Hike To Meigs Creek And Meigs Mountain

If your wanting a very peaceful , very relaxing hike with not a whole lot of people then this is the hike for you . This is an easy hike with lots of creek crossings , a few waterfalls and wild ferns ( or better known as New York Ferns ). Meigs Creek Trail is 3.5 miles to Meigs Mountain Trail is another 2.4 miles from the junction .



Meigs Creek Trailhead



This is such a peaceful hike and a beautiful one also

Mountain Laurel blooming on the trail



Lots of creek crossings on this hike over 17 all together



This is Atti Falls on Meigs Creek Trail

Such a relaxing hike next to Meigs Creek

Lots of wild ferns growing everywhere on this trail

Morning dew laying on the grass and wilflowers

Almost to the Meigs Mountain Trail junction

The blades of the forest floor holds the tears of the clouds

I love the wildflowers and ferns on this hike

Alien Tree ? ............ LoL

Hiking Is Ageless

Sometimes it is not just the beauty of the scenery around you while hiking in the mountains of The Great Smoky Mountains National Park but the amazing people that you meet during your journey through the woods. Oh don't get me wrong the beauty of the smokies are really hard to beat in all ways but sometimes the people you meet just make that hike that your taking just that more enjoyable for anyone at any age.

Thoughout my years of hiking through the Great Smoky Mountains I have run into a lot of extraordinary people over the years from ages of 6 to 89 . Yes i said 89 years old ! People from all over the world , Poland to Brazil , Russia to Australia. Well if you think about it who in their right mind could be in a bad mood while hiking in the great outdoors . I would have to safely say that 98 % of all people i have encountered while hiking has always be very nice and always in a great mood . I have only run into 2 people that was in bad moods or was not enjoying theirselves .

Out of all of my encounters over the years of hiking 3 have really stood out in my mind and will probably stay with me as long as I am still on this earth .

1. I was going on a hike to Mt.LeConte via Alum Cave Bluff , I thought that I had got to the trailhead early that day arriving just a little before 8am but a little later I would find out that I was wrong. I was enjoying my hike up it was a beautiful day and not all the crowds had got there yet . Most people just hike to Alum Cave Bluff  4.4 miles round trip , this is a moderate hike with a total elevation change of 1125 ft. So I am going at a pretty good pace and about 0.8 of a mile from the top when this older gentleman comes around the the corner on his way back down. So we both stopped and started talking that is when i was blown away ! He was a man that was from Huntsville , Alabama and he was going back down already it was only 10:15 am . What so amazing about this ? Well he was 89 years old and had already gone up to Mt.LeConte and was on his way back down . He comes to the Great Smoky Mountains 5 times a year to go hiking and really enjoys it especially after his wife had died , he said it feels like he is closer to her .(I almost cried on that one ) This man was amazing to me he started out at the trailhead at 5:30 that morning and it was 10:15 and he was on his way back down . How many people do you know that is 89 that could walk 11 miles let alone hike 11 miles up a strenuous hike with a elevation change of almost 2800 ft. I just hope I am hiking like him at his age !

2. I met a wonderful family from Hillsborough, North Carolina hiking up to Ramseys Cascade in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park on the Greenbrier side of the park . This was a very nice family as most families that you meet out on the trail , what was so extraordinary about this family was their daughter . I have never enjoyed hiking back down a trail as I did this day with this young lady . She talked to me basically all the way back down but you ask what is so extraordinary about this? Well I will tell you , I know a lot of people and this little girl who was 10 was more intelligent than most adults that I know . It was such a pleasure to not only talk to her but to listen to her . She talked about a wide range of topics and made everyone of them very interesting to listen to her . This young lady was very amazing and I expect one day I will hear something very great about her . This is one of those hikes that you wish would never end .

3. I was hiking up BullHead on my way to Mt.LeConte and then on out to Myrtle Point ( which btw if you hadn't is well worth the extra mile ) . A little over a mile from the top i ran into 2 young men who just happen to be 17 year old twins almost the same age as my twin daughters . We started hiking together on our way to Mt.LeConte Lodge , we talked about hiking and school  and when we got to the lodge we split up . I was just finishing up my lunch when they both come back over to me and started talking some more . I told them I was going to the Cliff Tops and they asked if they could tag along and I said sure so they asked their dad  and he said sure . So I took them up there and we talked and enjoyed the view and just sat and talked about everything .Then I told them that I was going to head up to Mytrle Point , they again asked if they could follow along with me . Of course I said sure these two young men were very inquisitive about hiking and the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and the great outdoors . You could just tell that these twins put 100 % into everything that they do . It was such a pleasure to meet both these young men , who was very intelligent , very well - mannered and just loved life .

This is why I love hiking so much not only the scenery and nature is so beautiful but the people you meet are too . They're so many more encounters of extraordinary people that you meet while out on the trails of the smokies , these are just the ones that have left a lasting impression on me that I will never forget . This is why i say Hiking Is Ageless because people of all ages enjoy hiking , being outdoors and being part of something that in the end makes us all better people .

Happy Hiking ,

Atti's Taxi - Matt G.

Hike Up Mud Gap To Whigg Meadow Grassy Bald

This is a easy hike  from Mud Gap along the Cherohala Skyway (about mile 3 on the NC side) along the Benton MacKaye Trail uphill to Whigg Meadow at 5000 feet with 360 degree  breath - taking views of the surrounding TN and NC mountains. The total milage of this hike is only 3.2 miles and worth every mile to get to the top of the grassy bald for the views .

Beautiful hike on Mud Gap Trail to Whigg Meadow

Mud Gap Trail is part of the Benton - MacKaye Trail

Fall time is my favorite time to hike 

What i love about hiking or camping in Cherokee National Forest you can backcountry camp anywhere

Whiggs Meadow at the end of Mud Gap Trail

Whiggs Meadow Grassy Bald

360 degree view and what a view from Whigg Meadow

Atti enjoying the view from Whiggs Meadow



Amazing views this is a must hike also to do



Some parts was closed due to dangerous erosion

Park to Conduct Prescribed Burns of Cades Cove Meadows

The Smoky Mountain Hiking Blog: Park to Conduct Prescribed Burns of Cades Cove Meadows : Fire Management personnel at Great Smoky Mountains National Park plan to conduct a series of prescribed burns of fields in Cades Cove Monday through Friday, November 5th through 9th if weather conditions permit. Park managers plan to burn several tracts totaling about 570 acres.

The selected fields are being burned as part of a cost-effective strategy to prevent the open fields from being reclaimed by forest. The Park contracts to mow about 950 acres of fields that are clearly visible from the Cades Cove Loop Road twice a year. Other fields that are less visible from the Loop Road, totaling around 1,500 acres, are kept open by burning or mowing on a three year rotation. The seasonal prescribed burns encourage the growth of native warm-season grasses providing high quality cover and foraging opportunities for a diversity of wildlife including deer, turkeys, and ground nesting birds.

Without being either mowed or burned, the open meadows of the Cove would very quickly revert to pine and hardwood forest. That process would both alter the historically open landscape that characterized the Cove during its period of settlement and deprive Park visitors of the excellent wildlife viewing opportunities often found in the Cove.

The burn will be conducted by park Fire and Resource Management staff. Firefighters and fire engines will be assigned each day to ignite the grass lands and to make sure the fire stays within its designated boundaries. Strips of grass surrounding each field slated for burning have been mowed short to provide containment lines.  

Cades Cove Loop Road will remain open but visitors may experience brief delays due to smoke or other safety concerns as fire fighters work adjacent to roadways. "Motorists are asked to reduce speed in work zones and if smoke is present, keep windows up and headlights on," said Fire Management Officer Dave Loveland. "The public, of course, will notice smoke in the valley but it will dissipate quickly and not unduly impact their visit," he said.

Smokies officials are also planning a prescribed burn near Wears Valley for sometime between November 11th and 24th.


Jeff
Hiking in the Smokies

Hiking In Snow At Higher Elevations

As you hike ever so higher hiking through the snow, you need to understand the added risks and problems with hiking in higher altitudes in the snow. You will find yourself needing to breathe deeper and more often to keep enough oxygen circulating to your muscles. Every breath has less oxygen, so you need more breaths. There are more special preparations for hiking in the snow as you go up higher in altitude:

Slower Pace - If you are not expecting the lack of oxygen, you will find yourself needing frequent rest stops to recover. But, by slowing your pace as you gain elevation, you will keep your body working without overexerting in the snow especially if it is deep snow.

Even Rhythm - Maintaining a breathing/stepping rhythm is even more important at higher elevations than lower down. It will help keep you from overexerting yourself.

Deep Breathing - when you first notice any breathlessness, start thinking about your breathing. Take deeper breaths and smaller steps until you have a sustainable pace again. On steeper sections, deliberately placing each foot and taking a breath may be the way to go.

Sunscreen is critical because the sun is more powerful higher up. Snow, light - colored rocks, cool temperature, and no shade above treeline also contribute to easy sun burns.

Sunglasses will help prevent squinting and headaches. Snowblindness and sunburned eyelids are real problems. Use side guards on your glasses for more protection.

Extra Clothes - long sleeves, long pants, hats, and gloves to protect from the sun, wind, and cold. Weather can change in a heartbeat, easily dropping more than 30 degrees in 1/2 hour or less.

Ignoring the risks of hiking at higher elevations with snowfall especially if snowfall is over 12 inches will ruin your day. If you're lucky, you'll just be wiped out, but there's a good chance you can get yourself in deep trouble.

GSMNP Fall Color Report

November 9 Fall Color Report

Some very impressive areas of fall color linger at the park’s lower elevations (below 3,000’). Scarlet oak, northern red oak, the birches, sumac, and spicebush are especially vibrant. At the higher elevations, fresh snow crowns Mt. Le Conte and the Appalachian Trail ( Above 5,000 Ft.).

Suggested drives include Little River Road, Cades Cove, Gatlinburg Bypass, Roaring Forks Motor Nature Trail , the Foothills Parkway East (near Newport and Cosby), the Foothills Parkway West (near Townsend), The Foothills Parkway North (between Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge—the “Spur”) and Cataloochee Valley.

Suggested trails and hiking destinations include Mingus Creek Trail, Cucumber Gap Loop, Old Settlers Trail, Deep Creek Trail, Gatlinburg Trail, Oconaluftee River Trail, and Abrams Falls.

Witch-hazel, the last flowering tree of the season, is in bloom.