Grapeyard Ridge to Injune Creek Through Hike

Asters were the flower of the day along Grapeyard Ridge

Grapeyard Ridge to Injune Creek Through Hike 

Another Go Smokies Hike! 

Dana Koogler

Marlene Denton

David Ledbetter

Duane Pierce

Mitch & Rhonda Reagan

*Cameo Appearance by Mike Maples*

Sunday Sept. 28, 2014

Shuttle Hike from Roaring Fork the Greenbrier

Total miles hiked 7.5 

    I had a bleak and dismal attempt at a backpacking trip to Big Creek the previous day. 

I got invited to go hiking Sunday by the GoSmokies bunch and I jumped at the chance.   I was 

all about it.   Just thinking of it made me feel better.   We met up Sunday morning at the Greenbrier

Ranger Station at 8:15 am.    Mike Maples was there with us, but our excitement at thinking he was going

with us was short lived.  He had to work, but just came by to say hello and visit for a bit.  I was tickled

I finally got to meet him. I also was pleased to finally meet David Ledbetter.   It was so good to see 

everyone again.   GW Denton was missed as were Mike Gourley, Jeff Cole, Curtis, Cheryl, Betsy, David

and all the rest. 

     We visited a little while then once everyone was there who planned to go we left some vehicles there

and headed to Roaring Fork to set our shuttle vehicle at the end of Grapeyard Ridge Trail. The plan

was to hike from the Roaring Fork end of Grapeyard and split off onto the Injune Creek Manway thus

eliminating the last part of the Grapeyard Ridge Trail that has creek crossings.   It was new miles for me

so I was pleased.   I had been up Injune Creek before as far as the big rock walls, but had never finished it.

Today I hoped I would finally finish it.  

       We started off at the buildings there along Roaring Fork.  I have been by there so many times, but never

stopped to figure where the trail actually was.  It goes back past the buildings and uphill.   It is worth mentioning that Duane said the trail had been re-routed in the past.  I know that I looked back to the 1973 

hiking guide map to check some things we saw.  When the 1973 map was printed Grapeyard Ridge trail 

was not even an official park trail.   It was a mere manway then so it seems.  It ran the spine of the ridge very

similar to what we did today with our chosen route.  Upon first starting the trail veers left and uphill while 

it seems a tail end goes straight along the creek.   The little tail end hanging out there is part of an old access 

to the manway.  It ran from down near the gate on Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail and paralleled the creek, passed the buildings and went out to the "tail" and dead ended.   Veering off that track to the left was another section of manway that veered left and went up to join with the Grapeyard Ridge Manway about a mile and a half into the hike.   We saw an old official park sign there with the bottom edge damaged.

By the sign was a track leading off, but it was very overgrown with rhodo and I was not even sure it was

ever a path. We had some discussion as to whether it was the end of an old manway or a water bar. 

Other access points that we encountered along the main trail were a manway that runs off to the left of it

and ends down along Dudley Creek at Highway 321 in Gatlinburg.   

        We hiked along at a leisurely pace. I enjoyed everyone's company and we had time to catch up.

It had been too  long.   I was in a totally different frame of mind today than Saturday. I did not care much about how long it took, taking pictures, or any of that. I was just glad to be with my friends and in the woods.  The day was a nice temperature and a little overcast.   I saw lots of gentians along the trail.

I also saw evidence this trail would be a good place to hunt orchids in other seasons.   We spied the 

remnants of YFO's along the edges of the trail near its beginning. I remembered to whine about the uphill since Curtis was not there to do it.  I made sure to take up the slack on the bellyaching.  

     We checked out old home sites, fences, etc. Marlene found an old medicine bottle in great condition.

It was Dr. Thachers Liver & Blood Syrup.  It had only one crack in its bottom edge, but was whole. 

I continued to be surprised and delighted at the mossy stone walls and rock cribbing we encountered

at multiple points along the trip.   We passed one spot where stone walls were built along the creek 

making us wonder if there had been a grist mill there?  It was beautiful.  The woods were waning to Fall.

Leaves were just beginning to come down.  We mainly saw asters, gentian and goldenrod along the trail

for Fall wildflowers. We did see some lingering orange jewelweed and pale yellow jewelweed.  

     Grapeyard Ridge Trail is very pretty and not real hard.  Injune Creek trail is very pretty.

It looks like something out of a Fairy Tale at one foot log we crossed.  I can easily see why so

many repeat trips are made up there.   We stopped and ate lunch along the trail.  

We continued on and saw about ten people total besides us all day.    Most were along the Grapeyard

Ridge Trail, but we did encounter a family of four down on Injune Creek manway.  

   

Top: Grapeyard Ridge Trail

Bottom: Mitch is explaining something 

       We were amazed at the huge amount of acorns littering the ground on the trail.  It was a bumper crop!

The bears will eat good this year for sure.   We were amazed one of us didn't get beaned in the head by

the acorns continuing to fall off the trees!   We had a pool going. We voted Rhonda most likely to get bonked in the head by an acorn, but I tried to cheat and throw one at her to ensure I'd win. We joked 

that it was like trying to hike on ball bearings or marbles!  One of us finally did get thrown down by 

the little buggers, but I won't say who. :-) 

     We had some partial views along the ridgeline. We saw big trees.   I got to see and learn about

Twisted Sister, a very gnarly tree at the junction of a manway with Grapeyard Ridge Trail.   I had never

heard of some of the places much less seen them.  Duane was who I needed to chat with today.I'd had 

some things bothering me and he shrunk my head for me.   It is a valuable thing to have good friends

to bounce ideas off and to help get things back in their proper perspective.  I left there at the days end

feeling content and like I left the worries behind me as I hiked.  

      I was the only one in the group who had not visited the wrecked "train". Mitch explained it was not

a train, but a steam tractor.  Marlene explained the reason for it ending up wrecked in the creek was that

the operator was drunk as testified to by his own mama!  That would be enough to do it.  It was really neat

and would be worth the hike to see that alone.  

 
Rhonda checking out the old steam tractor wreck. She is videotaping it with her Go Pro cam.

     We got to see CS 32 which is a lovely spot.  Duane is familiar enough with it he pointed out to me

the recent modifications to the site. The bear cables were relocated as was the fire ring.  He seemed unsure

why they did some of the changes to it, but it got done just the same.    

     We turned aside to see the McCarter Cemetery on the way out.   I had hiked Injune Creek many years ago with different friends, and I was not sure if I had visited the cemetery or not? Turned out I had NOT 

seen it before.  They bury the dead up on a hill.  So it was more uphill to get there, but it was short.

It added about 1/2 mile extra to the trip so it was not bad.   

      We eased along toward the vehicles and the trailhead.  Most of the crossings on Injune Creek have foot logs.   It was so pretty.  I had forgotten just how nice it was. 

Other remnants of the old steam tractor. 

        Back at the vehicles we did some quick figuring who wanted to go grab a barbecue dinner and who was wanting to go home?  Dave, Marlene and Duane went ahead to retrieve vehicles from off Roaring Fork before the gate was closed.  Mitch, Rhonda and myself headed to the little BBQ place at the end of the road. I had a nice relaxing dinner with them. It was the perfect end to the day.   I hugged them good bye

and parted company. I hope it wont be long til we meet up again to hike or do something fun.