Most of you know I love to hike and that I have missed several lately because of my shoulder 
operation. You also now how I hated that I missed one with Dragons just last week, so Friday I made up for it!
The eight of us, 4 Dragons and 4 Knights, hiked a portion of the Grand Gap Loop in the Brandy Creek area, of the Big South Fork National River and Recreational Area, near Oneida, Tennessee. I would bet you that the small animals have only started working their way back into the canyon area today. There was more cackling going on than in a flight of black crows! I actually stopped once to try and determine if what I was hearing back down the trail were crows or my wife and her three sisters!
The Knights had a tendency to move out ahead of the Dragons, not simply to get away from them so we could hear the wildlife, but because we are a little more seasoned at hiking. So, every now and then we would stop and wait for them get into view, before heading off again. The return trip ended up being, one Knight and one Dragon, for the most part, stopping frequently to rest and help each other up the ladders.
The goal was to make it to Fall Branch Falls, about 2 miles, before doubling back to the parking lot for a picnic. We were probably on the trail about three hours. There was a lot of rock formations to exam, some wildflowers, and, of course, the falls to photograph. The trail itself is fairly level, with two places where you have to descend ladders to transfer from a higher trail to a lower one.
The rocky outcrops took thousands of years to form and they were laid down in easily discernable strata, some being deposited in opposite directions. The water running round and over the formations cut many hydraulic holes and other designs in the various strata over the
eons.
It was a good day, but the temperature on the cool side. It was perfect for the hike, but when we tried to settle in for some food and beer, we ate as if we were starved so we could get back in the vehicles and warm up!
Click on the shots above to see a larger view, and there are more photos at Flickr!
operation. You also now how I hated that I missed one with Dragons just last week, so Friday I made up for it!
The eight of us, 4 Dragons and 4 Knights, hiked a portion of the Grand Gap Loop in the Brandy Creek area, of the Big South Fork National River and Recreational Area, near Oneida, Tennessee. I would bet you that the small animals have only started working their way back into the canyon area today. There was more cackling going on than in a flight of black crows! I actually stopped once to try and determine if what I was hearing back down the trail were crows or my wife and her three sisters!
The Knights had a tendency to move out ahead of the Dragons, not simply to get away from them so we could hear the wildlife, but because we are a little more seasoned at hiking. So, every now and then we would stop and wait for them get into view, before heading off again. The return trip ended up being, one Knight and one Dragon, for the most part, stopping frequently to rest and help each other up the ladders.
The goal was to make it to Fall Branch Falls, about 2 miles, before doubling back to the parking lot for a picnic. We were probably on the trail about three hours. There was a lot of rock formations to exam, some wildflowers, and, of course, the falls to photograph. The trail itself is fairly level, with two places where you have to descend ladders to transfer from a higher trail to a lower one.
The rocky outcrops took thousands of years to form and they were laid down in easily discernable strata, some being deposited in opposite directions. The water running round and over the formations cut many hydraulic holes and other designs in the various strata over the
eons.It was a good day, but the temperature on the cool side. It was perfect for the hike, but when we tried to settle in for some food and beer, we ate as if we were starved so we could get back in the vehicles and warm up!
Click on the shots above to see a larger view, and there are more photos at Flickr!
See ya on the trail!
