TR for Bone Valley - GSMNP

“Working on a TR. Will try to have it by lunch today.”

“TD is a big tease.”

“I don't think it will embed.. so let's try this link: http://www.facebook.com/v/157503543464
last edited: 9/08/09 11:55:39 AM”

“So-how bad were the bears?

Opie-what the heck is with that haircut?”

“treebait: there were bears EVERYWHERE.. we saw them on the roads.. in the blackberry bushes, in the oak trees over our heads, and even laying in the campsite's spring.

In all the years backpacking I have never seen that many bears in the woods with me. I am told that is because GSMNP has a bumper crop of blackberry, blueberry and acorns this year. The whole area of Welch Ridge was pretty much taken over by them.

In general? All wildlife was up. Coyotes, hogs, squirrels, mice, hawks.. it was pretty amazing.
last edited: 9/08/09 12:35:54 PM”

“Hall Cabin, built in 1892 by Jesse "Crate" Hall and his wife Tabitha Dills Hall, located at the end of the Bone Valley Trail. This cabin, made of poplar logs, is the most remote historical structure in the Great Smokies, being a 9-mile (14 km) hike from the ferry rendezvous.

Bone Valley Cemetery, located on a hill northwest of the junction of the Bone Valley Trail and Hazel Creek Trail. Several members of the Hall, Laney, and Cook families are buried here.”

“Very cool, TD. Thanks for the effort you put into the great slideshow.
I'm glad I'm at my home with a fast connection today. ;-)”

“Well thanks Stovie.. yeah.. I just wanted to try something a little different in the way of a TR.”

“We had a great time and just before I got to Hall Cabin on Sunday I rounded a corner after the last creek crossing and a bear was crossing the trail about 30 feet from me. I froze and looked for my camera. I don't think it saw me, it just walked off into the woods. I didn't find my camera (I had left it at camp anyway) and missed a pic of a flying squirrel also. I think he was looking for a Big Dumb Moose, lol. When I arrived at the cabin, there was Sgt. Rock or Ernie from Whiteblaze fame. Rick and I enjoyed lunch listening to his stories then we checked out the cematary. Lots of people died very young in that area and time. After fishing for half a day and seeing only one fish, we were ready for a break back at camp. Only one other hiker was there and we sat around the remnants of the previous nights campfire and had our supper. We had a great trip out making record time for a couple of old farts. After arriving at Proctor we realized that we had climbed in over the hill at Ollie Cove for nothing. The road past campsite #86 led to the lake after all.”

“I have heard that the bear sows usually have one or two cubs a year, but this year they had as many as five cubs due to the great mast crop last year.”

“Chelle saw 2 with three cubs each in cades cove.

Karo, I was thinking you had lost your freaking mind. The place i got picked up at was within throwing distance from the hazel creek bridge at Proctor.

Treebait, whats wrong with my hair??? That's a bandanna at the cabin


my pics up tonight”

“I was just going by what the park service website had reported. Next time I'll call the Marina and ask. I gotta go back and try my luck with the fishing again. We passed up several good fishing holes on the way up to Bone Valley.”

“I wanted to Thank You for starting this trip and giving me the idea to go again. The women wound up having a good time and actually hiked up to Sugar Creek campsite .7 miles from 83. Cindy said they stripped down to their skivvies and pranced around like the sirens in O Brother where art thou!”

““I don't think it will embed.. so let's try this link: http://www.facebook.com/v/157503543464
last edited: 9/08/09 12:55:39 PM”
TownDawg

niiiiiiiiiiiice!!”

“http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=142113&id=774068581&l=16119d5b0e

Hope this works, i made it public to everyone.

My pics!
last edited: 9/12/09 8:19:17 AM”

“I wanted to thank all who made this an experience to remember. Thanks TD for organizing this trip and for the welcome. Opie, John, Karo, Rick it was great hiking/hanging out with all of you.

I look forward to another trip soon.

I've posted my photos here:
http://tinyurl.com/payxjw

You can see the twin bear/twin oaks sequence starting at photo 42. I was taking these with a manual focus camera as fast as I could while laughing my ass off. It was a moment not to be forgotten.”

“Thanks for posting the photographs and reports. Glad to hear that it was a good trip.”

“Nice pics, thanks.”

“Thanks for the pics everyone...looks like a good time.”