While Bailey was at camp today, Jodie and I took Myers on his first hiking trip. We left from the Metcalf Bottoms Picnic Area (between the Y and Gatlinburg) and hiked the Metcalf Bottoms Trail to the Little Greenbrier Schoolhouse (1.4 miles roundtrip. On the way we saw stone walls and steps, indicative of old homesites, a cherry scented millipede (hint: don't eat cherry scented animals--the cherry smell comes from cyanide), scads of the dreaded hemlock woolly adelgid and several dead hemlock saplings left in their wake, evidence of pine bark beetles, the Middle Prong of Little River, and, of course, the Greenbrier Schoolhouse and cemetery. If you ever want to get an idea of how infant mortality rates have improved over the past 100-150 years, walk through this cemetery. It makes me feel blessed that our children have survived to 14 months and to 6 years.
- Route: Metcalf Bottoms Trail to Little Greenbrier Schoolhouse (.7, .7)
- Total Mileage: 1.4 miles
- Highlights: Myers's first hike (while Bailey was stomping in the river at Camp Wesley Woods); hemlocks decimated by woolly adelgids, cyanide laced millipedes, taking pictures of Myers near a stone wall and stairs leading to an old homesite
Hikers: Andy, Jodie, Myers (his 1st hike!)
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