Chickamauga Battlefield- Hiking the Day After Severe Weather

Because I travelled this week, I hadn't gotten in as many hikes as I normally have each week so after attending a beautiful wedding Saturday morning I decided to take on the Ramble Trail at the Chickamauga Battlefield. It's a loop trail that is little over 6 miles. Secret and I headed out to Fort Oglethorpe, Georgia to get our hike on. I was expecting it to be crowded because it not only is a tourist attraction but a great place to be outside. Almost as soon as we started on the trail I realized this was going to be a messy, muddy day for my new hiking shoes! It was so beautiful on Saturday that I forgot about the Tornado Watch the night before and the crazy amounts of rain that came down in our area. Alas, puddles and downed trees were abundant. I decided on a different tactic and decided to walk along the paved roads in the park. Not near as "hike-y" but exercise nonetheless.

After taking a side road, I immediately saw a wide trail that didn't look quite as muddy so Secret the Wonder Pup and I went that way. We weren't 20 feet along the trail when I looked up and saw a young deer with spots staring back at me. We played the stare down game for a while as I took a few photos and watched Secret looking perplexed back and forth from me and the deer. As I started walking closer it bolted off for the woods and my day was officially made! It wasn't surprising to see deer in the park. It is known for it's abundance. In fact if you drive through the battlefield in the evening you can easily see many deer grazing in the fields along the way. It's always a majestic sight.

As Secret and I came up to where the deer was standing I realized I was in an old campground that wasn't currently being used. The upside was that there were not many people and the pathways were paved. Secret and I meandered around these camp sites and did several large loops that brought us back through the fields and to our car multiple times. I always felt like I was pranking Secret because we would just pass the car and keep on walking. Even the campground area was muddy but it was a good sweaty workout that we both enjoyed! I will say it was a great quick place to check out but coming on a less muddy day would probably have been better. It is a great place to learn about Civil War history though! And once again, the hikers were all nice!

If you are going to visit the battlefield, go to the welcome center first- it's worth it. Also, if you are in the area, check out Sears Shoe Store. It has been there forever and worth the visit in Fort Oglethorpe.

Glen Falls Trail - "I thought that waz a barrrr!"

The day after Hickey Gap Trail I was hurting! My hip I feel on was sore but more than that my quads were burning from the steepness of that trail. I decided to take an easy trail the next day, so Secret the Wonder Pup and I headed to Glen Falls Trail. I've passed the entrance to that trail a gazillion times and never noticed it! It's literally on the side of the road as a pull off on Ochs Highway going up Lookout Mountain. In fact, you can pretty much hear the highway traffic for much of this short hike but it still feels like a lush green oasis.
This is definitely a meandering path that starts with kudzu right up to the path but quickly opens to a wider trail flanked by boulders along the way. Then you come around a corner and hear water and see a bridge. The coolness was noticeable on this very hot and humid July day. The falls themselves was more of a trickle but the clearness of the shallow pool at the base was very inviting to Secret.

We didn't see anyone at all as we made it to this point. We then when over the bridge and hiked around the ridge of a drop-off for a while before turning around. It was after we turned around that Secret noticed the stairs right before we got back to the bridge. At this point I could hear and see people up above the falls but they couldn't see me. Secret and I took the stairs up to the stone door and as we walked into the "cave" to come out on the upper side of the falls Secret startled a couple that was about to come back through. It wasn't her fault, she wasn't being aggressive or anything the man just wasn't expecting her and he yelled out "Oh law, I thought that waz a barrrr!" As I suppressed my giggle, I apologized and they told me they were from Mississippi and that THIS type of thing was what they wanted to see by coming to Tennessee. I had that swelling in my chest for Chattanooga the beautiful!

 The couple went along their way and Secret and I did some more exploring. We then walked back down the stairs and across the bridge and saw a mom with her two toddlers playing at the bottom of the falls. I told her she must be the smartest mom in Chattanooga taking advantage of that beautiful location and cooling off at the same time. I kinda felt sad that I had never done that with my girls when they were little.

The walk was short but lovely and well worth the day and I can imagine it is gorgeous in the fall as well. If you choose to do this hike it is extremely convenient to both Rock City and Ruby Falls, as well as the Starbucks at the top of the mountain! When you finish...make sure you eat lunch in St. Elmo-my favorite places are the Purple Daisy Picnic Cafe , Mojo Burrito, or Mr. T's Pizza. Wanting something more boushy? Head to 1885 Grill.

Greenway Farm- North Chickamauga Conservancy

I'm a Hixson, Tennessee girl. We moved to Chattanooga when I was in fifth grade and lived on Big Ridge. I have so many fond memories of that area and that time in my life. Hixson will always have a place in my heart. My father-in-law used to always say "You can take a girl out of Hixson but you can't take it out of her walk." I'm not really sure if that was a compliment to my mother-in-law (also from Hixson) and myself but we took it as one...and today, I took a walk in Hixson.

Secret the Wonder Pup and I headed down Hamill Road to Greenway Farm, for me it will always be known as Spangler Farm. As a kid I always was intrigued by this farm off Cassandra Smith Road that had cows but also a putting green right in the middle of the front field. It seemed so bougie before I knew what bougie was! But in 1990 the Spangler family sold the property that runs alongside the North Chickamauga Creek and the 180 acre park was eventually opened giving access to gentle rolling hills, trails, access to the creek and a dog park.

I have always enjoyed looking at North Chickamauga Creek because of its unique aqua blueness. Today Secret and I put in about 3 miles under almost all shade along the creek (but you can't really see it that well while on these very wide, nice paths). We saw more people on this jaunt than any trip we have done thus far. Trail runners and dog walkers were all over the place this morning! The Outdoor Chattanooga Barn is also located at the park and there were a lot of vehicles parked near this portion of the park.


I immediately noticed the labeling and QR codes across the park to identify plant life. It made me think of our fifth grade science teacher at CCS and how she wants to create something like that at our campus. What a great field trip this could be to show the students examples! I also had never noticed the cemetery dating back to the 1800's on the property before. Nor did I realize that this creek had been part of the civil war! It's amazing what you learn about your city when you take the time to look!

So I am currently in a quandary about our hiking expeditions. Secret and I seem to enjoy the more rigorous and less traveled paths so that she doesn't have to stay on a leash the whole time but I am currently ankle deep in poison ivy itching so I took a break from the more wilderness approach. I also like loop trails that aren't going to take all day to get done and if there is water nearby, that's an added bonus both Secret and I love. Am I getting too picky?

I did love this quick, easy hike today in Hixson and I think that's just one of the things that makes Chattanooga so great. Want to spend the day hiking in the area? You can easily do that. Want to get a quick hike in so you can get other things done? That's always a possibility too. Regardless of which choice you make you are bound to see something that makes you go "ahhhh" in Chattanooga the Beautiful.

Pot Point Nature Trail

After yesterday's hike of wandering in the wilderness, I decided to find a hike labeled "well labeled." This morning Secret the Wonder Pup and I headed to the Pot Point Biological Field Station off of River Canyon Road. The drive there is a mixture of gorgeousness and the movie Deliverance. Driving along the Tennessee River down Suck Creek Road and then deeply onto River Canyon Road makes you forget you are still only minutes from downtown Chattanooga.

At one point I came over a little rise in the road and it opened up into this view...Chattanooga the beautiful at its finest! I actually slowed down and snapped this photo out of the window on the way back home because it was just so beautiful and surprising as you come around that curve.

Pulling up to Pot Point Nature Preserve, I was glad there was a big sign because you literally feel like you are pulling into someone's yard...because you are. The nice big parking lot allows you to head out to two different trails. Secret and I decided to walk the Pot Point Nature Trail. I had read the about the different "stops" along the trail before I left so we did not take the time to stop and read. That's a pretty neat little informational option to trail hiking because you learn a lot about the area and its history.

When we started off the first part of the trail goes steeply up. Secret looked back at me like "What's gotten into you lately?" And I was wondering the same thing. Thankfully that doesn't last too long and then flattens out. The trail was very narrow with poison ivy and sumac trying to tickle your legs if you take a misstep. Obviously that was not the kind of danger I was looking for but if you are a consider looking at this type of plant specimen- this is the place to be! Also, I feel fairly certain that the trail should have been named "Spider Web Trail." I literally was walking with my hiking pole in front of me the whole time knowing down the spider webs and I still had to stop 3 times and wipe down my face and arms of all the webs. At one point Secret even threw her body to the ground on the trail and started rolling around to get the webs off of her. It was CRAZY.

At "stop" 6 (which we weren't stopping at) I asked myself "why do you keep walking through these webs and how many spiders are now on your body." So I made an executive decision and decided to hike back the way we had come instead of making the loop and avoid more of the webs.

As we walked back through the yard we didn't do as good of a job at avoiding the "mud" in the yard and that's when I realized that wasn't mud but it was a septic tank leak. Yep. Needless to say we rode home with the windows down, the shoes went into the washer and Secret and I both got showers.

Here's hoping my next trek is a bit more hiker friendly!
 

Intertwining Signal Mountain Trails- Oh my!

So this is a blog post about lessons learned while hiking. Secret the Wonder Pup and I headed to Signal Mountain because I wanted to go to Edward's Point from Shackleford Ridge Road. Mistake #1 was I didn't know exactly where the trailhead started. I actually pulled off on the side of Shackleford Ridge because I saw trail markers and another car. We hit the trail and it was almost immediate that it became almost impossible due to downed trees and lots and lots of puddles and streams across the path. Mistake #2- I didn't turn back. We found blazing for the orange trail and the blue trails and followed them for quite a while. What I didn't realize was how many forks there were in the trails. I also thought I was a lot closer to Edward's Point than I was. I didn't want to just trot up to it but I also didn't bank on 4 hours in the woods.


We never made it. The fallen trees were so bad when we were about 1/2 a mile from the point that I had to get off the trail to go around. I had dodged puddles, jumped over fallen trees but this was ridiculously covering the trails to the point I had a hard time even finding the trail. By this time I was sweaty, tired, I was drinking water like I had an addiction and the gnats were driving me insane. Secret even had a little wobble in her step. So, we turned around.

Yes, with 1/2 a mile to go. You see our middle school teachers have been challenging each other to read Carol Dweck's book on Mindset and so I am reading it again. As I stood there in the woods I asked myself, "what was your ultimate goal?" The answer, "exercise." So I turned around and headed back. 

I tend to have a pretty good sense of direction and on Signal you are either going to hit a road or walk off the side of the moment. I knew the way back to the car but as I was walking back it became quickly evident I had not realized how many trail splits there were. And I will be honest, I got confused. I found myself looking for our tracks walking in to make sure that I was heading back the way we came. We saw NO ONE on this trip, nor heard no one. So I was a little leery when I looked down and saw bear tracks!

As we continued to walk back to the direction of the car, (Mistake #3- I should have dropped a pin where I parked), the trails became more confusing but I knew I was heading the right direction. So we kept plodding along...both of us exhausted. We heard the traffic off Shackleford Ridge and knew we were close, I also knew I wasn't on the trail we came in on. We popped out of the woods and walked about another 1/2 mile back to the car. I cried. I knew I wasn't really lost but there was that sense of lostness a few times. So my new rule is, only walk on well marked trails when alone or take  marking tape.

Leaving you with the positives- It was a pretty walk in the woods. If I knew my fungi it would be a good place to collect mushrooms. It was completely shady which was nice in the July heat.

Gee Creek Trail - Branching out a bit for fun!

Secret the wonder pup was good as new this morning (after a couple of days of Advil and resting) and we decided to branch out a bit farther. This morning we headed to Gee Creek Trail because quite honestly I think I am the only educator at Chattanooga Christian School that has never been there! My plan was 3 fold so we had a lot to get done. As I drove through Benton, Tennessee and got just to the McMinn County border, I turned onto Gee Creek Road. At this point I immediately thought, "where the heyday am I going?" And then the banjo music began and I decided "Oh well, what the heck, lets do this"...the paved road became a gravel road and I pulled up to a horse and buggy with Mennonites on my left and thought, "this must be the place!" Secret and I waited a little bit to give the Mennonite family a head start and we hit the very rocky but flat trail.

 It immediately became a beautiful walk and perhaps one of my favorites thus far. The trail itself goes to Gee Creek Falls 2.9 miles in but we didn't go the whole way...call me chicken or lazy if you want but I was pleased with what we accomplished. Along the walk there are mini waterfalls along the trail and easy access to them. 

Thankfully I wore my Chaco sandals and Secret and I waded into the water a few times and enjoyed the cool air coming off the even cooler water. She LOVED today. She waded deeper than she has ever waded and lapped up water like it was a fine wine. I think it is fair to say we spent less time hiking and more time enjoying our surroundings. I think it is also fair to say that I probably rolled my ankle 6-7 times on the walk. When I say "rocky trail," I'm not joking. But I loved it!

After our walk on Gee Creek Trail, we went to Sandy's Blueberry Farm in Benton, Tennessee and picked 2 pounds of amazingly plump and delicious blueberries here. It's a great place to pick because it is located in the yard of Harold and Sandy Hood so there is no bramble to fight. Secret laid in the shade while I picked and my new friend Mike Stoner even picked some for me as we chatted. He was helping watch over the blueberry farm while Sandy was at work. I can't wait to bake a blueberry cobbler with these blueberries. She charges $2/pound and they are worth it!

We then headed back towards Chattanooga and took a side trip to the sunflower fields on Ooltewah-Georgetown Road at the Smith-Perry Berry Farm. And of course I had to get a pink bucket to support the Mary Ellen Locher Scholarship Foundation....which I wouldn't have known about if it weren't for my friend Cindy Pare. For $15 you can pick a LARGE bucket of sunflowers and wildflowers and if you choose the pink bucket, the foundation gets $2. Win, win!

Needless to say, today was a full day for Secret and myself. I'm enjoying the wonderful memories that we are making this summer as we explore the Chattanooga area. What will tomorrow bring?

Enterprise South Nature Park

Secret the Wonder Pup was still recovering from partying too hard on Independence Day and I had some errands to run near Hamilton Place Mall. So being someone not at all like myself, I got up early on this steamy July 6th day and headed towards Enterprise South Nature Park. To get to this park, one most drive through the newest industrial area in Chattanooga- past the Amazon Distribution Center and the Volkswagen plant. I can't help but drive down this road and think "jobs, jobs, jobs..." So many new jobs for our area thanks to these two newer mega hiring entities in our city. Enterprise South Nature Park is situated on "2,800 wooded acres and was once a part of the Volunteer Army Ammunitions Plant. The property’s heritage has been preserved in the concrete magazines used to store explosives during the days TNT was manufactured on the property." (http://www.hamiltontn.gov/esnp/)  So don't be surprised to see bunkers along your walk! 
I parked early, trying to beat the summer heat and headed out on Poe Run Path. Along the way I enjoyed the coolness of being in the shade the entire walk. 
If I lived in this area this would definitely be a place of escape for me. The trails are well maintained and you feel safe in this area. While I didn't go to the welcome center, it was nice to see it there as a if it was standing vigilant over the area. 

The trail I was on was about 3 miles round trip. On the way back around I took the upper Poe Trail just to mix things up a bit. It also was a bit more challenging and less of a flat walk- but easy nonetheless. 

I passed bunkers and very woodsy feeling varieties of plants. The mix between seeing a bunker and feeling you were in the middle of nowhere left you with an eery feeling. My favorite part of this walk was the number of chipmunks that would run across the path about 7-10 feet in front of me as I travelled along. I bet that happened about 6 or 7 times. The first time it was startling but the more it happened the funnier it became. I imagined a morning meeting of the Poe Trail Chipmunks and duties assigned for the day. Let me just say that this little brigade of chipmunks did an excellent job of keeping this hiker on her toes. 

It was a quick but sweaty hike that ended with me back at my car putting on new deodorant and spraying myself down with Axe Body Spray so I could run my errands...cause let's be honest, as an educator around middle schoolers everyone knows the way to defeat unwanted body odor is to mix it with Axe Body Spray and hope for the best. (As educators we also know it just leads to a nauseating combination- but heck, it also signals "I tried!") 

I then went on to Hamilton Place Mall to run my errands and hope that I wouldn't run into anyone I knew. Thankfully, only strangers had to deal with my eau de toilette.