The Get on Trail w/ Friends and Missy got a treat for hike number two this Oct season.
Not only is Mingus Mill area next to Oconoluftee a neat area to view the old mill which still is making corn meal and flour, it has some great trails and off trails to cemeteries close by. And we had the treat of having some Dowsing experts with us to lead our group. While Vol Ranger Jim Burbank and Retired ranger Ray Sellers was showing half of the group the old slave cemetery the other half walked with GSMNP ranger Lloyd Luekins and Mountain Man Glen Cantrell over to the mill.
Regina a vol ranger from Cosby as well as Patty Edwards from Gatlinburg also helped explain to the groups about dowsing. It is not hocus pocus but even in recent years utility companies have crews out with dowsing rods (light wt rod/wires) to try to detect water and of course they are famous for finding bodies too. You could easily see and feel (when using yourself) the rods move towards each other and cross over graves. Patty had a book about it telling us to be ware that jewelry and cell phones on your person could block the connections etc. We hiked up the nice wide Mingus trail a mile or more then saw the sign to cemeteries. The small bridges are pretty but also Extremely slippery so be careful. After the 2nd bridge Jim pointed out an area where folks say there is old graves hidden and sure enough, Glen Cantrell and patty's rods were moving a lot and Glen remarked "must have been a violent death or murder" Of course this got everyone's attention. :)
Further up the trail it got little steeper and the end there was a old gravesite with many old markers .. One said Mathis and Glen explained that was big family in the area that had a farm close by. Most returned back to the parking lot while some of us headed up further on Mingus trail to the Deep Low Gap trail intersection making for about an 8 mile hike.
Might be a neat spot to explore around Halloween for fun and don't forget to stop by the Mill as they had lots of christmas packaging you can buy to send loved ones presents. Maybe it keeps the old grave site bones happy too to keep the mill active and vibrant?
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| Mile up Mingus @ Rifle Range practice range for Rangers |
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| O.R. gals |
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Leaders Jim Sarah Glen Missy Patty Lloyd Ray
(regina already up at cemetery) |
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| Burrells Roxy and Lynn |
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| Patty & dowsing rods mnt man Glen looking on |
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| Cov gals Missy April (RN Parkwest) Sharon |
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