March 24, 2007 TANASI TRAILS

TheTri State Wanderers had five hikers out on a beautiful day for a five mile loop hike over trails in the Tanasi Trail System near Ocoee Whitewater Center in Tennessee....

The group hiked up the Thunder Rock Trail ( also the Benton MacKaye Trail ), and the Black Rock Trail and returned on a section of the Chestnut Mtn Trail and the Thunder Rock Express Trail....

shown in photo are Bob and Sherl Roberson and Jim and Sheri Harrington

SCENIC SPUR TRAIL March 3, 2007

The Scenic Spur Trail Head is 42 miles east of Five Forks off US route 64. After passing the OCOEE WHITEWATER CENTER make a right turn onto TN 30 and turn left immediatly into the parking area. It is a 1.7 mile , very easy walk along Rock Creek, with two creek crossings before arriving at the lower falls, down hill to your right ( steep and rocky footway, be careful if you scamper down! ). The upper falls are soon reached, again rough pathway if you want to hike to the creek for a better view of the falls.

HIDDEN FALLS... Not recommended in the guide books because there is no safe walkable path, but if you continue upstream by going to your left and hiking under and then on top of the overhang, you can then follow the creek upstream to another and much prettier waterfall, about 500 feet further.

BLOOD MOUNTAIN LOOP HIKE

On February 28, 2007 for the second year in a row, Jon and I did a loop hike over Blood Mountain in a southernly direction in order to see and visit with the APPALACHIAN TRAIL End-To-Enders just starting their journys..... This year we added one half mile to our total by taking the old AT route through Slaughter Gap ( trails there are now almost invisible as they are trying to rehabilitate the area )

We hiked up the 0.7 mile Byron Reese approach trail and then south on the AT for 1.5 miles to the summit and the stone shelter built by the CCC in 1934. Then south on the AT to Bird Gap where we took the Freeman Trail 1.8 miles back to junction with the approach trail, a hiking total of 6.3 miles ( 3 hours and 45 minutes )... We saw 12 end to enders on the trail.....

Raven Cliffs Trail

Six hikers from the Tri State Wanderers gathered at the trailhead parking area along GA 348 and hiked 2.5 miles to the Cliffs and the waterfall that exits the spit in the rocks at Raven Cliffs.

These two small pictures are of waterfalls passed while hiking in to the Cliffs area.

Hikers can hike to the top of the cliffs.

Note the waterfall deep into the cliffs.

To see map of area go to the posting of the DUKES CREEK TRAIL.

WAGON TRAIN TRAIL, Georgia

View of Brasstown Bald half-way down trail.

Several sections of this trail were explored in the Fall of 2006.. Stay around for our map and further information...

Jon Opsahl at the gate across the trail at Young Harris College, on Bald Mountain Road. From here it is a one mile steep uphill hike on the old jeep road to the college's radio tower and the boundry for the Chattahoochie National Forest. It is at this location that the 5.6 mile Wagon Train Trail begins its ascent to Brasstown Bald.


Jon and Gerry check out the Information Board at entrance to trail.

Vogel State Park, Georgia

10.6 miles south of Blairsville on us 19/129 is the entrance to Vogel State Park. A favorite walk is the one mile route around Lake Trahlyta.

Another favorite is the four mile Bear Hair Gap Trail with its view of the Lake.


Jon and Gerry at the dam....

Floyd and Lois enjoying the side trail to view Trahlyta Falls.....

Helton Creek Falls

Just 0.9 miles south of the entrance to Vogel is the Helton Creek Road that goes 2.4 miles to the east to parking for the falls.

The lower falls is more of a "sliding board" type falls, while the upper can be viewed from an observation deck.