WHITE OAK SINKS HIKE

Saturday’s forecast was for snow, so we decided to hike along the School House Gap Trail in the Smoky Mountains and then veer left off onto the lesser traveled, and unmarked, White Oak Sinks Trail. We had been on this trail before, but because we had already done a six-mile run, we turned around and headed back without tackling the steep climb into and out of the “Sinks” valley. However, Saturday, a visit to the valley floor was our express goal.

School House Gap is a steady climb of between 20 and 30-degree grades in its self, but its nothing compared to what is to come. Once you leave the wide trail and start out along the footpath trail of White Oak Sinks, you soon come to where the path splits and both take you to the top of a mountain rim that rings a small valley below.

The left fork of the footpath takes you to steep decent of between 30 and 50-degree grades, and the path meanders for nearly a mile to the valley floor. The right fork takes you to the top of a mountain backdrop for the falls and ends at a steep drop off of between 60 and 70-degrees.

We decided the steep climb out near the falls would be brutalizing, but the quickest way out of the valley. As you ascend the dirt, rocks, and roots to the top, you are literally moving on your hands and feet – it is that steep! My chest heaved as I grasped for saplings, clinging while I recovered. I moved up the hill at a snails pace, but once I was on top, drank some water, and hacked my lungs free of mucus, I recovered and moved on, rewarding myself with the thought that I had avoided the mile longer agony of the other trail.

Years ago, several families lived in the valley and the story goes that the children walked up out of the valley each day to walk on to the school in Cades Cove. Once you have climbed out of the valley once, you have a great respect for these children.

The valley now is beautiful, with rocky outcrops at two ends, a cave where bats are protected by a steel grid guarding their home, boar traps can be seen in different locations, and a spectacular falls that disappear into the mouth of a cave. The icicles that decorate the falls this time of year make it worth the hike effort.

Check out how we recovered at Mushy's Cookings!

See you on the trail!

SACRED TEARS

In a fascinating park called Spring Park, in the beautiful little town of Tuscumbia, Alabama, sits “Sacred Tears” a monument to the Cherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw, and Seminole people that marched through this area on their way to Oklahoma on November 30, 1827. Some 90,000 Indian people were relocated during the 1830’s. The good people of Tuscumbia no doubt saved many lives through their generosity in giving food and clothing to Native Americans as they passed.

The monument was dedicated in September of 2003 and was funded by the motorcyclists who participate in the “Trail of Tears Commemorative Motorcycle Ride” and the Alabama-Tennessee Trail of Tears Corridor Association. The cast bronze statue is eight feet tall and weighs a ton. The model was Kristin Harrison of Sheffield, Alabama and was created by Branko Medenica.

Notice the tear on the cheek of the Indian woman holding a baby in one arm as the other rest on a cross of a deceased loved one.

Cold Water Falls stands as a backdrop to the “Scared Tears” statue and is the world’s largest man-made natural stone waterfall. The falls are 80 feet wide and 48 feet tall.