Off trail attractions

[cs570]

In early August I plan on doing a trip from Anthony creek trail down Jenkins ridge trail to lake shore trail, and then up lost cove trail to the at back to anthonys creek. Anybody familiar with this area? I was wondering if there are any things that are a must see whether on trail or shortly off trail. I have been reading about the copper mine at eagle creek which i believe will require a little off trail hacking. Any suggestions at all would be appreciated.

[abuesch]

Off the Jenkins Ridge Trail, you'll pass by the Adams-Westfeldt copper mines, just a mile or two above CS 84 (former town of Medlin). These are off the Little Fork of the Sugar Fork. It is hard to describe where to get off the trail (its near a concrete culvert, coming down Jenkins Ridge, on the left side) and even harder to describe how far back into the woods to go, but once you start seeing the slag piles, you are close. You'll be able to see the manways. The first set of mines are fenced off, but if you're adventurous enough, there are shafts higher up the mountain that aren't. Entering any of them is forbidden....

Kephardt's cabin location is roughly in the same area, on the opposite side of the trail.

Additionally, there is supposed to be some sort of steam powered lift off of Woodward Knob (if I recall correctly), but I haven't personally been to it. It would take some considerable bushwacking and off-trail skills to find, but its out there, referenced here:

http://picasaweb.google.com/Rutherfo...77239027886930

Once you get past Proctor (CS 86), heading back towards CS 90, you'll pass CS 88. Keep your eyes open for chimneys & housesites all through here to Eagle Creek.

If you elect to stay at 84 (recommend as a basecamp for exploring the Adams-Westfeldt mines), its worth the trip up to Bone Valley to see the Hall-Cress Cabin and the chimney shortly past it. Some Cherokee friends said it (the chimney) is actually the ruins of a whorehouse and these were relatively common in pre-park days and in the CCC camps in the early days of the park. No way of confirming, but I tend to believe these fellows.

Of course there's Shuckstack firetower just off the AT, which probably won't be there too much longer, so I'd recommend seeing it as well.

[ATL Backpacker]

Plenty to keep you busy from abuesch post. But if you're looking for more, you can see my post on the below link. There are links to a couple of bloggers who are off-trail experts in the GSMNP. You could either scroll through their blogs or maybe even message them directly.

http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/show...country-permit

good luck, sounds like fun

[TNhiker]

I have been reading about the copper mine at eagle creek which i believe will require a little off trail hacking.

good luck trying to find the one near eagle creek with a "little off trail hacking".....

its alot easier to do by way of paddling a boat over.......as the mine is really not necessary near any trails.........

[TNhiker]

there's also a cemetery off of jenkins ridge trail sorta near the manway that takes one to that copper mine.....

[cs570]

Thanks yall. If anybody else has anything that would be good to see, or any suggestions about these trails let me know.

[Ox97GaMe]

A couple of additional things to note......
a) There usually isnt any water along Jenkins Ridge Trail in August. sometimes even Spence Shelter is dry.
b) Jenkins Ridge trail doesnt get regular maintenance and with the unusually wet year we have had so far, weeds and briars are out of control. Expect slow going on this section. Also be aware of snakes on this section.
c) Lost Cove is VERY STEEP the last 1 mile.
d) You will have a steep climb the last 1/4 mile into Mollies Ridge on the AT.

Overall, this is a great loop. I did half of that same loop this past week. (I took Eagle Creek instead of Jenkins) Ridge. Trails I was on were in great shape,

Enjoy your hike. Let me know if you encounter any maintenance related items while you are out there.

[TNhiker]

a) There usually isnt any water along Jenkins Ridge Trail in August. sometimes even Spence Shelter is dry.

except for the small creek that one passes within the first mile or so after the AT......i cant remember its name right now and dont have a map on me........i also thought, but its been years since ive hiked jenkins ridge, that theres a spring in the haw gap area....

and yeah.....expect haw gap to be overgrown......


and i also think there a water source down near the cemeteries and the manway to the copper mine, but like i says---its been years since i've hiked jenkins.....


[QUOTE][c) Lost Cove is VERY STEEP the last 1 mile/QUOTE]


oh, yeah.........one is basically looking straight down the trail at that point......

[TIDE-HSV]

A couple of additional things to note......
a) There usually isnt any water along Jenkins Ridge Trail in August. sometimes even Spence Shelter is dry.
b) Jenkins Ridge trail doesnt get regular maintenance and with the unusually wet year we have had so far, weeds and briars are out of control. Expect slow going on this section. Also be aware of snakes on this section.
c) Lost Cove is VERY STEEP the last 1 mile.
d) You will have a steep climb the last 1/4 mile into Mollies Ridge on the AT.

Overall, this is a great loop. I did half of that same loop this past week. (I took Eagle Creek instead of Jenkins) Ridge. Trails I was on were in great shape,

Enjoy your hike. Let me know if you encounter any maintenance related items while you are out there.

Jenkins Trail Ridge (the old name) is very steep at the beginning and end, particularly, but it's a rough hike overall. I'm sorry to here that they aren't maintaining it...

[TIDE-HSV]

there's also a cemetery off of jenkins ridge trail sorta near the manway that takes one to that copper mine.....

Have you been been to the cemetery above Walnut Bottoms, up off the Low Gap trail?

[TNhiker]

while i've been to a majority of the cemeteries in the park, that one above walnut bottoms, along with one in the abrams creek campground area---i have not been able to find.......

been to most, if not all, of the ones in the northshore area of the park, including paddling over to ones that are not accessible by any other trail.....

and theres a few in the cosby area, just off the road, that i havent been to...

i was on a big cemetery finding kick a few years ago where i was researching them out, and going to them as well..

also, theres one in cades cove that i think ive found the spot for, but other than a large tree, cannot find any evidence of a cemetery.......it does appear on various maps indicating a cemetery was there....

[TNhiker]

Jenkins Trail Ridge (the old name) is very steep at the beginning and end,

just outta curiosity---why do you say that jenkins trail ridge is the "old name"?

the way that i've always understood it, was that the trail itself is named jenkins ridge trail while the ridgeline that it follows is named jenkins trail ridge..........and the ridgeline was named after the trail had a name.....

[TIDE-HSV]

just outta curiosity---why do you say that jenkins trail ridge is the "old name"?

the way that i've always understood it, was that the trail itself is named jenkins ridge trail while the ridgeline that it follows is named jenkins trail ridge..........and the ridgeline was named after the trail had a name.....

You may be right about that. I know some of the old guide books called it the "Jenkins Trail Ridge Trail," which always sounded awkward and redundant. The Walnut Bottoms cemetery is not that far above the bottoms. The trail takes off slabbing up to your right and after just a little bit takes a turn to the left. The graves are off to the right of the trail, sort of a more or less flat bench. One day, a friend and I were exploring for it and we were in that area, scratching our heads. Suddenly I realized I was standing on a roll in the ground. I looked over at him, about 50' away, and he was also standing on a roll. I told him I thought we'd found it. We were able to find only one headstone, a very small one on which the scratching had worn off. It was probably an infant. I don't know why there weren't stones. Maybe they were carried off for flat foundation piers. That's what makes it so hard to find. If you find the mounds, that's where it is...

[Dogwood]

You members of the 900 mile club know your GSMNP shart. I'm taking notes.

[TNhiker]

Hey dogwood----check yer PM....

Sent ya something you might like....

And heck, we haven't even begun to scratch the surface of stuff the smokies have to offer...

[TNhiker]

hey dogwood, and others---

here's a picture of the rail car at the old slate mine up along panther creek..



<a href="http://s242.photobucket.com/user/kev...1c601.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i242.photobucket.com/albums/f...pse761c601.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo slatecarwideshot_zpse761c601.jpg"/></a>

[TNhiker]

http://i242.photobucket.com/albums/f...pse761c601.jpg

[TNhiker]

slatecarwideshot_zpse761c601.jpg



here's a picture of the rail car.....sorry bout the other posts.....still learning how to put pictures in..

[TIDE-HSV]

slatecarwideshot_zpse761c601.jpg



here's a picture of the rail car.....sorry bout the other posts.....still learning how to put pictures in..

Were you hiking Big Creek when the brake shoe was still there at the spring?

[cs570]

Im guessing no one has the gps coordinates by chance do yall?