Welcome to the AppalachianTrailCafe.net!
Take a moment and register and then join the conversation

The Cumberland Trail

    This site uses cookies. By continuing to browse this site, you are agreeing to our Cookie Policy.

    • jimmyjam wrote:

      Traffic Jam wrote:

      Traffic Jam wrote:

      jimmyjam wrote:

      What are you using to measure mileage?
      My Suunto GPS watch.
      Apparently, several people in this particular group used Gaia. Ive been trying to figure out why the difference in mileage. I wondered if a change in time zone affects gps tracks (i dont think it does) so did some googling and found this... granted, its two years old. Maybe you smart people can explain this to me.outdoors.stackexchange.com/que…-inaccurate-for-distances
      Can you picture me with an antenna on top of my head while hiking? Bet that would generate a few interesting trail names.
      This is how Google Maps gets its trail images.
    • odd man out wrote:

      jimmyjam wrote:

      Traffic Jam wrote:

      Traffic Jam wrote:

      jimmyjam wrote:

      What are you using to measure mileage?
      My Suunto GPS watch.
      Apparently, several people in this particular group used Gaia. Ive been trying to figure out why the difference in mileage. I wondered if a change in time zone affects gps tracks (i dont think it does) so did some googling and found this... granted, its two years old. Maybe you smart people can explain this to me.outdoors.stackexchange.com/que…-inaccurate-for-distances
      Can you picture me with an antenna on top of my head while hiking? Bet that would generate a few interesting trail names.
      This is how Google Maps gets its trail images.
      Now that would be an interesting job. :)
      The road to glory cannot be followed with much baggage.
      Richard Ewell, CSA General
    • Traffic Jam wrote:

      Thinking about going back to eagle bluff to search for my glasses but not sure it’s worth it as I bought a new pair yesterday.

      Really need to go hiking, it’s been a rough weekend. Weather doesn’t look good on my days off though.
      Hope you have good hiking weather and find your glasses too. :)
      The road to glory cannot be followed with much baggage.
      Richard Ewell, CSA General
    • Astro wrote:

      Traffic Jam wrote:

      Thinking about going back to eagle bluff to search for my glasses but not sure it’s worth it as I bought a new pair yesterday.

      Really need to go hiking, it’s been a rough weekend. Weather doesn’t look good on my days off though.
      Hope you have good hiking weather and find your glasses too. :)
      The ‘coons probably stole my glasses.

      Big South Fork sounds fun. :)
      Lost in the right direction.
    • Traffic Jam wrote:

      Astro wrote:

      Traffic Jam wrote:

      Thinking about going back to eagle bluff to search for my glasses but not sure it’s worth it as I bought a new pair yesterday.

      Really need to go hiking, it’s been a rough weekend. Weather doesn’t look good on my days off though.
      Hope you have good hiking weather and find your glasses too. :)
      The ‘coons probably stole my glasses.
      Big South Fork sounds fun. :)
      Should be, look forward to seeing pictures.
      The road to glory cannot be followed with much baggage.
      Richard Ewell, CSA General
    • Hiked the incomplete McGill Creek section this morning. 2.4 mi in, then again back out. There's no map of it at the CT's .org website, but once you find the start of the trail through the overgrowth, it's well-blazed, and despite probably not getting much traffic, only a little of it is starting to get overgrown.

      I set 2 personal bests - average hiking speed just over 3 mph (based on the unofficial distance), and "most spider webs walked into." Yes, I flipped my poles in front of me regularly, but they don't get everything, and if you take a little break from that effort, yet keep walking, you'll be punished for it!

      Couple things worth noting. The McGill parking is just a turnoff area from a main road. IMO it's better to park at Graysville Mtn and walk to the TH. Also, there is a TH near McGill parking, but it just leads you back to Graysville Mtn TH parking. The actual McGill TH is on the other side of the bridge, barely visible through some overgrowth. And contrary to what the CT's .org website says, it did not appear to have a kiosk.

      This section is pretty well marked, and the trail is usually clear, and sometimes ATV-wide. Some overgrowth and blowdowns are starting to accumulate.
    • Another day, another CT segment ... or part of one, anyway.
      Parking for the partially-completed McGill section (pix above) is just a pull-off on a busy (for a rural area) road. Alternatively, one can park at nearby Graysville Mtn section and walk the 0.2 mi or so to the McGill trailhead. That's what I did.

      Today, I met up with Traffic Jam and we hiked part of the Graysville Section, from the southern trailhead (Roaring Creek - more like whimpering trickle) to Gilbreath Creek, 4.9 mi ... and then back. Water levels quite low all around. Most creeks were flowing, at some point, but much of their area was nearly still water.

      I had previously been as far as Cranmore Cove Overlook (3.0 mi) in late January one year. Today was rather warm, and that overlook faces east, so it was pretty toasty at that overlook all day. The elevation gain is said to be 900 feet, largely in an 0.8-mi stretch, but it didn't seem nearly that steep (that's a 21% grade). Perhaps there is more elevation gain beyond the point we hiked, and that figures in to the 900 ft.

      There were 3 really large blowdowns just before we got to Gilbreath Creek, and we nearly turned back, but were so close, we soldiered on. At Gilbreath Creek, I saw a large 95%-dead tree which will soon be the next big blowdown. It is poised to fall on a very nice lunchspot. Glad we won't be there when it happens.

      I drank 3L of water ... of which 1/2 was Gatorade. Yesterday I used DEET; today, picaridin. Both worked equally well. Carried a 22L daypack (REI's Stuff Travel Daypack). When I'm sweating that much, it's nice to not have a waistbelt. Glad it could handle the water weight (high of 90F, with a 10 mile hike and crappy water sources ... I actually carried nearly 4L).

      BTW, in the 8th photo, there are boulders trapped in those tree roots! Sorry there's nothing there for scale. This stuff was big!

    • Soak Creek Section

      Yesterday, the CTC and others held a celebration event commemorating the opening of a new section, Soak Creek, near Spring City, TN. The nearest adjacent sections are Stinging Fork Falls and Piney Creek. One odd thing about the ribbon-cutting and "grand opening" is that ... the section is not complete yet! Granted, tremendous work and progress has been done, but the simple fact is, the section is not complete.

      There was also confusion about how long the hike would be on this day ... 5 miles, then 2, then 7? Which end to start from? Depends on who you asked, when, and what people felt like doing in the moment. Soak Creek was flowing hard - maybe that affected things. We ended up going to the Stinging Fork Falls trailhead and starting there. After hiking down to the creek (about a mile), you turn left for Stinging Fork Falls, but can turn right and hike along (and above) the creek for about 2.5 miles of new trail, at which point you reach where the trail work crews are now. So it can be about a 7 mile in-out hike from Stinging Fork trailhead. Note, there will be some re-routing from the trailhead as well, so this just reflects where the trail is now. It's kind of confusing:

      cumberlandtrail.org/maps-and-g…l-segments/stinging-fork/

      The other end of the Soak Creek trail, by Piney TH, I have hiked some as well, a couple years ago. I'm not sure why we didn't start there, except maybe the creek was overflowing and flooding the trall.

      In any case, 7 miles makes a nice dayhike and I heartily recommend this area, esp. after some significant rainfall. The rushing water really adds to the ambience.

    • Obed Closed

      Been awhile since I posted in this thread, but just wanted to pass along that it appears the CT has finally closed the notorious Obed section (Alley Ford to Devil's Breakfast Table) for trail maintenance. I made 2 efforts from the Nemo Bridge area last year and each time the trail disappeared after Alley Ford but before Breakaway Bluff (my 2nd attempt got me an extra 100 yds or so). Arch Mountain is closed. Lawson Mountain is not yet closed but they say it's bad enough that you should navigate by GPS.

      On a positive note, it appears several miles of trail from Black Mountain to Ozone Falls is now open. There are also several miles of new trail for sections that are not yet complete. Many of the newest sections lack maps and point by point description on the cumberlandtrail.org website. But the newer the section, the easier to follow (usually). The point by point tends to be more critical where the trail is faint or hasn't had maintenance for awhile - waypoint features are critical to navigation there.
    • The Cumberland Trail celebrates 50 years on April 30 with a 9-hour event at "Head of Sequatchie Management Unit of the CT in Cumberland County, 9 miles south from Cumberland Mountain State Park."
      Info was sent out to TN Trails chapter heads and then on to members. I suspect it's open to all interested ... you could also get more info from the CT office in Caryville, 423-566-2229.
    • Time Zone and I met for an excellent, 10.5 mi hike of the Piney River section of the CT.

      It was a chilly start but we quickly warmed up and TZ had to tolerate my frequent stops for clothing adjustments. We ended up with gorgeous weather and temps in the 70’s.

      I really enjoyed seeing the early spring wildflowers, lots of Fiddleheads, Trillium, and Violets, and enjoyed the great company.

      The trail wasn’t too difficult, and was well maintained and marked. I checked the route on Gaia a few times but we were always on trail.

      The Cumberland Trail has redeemed itself.
      Images
      • 432D3057-E9E6-4BF3-9426-79FACCBC2836.jpeg

        170 kB, 800×600, viewed 68 times
      • E0696C96-F8D9-402E-AD1E-8B9E1190E2E2.jpeg

        225.58 kB, 800×600, viewed 297 times
      • C24D373C-2EB9-4CE2-9571-EDE3BE6B46E3.jpeg

        235.85 kB, 690×600, viewed 77 times
      • 89059DC9-A914-48AB-82BF-6D2C4C5E6A2B.jpeg

        336.73 kB, 800×600, viewed 74 times
      • E5267489-4049-4E19-8634-412BA7B2F3D0.jpeg

        341.07 kB, 800×600, viewed 73 times
      • 0717AF2C-ADFC-459A-ABF7-FC3F0A7B6C64.jpeg

        342.16 kB, 800×600, viewed 72 times
      • 692DB07D-A9FD-48B6-86CF-1E2000609AB3.jpeg

        188.67 kB, 524×600, viewed 67 times
      • 2F9AAF0F-182E-4B69-A4BE-5879FCDC5C21.jpeg

        227.44 kB, 548×600, viewed 71 times
      Lost in the right direction.
    • Yep, TJ had that app working well and it was a comfort to have as backup. We had the turn-by-turn trail description but seldom referred to it. There are a few signs along the way, naming features, so you could use those as indicators of your progress. As I recall, there was only one time where the trail wasn't clearly apparent - it was just a lower-lying area around a blowdown that had become slightly overgrown. Most of the trail is well-worn, and it's pretty well-marked too, by CT standards anyway. [If only all sections were as well-worn and marked!] The trail was often fairly smooth and soft underfoot - not as rocky and rooty as many, and that makes a huge difference. None of the ascents or descents last for all that long nor are they steep.

      The section is only 8.5 miles, but we added a 1.9 mi roadwalk from Stinging Fork Falls TH to get to Newby Branch TH. Only high-clearance vehicles can safely navigate Forest Camp Rd down to Newby Branch TH, and even then it can be so narrow at times that you risk gouging the side of your vehicle. Now, it turns out there was a pulloff area at the intersection of Forest Camp Rd with Shut in Gap Rd, with room for 1 vehicle that would have cut 1.3 mi of that roadwalk out. But I didn't know about it, and also I didn't know whose land it was on and whether it was permissible to park there. So to me, it's just as well unless I could have verified those things in advance.

      The forest has been clearcut north of Shut in Gap Rd around the Stinging Fork Falls TH. Very stark and startling, I did not like the "new look."

      I'm sure TJ had to endure more stops for my "natural breaks" than I did for her layering adjustments. In my defense, I'm over 50 and I tried to stay hydrated. :)
    • Excellent report from TZ but he forgot to mention the most important part…the cookie exchange.

      He brings homemade cookies on our hikes and shares them. Even though I told him that I was bringing the cookies this time, he still brought some. They were all delicious! Mine were the lunchtime cookies, his were the driving home/recovery cookies.

      My new trail name is Will Hike For Cookies!
      Lost in the right direction.

      The post was edited 1 time, last by Traffic Jam ().