Image
Number
|
Image
(Click to Enlarge)
|
Caption
|
Image
Viewed
|
| 1 |
| The Cumberland Trail is being built "by hikers, for hikers" along the Cumberland Plateau (see link on home page). It begins at Prentice Cooper State Forest near Chattanooga and ends at Cumberland Gap near the convergence of the TN / KY / VA borders. The 300-plus mile trail is being built in segments, some of which border several state parks or natural areas; 140 miles are now ready for hiking. Some segments are easy, others are rated quite difficult. I'll add more pictures and information about the different segments of this trail as I hike them. | 624 times.
|
| 2 |
| This section of the Cumberland Trail is located near Cove Lake State Park in Caryville, TN. The trailhead can be accessed from the hiking trails at Cove Lake or by parking at the lot on Bruce Gap Road off Hwy. 63. | 676 times.
|
| 3 |
| Due to the difficulty of many segments of the Cumberland Trail, it is open only to hikers --- no horses, mountain bikes, or ATVs. | 462 times.
|
| 4 |
| See what I mean about difficult areas?! Can you see the 3 white trail blazes? You'll have to pick your way over lots of rocks when you go along this section of the trail. This "man-made scree pile" must be leftovers from what is above the trail... | 797 times.
|
| 5 |
| Interstate 75 parallels this section, so don't expect a quiet stroll through the woods and fields here! | 460 times.
|
| 6 |
| This field is loaded with raspberries and blackberries, which makes for nice snacking along the trail! The huge motel billboard takes away from the lovely views. | 447 times.
|
| 7 |
| The view to the west from the field. | 432 times.
|
| 8 |
| These raspberries and blackberries should be ripe by early July. Yum! | 404 times.
|
| 9 |
| There is a style over a barbed-wire fence on this section of the CT. When my friend and I first walked up to it, there was a small orange cat sitting on it.
(Photo by Debbie May) | 559 times.
|
| 10 |
| My hiking buddy, Debbie, on a bridge over a ravine along the trail. | 484 times.
|
| 11 |
| We were amazed to find these beaver-chewed logs along the lower part of the trail. The beavers had stripped the bark from every inch of the logs! | 424 times.
|
| 12 |
| Beaver-chewed logs up close. The big chips of wood looked as if someone had chopped the logs with an axe. Beavers have 4 huge yellow incisor teeth that they have to keep worn down; chewing on a log this size would certainly keep their teeth from getting too long! | 451 times.
|
| 13 |
| Beavers are the largest (native) rodents in the United States. They are making a comeback in many areas due to being a protected species. I cheated on this picture; this stuffed beaver was found in the visitors' center at Cove Lake State Park. Since beavers are nocturnal, they are not normally seen during the daytime. | 426 times.
|
| 14 |
| This Beaver Pond is located along the trail. There is a large dam located in the background. | 428 times.
|
| 15 |
| This large outcropping of vertical conglomerate stone bands is called "The Devil's Racetrack" (is Lucifer into NASCAR too?!). At an elevation of 1896 feet above sea level, this geological wonder looms almost 500 feet above the interstate. Every time my family drove by here, I'd always thought it would be great to hike to the top! | 512 times.
|
| 16 |
| This group of three waterfalls add to the beauty of the trail to the Devils' Racetrack. | 563 times.
|
| 17 |
| My friend Debbie on the conglomerate boulders near the top of the Devil's Racetrack. | 449 times.
|
| 18 |
| We made it to the top! What a view! This would be a stunning sight in autumn with the beautiful fall colors.
(Photo by Debbie May) | 457 times.
|
| 19 |
| A forest fire had killed many of the trees at the top of the Devils' Racetrack. | 439 times.
|
| 20 |
| View looking south from the Devils' Racetrack. Note the field with the billboard (from a previous photo) next to the curve of Interstate 75 on the right side of the picture; it is a little over a mile away. Cove Lake State Park is visible at the middle left. | 543 times.
|
| 21 |
| These water-smoothed quartz pebbles in the conglomerate boulders atop the Devil's Racetrack attest to the geological history of the Cumberland Plateau. This conglomerate rock was once a sandy riverbed or bank, which over the eons, was compressed into stone and later uplifted during the building of the Cumberland Mountain range. | 563 times.
|
