Hike Paddle Fun at Concord Park & Cove

bike riders call out and we move out of the way
we need to thank App Mountain bike club for making so many nice trails

yummy asparagus for lunch 

jenny and I split asparagus and salad which was perfect

next to paddle boarding @ the cove first on the knees

then in minutes you are ready to stand up

gracie and reilly liked the tandem way

Concord Trails keep getting better with new features. We met up by the Par Three Golf Course and saw that the new Dog Park is almost finished with some new restrooms etc.  We hiked the main loop trail and then added on a lake loop and inner loop for about a 4 mile hike. Then 4 of us hit Lakeside Tavern next door for a yummy early lunch.   Lightly fried asparagus and salad were perfect.   Next I met Gracie and her buddies w/ moms at THE COVE down the street.  RiverSports Outfitters have a satellite rental there. We got 3 boards and Leslie a hike buddy got a kayak     And in 5 minutes all were up and paddling in the nice smooth cove.    They loved it and it is a great place to start out.

Great View, great workout Frozen Head tower

 Frozen Head State park is really so much closer than you think. We met up at panera bread close to Cedar Bluff and got to trail head in 50 minutes.   The visitor center there is really nice and they have maps, t shirts and nice clean bathrooms.   We chose a loop to get up to the tower off the old mac trails.  We went up old south mac trail and it was pretty but PRETTY tough steady climb to the top 2.7 miles but felt like 3 at least.  Then we walked up to a junction that shows to turn right to walk up old road to the tower.  Yes tower worth it but the half mile seemed longer and again pretty steep.  Gracie B my 11 year old a TrOOPER to do this with her old mom.    Flowers really pretty and we saw sweet doe up there too.   YOu can tell in spring these trails would be busting out with tons of wildflowers.   We did see some pretty bee balm etc
Most of the crew came down the north mac trail which is longer lie 3.5 but they said it was not so rocky and they liked it. Gracie B and I had to come down same way due to mom having a meeting and she did a great job on this almost 8 mile hike.

we went PPWay thru Oak Ridge, Oliver springs then follow signs to Frozen Head

Two new fun easy hikes Morningside & new harvest

We launched our Get on Local Trails w/ Missy & Legacy Parks at their new offices at the Outdoor Knoxville Center down by Ruth Chris    What a cool site for meetings, events, outdoor fun etc.
You can check out mnt bikes, paddle boards, kyack's etc from Riversports located there.   We hikes on James White greenway which goes along the water .75 miles to McWhorter park under South knox bridge.  There you can see signs to point you under James white parkway along a side walk then to a greenway on far side.  This greenway takes you to Morningside park which is so much bigger than we all remembered. There is lots of shade and paths and we saw folks playing disc golf etc.  A few nice playgrounds and pavilions then we turned around the the huge Alex Haley Statue    We reminded the new knoxvillians and kids who Alex Haley was (author of beloved Roots) and how he lived awhile in Henning Tenn. then chose to live the past years of his life in Norris community.  

Week later we met at the new Harvest Park over on the northwest side of Knoxville Center close to the Target Shopping area. It has two short nice paved greenways one around a pretty pond and one that is around the park and KID Friendly SPLASH PAD which is well used on these hot summer days.   WE did a few laps then added some strength work and planks etc and headed up behind the park on a trail that leads up to a ridge and to woods above the park. It says half mile loop but we all looked at our pedometer and think it is more like a mile plus   It is a nice trail but like many trails has some poison ivy to wear longer socks etc if you are allergic.  Allison from WBIR and Fox 43 joined us and broadcast live from the trail which was a fun kick off to our hike that day.

Gregory Bald worth the long climb

June is the time to go up to Gregory Bald out of Cades Cove, but really any time of year you can get in a hike up there is worth the long climb.  There are several ways to go.  We made a loop by driving around the Cades Cove rd and little past Abrams falls turn and visitor center you go straight off the road and can drive up to a trail head for Gregory Bald Ridge Trail.    We left cars there then piled in 3 cars and drove the little bumpy Parsons Branch ONE WAY road 3 miles to the other Gregory Bald Trail and started there. 4.0 miles up you come to campsite on the right then soon see the sign *yeah! to go left .5 up to the grassy bald field.  The last half mile is tough.  And I was leading some of the Knox County teachers who had done well in the E wellness event this spring and as Covenant Health was part of their program (sponsor) I said I'd take some teachers up on a nice tough hike.   Ha a few were questioning their eager volunteering to come on this challenge!   This is not an easy hike.  But as I told a few teachers who were not really hikers at all but who had been exercising on a regular basis, as long as you are doing good aerobic exercises, like walking, biking etc it helps you get thru tough hikes.  They all did a fabulous job and were rewarded with spectacular views at the top!   Bonnie Harlow a 2009 Covenant Health Biggest Winner member for Cov health knoxville marathon, my hubby jim and co worker Nancy Harrison and friends so enjoyed the clear blue skies and bright flaming Azailias ..  They came early this year and will prob be all faded buy the end of june. But the Rhododendron is already blooming so even then and early july will be pretty too.  It is about a mile across the top then we went down the far side 5.0 miles to our cars to make it a loop.  We then caught a ride in two cars that took some of us back on Parson's Branch road and out to 129.   Even tho that is the DRAGON we only had to do 4-5 miles of it before we came down to the flat part of 129 and cut across foothills parkway back home.  Our friends who went thru the rest of Cades Cove loop road said cars were backed up trying to see bears so we beat them back home.www.covenanthealth.com/missykane