Off Trail Hikes I Have Done

Above: a dryad in a hollow tree along the Narrows manway. 

 Off Trail Hikes I Have Done

Dana Koogler

Wednesday Nov. 14, 2023

  I got a message from a buddy yesterday that got me thinking about all the off trail hikes I have done.    I also got to thinking about my position regarding off trail hiking.  I am all for it, but it is certainly not everyone's idea of a good time.     I decided I'd blog about some of my experiences.  

I am also stating here my position on sharing this sort of information.    

         I do not keep GPS tracks for off trail hikes EVER.   I would not post that kind of information on the internet.   I would not share that sort of information with anyone ever. 

I do use GPS coordinates and route planning for attempts.  We use them in the field, but I won't be forthcoming with that to anybody.  The reason being 1. It could be inaccurate. 2. It could be accurate and still get someone in trouble. 3. I made the trip and planned it, executed it without having a GPS track from others so I am not going to rob the person of the work and the challenge.

4.  It is part of the "If you don't know, you don't go" mind set.  Some off trail routes are traditionally marked by cairns. These are little rock piles set up to take you from one point to the next.  I leave those and appreciate those.    I don't remove that kind.  I also don't make them myself or leave flagging.   I will use survey tape now and then and then come back and "clean my route" as I return.   I use it minimally.  One such example would be bushwhacking to the base of Flat Creek Falls.  Having screwed up in the past while solo bushwhacking I learned from it. I marked this one critical spot that is hard to see on the return.  One the way back the neon orange tape gets removed and the place looks the same as before I arrived.  

   I began going off trail in 2002 to 2003 and it became an obsession.   I loved it.

I see the benefits of participating in this activity.  What has it done for me? 

It has blessed me to be able to see the rare,  unspoiled beauty and power of nature that few see.

It has made me a better navigator and wayfinder.   It makes you tougher.  Like Jeff Clark of Meanderthals motto "If you're gonna be dumb, you gotta be tough!"  I'd say that's me in a nutshell.     It has forged bonds with friends like nothing else ever could.  It has created a stronger bond between me and my husband.   He is my partner in crime, my lover, my best friend.  

It has given me a passion for outdoors that nothing else did before or since.  It keeps life interesting for me. 

               I will however take people occasionally on return trips if the spirit moves me. 
I will also evaluate the ability of the person or people going on a trek and perhaps share the knowledge that will help them out.   For this reason I am listing what I have done.  I never mind someone asking me for assistance.  I ask folks for help when I need it or want it.   I ask with zero expectations.  If they help me that's great. If they don't ... no hard feelings.    It is rude to put upon others and have the attitude that you are entitled to have them help you.  

  Below is a list of Off Trail Stuff I've Done in a bulleted list. 

Many of these routes were done so long ago I may have lost photos from it or video footage.

It is often the case that the route is so bad I did not take photos at all or very little.   I've done a pile like that.   It is hard to remember to take photos while your butt is hanging off a cliff while crossing over a fallen tree. 

Great Smoky Mountains

• Porters Creek Manway/Dry Sluice Gap 
• False Gap Manway to abandoned shelter along the A.T. 
• Upper Ramsay's Cascade
• Mill Creek Falls 
• Ledbetter Ridge to Russell Field 
• Bull cave manway 
• Scott mountain manway 
• Flat Creek Falls to the base
• Climbed Mount Leconte from Grotto Falls to the summitt past Upper Grotto Falls, Twin Falls, and Dome Falls then down Alum Cave Bluff Trail
• Moore Springs manway 
• Big Branch manway off Baxter Creek trail 
• Hurricane Mountain manway
• Defeat Ridge to summit. Includes Thunderhead manway 
• Sam's Creek manway to Green Camp Gap
• Greenbrier pinnacle 
• Rich Mountain  manway 
• The Cat Stairs
• Greenbrier Pinnacle
• Injune Creek

• Rhododendron Creek manway

• Grandfather tree manway

• Wilson Falls from Mount Collins  to Elkmont 

• Chimney Tops  manway 

• Marks Creek manway 

• Blanket Mountain  manway
• Bear Pen Gap manway
• Buck Horn Gap manway

• Honey Cove manway

• Whistling Gap Manway

•  off trail to Panther Falls old  Slate mines Garner Falls

•  un-named manway into park from Wears Walley to Little Brier  Gap

• Grayback Falls via Walker Sisters manway

• Court House Rock/Quilliams Cave

• Smith Creek Manway

• Bent Arm manway

•  Little Laurel Branch Falls 

• The Abe Hole

• Gold Creek Falls

• Mannis Branch Falls

• Meigs Falls 

• Rush Branch Manway

• Mids Gap Manway

• Ash Hopper 

North Carolina

• Alarka Falls from top to base and back 
• Big Falls on Thompson River from top down and back. Then from bottom up on other trips.
• Winter Green Falls-- Gorges State Park
• Waterfall on Laurel Fork
• Waterfall on Tributary of Laurel Fork
• Falls of Wolf Creek near Balsam NC
• Rocky Bottom Gorge
• Bonas Defeat Gorge 
• Panthertown Falls 

Tennessee 

• Puncheon Camp Creek Twin Falls
• Rogers Creek Falls
• Bryan Fork Falls
• Sophia Falls 
• Phillips Creek Tunnels
• Cap Rock Window -Big South Fork 
• Rock Castle Gorge Waterfalls
• Fallingwater Falls from the base & the top
• Tallassee Creek Falls
• Rainbow Falls & Pit
• Blue Hole Branch Falls
• Four Mile Creek Falls
• Crystal Falls in New Harmony-- now off limits
• Simmons Branch Falls from base to top & back
• Fern Camp Falls  & arch from the top and the base

These are all the ones I can think of.  I expect more will come to me in the future. After you have done so much it all begins to run together.  Many of these were done multiple times.  

    Since I began this sort of thing many others have come along who have far exceeded these feats.

By the time I did some of them they were not as difficult because they'd been trod before.

  My Wish List of Manways & Off Trail Hikes at Present

• Paddle & bushwhack to Garner Falls, Slate Mines & Panther Creek Falls
• Shop Creek to the Falls & X-Ray Betty
• Tabcat Creek Manway to Maynard Branch Falls
• Bunker Hill Branch Falls
• Parsons Branch Falls from lake 
• Davis Creek Manway to Big Trees
• Repeat trip Marks Creek Manway to Falls
• Noisy Creek Manway to Jenny Falls
• The Cat Stairs to Greenbrier Pinnacle and back down
• Repeat Mill Creek Falls & Sugar Cove Falls

Below are some of the manways I am aware of, but have never attempted

• Ground Hog Ridge Manway
• Sam's Creek Manway to the A.T.
• Bone Valley Manway
• Ekaneetlee Trace--If you are interested in off trail hiking here is a link to John Quillen's latest Cityview column about his experiences on the Ekaneetlee Manway.  He's crazier than I am by far, but he's a swell guy and a talented author. 
• Dalton Branch Manway
• Forney Creek to Forney Ridge Manway
• Old Black Manway past Ramsey's Cascade to the A.T.
• manway into the back of White Oak Sinks from Scott Mountain Trail
• Breakneck Ridge manway
• Wooly Tops manway
• Cannon Creek 
• Lowes Creek
• Polls Gap
• Collins Creek Manway

Below are some videos of various trips I've taken off trail and some photos of the best places.

Below: Wilson Falls was the trip of a lifetime. 

Below is Puncheon Camp Creek Twin Falls-- another long sought after location with no trail

Below:  Rogers Creek Falls is nearby Puncheon Camp Creek Twin Falls and is a similar off trail challenge. It was a roped climb to reach these.  I put the music "Misery and Happiness" on this video because I likened my relationship to Rogers Creek Falls as a girl with a bad boyfriend. Love/hate.  I encountered a group of guys who were frustrated with multiple attempts to find Rogers Creek Falls and said they considered it a Unicorn! 

Below is a video of Mill Creek Cascade. We have made multiple trips to this one because we love it.  The big trees, beautiful forest, navigation challenge, physical challenge are something else!

  

Below is a photo of Upper Ramsey's Cascade

Below is Upper Grotto Falls

Below are a couple photos taken on Defeat Ridge Manway.  It involved so much belly crawling for us that I took very few photos. Additionally it is not a "pretty" or scenic manway. It is a Prove You're a Real Man challenge.  I have lost a lot of hide involving myself in these sorts of things. Consequently I'm a "real man" as I'm ever gonna be and no longer feel the need to prove anything to anybody. 

Above: my partner and friend Dan Heimsoth on the manway before shit got real.

Above:  The photo above shows where we emerged on the summit of Thunderhead Mountain.  You cannot even see the opening cause there really isn't one.   We were so claustrophobic by the time we got out of that mess we were doing high kicks in tutus!  

Below are a couple shots from Sam's Creek Manway-- the lower portion

Above: old metal bridge across Sam's Creek.  

Below:  a pretty water hole along Sam's Creek Manway

Below is a photo of a tree carved with Mids Gap for the manway

Below is a marker for the Chimney Tops manway. It is gone now 

Below:  a view of Chimney Tops from the manway.   We went from Sugarland Mountain to Chimney Tops by way of a narrow strip of land that bridges them.  

Below is a video of Panther Creek Falls that can be reached by a bushwhack or a combination paddle/bushwhack.  We took kayaks and then bushwhacked because it was more fun for us. This trip was incredibly pretty.

Below is my favorite photo from that bushwhack. I dreamed this scene precognitively before we ever did this. It was a recurring dream that was a good one!

Below: another wonderful scene from the kayak portion of the trip.  The slopes along Abrams Creek on fire from the sunset and Autumn colors.

Below is a video from a bushwhack to Little Laurel Branch Cascade. It is near Ramsey's Cascade, but few ever come up to see it. It is a bit of work.

Below is a photo of Flat Creek Falls taken from its base which has no route to the base and no official trail to the top part either. This visit was in Fall and it was still flowing great.

Below is a video of Flat Creek Falls from its top to its base 

Below is a movie I made of Alarka Falls from its headwaters source springs all the way to the base.

Below is the only photo I have of Marks Creek Falls.  It is a challenge to see. 

Below are photos from The Cat Stairs 

I have very few photos taken on this because it is such a navigation and physical exertion challenge.  I did find a have a couple.  They do little to illustrate the difficulty. It was fun though. I have done this three times. I even broke my own rule and did it in the snow for a friend! 

Below:  The Barnes sisters' graves. Mike Povia told me you ain't nothing if you ain't been to the Barnes Sisters graves and the old Barnes place.  

Above: ruins of the old Barne's Place.   

Below: It is a long way down here. You are climbing the Cat Stairs hand over hand.  

Below: coming to the top of the ridge you go through a hole in the rhododendron to emerge atop Greenbrier Pinnacle.   A lot of crawling involved.  

  There is a younger generation of hikers coming along who haven't done these yet.  I don't want them to be deprived of the opportunity to challenge themselves. I also want to spread the misery around evenly.  Everyone can suffer!  👿😁