Buffalo Mountain 3/24/19

We've been wanting to hike for ages, but weekends get so busy, and then there's the rain that just wouldn't go away all.  It's rained so much this year, the girls were watching ducks swim in a lake across the street!  A lake that wasn't supposed to be there...

We finally found a weekend when we had no other plans, and the weather was actually warm, so we decided we had to go hiking before the rain came back and we lost our chance.  A friend recommended Buffalo Mountain for the views, so that is where we headed.  The drive was only about an hour, and we didn't have any trouble finding the parking lot.  Knowing which trail to follow was a bit tricker, about a quarter mile in we came to an intersection of several trails and the signs weren't too clear on which one led where.  GPS signal was good though, and we were able to figure out which trail to use based on the map on our phones!  We used the GPS map at several different intersections throughout the hike to make sure we took the correct trail.

Ready to head up the trail! 

We followed the White Rock Trail Loop.  

There were several overlooks along the way. 

This one happened to be right where the power lines ran down the mountain...

There was a yellow butterfly making laps around the top of the mountain when we arrived.  It was super hard to focus on it with the zoom lens, but I tried to get some photos! 

My legs definitely let me know that I hadn't hiked in a long time!  We hiked 5.3 miles, with 1,460 ft of elevation gain.  2 weeks later the blister on my heel from all that uphill in my Chacos is still healing...I probably should have worn my hiking boots instead.  This cold rainy spring has kept me from getting my feet used to the Chacos in time for a hike!

Flint Mill Trail : 3/31/2018

The weather was looking warm and dry (finally) on Saturday so we were looking forward to this hike all week.  Coby had done it before, but it was my first time on this particular trail.  He told me it was a tough hike...he wasn't joking!  It was quite the challenge for my worn-out chacos and my tired lungs (I'm getting over a cold).  The trail seemed pretty nearly vertical for a good portion of the hike, and the mud was slick. I slid several times on the way back down but thankfully never fell.  I'll be buying new chacos in preparation for this summer's hiking!

I huffed and puffed my way to the top where we enjoyed the gorgeous view out over Holston Lake.  I took some photos, and then Coby proposed!  I said yes of course and am looking forward to spending my life adventuring with him!  It was pretty special enjoying the view from the top of Flint Mill Rock and talking about the future.  We were lucky and there was no one else around to distract from our moment.

Gentry Creek Falls 8/16/2017

Wednesday was my last official day of summer vacation.  Tuesday night after run club someone told me about a great waterfall that wasn't too far from Damascus.  I looked into it when I got home.  Google Maps told me it was over an hour away, but further research showed that the actual trail head was much closer, and Google just doesn't know where it is.  Google was trying to take me to the actual falls, from the other direction, instead of taking me to the trailhead.  So, after determining that it was more like 35-40 minutes in the car, I decided it would be a good last-day-of-vacation adventure.

obligatory adventure-selfie

And an adventure it was!  Thankfully I had learned that there were many creek crossings on this trail, so I was prepared with chacos and running shorts.  There were too many crossings to count!  And, with all the rain we've had lately, the creek was up and moving.  The water was moving fast enough that not only was it sometimes hard to maintain balance while placing each foot, but it was also hard to see where to step, because the movement of the water blurred everything underneath.  Several of the crossings were up to my knees, and at least one was over my knees!

It wasn't too hard to find the trail head, thanks to the directions I found at AllTrails.com.  I was coming from the north, rather than from the south, so I took 58E to 91S to Gentry Creek Rd.  It would have been helpful to know how far down the road the trail head was.  I tracked it coming back, the trailhead is 3.1 miles from 91.  The last 1.3 miles is on a 1 lane dirt/gravel road that winds its way through the forest until it dead ends in a clearing.  It looks like there are a few different trails going out of the clearing, the blue blaze trail is the one you want for the falls.  There was at least one point along the trail where I came to an intersection of trails and couldn't see any blue blazes.  I went with my instinct which said to always choose the trail that follows the creek.  My instinct was correct.

The trail was gorgeous as it wound it's way along and back and forth over the creek.  Sunbeams came down through the trees to illuminate pockets of the forest floor.  2.5 miles down the trail I found the twin falls cascading over a cliff.  As I was photographing them, I had to constantly wipe the spray off my lens.  I had heard that you could climb up above the falls for another angle to photograph, and also that if you continued on up above the falls you would come to a gorgeous 360 view of the surrounding area.  I started to attempt the climb, but the trail was steep and covered in a wet mulch-y mud.  I think I could have scrambled up it, but it was so steep I was worried I wouldn't be able to get back down safely.  I didn't want to risk myself or the expensive camera equipment I was carrying on my back, so I decided to save that adventure for a drier day.

I thought this was cool, the spray off the waterfalls 

being carried by the wind through a sunbeam. 

To see all of the photos, visit GMcD Photography

South Holston Dam and Osceola Island 10/22/16

After a late night having fun with friends, I slept in this morning.  And then even once I woke up around 10:30, I still didn't get out of bed, because it was toasty warm under the covers and quite chilly outside them.  It went down into the 40s last night and I have not turned on my heat yet.  There is definitely a bit of heat rising up from the apartment below me, so I'm holding out as long as I can. At least until it's consistently cold outside, and not only cold at night.  So...I stayed in bed watching Netflix until noon before making myself get up for lunch.

After my lazy morning, I decided to make the most of a gorgeous (though chilly) afternoon, and head to South Holston Dam for a photo adventure and hill run.  I was there on Monday to take the 8th grade class portrait for my school, and the leaves were gorgeous then.  I figured I better get back as soon as I could to take photos for myself before the leaves fell!

I started out by taking photos from the top of the dam.  

You can see the wind in the water!

I then went to the other end of the dam where I was able to take a little path about halfway down to the water.  While there I decided to have a little fun with the tripod.  

Next, I drove back down below the dam to park at the Osceola Island parking lot for my run.  I ran from there up to the dam, across the dam, turned around and went back.  It turned out to be exactly 5 miles, which I ran pretty hard.  I loved pushing the winding hill up to the dam. 

After the run, I thought I would just head home for a hot shower, but decided I should spend more time taking photos instead, so I wandered across a little footbridge to Osceola Island and then walked the trail around the island.  I'm glad it was just barely warm enough out that I didn't get too cold after my run so that I was able to add the extra time outside!  I got some cool photos.  

I could hear a bird calling, but it took me awhile to locate it way up in the tree!  It was facing towards me at the time so the red head wasn't visible.  But I finally found it through my zoom lens.  And then I had to hold the camera ready and stare at it until it finally decided to fly. 

Just chilling, right below the weir dam. So cool!

A very fun, productive, and gorgeous afternoon!