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View Full Version : Erwin in the snow....



10-K
12-29-2010, 09:39
Yesterday for lunch I hiked up the switchbacks south of Uncle Johnny's over to Temple Hill Gap and took a few photos..

I'm thinking about loading up my daypack and hiking from Spivey's Gap back to Erwin in a few hours.... Supposed to be in the low 30's today.

SmokyMtn Hiker
12-29-2010, 10:19
What an awesome way to spend a lunch hour, the only problem for me would be getting up there and then saying heck with it I am not going back to work today.

mweinstone
12-29-2010, 11:36
i hate you 10k! with your ease of acess and your nearness to miss janet. your gathering of trail miles and smiles discusts me.i am enraged by your exsulent photos and your glamorous gear. the stench of your happyness fills my nostrils and scowels my brow.you sir have what i belive to be my portion. give it all back now! and i will require my own sonic burger twice daily.and a sonic shake. and fries. large. now go and do my bidding!

fehchet
12-29-2010, 12:42
Great pictures of my second home. Thanks. Be there in February.

10-K
12-29-2010, 13:54
i hate you 10k! with your ease of acess and your nearness to miss janet. your gathering of trail miles and smiles discusts me.i am enraged by your exsulent photos and your glamorous gear. the stench of your happyness fills my nostrils and scowels my brow.you sir have what i belive to be my portion. give it all back now! and i will require my own sonic burger twice daily.and a sonic shake. and fries. large. now go and do my bidding!

Ah my friend, the Sonic is no longer with us. From my house I could see the glowing yellow and orange lights flashing until one day..... it has been closed forever, silenced. Quote the sonic, nevermore.

And, I could almost throw a rock and hit Miss Janet's house but sadly she lives there no more.

Tennessee Viking
12-29-2010, 14:19
Ah my friend, the Sonic is no longer with us. From my house I could see the glowing yellow and orange lights flashing until one day..... it has been closed forever, silenced. Quote the sonic, nevermore.

And, I could almost throw a rock and hit Miss Janet's house but sadly she lives there no more.

The Sonic is closed. :( I used to grab a large Powerade with Cherry everytime I hiked around Erwin.

At least tell me Rock Creek Cafe and Pizza Plus are still in town.

So with Sonic closed, Erwin needs a drive-thru. I have been cheering for the campaign to have Pal's come to Erwin. Have it set up next to the Holiday Inn Express and old Appco station. It would make a killing during thru-season by feeding many hiking carnivores.

10-K
12-29-2010, 14:31
The Sonic is closed. :( I used to grab a large Powerade with Cherry everytime I hiked around Erwin.

At least tell me Rock Creek Cafe and Pizza Plus are still in town.

So with Sonic closed, Erwin needs a drive-thru. I have been cheering for the campaign to have Pal's come to Erwin. Have it set up next to the Holiday Inn Express and old Appco station. It would make a killing during thru-season by feeding many hiking carnivores.

Rock Creek and Pizza Plus are still going.... I'm partial to Azteca and Rocky's Pizza myself. :)

Killer idea about Pal's moving into the old LJS/A&W spot - it would do very well.

10-K
12-29-2010, 14:33
Followup - I drove up to Sam's Gap at 11:00 AM today with the intention of hiking back to Low Gap to look for a tent stake I lost Sunday night. I hiked in about a mile and a half and gave it up. Slogging through those waist deep drifts uphill was just more than I felt like doing.

tiptoe
12-29-2010, 15:12
10-K, you are a glutton for punishment. Not that I exactly took it easy. My pre-storm activity was moving maybe a half cord of firewood close to the house, followed by post-storm exercise: 7 hours of shoveling and snoeshoeing around the back field so I could walk the dog more easily. Drifts were a lot less than waist deep in my neck of the woods.

Tennessee Viking
12-29-2010, 16:25
Followup - I drove up to Sam's Gap at 11:00 AM today with the intention of hiking back to Low Gap to look for a tent stake I lost Sunday night. I hiked in about a mile and a half and gave it up. Slogging through those waist deep drifts uphill was just more than I felt like doing.

2 years ago, I hiked up Rock Creek Falls Trail in about a foot of snow from the wilderness boundary and up. My water bladder completely froze by the time I got to the falls. I ended up sliding on my butt a few times on the way down and I was half frozen. But it was well worth seeing the falls with some ice.

CinciJP
12-29-2010, 18:52
Dang you're making me itchy to go hiking. :)

10-K
12-29-2010, 19:11
Great pictures of my second home. Thanks. Be there in February.


The Sonic is closed. :( I used to grab a large Powerade with Cherry everytime I hiked around Erwin.

While I got you 2 guys in the same thread I wanted to say that I got out my usgs Unicoi quad today and it has the old trail up to the AT on it coming off Martin Creek Rd. I'm going to try both of your directions - worse case it looks like you'd hit the AT eventually just by walking uphill long enough.

There's also another trail I'm interested in that's about 100 or so yards north of No Business Knob shelter. I noticed it the other day when I was up there and wondered where it went.. On the quad it looks like it goes down to the forest service road that goes to Unaka Springs Rd.

The Cleaner
12-29-2010, 19:18
I'm thinkin bout heading up Horse Creek trail on Fri,also open to 4x4,up to the AT.Usually some 4x's have been on the trail/road and packed down some of the route,which makes hiking easier.The 4x's are stopped by a gate just below the AT,if they have made it that far.Turn right and it is 1.2 miles to Jerry's Cabin shelter ....:sun

The Cleaner
12-29-2010, 19:24
While I got you 2 guys in the same thread I wanted to say that I got out my usgs Unicoi quad today and it has the old trail up to the AT on it coming off Martin Creek Rd. I'm going to try both of your directions - worse case it looks like you'd hit the AT eventually just by walking uphill long enough.

There's also another trail I'm interested in that's about 100 or so yards north of No Business Knob shelter. I noticed it the other day when I was up there and wondered where it went.. On the quad it looks like it goes down to the forest service road that goes to Unaka Springs Rd.
That's right.It's only about 100yds ,or used to be, down to a gravel road which comes out at Uncle Johnny's.I hiked out this way about 1984.Seemed it was only 2-3 hour hike w/pack..:sun

10-K
12-29-2010, 19:29
Is the Horse Creek Trail forest road 94? I've walked it up to the AT and made a right and hiked over to Jerry Cabin that way.

Actually, I think I walked almost all the way there on a section of the AT that has since been re-routed.

The Cleaner
12-29-2010, 20:24
Is the Horse Creek Trail forest road 94? I've walked it up to the AT and made a right and hiked over to Jerry Cabin that way.

Actually, I think I walked almost all the way there on a section of the AT that has since been re-routed.
Yes...and turn left,north and it is 3/4 mile to Big B utt and out toward the Rocky Fork area or you can go down Middle Spring Ridge back to Horse Creek,comes out at bridge on your left on the way up..:)

Tennessee Viking
12-30-2010, 00:10
Yes...and turn left,north and it is 3/4 mile to Big B utt and out toward the Rocky Fork area or you can go down Middle Spring Ridge back to Horse Creek,comes out at bridge on your left on the way up..:)

You will have to send me some info as well. I been trying to reach the summit on Coldspring Mtn on day hikes from Horse Creek. Always had to fight the light. Got to the graves from the Flint Mtn side.

emerald
12-30-2010, 00:20
This thread looks much more like what I want to see. Hikers and maintainers connecting with one another to make a better experience for everyone.:)

10-K
12-30-2010, 08:50
Yes...and turn left,north and it is 3/4 mile to Big B utt and out toward the Rocky Fork area or you can go down Middle Spring Ridge back to Horse Creek,comes out at bridge on your left on the way up..:)

One of these fine days we're going to go hiking and I'm going to learn more about that area. :)

I'm going to be in my office in Wilmington, NC next week and am running a 50km race in Columbia next Saturday. After that the only thing I've got planned is hiking the BMT through GSMNP in Februrary (tenatively the 1st week, depending on the weather).

With the holidays over and all the family visits winding down maybe we can make that Rocky Fork hike in a few weeks?

The Cleaner
12-30-2010, 09:33
You will have to send me some info as well. I been trying to reach the summit on Coldspring Mtn on day hikes from Horse Creek. Always had to fight the light. Got to the graves from the Flint Mtn side.
Getting up to the top via HorseCreek trail/jeep road is easy.Just follow the well worn tracks and beer cans for 3.8 miles to "The Rock" an overlook,then it's only about 1/2 mile up to the gate just below the AT.This is also the route for "Decoration Day" at the Shelton graves,which is another story.....:eek:

The Cleaner
12-30-2010, 09:38
One of these fine days we're going to go hiking and I'm going to learn more about that area. :)

I'm going to be in my office in Wilmington, NC next week and am running a 50km race in Columbia next Saturday. After that the only thing I've got planned is hiking the BMT through GSMNP in Februrary (tenatively the 1st week, depending on the weather).

With the holidays over and all the family visits winding down maybe we can make that Rocky Fork hike in a few weeks?
I can do this trip with a few days notice.Febuary is a good month to hike if the WEATHER co-operates...:eek:

The Cleaner
12-30-2010, 09:49
One of these fine days we're going to go hiking and I'm going to learn more about that area. :)

I'm going to be in my office in Wilmington, NC next week and am running a 50km race in Columbia next Saturday. After that the only thing I've got planned is hiking the BMT through GSMNP in Februrary (tenatively the 1st week, depending on the weather).

With the holidays over and all the family visits winding down maybe we can make that Rocky Fork hike in a few weeks?
I can make it on a few days' notice.Now if the weather will co-operate ,it's a nice hike with great vistas.Can't see much when the clouds move in...:sun

The Cleaner
12-30-2010, 09:53
Sorry bout the 2nd post....didn't see we moved to page #2...:o

10-K
12-30-2010, 10:05
Getting up to the top via HorseCreek trail/jeep road is easy.Just follow the well worn tracks and beer cans for 3.8 miles to "The Rock" an overlook,then it's only about 1/2 mile up to the gate just below the AT.This is also the route for "Decoration Day" at the Shelton graves,which is another story.....:eek:

That "rock" is where I cut over trying to find the Sarvis Cove trail - isn't that were a gate is (or maybe where there's a fork in the road...)?

The Cleaner
12-30-2010, 10:37
That "rock" is where I cut over trying to find the Sarvis Cove trail - isn't that were a gate is (or maybe where there's a fork in the road...)?
At the gate the AT is straight ahead,turn right leads to a parking area just below the AT a little further south.Just above this parking lot is the Sarvis Cove trailhead...When we get up there I can show you all these w/o much extra walking.:sun

The Cleaner
12-30-2010, 10:41
At the gate the AT is straight ahead,turn right leads to a parking area just below the AT a little further south.Just above this parking lot is the Sarvis Cove trailhead...When we get up there I can show you all these w/o much extra walking.:sun
Oh I forgot...the side trail at the "Rock" goes 50 yds down to a good piped spring..:sun

10-K
12-30-2010, 10:51
Oh I forgot...the side trail at the "Rock" goes 50 yds down to a good piped spring..:sun


I bet the trail to the spring is blazed yellow.... I followed a yellow blazed trail from that rock about that far before the blazes just stopped... I thought those yellow blazes might have been the Sarvis Cove trail. (might have been blue blazes now that I think about it...)

One thing's for sure - anything on that side of the mountain is shaped like this: \ (down and steep...). It's a long 4 mile slog up Horse Creek Trail but you can get down it pretty darned quick!

The Cleaner
12-30-2010, 11:14
I bet the trail to the spring is blazed yellow.... I followed a yellow blazed trail from that rock about that far before the blazes just stopped... I thought those yellow blazes might have been the Sarvis Cove trail. (might have been blue blazes now that I think about it...)

One thing's for sure - anything on that side of the mountain is shaped like this: \ (down and steep...). It's a long 4 mile slog up Horse Creek Trail but you can get down it pretty darned quick!
I'm hoping that 4x4's have broken the trail at least to the Rock...Lots of hunters rounding-up lost dogs from Dec's bear hunt..:eek: