Savage Gulf Trip Report-June 8-9

“Donna C. and I started at Stone Door Ranger Station and hiked Big Creek Gulf to Alum Campsite Saturday. Sunday we returned to the ranger station via Big Creek Rim trail.

Our trip started great, covering the first 2.8 miles in an hour and fifteen minutes. That included taking our time down the stone door and conversing with a group of boy scouts on the trail.

We took a side trail to Ranger Falls. It was a pleasant experience because the mist coming off the falls felt great. We filtered water there also and then resumed our hike. The trudge up the hill was slow going due to the heat but we made it to Alum Campsite well before dark.

The watersource near the campsite was fair. Thankfully there had been rain two days earlier. My water filter malfunctioned after filtering two liters so I had to rely on aquamira for a backup for the rest of our water supply.

The excitement came after we finished supper. "Are those fireflies?" says Katibug. No! It's a raccoon! Yes, there was a huge raccoon scouting our camp for food! Fortunately we had secured our food bags before the critter arrived in our camp.

We talked by the fire until well into the night.

Our hike out on Sunday was easy. We took the countryside drive back home to Nashville through McMinville, Woodbury, and Murfreesboro.

I am relaxed and refreshed, ready for whatever the week ahead has in store for me!”

“Nice trip report, did you take any pictures?”

“Raccoons are plentiful at Alum Gap. Ya gotta treat them as though they are small bears. Lots of skunks there too.”

“Yes, I took pictures, but I have to get the film developed! I have not yet advanced to digital photography!”

“The ranger told us that there is a family of raccoons living under the bluffs near Alum Campsite. It seemed as if the raccoons made a circuit of the campground after dark. I made sure that my food bag was hung properly. I also used a CD in conjunction with the rope above my bag so that mice could not easily access the food bag. Last weekend in the Smokies, mice got into my food bag even though I had properly hung my food using the bear wire system! Those mice are ingenious critters!”

“Sounds like a cool trip! :-)”

“It was a very rewarding trip. The conversation was great and I was satisfied with the hike. It was a trip that is going on my list of favorite hiking experiences.”