Savage Gulf hiking in January

“Well Stovey, I am only going to be home for about 3 weeks over xmas...back in CO by MLK”

“We could always do the trip twice:) I am sure that SS wouldn't mind driving up from the gulf twice in the same month, if it meant meeting the elusive yam and embear:)”

“true! true! my favorite backpacking biatch is coming in too! :)”

“I've met yammy, but no embear. :-(”

“I've met 'em both, I've met 'em both, nya nya ny-nya nya!”

“Quit rubbing it in Bit:P lol”

“I just knew there was something about that dang bit I didn't like! ;-)”

“Envy is so unbecoming, gentlemen...”

“Gemini bet me that I'm not going on this trip... lol.”

“I will go in with Gem on that bet!

Is Gem coming?”

“DDX probably won't show for Sipsey either.”

“I'll die of shock if DDX shows for anything.
I can't even get him to meet me at the local Waffle House when I'm passing thru his town.”

“Lol...

I'm a troll is why ;-)”

“Last time I went hiking... August 2004. :o

http://www.mindspring.com/~deoredx/pmt_aug04/pmt_aug04.html”

“Time to get out again...TROLL!”

““Last time I went hiking... August 2004. :o

http://www.mindspring.com/~deoredx/pmt_aug04/pmt_aug04.html”
DeoreDX
4:05:56 PM

"Andrew looking cool standing on top of the pillar marking Dowdell Knob."


Pillar?????? You turkey! That is President Roosevelt's barbecue pit! It's filled in with concrete to keep yahoos from tearing it up.”

“check out some of the gif images ...

http://www.mindspring.com/~deoredx/”

“<--- Sarge”

“Hey man! What gives with that man! My fraternity pledging days are over!”

“It's not what you think....he was just helping it over the fence......”

“Ha Ha!”

“DH - if I can make this trip, we should carpool...”

“Me and my girlfriend might make it out to this one.
My first TT outing. I am pretty well versed in this park and it is always refeshing to go back.
last edited: 11/21/05 5:19:52 PM”

“From http://www.state.tn.us/environment/parks/parks/SouthCumberland/index.php?activity=Hiking%20Trails

During late November, December and early January, Big Game Hunting is allowed on the Private Property which portions of the trails traverse. Hikers during this period should wear 500 sq. in. of blaze orange and hike with caution.”

“dang you guys are gonna have a great showing!!”

“You might want to check with the ranger about the hunting issue. I dont own one sq. inch of blaze orange.... yech...

Also from the SCSRA email letter:
A message from David Owenby at TDEC:

Nashville's WNPT-Channel 8 will be premiering its original documentary "BEAUTIFUL TENNESSEE on Thursday, December 1 at 7:00 pm with an encore broadcast on Sunday, December 4 at 9:30 a.m. The producers of BEAUTIFUL TENNESSEE did extensive filming in our State Parks and Natural Areas this spring and summer. I expect our parklands systems to be presented in a very favorable light.

BEAUTIFUL TENNESSEE presents the natural wonders of Tennessee in a one-hour documentary that opens in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the summit of the Southern Appalachian Highlands. While in the east, the program also visits Cherokee National Forest, the Ocoee River, South Cumberland Recreation Area (including Savage Gulf, Foster Falls and Great Stone Door) Big South Fork and Fall Creek Falls. The documentary then explores the natural places of middle Tennessee, beginning with Rock Island State Park and its magnificent twin waterfalls, also making stops at Radnor State Park, Montgomery Bell State Park, Narrows of the Harpeth and the Natchez Trace Parkway. BEAUTIFUL TENNESSEE continues west by looking at Natchez Trace State Park, Paris Landing and Land Between the Lakes, concluding in the extreme northwest corner of the state at Tennessees only natural lake, Reelfoot Lake.


Also here are scans of the map of the park for those at work:
http://www.friendsofscsra.org/maps_5_2003/Savage_Gulf_map.jpg”

“currently about 1" of snow in this area”

“sooo....who is betting what???
I am betting $20 on DDX NOT showing up.”

“orange is not required, and hunting will not be a issue,
last edited: 11/21/05 8:01:59 PM”

“As long as we don't tape toilet paper to our ass, we should be fine.”

“toph - sure thing. Are you thinking of F-Sun or Sat-Mon? The trip will have to get a little closer before I can confirm which days I go.”

“I'm in the same boat...we'll work it out as the time draws nearer.”

“pictures are by embear's brother


picture of Hobbs Cabin


bunks in cabin

last edited: 11/22/05 10:56:31 AM”

“wheredya get those Ewker?”

“off this website http://www.friendsofscsra.org/hiking.htm#Hobbs”

“tnprime thanks for the heads up about the show. Are you here in Nashville?”

“I hope that cabin's chimney flue works better than the one at the Siler's Bald shelter!”

“Dang straight longlost. I still have a grinding in my lungs after that one.

I mentioned this trip today at lunch. My wife's reaction was, "You dang well better not be planning another trip. You say you're going on a trip and then you plan it. Then, something comes up and you can't bail because you're the planner." I finally convinced her I was signed up as a maybe and would decide based on workflow when the time came. We're hoping to have a 3-4 day mommy/daddy getaway to Highlands, NC in Jan so that comes in to play too.”

“the fireplace works great, just keep plenty of wood nearby”

“Currahee:
Yes, I live in Donelson. I am musician and I am going as long as there are no pending shows that weekend which if I can get my GF to set aside it I think it will happen. You in nashville too?”

“tnprime, I am right down the road from you. I am in Old Hickory”

“Hey
Small world eh? Perhaps there will be snow ont he plateu?”

“This looks like a fun trip. I am not gonna commit yet, but it sure looks tempting.”

“I finally remembered my map this morning for my train ride into work. This is what I am thinking:

OPTION ONE:
Arrive Friday and camp at the Savage Ranger Station.

SATURDAY: Meet at Savage Ranger Station and get permits. Shuttle cars over the Stone Door for our exit on Monday. Start out hiking at Savage Ranger Station using the South Rim trail until we hit either the Stage Road or the Saw Mill campsite. Distance will be from 6 miles if we stop at Stage Road to 9 miles if we stop at Saw Mill.

SUNDAY: Hike the connector trail to the Big Creek Gulf trail and camp at Alum Gap for the evening. I have not figured the distance for this day, but it will be around what we do the day before. Nice uphill climb at days end as well.

MONDAY: Hike out using either the Laurel trail or the Big Creek Gulf trail. Roughly 3 miles out.


The only thing I do not like about this option it the shuttling of cars. It is kinda a pain in the ass.

I want to stay away from the section of the Collins Gulf trail that gets icy. Bit, do you think this is necessary or should we not worry about this section.


Another option would be to use Hobbs cabin and hike all over the place. I don't know if we can get the site though and I don't know how many would be interested in this.”

“All I know about ice at the Collins end was from the last trip. But I would expect icy conditions at Suter Falls anytime the temps are below freezing. Not sure about South Rim or Stagecoach Road Historic, but I have not encountered ice on any of the other trails mentioned.

I personally would prefer stopping at Stage Road on Saturday, but that's just because I don't want to hike out 9 miles on Sunday. I'm a lazy ass. If there are a lot of people on this hike though, there will likely be a big variation in what they want to do, and everyone can hike their own hike and end up whereever.”

“Hobbs Cabin is a question mark. Since it's a holiday weekend, I would doubt that we would be able to get there first, unless we have someone fast-hike the ~8 miles to get there and get the cabin first.”

“Whoo hoo! I am on for MLK weekend, the GF got the weekend off and we are both coming!
She is like " you want to go witha group off the internet that you havent met???" Thinks I am nuts but, eh....anyhow Saw mill is very nice with the bambo (?) down there , first day with a nice down hill at the end, and the walk to the spring/cave is a cool social thing. The gulf trail can be indeed a difficult one at the end, loooong uphill but Alum Gap feels like home when you get there. Hobbs Cabin to Alum Gap would be a TOUGH 7-9 miles down, really steep and very rocky, then up up up to Alum gap at the end. That might be too hardy for some. Hobbs would make a nice weekday springtime trip. The water spring there is really low in the winter too.


Anyhow looking forward to it!”

“That is the problem Bit. Jimmy San and I won't be down there until 2 maybe 3 on Friday and that will not give us enough time to get in to it.

I think we will go with the option I posted above unless someone has a better route. Again, I am open to anything. I want us to be safe and if there is ice, we should avoid those areas alltogether.

tnprime, the last time I was here we made a wrong turn and ended up on BCG trail. That uphill was a killer at the end of the day. I think we can take it easy up to that point and like you said, as soon as you get up, the campsite is right there. It did look like a nice site too!”

“Alum Gap is a good site.

Avoiding the area around Suter Falls in the winter is a good idea. It was very icy the last time we were there and it took a lot of time just to get past the falls. I didn't have a pack, just a small daypack, and it was tough. I was lucky I didn't fall.”