White Oak Sinks Dayhike TR

“Given the fact it is 55 degrees without a cloud in the sky, NGB and I decided a dayhike would be in order.

About noon, we left the house and 15 minutes later we were at Schoolhouse Gap TH half way between the Wye and Cades Cove. We took off uphill for a mile along the old road bed that used to link the community in this area to Townsend. The walk does not involve a steep grade but it was uphill for a mile along side a creek until we hit the intersection of Turkey Pen Trail. About 100 feet past that, an unmarked trail veers off to the left and leads down into a ravine and winds along for another half mile. The trail at this point is well defined. We had to make a short climb up out of the ravine and along the north slope of the ridge that Turkey Pen Trail runs across. The unmarked trail then bends back to the north and drops down into White Oak Sinks. This area is geologically, much like Cades Cove, yet much smaller in area. The underlying rock eroded over the years and the entire area sunk to form a valley. In this area, there are numerous "sinks" where water collects and goes underground into the numerous caves, caverns and aquifiers. There are at least three cave entrances in the sinks and as I understand it, the caves connect to the Tuckaleechee Caverns in Dry Valley which is on the north side of Scott Mountain.

We wound our way through the sinks. In about 4 to 6 weeks this area will be a sea of wildflowers....one of the best areas in the GSMNP in the spring. Today, however, the ground was clear and the sunlight was filtering through the trees. There was a sizable community in this area before the park was developed and the flat valley floor of the sinks was open fields 60 years ago. We passed the bat habitat cave (with bars over the entrance) and wound our way to the northwest. A short climb up out of the bottom of the sinks and we were on a "mesa" of sorts that extends another 3/4 mile toward Scott Mountain. This "mesa" is about 75 to 100 feet above the floor of the sinks but almost as flat. In the spring and summer, there is a fairly discernable trail leading up and into this area. However, with the fall and winter scree on the trail, it was very faint and had several blowdowns. For the first quarter mile, I could follow it more by feel than sight, but after that it was too faint to even tell where it was. I took out the compass, took a heading along the route where I knew the trail was, and we continued on that heading. In about 300 yards, we hit the trail right at the cave entrance. I knew where I was and we proceeded past that for another 100 yards to the uppermost sink. We wound around that and I had a choice. We could bear to the west, skirt around the upper side of the mesa, and back down a ridge to where we left the sinks floor. Given the very faint trail, I wasn't overly excited about that prospect. If I made it over to the old home stead, I knew I could cut back south and complete the loop.

Second option was to reverse travel and go out the way we came in. Then I had a brainstorm, layed out the map, oriented it to north, studied the terrain and found our location on the map. It appeared we were 1/2 mile south and about 800 feet below Scott Mountain Trail. I looked at NGB and said "wanna bushwhack". She said "whatever".

So, we took a heading of 5 degrees from the upper sink and started uphill. About 200 yards later we hit a ridge running up directly the way we wanted to travel, flanked by a ravine on each the east and west sides. The ridge was blocked with a rock wall, so I decided to go up the west flank. About 50 yards later, it looked like that ravine would be blocked at the top by boulders, so we traversed the west slope, up over the ridge and across the east slope. Half way up the ridge, we came to a huge dead tree (appeared to be chestnut) that had been girdled. This is where people would use an axe and cut all the way around a tree. When it died, they would completely cut it down and haul it out. Not only was it easier, lighter to handle, it would be "seasoned" as well.

We continued up the east flank using the ravine where we met blowdowns. Finally, we stopped a few minutes, scarfed down some chocolate and an orange and 10 minutes later started the climb again. About 50 yards from our stop, we walked out right onto Scott Mountain trail, hung a right and went straight over to School House Gap. 2 miles down the trail, we were back at the Jeep for what was about a 6 mile loop with a half mile of bushwhacking and a half mile of orienteering.

It was a great day for a hike. Can't wait until the spring bloom and go over to that area again. Next time we are going all the way up the trail and bushwhack DOWN to the sinks, lol.”

“A nice report, thanks.”

“This is a good pic of the Spring bloom.

”

“Kewl beans.”

“... as Geordi LaForge sees it?”

“I looked at NGB and said "wanna bushwhack". She said "whatever".

chili
4:34:09 PM
3/01/08

- besides "I do", probably the second least thing you wanna hear!

Real nice TR, chilimon! Your pic is vibrantly eerie. I got the "urge" today for some reason that maybe the winter sleep is over and feeling like it's time to hit the trail, bIgTiMe!!!

p.s. - my wife is pissin' me off (again).
last edited: 3/01/08 3:17:28 PM”

“I wish that pic were one I had taken, but it's not. It was taken last spring by a photographer from Indiana.”

“I didn't say "whatever" I never say "whatever". I believe I said either "sure" or "ok"..”

“a womans tone, facial expression, and the word "sure" or "ok", translates into..."whatever"”

“Nice trip report. Next time I hike in the Smokies, I hope that it's springtime.”

“I love the Smokies. Thanks for the report Chili. That sounds like a lovely area.

bobo, I am starting to get that hiking itch again too. I haven't been out in a while. I am not sure when I will be able to get out again.
last edited: 3/01/08 4:49:35 PM”

“That picture calls to me. It's like I want to jump on that path and see where it leads.”

“Nice trip report and very cool picture.”

“Nice report,
Do ya think the flowers will be out the last week of March??? BTW I got your email and I'll give ya a call soon.
See y later.
Randall”

“thanks”