road hiking. The next couple of miles is blacktop where you go down to Indian Creek and up to Road 6239, which starts out as paved and ends up a washed out dirt road at the Cumberland River.

Where 700 and 6239 cross, we stopped for a break. There was a gate there with a 4x8 sheet of plywood next to it. On the plywood was painted “If the gate is closed your not welcome.” Well, as we were standing there an old Willie Jeep pulled up and a man got out to unlock the gate. Troy and I walked up to him to ask about road 6239. He was a middle aged scruffy looking guy that kept an eye on Troy and an eye on me even though we were four feet apart. He was a nice enough fellow and after talking awhile, he invited us to stay at his camp that he had set up on the Cumberland River. He even told us a short cut to follow to get there. Troy and I thought “NO!”

We hiked down to the Cumberland River where the river was running extremely fast and was that good old brown color. Trash was piled on either side as the river had carried it down with all its power. When we got to Pitch branch, where we had previously picked on the map to stay, we came across “scruffy's camp.” There was a tent pitched and a blue tarp next to it. There were coolers, empty fuel cans, stoves, chairs, and clothes spread everywhere. There was a tree with pots and pans hanging from it and a sign referring to our man as “You son of _______, why don’t you stop by some time. You know who this is!” We hiked on! The trail turned into a dirt road, so we hiked to the end of the road and then some, to make sure that we didn’t get any visitors. We hiked past the last branch on the map and set up camp in the dark.

We got a fire going and ate some dinner. It started to sprinkle so we put on our jackets. It stopped so we took them off. It started to sprinkle so we put on our jackets. It stopped so we took them off. It started to sprinkle so we put on our jackets. It stopped so we kept our jackets on.

We heard dogs barking from down the river. The echo off the river made it sound louder. After a while, Troy says someone is coming and we see the headlamps on the trail. The lights disappear so we spread out. It’s a while before we see the lights again and then once again they disappear. So we knock down the fire and spread out again. Finally the lights come on and head toward our camp. Troy yells to them as they approach and the two hunters came into camp.

The hunters told us that they were looking for their dogs. They were out coon hunting and the dogs got away. Both guys were carrying 30-30’s and that wasn’t coon-dogs that we heard. We talked to them for a while and then they headed down the trail. I told them that their dog’s had not passed us and there was a bluff wall on one side with the river on the other. They walked down the trail a short distance and then came back. They hollered before they came back through camp and then headed back to where they came from. A short while later we heard the dogs bark again and heard the hunters yelling. We never heard anything after that. We then drank some cough medicine and called it a night.

The next morning we were entertained by a couple of white ducks on the river. It was flowing so fast and those ducks would dive under, come up down stream and then fly back to where they started to do it all over again. They did this until we left camp. I know they were tired and could picture them lying on their backs on the riverbank panting after we left.

We hiked up to Hwy 90 and crossed the bridge to Cumberland Falls State Resort Park. Two things stuck right out in our minds. One, the bathhouse had hot water. It is amazing what a hiker can do in a sink. The second thing was after seeing an ice cream sign it was lunchtime. The visitor center was open and after the let down that they didn’t have any ice cream this time of year. They told us about the lodge on the mountain that served lunch. Would the guys hike up the mountain for a lunch? The guys whistled as we all hiked up the mountain to indulge.

After an all you can eat buffet, I needed a come-a-long and winch to get them out of that lodge. The wateress brought two to go boxes and put them on the table. Marco asked what those were for and of course Troy and I told him that we bought us dinner to take with us. Marco couldn't believe that we would do that. Actually it was a loaded bacon cheese burger and fries for Shadow. Yes, she gets the same treatment that we get. She is an Outcast you know. Needless to say we lost two hours of trail time and we felt like swollen ticks as we rolled, or hiked back down to the river.

The Cumberland falls were beautiful and powerful which turned out to be some good pictures. This is where we got our first warning sign that the Bark Camp creek bridge was out and the crossing was hazardous. It didn’t say closed so we headed on. Our new goal was the Star Creek shelter. This section of the trail is all up and down along the riverbank. There is a lot of rock hopping and climbing. There is some kind of water crossing about every hundred yards through here. There is no phone service from Cumberland park until you get out of the river gorge at Mouth of Laurel boat ramp.

Right before we got to Star Creek, it looked like someone just dropped a huge pile of trees around the trail. It must have been some serious wind damage and it must have taken a long time and a lot of man power to cut the trail through this maze after the damage occurred. Right next to the trail with trees lay all around it, was the Star Creek Shelter. There was a tent set up in it with all sorts of supplies lying around. We didn’t find the people staying there so we hiked across the creek and stayed in the grass field on the other side. There is a beautiful water fall here that we got pictures of. We set up camp and started a fire, as it was getting cold and then ate dinner. Some cough medicine was taken and lies told around the fire as the temperature dropped into the twenties. Later on that night we saw headlamps across the creek where our neighbors must have come home.

We hit the trail that morning wondering what we were getting ourselves into with the bridge being out. We had enough days to hike back out if we needed to.

There were more ups and downs along the river that day. The Bark Camp shelter sets up off the river a bit and then as you round the corner you hear the fast moving water of the Bark Camp creek. It is a large creek with lots of large boulders in it. When we arrived at the cascades, you could actually wade it with no problem. It was a good day for this, as the temperature never got up to freezing. It kind of makes you tougher. We hiked another hour and then stopped for lunch. We had kicked up two flocks of turkeys that day so far.

It was kind of neat after you listen to the loud noise of the Cumberland River and then hike around a bend and it lies so peacefully that you could hear a mouse fart. We passed a swampy area where the ducks were lounging around and batches of small trees were growing like someone had a tree farm there.

We hiked up to road 1277, which is paved. We then followed that to Mouth of the Laurel boat ramp. There is an outhouse here. Marco can’t pass an outhouse.

From here you hike straight up out of the river gorge. You could see the clear water of the Laurel River mix with the dirty water of the Cumberland. It is strenuous. After you get out of the gorge, you hike an old roadbed through the woods over to the Laurel River Lake Dam. We stopped at a campsite on a creek in an evergreen grove just before you get to the dam. This turned out to be our coldest night so Troy put the magic in the campfire. We ate, took cough medicine and told lies. The last night on the trail and life was good.

The next morning after getting everything unthawed, including ourselves, we headed out. We made plans on meeting my parents at the Marina on Laurel River Lake. We hiked across the dam and took the trail around the lake. The trail is gravel all the way around and it is a beautiful park. When we got to where we could see the Marina we followed the lake trail around to it instead of hiking up across the road.

The Holly Bay Marina, www.hollybayMarina.com, is a really nice and clean place. The manager Randy is a super guy and not only let us stay in the warmth but he also made a fresh pot of coffee for us. Randy also offered a parking spot to use when we are hiking the trail. In the summer time they cook all sorts of food and in the winter they have pizza. Check them out and make sure you stop by when your hiking, if nothing else, to say hi.

Just to let you know, there are two marinas on the lake. Only the Holly Bay shows up on the Sheltowee Trace map. Mom and Dad found the only other one. As we waited on them at Holly Bay, they were waiting at the other one. Finally after asking enough questions, I figured out what happened and called the other marina to locate my parents.

On the way back, we stopped by the Cumberland Falls Resort Park again to show my parents the falls. After we ate lunch and my folks went home, we stopped by the ranger station on 27 to see what they had for information. After we found out that we knew more than they did, we got the opportunity to meet a real live archaeologist to ask him a couple of questions. We wanted to know the difference between an Indian rock house and an overhang. We also wanted to know the difference between an arch and a natural bridge. We found out what four years of college will teach you. They are the same thing with different terminology. ????????????? I was not impressed.

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