Date: 2007-03-17
To: Fiery Gizzard
Miles today: 0.0

Saturday March 17thi decided to take a good hike today...in my continuing prep for my annual Appalachian Trail section hike coming in just over a month now.i called my friend, Suva "DragonFly" Bastin with the Clarksville chapter of the TN Trails Association yesterday & she said the hike was still on & had about 7 or 8 folks scheduled to be there.So, this morning i get up & headout about 6:30am heading to the South Cumberland State Park just outside Monteagle,TN...(about a two hour drive from my house)I stop by Mickey D's to grab a cup of coffee for the road...Man! this coffee is weak & has no taste...like the caffeine hound i am....i drink it anyway!the drive is un-eventful...i arrive @ 9am..."DragonFly" & "Spunky" (Merri Hinton) are driving a car to Foster Falls area (which is where we'll end our hike...i find out)we're on the trail @ about 9:30am...up hereon the plateau its a few degrees cooler than when i left home...fellow hikers tell me its 29 degrees here...iput on an extra layer...let's go hiking!Our group consists of hike leader: Suva "DragonFly" Bastin, Merri "Spunky" Hinton, Bob (sorry Bob, i forgot your last name), two boy scouts out for their hiking merit badges, & two TTA Murfreesboro members, George & Dave, & of course me, "Jaybird".we kick off the hike by going down into the Gorge (or "Gizzard")...hit the rough & tuff area first..is the strategy..we do a load of rock hopping (sometimes its more like boulder hopping in places)...hike by the creek (river?) & take many photos along this part of the trail.we start out of the gorge....more rocks (& boulders)...i'm in the backof the pack with my REI backpack on...with approx. 25 lbs in it...(to simulate my weight i'll be carryingon the A.T.)as we're climbing up the trail...over rocks...Bob, just ahead of me a few feet...looses his footing & tumbles backwards...as i try to stop his fall...he wacks me with one of his hiking poles (good thing its aluminum!) just above the eye...OUCH!we dust Bob off & get going again...wow, close one.Bob then hits his head on a low hanging tree branch...double OUCH!we get to the top of the rim & head towards Ravens point...its 12noon...we eat lunch here...the boy scouts bandage Bob's head...the band-aids spell out: HI...very FUNNY!We enjoy the Raven Point views....WOW!a few other day-hikers are here from Memphis & Smyrna.We have good conversation as we munch on sandwiches, snack bars & fruit, etc.1pm...lets hit the trail...our hike leaders have been letting the boy scouts lead the way (as long as we can keep an eye on them at all times)...they read the signs for us & point in the right direction...we're off...we're now heading to the other side of the gorge...ontothe Foster Falls trail....which i've never done...we pass a load of smaller water falls....an old still location (think "hootch" & the movie Deliverance...if i hear banjos starting to play...i'm outta here! hehehehehe )i'm getting tired...we finally get to Foster Falls....very nice...looks like Fall Creek Falls a bit...take loads of photos...& then a group shot of the gang before departing...good hike...                           13.3 miles today!i'm gonna sleep well tonite!see ya'll UP the trail.