Biggest Winners joined the Fun w Friends & Missy Hike

The Biggest Winner Wt Loss Challenge for Covenant Health Knoxville Marathon might be over but the team is still striving to stay fit and healthy while losing more wt.   Kelsey Godfrey  was awarded "Biggest Winner" for her 35 pds + wt loss, regular attendance to Dietician/strength meetings at Cov Wt Management Center and FSHFC while having Coach Missy and KTC training folks help her along the way. She also lost inches and gained muscle while taking off over 35 minutes on her half marathon time.

She along with team mate Wyatt Hall *lost 20 pds and showed 28 pds of fat loss on Cov Special wt scales also joined in the fun at our Get on Trail with Friends and Missy hikes.   The 58 folks carpooled to Smokemont then hiked along Bradley Fork trail which runs along two pretty rivers/creeks while bathed in an abundance of wildflowers.   The groups did 6-13 miles and a large group including Kelsey and Wyatt went out 5.6 miles to end of Cabin Flats and campsite 49.   Then Kelsey Missy Andy the intern and Sharon Spezia cut off Bradley Fork to Smokemont loop on return to add 4 more on (total 13.5)    *kelsey & wyatt w/ missy left



Smokemont loops was very steep in places so not a beginner type of hike



While Bradley Fork trail is nice and gentle and wide.  There are numerous ruts as it is often used by horses, but safe with nice bridges to cross etc.

Over the last 11 years this program "Get on Trail w/ Friends & Missy" has raised over 100,00 from the 15 per hike the hikers give, to the sponsors who support this program. Thanks Friends Staff,

Rangers of GSMNP, News Sentinel, Home Federal, Blue Ridge Mnt Sports, Mountain Laurel Chalets & Ralph, Farm Bureau (sam curtis) Fontana Resort, The Track, East Tn PBS

I also have lots of pictures of spring hikes on Facebook  (missy kane bemiller)

fit and fun adventure at silver comet and cheif ladiga trails

BOy I wish we had long bike trail like silver comet and cheif ladiga trail that goes from Atlanta to Anniston Alabama (100 miles)

   We did the trip this way
  Jerry Owens (Wbir old bud) wanted to do 40plus so we drove to Cedartown ga and it only took 2:55 to get there thru rome ga.    CArol Osborne and martha winkler and janie sharpe and patti grady wanted to do 20-30 so they drove down I-59 and cut over to piedmont ala and they started there about 5 min before we biked by the depot.  In piedmont (the depot)  it is a cute visitor center  with ladies playing bridge and older gents helping to be host to bikers coming thru.    It is about 23 miles from cedartown and 12 miles past the state line where the silver comet turns into chief ladiga trail     We all headed to anniston ala where my hubby and daughter grace met us and we all stayed at Victoria Inn    a neat place built in 1800's but new part all added on to it.  Man did they have good food. But missy had to shop at family dollar next door first. as she had left two ladies bags in wrong car still inK town!!! they didn't have any clothes to change too.    ha

  NExt day I rode tandem bike with hubby and 3 others from end to piedmont and we met janie and patii and gracie there.. good cafe in town for smoothies and food.    Gracie and dad did tandem 23 miles while I got on road bike with others.   after 10 miles or more three of us turned around and got the cars to drive to cedartown while others biked on.

  We went to nice holiday inn express and gracie got to swim (instead of shower) and we all went to rockmart 12 miles away and ate at FRANKIES it is great and right on trail ...... great breadsticks pizza calzone etc etc and she loves for bikers to sign her wall.

   4 of us who stayed over and biked more on silver comet (cooters lake and tressel) ate lunch there the following day    AND they have good consignment shops too for you shoppers!

Greenways in Knoxville

7 islands wildlife refuge trails then off to tuckahoe market for lunch

 Seven Islands is such an interesting spot for a hike, and the dogs just love going out there.  It is off kodak road and most folks get there by going interstate and get off Midway exit and follow signs to Wildlife refuge area.   There are some new signs and at the parking lot before heading up the hill you can see list of all the birds who inhabit this sanctuary.   The mowed trails are easy to follow and up 300 yards there is a great spot for views and new sign showing you which mountain is LeConte etc.  We headed out a loop then by Shumperts pond.  Looking down to the fields below we could see a planned burn with workers down below.  We could still head out the short trail that goes to a point where at one time you could see an Eagle nest, but today we didn't find it.  We cut our river trail short due to the controlled burn, we headed across to refurbished white farm house and cut to dirt trails thru the woods back down to the water.  After coming thru the woods we walked along water to the boat launch where buddies like Ed McCalister often take paddlers down to have some fun on the French Broad.   AFter our 4 miles we headed to Tuckahoe market on Kodak.  It is a little store with a grill in the back and good home cooked food.  www.legacyparks.org has links to parks/wildlife refuges around the area.  Next time I need to brush up on my bird knowledge as there are hundreds of different types out at Seven Islands.

River Bluff and Ross Marble .. Legacy Parks adding great new trails

Got to hit some local new trails this week.  River Bluff trails will be a spectacular park.  Legacy Parks Foundation have secured this land for Knoxville City parks and rec and there is 70 acres of land with two ponds, and the best view around.  Still needing more funds to make this all happen so go to www.legacyparks.org if you want to find out more about donating or being a Friend.  As part of the Board I enjoy taking groups out to all of our area trails especially ones like River Bluff where folks eyes get big and jaws drop at the beauty and the fact that "this is right in the middle of Knoxville". Got to hike with some folks before a Legacy Park board meeting Wednesday then today (thursday) after our Greenway/trails committe meeting took some new board members and friends of Legacy out to meade quarry where behind this area the App Mountain Bike club has worked so hard to open up miles and miles of new trails (Ross Marble)  Kids will love these trails as there is a "key hole" where you walk thru big rocks and an area looking like sand dunes.  Then Karen and I headed to more new trails off this area that wind around in the woods and can come out and hop over to Will Skelton Trail and Forks of the river Trails which has so many options for hikers and bikers (be careful though as it is hunting area too during certain times of the year.a 

www.legacyparks.org   And remember the Knoxville Urban Challenge Adventure Race April 16th Plus a Citizens Race for every day folks who want a little adventure without being a 5 hour challenge.  Ijams the hub of check in, activities for kids, party afterwards etc.  

Thanks to WBIR Jerry Owens and John Becker for coming out to shoot some footage and interview Brian Hann about all the hard work (AMB club) is doing to help Legacy Parks and our local greenway/trails in and around Knoxville 

Our Local trails are great for short fit workouts

Missy Sharon Beth Carol Jenni and one of Beth's dogs lucky
This is  on the west side overlook  (pic by carl loy) 

Tara and Carol Osborne 

Abby howling for joy w/ me and Rocky

View from north side Loop is about 3 + miles 

During the winter months, I often try to hit some local trails w/ buddies and former Get on Track walkers.  Many who have been in my classes are now fit and like to explore new trails in the winter. And once you get out there moving, even a cold 25 degree day feels fine with a few layers. Plus the trails are usually out of the wind and seem not to be so blustery.  Last week we hit one of our area's best hikes, House Mountain. This is out Rutledge pikc past East Knox elementary and you'll see a brown sign saying House Mountain State park.  YOu turn left and then another left and you'll see the parking lot.  They now have a picnic area (covered) and a nice new porta potty.  Most usually go up on west side and go clockwise.. It is a tough little climb of 3/4 mile but once you come to a big rock where you can look out back over Knoxville it is worth your effort. Then you can cut across the top for half mile and go past the trail sign to head back to the parking lot and keep going east.   You come across a really huge rock that overlooks to the north and down on many pretty farms.   A little past this lookout there is another one that often has a nice big American flag flying.  These two areas are great spots for a snack and kids love the hike too.  We take our dogs (on leashes) and they had a grand time last week.  It was a little muddy so I usually keep extra shoes on hand and towels as my dogs also were very dirty. But a little dirt was well worth the fun views and fitness gained by traveling over to House Mountain.  Next week we are hitting the new River Bluff trails on Cherokee Trails.  If you'd like on my local hiking email list call 541-4500.  The Covenant Call Center can help get you on my local trails hiking list, or Get on Trails w/ Friends of the Smokies lists or on my biking email list.
Happy Trails