“Montgomery Bell
starts on its 11-mile path like what seems to be the standard blueprint for
hiking trails, in that the opening miles out of the trailhead are a gradual
pull upward. I had hit the path shortly
after 1 pm, and the view of the lake to the right reminded me of why I like
this sport so much.
After the somewhat
obligatory up’s and down’s of making its way along ridges and the suggested
dose of stream crossings, I came upon the first of three shelters within an
hour of my departure from the trailhead.
If there ever was a poster-child for the nondescript shelter, surely
Wildcat Hollow (as it is called) fit the requirement; notched logs on three
sides upon front and eight individual bunks—their bottom supported by the same
wire mesh we have all grown to hate, after it tears a hole in your clothing or
sleeping bag.
No sleeping for me
today though, and certainly no sleeping bag.
Montgomery Bell may call this an overnight trial, but my intention was
to blow through the mileage, take a few pictures, and be on my merry way.
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> The overnight loop trail makes a good
scouting excursion, but LNT is apparently not all the rage in Dickson,
Tennessee--the shelter and fire ring marked with cans, wrappers, and assorted
forgotten memories. Oh well, it’s West
Tennessee, and we all know us rednecks don’t hike—we drink beer and party until
we either fall down or get into a good fight.
I considered an
“out and back” hike to ensure getting back to my truck before dark, but my
instincts told me that I should be able to knock out this loop trail in less
than six hours, which gave me just enough time to be driving back home without
even having to turn my headlights on.
Onward, ever onward—isn’t that pretty much our motto?
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> And by 3:30 pm, I was already making my way
down the spur trail that would take me to Woodland shelter.
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> I have to say, in all the places I’ve been,
I can’t recall having a railroad track bordering the trail on my left, much
less a golf course bordering the trail on my right.
Woodland Shelter
is the same nondescript design as Wildcat, but the location is nice—tucked a
good half-mile off the main trail in an elevated pine thicket.
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> Apparently other campers found the same
disdain for this shelter design, and the bare grass marked years of tents and
group camping. Maybe if I waited long
enough, the woods would tell me stories of exciting nights under the stars, but
for now, it was time to retrace my steps back to the main trail and press on.
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> The approach to Hall Spring Shelter is the
most scenic part of the trail in my opinion—a meandering path through the pine
and hardwood forest, marked by the occasional bridged water crossing.
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> It was barely after 4 pm. and I was already
coming upon the last of three shelters.
If I kept this pace up, I would make my destination easily by 6pm.
The combination of
hardwood and abundant water from the second lake provided an excellent habitat
for the deer in the park, and by the end of the day, I would remember seeing
nearly thirty—most often in groups of five to eight. The squirrels and occasional hawk made for an interesting walk,
and although I was growing a bit weary of the ridge, climbing, and scent, I
found myself back at my truck by a little after 5 pm. 11 miles in fours hours and fifteen minutes—not too shabby.
” 
