More Walks and Drives

Wild Columbine closeup

More Walks & Drives 

Kenny, Dana & Gabriel Koogler

Tuesday May 8, 2018

  I thought I had finished up with all the trip reports about things we've done over the past few months.  I ran across another bunch of photos that jogged my memory letting me know I was

not quite finished.    I'm batching two of these things together since neither one was terribly

eventful or long.     Back in Spring we took a drive around the Cades Cove Loop Road as a family.   We got out and walked for exercise at some places along the way.     We also went

for an evening hike along the Middle Prong trail at Tremont on another day.     

  

The day we drove to Tremont Little River was flowing wonderfully.

Above and below are a couple shots of a huge patch of wild columbine along Laurel Creek Road.

  Once we got to Tremont we took a short walk up Middle Prong. It was pretty and cooler now that the sun was sinking lower.

 Small cascade on Lynn Camp Prong .

 Scene immediately upstream from that low cascade. The gloom of the forest this time of day is spell binding.

 Above: small but picturesque cascade on Lynn Camp Prong

 Above and below: I found what I was hoping for along the trail today.  I saw loads of Puttyroot
orchids.    Some were just opening.

  The day we drove around Cades Cove we went completely around the loop road.  Gabe wanted to sit on my lap or Kenny's lap while we were barely crawling along in the jeep.  We let him, but a ranger came by and said we needed to put him back in his car seat.  We did, but soon as we got where she couldn't see us we let him get out again.   He was not likely to get hurt when all traffic is going along at 10 mph or stopped every little whip stitch. 

Above: pretty day when we drove round the loop road.   Big puffy clouds and sunshine.

The first of about eight bears we saw today.  Front side of the loop. head down eating.  Not a good photo.

 First place we stopped for exercise was the Baptist church side road.

 Papaw, Gabe and Carsie in the cemetery at the Baptist church.  It is such a pretty spot.

Above ... a view out across the cove from Hyatt Lane.   We pulled down in here today for me to try to follow the creek to Shields pond.   

I am walking along Abrams Creek in the field heading toward Shields Pond.  It started off pretty easy.

Found a hog trap sitting by the path on the way toward the pond.

Looking out across the field about 1/2 way to Shields Pond.  The path disappeared and I was just plowing through tussocks of tall grass and weeds.   I finally turned back because Kenny and Gabe were waiting on me.  It was going to take too long.   I'll have to try this when I am alone or with just
Kenny.  I will also try it from the back side of the loop. It is shorter to just cut across the field from there.  It will be about 0.2 miles instead of 1/2 mile one way.    The walk becomes a complete off trail hike and the stream diverges making it much harder to follow than I anticipated. 
Here is a link to Alan Cressler's photo of Shields Pond Shields Pond Picture
It is one of the bodies of water that I want to visit in the cove and surrounding area. 

Below.. back side of the loop we saw another bear.  It was a good chance for Gabriel to get a complete look at a bear! 

     That is it. I am all caught up with the Spring trip reports. Now if I can stay caught up with the current ones I'll be thrilled.