Petros to Huntsville Scouting Trip

above Asiatic dayflower by New River

 Petros to Huntsville Scouting Trip

Sunday Aug 25, 20224

Kenny & Dana Koogler

   Kenny had some out patient surgery August twenty-second.    It went far better than anticipated,  but like most surgeries the doctor placed limits on activity.   Just had to take it easy for a couple days.     He was getting bored by Friday evening so I suggested we get out to try to do something fun.    I was not feeling very inspired so I left the planning to him.  My reasoning was that it needed to be something that he felt comfortable with.  It also needed to be something that interested HIM to get his mind occupied.    We first talked about touring Brushy Mountain Prison and having dinner at the Wardens Table restaurant.   The day we were set to go we both admitted we didn't really want to do that.   It just didn't appeal to either of us.  

     Kenny wanted to head out to the Devils Triangle area and ride Petros to Huntsville.   There were several spots along this route he wanted to inspect.  Trailheads taking off into Wind Rock, Brimstone, and other areas.    We planned to take along snacks and drinks and grab a bite to eat in Huntsville.   

      We started out SR 116 past Brushy Mountain Prison and down Fork Mountain.  

I spotted the pull off for Fork Mountain church and told Kenny to turn down that.  We did and he was tickled to find the land route to the old church.  He had never seen how a person was to drive to the church and not have to use the bridge.   It was a pretty sight all around.  Four foot tall hedges of spotted jewelweed were abundant.  Hummingbirds were feasting and zipping around.    Asiatic dayflower bloomed here.  Greenheaded coneflower, cardinal flower, biennial gaura, and purple phlox bloomed on the grounds. It was a lush Summer scene.    The New River didn't have a lot of water in it, but it was still flowing.  

Above:  tall patches of spotted jewelweed

Below: closer shot of the shiny individual blooms and leaves. 

Above: greenheaded cone flowers

below: unidentified yellow aster of some type

above: pretty scene with cardinal flower spikes, yellow coneflowers and jewelweed

Above: Yes, this is the New River at this spot. 

Below: looking upstream under the bridge to the church 

Below: purple phlox on the banks of New River

Below: Fork Mountain Baptist Church.  

   We continued down the Fork Mountain Road until we came to a pull off for accessing New River.  We saw a swampy area of standing, clear water with arrowhead plants, cardinal flower and tall Joe Pye Weed.   It was striking and we stopped to check it out.

    

Above : soft rush growing in the edges of the wetland

Below: Pastel pink Joe Pye weed is one of my favorite wildflowers of late Summer

Above:  The clear waters of the swampy area.  Those tiny black specks are  tadpoles by the hundreds!  The plant is some variety of Duck potato.  

Below: Same spot with cardinal flower in the foreground.   

  The access road rambled onward, but was lackluster. Not much blooming along it.  Kenny didn't want to continue down it so we doubled back.  He checked out a Wind Rock trail access he wants us to go on. I'm all for it.   New River had a little more water in it here. Tall purple ironweed bloomed as well as goldenrod.  Biennial guara was like pink and white clouds along the path. 

Above; Ironweed close up

Below: guara 

Below: goldenrod

Below:  this is a Wind Rock Trail. It fords New River and continues.  

Above and below: New River with the trail continuing across the ford

Below: Looking downstream

Below: I found fox grapes growing along the trail

Below:  Daisy Fleabane or some sort of aster blooming.  

  We motored onward from this spot toward the coal washer plant and the big bridge. He we would turn left and head toward Smoky Junction.  Two trailheads for sure out this way we wanted to inspect.   They are both access points for the Cumberland Trail.

Above: we passed numerous spots where the fields were covered in purple ironweed

Below:  A bonus bridge at a spot near Smoky Junction.   Looking to the south this was the view.

Below: looking straight down off the bridge at the stream. 

Below: same stream looking northward.  I am interested to know what those two man made structures are on the left bank? They remind me of wing walls for a bridge. 

Below: an interesting rock wall we passed at a former home site by the road

Above: black eyed susans by the road

Below: we pulled over at a swamp that was not clear. Instead it was a murky brown but it still had dragon flies zipping round. Some cardinal flower bloomed.  

Below; Neon green grass grows by the muddy swamp

Below: Two views of a railroad bridge we encountered just before Hembree's store.  It was a bonus.  Worth mentioning for myself, there was another bridge across the road at a campground. Next time through there I need to turn aside and photograph it.  

above and below: two views of the same railroad bridge. It sits near someone's lawn! 

 Next we came to Hembree's store.  I've seen photos of it but until today I'd never been past it.

Just before this was a trailhead for the Smoky Junction access to the Cumberland Trail.  It turns in near someone's private residence.  It is probably fine, but I want a bit more info on this.  The water levels were so low today it wasn't very impressive.  

Above: some type of dam structure near a building.   

Below:  Near Norma is this old beauty. 

 We did find the Norma access to the Cumberland Trail.  Again Lifetime maps and some other tracks had it listed as a nice spot to see water.  Today it was not.   We are in a drought.   We'll have to go back and try again.   

    Much of our plans just weren't that spectactular results today, but we got Kenny out of the house.

We enjoyed one another's company.   He had been working out of town for about a week prior to his surgery so I was just happy to have him home with me.

     We popped out in the area near Brimstone in Scott County along Hwy 297  next to Family Dollar.

We turned and headed up toward Oneida and had lunch at Arby's.   Warning.  That place is going down hill fast.  It was food and actually pretty good, but the service was pitiful. They were on the Struggle Bus big time.  We didn't fare to badly, but the long line of other patrons were miffed.  

The menu is too extensive for that few employees to keep up with.   These days the turn over rate for businesses is sad.  Hired and quit same day!   That sort of thing. We  heard two gentlemen talking. 

They told of pulling up to the drive through after church to get lunch to go.   There was a truck broke down in the drive through lane so they just closed it.     Because we ordered stuff they've been making a long time and it was simple we got served promptly.   We saw four other parties of people  wait, and wait and wait.   They finally got their food and left in a foul mood. 

         All in all it was a pretty day of exploring. Not a great adventure, but a leisurely ramble with my husband and partner in crime.     I am glad he is with me.  

Below is a short video of New River in August