Hidden Passage (May 2014)

(L2R) Chad, Levi, Eric, Chris, Stephen, Michael, Troy

Day One: 7 Miles
Day Two: 4.6 Miles
Trip Total: 11.6

With the largest group of guys to date, I knew this trip was gonna be a fun and interesting one. The plan was to hike the Hidden Passage Loop, the spur to Double Falls, small sections of the Sheltowee Trace and JMT, and the Tunnel Trail. We did manage to accomplish most of that.

We left Cottontown, TN at about 6:30 AM and after stops at Mc Donald's, Family Dollar, and a gas station we did eventually make it to Pickett state park to get a back-country camping permit and to start the hike. I'm not sure if it was my driving or the curvy roads, but both Chris and Michael were in bad shape with car sickness and were more than thrilled to be out of the car.

The loop trail was very well marked and maintained as it meandered alongside Thompson Creek. The first several miles are peppered with boulder outcroppings, rock houses, and steep ledges. After that we spent some time climbing to "bald spots" in the hill tops with very little shade thanks to apparent fires in the not so distant past. At 3.9 miles we came to the spur trail to Double Falls. A sign shows the distance to the falls of half a mile, but it certainly felt like we went further than that. Double Falls is a 2-tiered cascade surrounded by large boulders and served as a great spot to refill our water bottles before heading back to the loop trail.

At 5.7 miles into the hike we came to Thompson overlook, a large rock area that is so flat it looked as if it was paved. This overlook offers spectacular views in 2 directions and gave us some great photo opportunities. Shortly after that we left the well beaten path of the Hidden Passage Loop in exchange for a section of Sheltowee Trace that I'm almost certain we were the first people in 2 weeks to use. I was thrilled to be finding a path through the new growth, but I'm not sure the Wood brothers shared my enthusiasm since both of them forgot to pack pants and did the trip wearing basketball shorts. After fording both Thompson Creek and Rock Creek we settled on a campsite near the border of Pickett County and Scott County along the bank of the Rock Creek and 7 miles from where we began.

The spot that I've started referring to as County Line Campsite is in an area with lots of beaver activity made obvious by plenty of chewed down trees. The good thing about camping with 7 guys is that we were able to make camp in record time. With Chris leading a team to gather firewood and start the fire, Levi and I were able to focus our attention on creating a tarp shelter large enough to suit everyone. As we filled our stomachs with food and fireball the laughs kept going late into the night. A great time was had by all.

The next day we took the JMT to the Tunnel Trail, an old mining railway tunnel driven right into the side of the earth. After exiting the tunnel we were immediately met by a haggard nearly condemned bridge crossing Poplar Spring Branch, and of course a few of us had to cross while everyone else chose the safer less adventurous option of rock hopping to get across.

At this point I lead the group on what I thought was the other side of the Hidden Passage Loop until I was suddenly proven to be way off course when we ran directly into Highway 154 (apparently we had gotten back on the JMT after the tunnel). We decided to road walk instead of going back and we reached the car in a couple of miles. On the way home we stopped at an old firetower and some of us decided to climb to the top to enjoy the view.

As usual we finished the adventure with a trip to Taco Bell and we all ate just a little too much.

Cavemen on this trip:
  Chad Garrett
  Levi Donoho
  Eric Wood
  Chris Wood
  Stephen Donoho
  Michael Marshall
  Troy Walls

Total Cavemen Miles: 75.25

Levi made a friend on the trail

The Wood brothers at Thompson Overlook

it's not pretty, but it's big (tarp shelter)

Chad entering the Tunnel

Virgin Falls (April 2014).

(L2R) Troy, Michael, Chris, Levi

Day One: 5.1 Miles
Day Two: 4 Miles
Trip Total: 9.1

With a couple of people having to back out at the last minute, this trip very quickly became a fantastic four event. The master plan was to take the Virgin Falls Trail, ford the Caney Fork River, and take the Caney Fork Trail to Polly Branch to complete the loop. Recent rainfall proved to be a true deterrent to that plan, but in exchange we were treated to the most majestic waterfall displays imaginable.

From the Virgin Falls trail head the first mile is a nice easy stroll on ground that is relatively flat and shaded. The next half mile presents Big Branch Falls, a cable crossing, and a spur trail to Martha's Pretty Point. The overlook offers a spectacular view into the Caney Fork gorge and the best cellular reception you'll get in the area. It looked like the trail used to continue southeast and rejoin the Virgin Falls trail, but in it's present state we backtracked to rejoin at the spot we had broken away.

At 2.8 Miles we were greeted with, one of our favorite spots on the trail, Big Laurel Falls. This sizable waterfall crashes hard against the rocks below and behind the falls is a massive rock house into which water drains and disappears into the earth. This was a hot spot for activity from day hikers, photographers, and families.

From this point the hike gets a touch more challenging with the continuous rocky decent into the natural area. At around 4 miles we came to an intersection and we chose to go right toward Sheep Cave. The steady flow of water from the cave stair steps like and old metal slinky until it disappears into a deep hole in the earth. We explored around the area for a bit before deciding to backtrack to the intersection and continue on to Virgin Falls.

Before even making it to Virgin Falls we could hear the massive roar of thousands of gallons of water being flung with reckless abandon down into ground only to vanish as if it had never existed. This 110 f cataract is the namesake for the area and with good reason. I had seen videos on the web of people visiting only to bear witness to the slightest trickle of water. That couldn't be further from the truth on this day, as the force was so strong that it fractured Chris' glasses when he tried to climb down to the base of the falls.

At just over 5 miles we come to the spot we had intended on fording the Caney. It became clear very fast that we would have to reconsider our itinerary as the water was cold and dangerous. We decided to setup camp not far from here at one of the best sites we've seen.

With the extra time around camp we were able work on improving our skills at tarp shelter building, rigging back country fishing poles, and fire building. It was a real display of quality bro time with the fantastic four. In the middle of the night we woke to see a behemoth sized raccoon coming into cap and I may or may not have reacted in a manner unsuitable for an adult male, but I did manage to scare him away.

As we packed up our stuff the next morning we were able to witness some impressive aero-displays by a turkey and an unrelated group of military helicopters.

The next day we backtracked our progress in a much more challenging trek back to the trailhead.


Cavemen on this trip:
  Troy Walls
  Michael Marshall
  Chris Wood
  Levi Donoho

Total Caveman Miles: 63.55

Big Laurel Falls

Virgin Falls

The water on the Caney was too high for safe crossing

A fantastic camping spot

Fiery Gizzard (Aug 2013)

L2R: Levi, Michael, Ty, Chris, Troy

Day One: 4.8 Miles
Day Two: 8.2 Miles
Trip Total: 13

"Damn that fiery gizzard!!" when said by Davy Crockett may have been in response to burning himself on an actual turkey gizzard, but rest assured every time we said it on this trip, we weren't talking about turkey. The Fiery Gizzard trail from Grundy Forest to Foster Falls is 13 miles of beautiful hell.

After leisurely going 1.3 miles from the parking lot we came to Sycamore Falls a 12' waterfall and a one of our favorite spots on the trail. We hung out here for close to an hour swimming, fishing, and goofing off. From that spot to Raven Point Campsite is an insanely difficult 3.1 mile path in which each step is onto unstable and slick rocks. The elevation gains and losses are always offset by each other. The final .5 mile makes you question every single item you chose to include in your overall pack weight.

Raven Point Campsite is a nice spot and Raven Point is a beautiful view. It was nearly dark when Michael, Ty, and myself headed to get water. We misunderstood the directions to the nearest water source from some other campers and ended up going out of the way to the base of Anderson Falls for water (not a fun climb back!!)

The second day was just as amazing and a little less strenuous with the exception of the .1 of a mile ascent out of Laurel Gorge. This was the toughest part of the entire trail and caused me a fair amount of concern for Levi who had recently lost allot of weight battling Crohns Disease. Levi, just as the rest of us, powered through it and was rewarded with a much more level surface at the top.

From this point on we saw a fair amount of people doing day hikes from Foster Falls. Foster Falls itself is a 60' spectacular waterfall surrounded by 120' overlooks and symbolizes a successful completion of the Fiery Gizzard.

Although difficult, this trip is one of the most rewarding in Tennessee and I will most certainly come back for another round.

Cavemen on this trip:
   Troy Walls
   Levi Donoho
   Michael Marshall
   Chris Wood
   Ty Dixon

Total Cavemen Miles: 41.45

Sycamore Falls

Chris and Michael peering off into an old coal mine.

Foster Falls

Laurel-Snow Pocket Wilderness (Jan 2013)

L2R: Troy, Levi, Michael

Day One: 4.7 Miles
Day Two: 8.8 Miles
Total: 13.5

The day before this winter excursion Chris came down with the flu and had to back out of the trip leaving Levi, Michael, and myself to tackle the pocket wilderness alone. The week leading up to this trip was filled with cold and ice. Even on the drive up things were looking a little intimidating (see pic below) considering lack of experience we had with winter camping.

Arriving at the parking lot we were shocked to see over 20 cars. This was a stark contrast to our last trip in the grassy cove. As it turns out this is a popular destination for all types of outdoor activities like bouldering, kayaking, rappelling, and hiking. By nightfall we were the only ones that decided to stick around and brave the cool night temps.

The hike itself was awesome!! At all times and in every direction we looked we were surrounded by absolute beauty. The creeks, falls, overlooks, and rock houses did not disappoint in the slightest and I understand why this place is so popular.

Points of interest:
Richland Creek - This fast moving creek is filled with white water and large boulders and acts as the centerpiece for the area.
Richland Mine - A stinky and wet leftover mine tunnel.
Laurel Falls - An 80 foot cataract that could be seen from across the gorge.
Buzzard Point - This often ignored (by guidebooks) overlook is well worth visiting.
Dunn Overlook - One of our favorite spots!! The massive span of power-lines do not detract from this gorgeous view back down Richland Creek and you can also see Laurel Falls from here.
Snow-Falls - Nice 30 foot falls that pictures can't do justice too.



Cavemen on this trip:
   Troy Walls
   Levi Donoho
   Michael Marshall

Total Cavemen Miles: 28.45

Brady-Black Mountain (Grassy Cove Section) August 2012

From L2R: Levi, Chris, Troy, Chad

Day One:6.5
Brady Mountain 6.5 miles
Day Two: 8.45
Brady Mountain 1.25
Road Hike 0.7
Black Mountain 3.8
Black Mountain Loop 1.7
Shortcut: 1
Total:14.95 

This was the first backpacking trip for all of us so we were over packed and over prepared, except Chris. Chris showed up looking like he was ready to play a game of pickup basketball with shorts, and old pair of sneakers, and a regular backpack he had laying around the house. All laughs aside the rest of us were equally silly with the giant sleeping bags, heavy fold up shovels, and excessive amounts of flashlights we brought.

We parked one car at the top of Black Mountain and then drove to the Jewitt Road Trail-head. Jewitt Road is a haggard gravel road with plenty of ruts and potholes.

My overall thoughts on the trip are that it was a perfect first experience for the cavemen. It was extremely remote (we were the only ones on the trail on day 1), had some major elevation gains (reminding us how much conditioning we lacked), and a couple of breathtaking overlooks.

I would caution anyone taking this trip that water is scarce and campsites are even scarcer.

In addition to the things we learned on this trip about over-packing, we also discovered how beneficial these types of trips could be for our mind, body, and soul. Grassy Cove will always hold a special place in my heart for being the first.

Cavemen on this trip:
   Troy Walls
   Levi Donoho
   Chad Garrett
   Chris Wood

Cavemen total miles: 14.95