IHC Hike 6: Grapeyard Ridge

 

• Departure: Leave Baskins Creek Trailhead at 9:10; Reach Baskins Cemetery at 9:45; End Baskins Creek Trail at 10:40; Start Grapeyard Ridge Trail at 11; Break from 12:10-12:20 at Jct with old trail to stables; reach steam engine at 1:15; Greenbrier at 2:35.
• Trails: Baskins Creek Trail (off Cherokee Orchard Rd)  (2.7 miles) to Grapeyard Ridge Trail (ends near Greenbrier Ranger Station) (7.6 miles).
• Total Mileage: 10.3 miles, plus spur trail to Baskins Cemetery
• Sites of Interest: Baskins Cemetery, Cole Cabin & Barn, Wrecked Steam Engine
• Wildlife: Reported bear den; possible bear cub scat (bear form, but runny); coyote scat

Date: 3-18-2006

Hikers: Steve, Dave, Scott, Andy 

Abrams Creek - Troop 88

 

• Route: Cooper Rd Trail to Hatcher Mtn Trail to Little Bottoms Trail.
• Total Mileage: Day 1: 8 miles; Day 2: 3.1 miles
• Time Table: 3-11-2006--Leave Abrams Creek Ranger Station at 9am, Goldmine Gap by 10:15, Hatcher Mtn Jct at 11:20; Lunch Break till noon; Reach Little Bottoms Trail by 1:05pm; Rest at Jct until 2:05; Reach campsite 17 at 2:25.3-12-2006--Leave campsite 17 on Little Bottoms Trail to Cooper Rd Trail (Andy: 7:52-9am).
• Points of Interest: Abrams Creek
• Wildlife: Dead sub-adult queen snake on road from Ranger Station, southern toad on Hatch Mtn Trail; Coyote scat 

Date: 3-11 to 3-12-2006

Hikers: Ian Brown, Kevin Brown, Steve, Andy, David Price, Fred French, Keith H.

IHC Hike #5: Old Sugarlands

 

• Route: Twin Creeks Trail (.2 miles); Cherokee Orhcard Road (.9 miles); Old Sugarlands Trail (3.9 miles(
• Total Mileage: 5 miles
• Time Table: (times are approximate) Leave Maryville at 7:15, arrive at Greenbrier at 9:45; Drop car at Sugarlands at 10:15; Drop car at Twin Creeks 10:30; Move car to Noah "Bud" Ogle place 10:45; Reach trailhead by foot around 11:15; Arrive at Sugarlands VC around 1.
• Description: Road at Greenbrier closed, Newfound Gap Rd closed, Twin Creek Trail closed, Cherokee Orchard Trail closed by the time we finished. Sleet turning to snow early in the morning. By the time we left Sugarlands VC at 1 NPS was preparing to close Laurel Creek Rd and Little River Road.  Gentle downhill slope. Wide trail. Muddy at times.
• Points of Interest: Tons of cultural artifacts, homesites, etc. Sugarlands Cemetery (we didn't take the side trip)
• Wildlife: 8 turkeys crossing the trail near the road to Sugarlands cemetery. Turkey scat, tracks. American Woodcock on Cherokee Orchard Rd (which we originally mistook for a snipe). 

Date: 2-18-2006

Hikers: Steve, Dave, Andy
IHC Trek #5