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magicmomma 
Wildest Flower in Tennessee
Group: Members
Posts: 2013
Joined: Sep. 2008
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Posted on: Mar. 19 2013, 11:03 pm |
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I hiked Gee Creek Wilderness and Starr Mountain today. Here is a brief update on that situation.
The Gee Creek trail has been extended beyond where it used to end! Someone has done some marvelous stone work and trail building. The road back there is clear and in pretty good condition. The info kiosk is fixed!
There is an UPPER Gee Creek Falls!
I was able to find it today without a lot of trouble.
I lost a trekking pole up there. Leki brand. I've had those for 10 years! I fell in the creek and one of them washed away and though I swam and swam and felt all around the creek I never did find it.
Anyway.......... its worth the hike. It is BEAUTIFUL!
Thanks to whoever did all that trail construction.
I wish y'all had me a life jacket on hand and a change of clothes and a cup of hot coffee and a towel for after my swim though. What kinda joint are y'all running anyway!?
Starr Mountain: Beautiful today. Plenty of water running in the streams up there. Spring wildflowers starting there too.
The road is in foul shape. High clearance and 4WD are best until they get that thing repaired or the mud dries up some.
Be careful going up there too because there is a fallen tree that is cut out enough to make the road passable, but it is still 1/2 covered! Big ole pine tree down in the road.
Here is a video of the 50 ft high Upper Gee Creek Falls.
I can't believe I didn't go upstream sooner to find this!
Upper Gee Creek Falls
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| Post Number: 2
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UlightBandit
ROAR!!!
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Posts: 2394
Joined: Jun. 2008
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Posted on: Mar. 20 2013, 8:30 am |
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Very Cool MagicMomma. You are becoming quite the TN/NC waterfall queen.
I've never been to Gee Creek Wilderness, but it always catches my eye on the map, and I'm desperate to explore it one day.
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| Post Number: 3
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magicmomma
Wildest Flower in Tennessee
Group: Members
Posts: 2013
Joined: Sep. 2008
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Posted on: Mar. 20 2013, 9:05 am |
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Ulight, it is not backpack material. I see two potential camp spots that would be great. One at the beginning of the trail. One farther along. It was hard enough negotiating the trail in spots with a daypack on. A backpack fully laden would have been impossible. The trail is wilderness meaning very sketchy in places. At one point I was climbing around on rocks dangling over the creek with about six inches to stand on. I can imagine having a backpack on would mean falling in the creek. In Summer it would be easier just to get in the creek and swim it at that spot. It is considered too small an area to backpack in and just day use. Close as you are it would be great for day hiking and family camping at the Lost Corral Camp or Gee Creek Campground. I plan to try to get back to see the Spring wildflowers again there. Maybe I'll find my trekking pole!? Kenny says heck no... just buy another pair. He says it will never surface and it probably wont. Will Skelton is the man who had this gem designated wilderness and I thank him for his work! It is so pretty. I've never done any Spring wildflower hiking there, but his photos show it to be excellent for that purpose. Kenny says he'll go back with me. I'll go better prepared next time. I want to push all the way thru to the far end near the road. I think there may be a couple more cascades or waterfalls up there. Starr Mountain would be nice for backpacking this time of year especially. Easy trails. So pretty. I never saw another soul yesterday. Except for the guys who came down off Starr Mtn from clearing that fallen tree! There is supposed to be a Gee Creek Cave and a Mason Evans Cave I want to check out. Mason Evans or Panther Cave is on Starr Mtn. Thanks for the nice remark.
The start of this trail would be good for you and the fam. Pretty easy until it gets up in there where the trail starts over such narrow rock.
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| Post Number: 4
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gunslinger
Group: Members
Posts: 6029
Joined: Mar. 2007
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Posted on: Mar. 20 2013, 7:53 pm |
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I stopped in at the Ranger Headquarters in Cleveland awhile back and found out the forest service was working on putting in quite a few new trails in that area.
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For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
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| Post Number: 5
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magicmomma
Wildest Flower in Tennessee
Group: Members
Posts: 2013
Joined: Sep. 2008
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Posted on: Mar. 20 2013, 9:26 pm |
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Thanks for sharing the info Gunslinger. This area should be a treasure to you as well since it has both horse and hiker trails and you like both! I got lined out a penalty tonight for my doings. It was all funny til Kenny had time to think on it and call haw on me.
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| Post Number: 6
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| Post Number: 7
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magicmomma
Wildest Flower in Tennessee
Group: Members
Posts: 2013
Joined: Sep. 2008
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Posted on: Mar. 21 2013, 8:28 am |
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I thought on the hike out " I wonder is my Winter coat still in the back seat?" Had it been I was going to drive home wearing my sandals and a winter coat. I figured long as I did not have to stop or get pulled over I'd be fine.
At least I'd have been dry and warm.
Ugly? You betcha, but that has never stopped me before.
No coat in the back seat when I arrived at the parking area.
So instead I went back up the road about 3 miles and bought dry clothes at a Dollar General. I changed into this rig in their bathroom.
My body from the waist down was blood red from the cold.
Spicey!
It felt so good to put on those dry clothes.
I said I looked like the Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh after I changed, but I got the rest of my day in and was comfy!
I have an extra Leki trekking pole that is a super.
It was given to me by a buddy who found it BENT in the creek!
I have never used it. I'm a little afraid to trust it.
What say ye Owen?
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| Post Number: 8
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gunslinger
Group: Members
Posts: 6029
Joined: Mar. 2007
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Posted on: Mar. 21 2013, 8:46 am |
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(magicmomma @ Mar. 20 2013, 9:26 pm)
QUOTE Thanks for sharing the info Gunslinger. This area should be a treasure to you as well since it has both horse and hiker trails and you like both! I got lined out a penalty tonight for my doings. It was all funny til Kenny had time to think on it and call haw on me.
There are several new horse trails as well. My wife and I rode the forest roads and marked many of the trailheads on our GPS.
One of the problems, like you mentioned, the roads are pretty bad, and it takes a long time to get to the trail heads because we have to go so slow.
Still, it's a step in the right direction.
We're planning to ride some of the trails, but we've been in spending a lot of time in Southern Polk county and the Cohutta's lately.
We also planning some trips to Big South Fork as well.
As we get older, the horses enable us to continue to enjoy the forest and have extended our ability to do so. Horseback riding a tough trail isn't effortless by any means and still wonderful exercise.
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For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
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| Post Number: 9
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magicmomma
Wildest Flower in Tennessee
Group: Members
Posts: 2013
Joined: Sep. 2008
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Posted on: Mar. 21 2013, 8:56 am |
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Gee Creek itself would be an impossibility for a horse in several areas along the trail. Just as it would be a sure fire way to end up in the creek for a backpacker! I am not a horse fan, but I respect them and think they are beautiful creatures. I am trying to talk Kenny into selling the RZR, but I am not having much luck. I told him while I enjoy it some I prefer hiking and backpacking to that any day. I'm losing interest in the four-wheeling thing.
Maybe we wore it out and I'm just going thru a phase.
I wish you'd help me figure out where the Bullet Creek bog is? Help a sister out? I have been looking for it for what? four years now....
I think I was right the first time and when I went hunting the prev. 2 Summers..... I wussed out and refused to go back down trail #3 thru the weeds and bugs and heat.
I think to find what I'm looking for I will have to.
I'd run into that copperhead the first year.
All I could think of was getting snake bit up there.
Long way from help.
Am I right in thinking Mason Evans cave is down on the end of the mountain near White Cliffs?
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| Post Number: 10
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Ron.
don't surround yourself with your self
Group: Members
Posts: 11944
Joined: Sep. 2006
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Posted on: Mar. 21 2013, 10:01 am |
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Hey mm, just thought I'd pop in and say Howdy!
It was nice to read one of your trail reports again!
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And be kind toward one another
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| Post Number: 11
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magicmomma
Wildest Flower in Tennessee
Group: Members
Posts: 2013
Joined: Sep. 2008
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Posted on: Mar. 21 2013, 1:47 pm |
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Hi Ron! Long time no see. I didn't know if you even posted on BPer anymore. Hope life is treating you well.
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| Post Number: 12
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| Post Number: 13
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magicmomma
Wildest Flower in Tennessee
Group: Members
Posts: 2013
Joined: Sep. 2008
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Posted on: Mar. 21 2013, 3:03 pm |
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I was asking about the trekking pole.. would you use it?
I agree with you in that I don't trust it.
It was bent so bad Dan H. had to put it in the crotch of a tree and bend it to straighten it out useable again.
Best thing is to just get another set. I figure I've more than gotten my miles out of these over 10 plus years.
I don't blame you. I go hiking year round, but I am far more particular about it once snakes are out and bears are wide awake.
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| Post Number: 14
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Owen571
Group: Members
Posts: 536
Joined: Apr. 2011
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Posted on: Mar. 21 2013, 3:59 pm |
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I've bent my Black Diamonds back straight several times, but am not big on trusting things I'm not familiar with. Trekking poles are a necessity in the terrain you talk about rambling through, and our safety depends on them. I'd get new ones, personally. I'm real particular about trekking poles-they're more important to me than any other piece of gear. First time I ever have a doubt about mine, they'll get replaced.
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| Post Number: 15
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magicmomma
Wildest Flower in Tennessee
Group: Members
Posts: 2013
Joined: Sep. 2008
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Posted on: Mar. 21 2013, 4:04 pm |
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You are so right. I will head over to the sporting goods store and pick up a pair. They are essential and its like paying for trusty extra legs!
I wish I knew how many miles these had on them?
I am also not happy with the tent I have. I don't want to tell big ole daddy long legs because he'll fuss at me, but I am going back to the old style tent for ease of use and security.
The old tent was cheap and easy. The newer one I bought to suit a man who will never go with me anyhow.
Should have done what I wanted all along.
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| Post Number: 16
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waterdog
Group: Members
Posts: 466
Joined: Sep. 2002
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Posted on: Mar. 22 2013, 1:20 am |
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God, we had an awful night at the USFS Gee Ck CG once.
A bunch of drunk locals on ATVs circling our tents chucking beer bottles at us half the night. I almost shot them with my .44 Magnum, but my wife put me in a headlock with her legs. They vandalized the entire CG. Filled the latrines with busted up bottles.
Next day, we called the sheriff, but it turns out they were his relatives (banjoes playing in the background?) But we got the Feds--the FS LEOs on 'em, and we had the last laugh. We were kayaking either the Chattooga or the Ocoee, I don't remember which.
I never went back to that CG--too chicken $hi!. (Actually, I just didn't want to have to shoot the sheriff's cousins, even if it was "Justified"!)
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I'm more comfortable with unanswered questions than I am with unquestioned answers.
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| Post Number: 17
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magicmomma
Wildest Flower in Tennessee
Group: Members
Posts: 2013
Joined: Sep. 2008
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Posted on: Mar. 22 2013, 8:30 am |
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Hey.. that was my birthday party and I'll harass the tourists If'n I want to.
If your wife had just let you party with us the whole thing would have blown over. She was a real buzzkill.
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| Post Number: 18
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| Post Number: 19
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magicmomma
Wildest Flower in Tennessee
Group: Members
Posts: 2013
Joined: Sep. 2008
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Posted on: Mar. 24 2013, 6:50 pm |
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Rock on Sistah! I like this lady. :-D
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