Hiking and Trails

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My Recent Smoky Mountain Hikes

• Deep Creek Area Waterfalls 7/29/08
  All of these waterfalls are fairly easy to reach from Deep Creek Campground in Bryson City, NC - just follow the Deep Creek Campground signs- Tom Branch Falls, Indian Creek Falls and Juney Whank Falls
  Deep Creek Trail is a nice wide trail - fairly easy hiking and follows the creek as implied by its name. Tom Branch Falls is about .2 miles out - Indian Creek Falls is another .5 miles out - you follow Deep Creek Trail to Indian Creek trail and its about 200 feet up the trail. Juney Whank Falls can be accessed via Deep Creek Trail or from the parking area you can access Juney Whank Trail. The falls are .3 mile - this trail is a bit steeper.
• Grotto Falls - Trillium Gap Trail 7/28/08
  The hike to the falls is about 3 miles round trip. This trail is accessed from the Roaring Forks park entrance in Gatlinburg, TN. Don't take the first trailhead marked Trillium Gap unless you want a longer hike - take the one marked Grotto Falls
  This trail is very popular since it is close to Gatlinburg and not a very long hike. Do this trail on a weekday if possible or very early in the morning to avoid the crowds.
• Loop - Thomas Divide - Kanati Fork - Kephart - Sweat Heifer Creek Trail - AT to Newfound Gap 7/19/08
  12.1 miles total - started at Thomas Divide - a friend was finishing her 900 miles of trails with the upper 1.8 miles of Thomas Divide. Today's trail were all new ones for me.
  Thomas Divide was steady uphill - nice trail. We stopped to take pictures at the trail intersection and my friend received her 900 mile sticker. Kanati Fork was steady down. We then crossed the road and went up Kephart - another steady uphill and stopped to eat lunch at the shelter. Then the fun began! Sweat Heifer climbs from 3500 feet to about 6000 feet in 3.7 miles. It was also very hot and we poured the sweat. I got somewhat dehydrated and had a headache and leg cramps before we got to the top. Even though I felt bad Sweat Heifer was a really pretty trail and had some nice views. We finished off our friends accomplishment with a nice Thai dinner.
• Hazel Creek - Bone Valley 6/22/08
  5.4 miles up Hazel Creek (taking boat from Fontana to trailhead) -Bone Valley - 1.8 miles from the trailhead @ Hazel Creek to trails end. Be prepared for 5 stream crossings.
  Hazel Creek Trail is a nice wide trail - fairly easy hiking and follows the creek as implied by its name. Bone Valley has 5 stream crossings but is easy other than that. Don't do this one if it's been raining alot. Wait until it's been a little drier. There is a cabin at the end of the trail and a short trail that leads to a cemetary.