Monday, December 31, 2007

Polly's Branch



For a year-end hike five of us headed over to the Bridgestone Firestone Centennial Wilderness(http://www.sparta-chamber.net/attractions_search_details.asp?AttractID=6) area in White County area yesterday. The corporation donated 10,000 acres of Scott’s Gulf to the state a few years ago. What a gift to all! Plenty of trails and much to see if your idea of a great time is the great outdoors

Took the Polly’s Branch trail down to the falls and river. Highly recommended; it was beautiful in winter and can only imagine what it’s like in spring when the stands of rhododendron are in all their glory. Nearby is the Virgin Falls pocket wilderness area and trail, another gem.

You can follow the trail straight in and back or, like we did, as a loop of about seven miles or so. First part of Polly’s Branch trail an easy stroll through the woods of little more than a mile to the first of several falls. From there the trail descends at a gradual climb, past other falls, down to the river, then along it for a good ways. Much to explore.

Of course whenever you hike to see falls, the hike out involves a climb. This was pretty gradual from the river, and we took the Chestnut Mountain Trail back, for the loop. Once you climb out of the bottom it’s pretty easy but not as well marked or worn as the trail in. We wandered off trail at one point but quickly found out way back.

Only passed one set of campers the whole five hours there so had the entire area to ourselves. All this pristine wonderland there waiting, whenever you take the notion to get out and experience this great state, Tennessee.

Seven plus miles of hiking, fantastic scenery in unspoiled wilds. Great camping sites and plenty of photo ops. A great way to wind down the old year!!!


Digg!


A return visit is now a New Year’s resolution.

Friday, December 28, 2007

Winter

Six weeks of not much to say. First day of winter last week but already the dusk lingers longer into the short afternoon, sun already embarking out of South for North on the long journey which will carry it all the way through June.

Much needed rain, daffodils showing green through the too-warm earth, but the season hasn’t arrived yet. There’s a cold bite coming. It never misses, if it only reigns for a day.

Another Christmas passed. Stockings hung again from the old mantle riddled with traces of tacks, nails and staples which suspended the dreams of generations of children grown old, grey forgotten. In places the mantle is now a narrow long slit, so many Christmas stockings over the years.

The day is always special, a measure of another year, a hallmark for the next. The older I get the less there is about Christmas that matters than the sounds and laughter of family and friends. If there were no such holiday we’d surely invent it, an excuse to infuse light and warmth into gray days , cool nights

There comes a time each winter when the winds howl out of the north, across the ridges and up the hollers herald the cold. We haven’t seen it yet, but it’s coming, sure as the spring to follow.