Dowsing and Fun hike @ Mingus Mill

 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?

Mile up Mingus @ Rifle Range practice range for Rangers 

O.R. gals 

Leaders Jim Sarah Glen Missy Patty Lloyd Ray
(regina already up at cemetery) 

Burrells Roxy and Lynn 

Patty & dowsing rods mnt man Glen looking on 

Cov gals Missy April (RN Parkwest) Sharon 

Laurel Falls & Beyond

  tis the season to hit the trail !

  Every October I help lead hikes for Friends of the Smokies to get folks fit while having fun and raising funds for Friends of the Great Smoky Mountain National Park.  The call Center where I work @ Covenant Health say some folks start calling in in August asking "is the list out yet? can I sign up"

Josie (hiker/nurse) Julie and me

sponsors Sam Curtis (Farm Bureau) w/ wife Jody (far right)
w/ crew heading up to tower

Ralph (88) & his hike bud Phyllis Henry
Ralph and Dot Egli & Mountain Laurel Chalets long time sponsor

two sweet buds Jan and Mary Bond

part of the gang at falls

falls a popular spot watch your footing though

above falls many tall giants from old growth forest

great lunch bench

intersection w greenbrier ridge 

Me seeing fast Phil on his way back down

And we sometimes have a waiting list and they all pay 20 dollars per hike!  Why?   Friends of the Smokies does so much to keep our GSMNP such a spectacular place to visit ! and if you don't explore out on the trails you don't capture it's unique beauty.    And we end up making new friendships while enjoying seeing some regulars each season too!   First hike of Fall and Spring is relatively easy and we appreciate the Park allowing some of their VIP volunteers to go along too.  Regina from Cosby campground and Bill from Laurel Falls patrol both joined us and we had a great day!   Here are some snapshots of the walk up to Laurel falls on paved (sometimes rough) trail and then up past falls a mile plus to Greenbrier trail intersection and up thru old growth trees to Cove Mnt trail and to see the old fire tower at the top!

Ride back in time to Leiperts Fork off Natchez

 I love the Natchez Trace,  Beautiful scenery, few cars and lots of history along the 443 miles.

 With my oldest running a Cross Country meet for Lady vols in Edwin Warner park (nashville) I thought "wow right down street is Natchez Trace I'd love to bike"    My good buddy Sharon Spezia has a daughter in Mt Juliet so we both said lets go.  

Get off I 40 on far west side of Nashville at Natchez Trace parkway (McCory lane) exit and take a left
When this goes to HI Way 100 you see Lovelace Restarurant on the left plus the Trace bike shop
This was perfect as the food is so good there (biscuits) and Trace bike shop quick to fix a flat tire on sharon's bike, we were set.  

Even with dark clouds Sharon was eager to get going and we did about 30 miles and I pointed out a plea to turn around that is close to Leiperts Fork exit.    I said "my sister said it was a neat old town an snow an "in place" as far as arts, music etc.  

It was a neat little spot only about 1.5 miles off parkway and worth the stop.  We ware mad we only had 2 dollars between us as the diners there looked great.

Then after getting back on parkway we went out a few more miles then turned around.

On way back we stopped long enough to get water and also some cool shots of the bridge and Sharon's bike.  

It is great destination and I recommed going with money as we really wanted to taste some good ole southern food.

Top part of Natchez Trace   Nice road, little traffic

view from bridge 

Hey it says 1 mile Lieperts Fork lets go 

Sharon & Bella before we climbed back up to PW

Cute shops and diners 

Cool outdoor concert area 

sharon hitching ride w/ General Lee

Missy Sharon Clampit 

Big Fun @ Big Ridge

We had the biggest crowd, and had the "biggest" fun of our summer series at Big Ridge State Park

  This state Park is just 12 miles off the exit to Norris (take right) so it only takes about 35 min from k town to arrive at this 3,000 + acre park.   It has 15 miles of trails, and camp sites, nice cabins, boating and swim beach area too.   

We first stopped right off I 75 at my friend and dentist office Dr. Michael Beeler (masterpiece smiles) as I had told him and his daughter Tori that I'd be out that way this summer and they said to stop by and they'd make us some goody bags.  We all got goodie bag of healthy snacks, water and then some dental health products too! 

 Then down the road 11 miles and follow brown signs to Big Ridge    At the main visitor center there Ranger Dereck Wilson met us with RAMBLER the state park mascot who is a lot fitter than before!

He is on a health campaign to get himself and other kids and families fit by hiking, biking, and here enjoying some swimming.

Then he took our 38 folks and 3 dogs on Lakeside loop where we stopped at an old graveyard and then hit the Ghost trail loop, then ended up by the Grist mill area and back to the swimming/visitor area where we started.   About 4.5 mile hike and some of us and the kids really enjoyed a nice swim in the nice clear Norris water.  

Y'all need to check out this state park & the other local trails and parks we have thru Legacy Parks & Knox City and County parks

Next hike I'll be leading is Aug 25th Fort Dickerson as part of the Knoxfest outdoor adventure weekend.   8:45 lower new parking lot off Augusta Way to sign up call 541-4500 at my office at Covenant Health  and more info on the weekend event www.outdoorknoxville.com

Got muddy had fun on new Ross Marble and Forks of River trails

Kids just like playing in the mud

and yes we are Kids at heart 

A little mud couldn't deter a few of our Local Trail hikers from coming out and playing on some new trails.   The scheduled Wednesday hike had us doing a one way hike where we were parking at Forks of River (close to ijams) then driving around off Island Home to the back side of Forks of the River off Burnett Creek rd.    
   But with the rain 90% in the forecast I emailed the group and said I'll be there but don't blame you for bailing out of this hike.  Six of us showed up and decided to head to Meads Quarry where we caught the Dr. Bob show crew filming a spot for Knoxville City Parks about getting out and paddle boarding on the pretty quarry pond.   It was raining, we had our Covenant Senior Health Ponchos on so we headed out new ross marble area to even newer trails that wind around some neat rock areas to south side  road off Sevierville Pike. There you cross the road and are now on new trails in an old park called Marie Myers.  This trails eventually lead across a small road where you are in Hastie Park.  We turned around in Marie Myers as the recent storm had left some blow downs along the way.... but as you can see we still had fun while getting fit!  (we said harder workout with all the mud on our shoes)

Carrie & Brenda new hike buds
Carrie helps on many hikes as a PT with TOC 

 

So the next week we did the original plan and did a fun one way hike from the very backside of Forks of the River Wildlife Refuge area of Burnett Creek road and wound around along the trails close to the river where you can see Sea Ray Boat factory across the way.  There is good shade and it is amazing all the new trails that Brian Hann and the Appalachian Mountain Bike Club are creating in there. The sunflowers along the old farm road close to the parking lot were past their prime but we still managed to get a few shots!      Elle Colquit was with us on this hike and explained a little more about her role with Legacy Parks and the new Outdoor Knoxville Center down by the river.  She is the one who is managing the GREAT new www.outdoorknoxville.com website  and it is so neat to go on the site and find fun outdoor activities like hikes, bikes, paddling etc you can do around Knoxville and outlying areas.  Elle is also the co-writer of the local biking hiking books  www.miniadventureseries.com

crew staring out back of Forks of River
off Burnett Creek road 

New Trails AMB club making 

old road bed close to Parking lot off McClure road at
Forks of River Wildlife management area 

Sunflower field almost dried up my little guy Rocky enjoyed the hike 

some of ate @ the Round up afterwards
Bitsy my neighbor celebrating B day so
got the door prize WBIR mug

To make sure you are on my local email list for hikes call 541-4500
and I also keep a Get on Trail Friends of Smokies list too