Big Hill Pond State Park Trip Report

“For the past two or three years, I have considered making a trip to Big Hill Pond State Park, which is approximately 80 miles East of Memphis. However, having been all over West Tennessee, I figured it would be like everything else in this end of the state, flat and boring. With thirty miles of trails and 4 shelters, I finally gave in to the urge when cottonsocks decided to invite two newbies to go backpacking. My thought were that if they hated the experience, the drive home would be mercifully short.

The trip turned out to be a very pleasant surprise, for many reasons.

We arrived on Friday after having gone home to pack gear and to take the puppy to a friends house for the weekend. By the time we arrived at Eric and Darla's house, it was about 6:30. The previous evening, we had met them at the outdoor store and had the sublime pleasure of helping them pick out all new gear, from the ground up. If there is anything close to getting new gear, it is helping someone else spend money on new gear.

At about a quarter to 7 on Friday night we set out for the trailhead, taking two vehicles. At about 5 till 7, we saw their vehicle suddenly pull into the curb and a mad scramble break out inside the vehicle as if they were looking for something. Cottonsocks and I began to look around and discovered we were in a part of Memphis I had never been in before and have no compelling urge to ever visit again. We watched the two of them get out and almost completely dismatle their Lexus until Eric came back to announce they left their wallet with credit cards, license and cash. A quick trip back to their house and we were off again at 7:15.

The trip to the trailhead was uneventful and at about 9:30 we arrived (after a brief stop at Wally World for charcoal and marinade). The improved campground at BHPSP was completely empty and we proceeded to set up camp; start a fire and marinade the steaks for the evening meal. After a power meal and a few "cordials", we were ready for bed. Cottonsocks decided that since our bags could be zipped together, then that would be a good idea. Sometime during the night, I discovered that zipping two 20 degree bags together makes one 40 degree bag. We froze our asses off. So much for that experience, once is enough for me.

The next morning, after breakfast, we hit the trail, with plans to hike about 5.5 miles to the Tuscumbia Bend Shelter. Now, I was convinced of two things, one, I figured the area would be boring; secondly, I was convinced the "shelters" would be little more than lean-to's with a dirt floor. I was a little apprehensive about leaving the tent, but as we couldn't find a good tent for our newbies, I decided we would all stay in whatever sufficed for a shelter.

The trail began at the edge of the 800 acre lake in the park and worked north around the upper end of the lake following the shorline, just above the high water mark. It allowed for a great view across the lake and was well marked. It began to occur to me that this trip wouldn't be too bad when I saw the first shelter across the lake at Grassy Point. Eureka! It was built like the taj majal (sp?)! We rounded the upper end of the lake and turned south and passed the shelter and the only other packpacker at about one mile into the trip. About this time, Eric found a walking stick that was about as tall as he is and held it up in one hand and said "oh people, look at the beauty". He instantly earned the trail name of "moses".

The terrain along the western shore was gently rolling with 80 to 150 feet climbs as we crossed the numerous ravines that spring feed this lake. At about 2.5 miles into the trip the trail left the lake, climbing out onto dry ridge where we walked through hardwood and pine forest on toward the shelter. The newbies held up really well and a good time was being had by all.

About a half mile from the shelter, we dipped down into a valley with a small stream running through it. Upon rounding a bend, we saw the remnants of a still on the bank. The mash bins; the cooker and the thumper keg were all there and I quickly explained how a still worked. We could see the axe holes in the equipment where the still had been raided and I remarked that Bufford Pusser might have raided this still. Well, as it happened, I am the only one who had seen "Walking Tall" so the remark was pretty much lost on the crowd. Oh well, history and education did come together for a moment.

We soon arrived at Tuscumbia Bend to find a nice shelter (I am not a big fan on shelters, but as far as shelters go, this one was pretty nice). We quickly had a fire built and had plenty of water from the small stream which flowed close to the shelter. I took our 20 degree bags and when the temps dipped to 24 overnight, cottonsocks was freezing, while I was comfortable. Looks like a new sleeping bag is coming her way soon.

The next morning we took off to find the steepest longest climb of the trip by climbing a whopping 200 feet over about a third of a mile to reach one of the highest points in West TN at 573 feet. A tower is built there and I doctored Darla's foot while moses and cottonsocks went to the top for the view. As darla was on her first trip, suffering from GI distress and had developed a blister while not complaining once, she earned the trail name of "trooper".

From the tower, we continued downhill and onto a mile long boardwalk that crossed the cypress swamp allowing a close up and very beautiful look at a cypress swamp ecosystem. The trail left the boardwalk to the dam where we hiked along the eastern shore back to where we began. In total, an 11 mile hike that was just challenging enough for newbies with new equipment to allow everyone to have a great time without getting burned out.

All in all, I really enjoyed the area and will definately visit this area again. There are two other shelters we didn't see and given the proximity to home and the beauty of the area, it will make for some quick trips when we want to get out for the weekend.

Hiking with these newbies was a pleasant experience and I knew they were on the hook when they were busy planning the next trip while we ate mexican food in the nearby town of Middleton after the hike (BTW, the mexican restaurant "El Rodeo" in Middleton served up the best mexican food I have eaten in a long time).

They might have been newbies when we started, but Moses and Trooper are now backpackers! This is what makes it all worthwhile.”

“Sounds like a good time!”

“Sounds like a good one, Chili. The newbies were in your capable, if not steady, hands and had a good time too, I see. Also, thanks for being a little more specific about the location of your trip. I think a lot of posters on here don't go into any sort of detail about where some of these places are. Sometimes, I don't even know what state they are in...”

“I live & work fairly near Big Hill Pond and I've always wanted to go there but just haven't ever been for anything more than a dayhike. I think I'll head over there pretty quick.

Checking weather.com for this weekend...”

“Slack, I was skeptical at first but really enjoyed it. Horses use parts of the hiking trail but fortunately they are not allowed to on the trails leading up to the shelters. While I could see evidence of horse traffic, I have hike in some places where it was worse. I don't think you will be dissappointed.”

“It was very nice! I really enjoyed the drinks and food the most this trip. The newbies know how to pack a drink or 2 or 3....”

“Being the "trooper" I am, I will NEVER eat fresh corn the night before hiking. I absolutely loved the backpacking and what made it the best was the couple that broke us in to this new experience.
Cottonsocks and Chili36 are the most awsome backbackers! Thank you guys so much. I look forward to our next experience.”

“Somehow I missed its original posting. What was the deal with the dudes taking apart their car? Sounds like you had fun breakin' in the newbs...which can be an enjoyable experience”

“By the second day, you would have thought the newbies had been doing this for many years.

We had a great time. Trips like this are what backpacking is all about.”

“We really enjoyed you guys and the next trip is in 2 weeks. It again will be happy trails...”

“Nice report Chili but you are a couple hundred pages short of Stikmon.”

“Stickmon writes novels, I prefer short stories.”

“Well, I woke up Friday morning feeling like #&%!$. So I bailed on TC4, told cottonsocks I wanted to stay home and then had to endure her whining for a day.

So, still feeling like #&%!$, I took her back to BHP for a 12 miler. Hit the trailhead at 3:30 sat afternoon, felt weak, but still managed to knock out 5 miles in about 2 hours. I didn't let cottonsocks stop for anything. On the way she lost our dog. I told her 7 times not to take her off the leash, but wtf was I thinking? I just wasted breath on that.

So, we spent the night at camp calling for the dog and low and behold, I called up the coyotes. Cottonsocks came running back toward the fire with her pants around her ankles pulling up her panties. I said "if that's not the dog, we are in deep #&%!$".

So, I poured the wood on the fire, and yelled a few times and they took off. I told CS that it was possums (she believed me) and told her the truth the next morning.

Finished the trip still feeling poorly and when we got back to the car, guess who was waiting? The dog. I don't know who was happier, CS or Shelby.

Anyway, a short, but fairly exciting trip.”