The Final Stop: Fort Dickerson Quarry

This place was almost mystical to me. It took me three trips to actually find what I was looking for. Although there were lots of people at the quarry, it still seemed somewhat magical. And no, not in the Disney way.

First off, let's define what a quarry actually is because I'm not sure if people know the difference between a quarry and a lake. A quarry is where a set of cliffs go straight down into the water, creating a very large depth of water.

Once I was finally able to find it though, it was well worth my time. The water was refreshing and not overly cold. There were cliffs to jump off, as you can see from the videos below.

My only regret with Fort Dickerson Quarry was not finding it sooner. It was in a spot that was a little tucked away, but well worth the visit.

It was a great experience, and I'm really glad I got the opportunity to experience it.

Chimney Tops

In all likelihood, Chimney Tops offered the best view I've seen since I got out here. It was a hell of a hike - about 2 miles straight up and 2 miles straight down. My legs were absolutely burning on the way up. My cousin and I gained about 2,200 feet in elevation in just 2 miles. Incredible.

It was an incredible hike, and one I'd recommend to everyone that feels fit enough to do it. Well worth a trip.

Spruce Flats Falls

Got a chance to talk with hiker Jacob Womble at Spruce Flats Falls a few days ago.

Spruce Flats was a wonderful hike. Short but with a great payoff. If you have kids or just aren't super into hiking long distances, this is easily the hike for you.

Clingmans Dome

I'm not entirely sure how I haven't posted about any of my trips to Clingmans Dome yet because it's kind of incredible.
Self-proclaimed as the highest point in the Smokies, it's the third-highest point east of the Mississippi River. Thus, it makes for quite an incredible sunset view. I know my last post involved a sunset as well, but this one is deserving of its own as well.
It's about a half-mile hike, just like previously-written-about High Ground Park. The only difference is that Clingmans Dome is, like, straight vertical. If I was judging by the eye, I'd say it's somewhere between a 10- and 15-degree difference. Pretty steep.
But, judging by the pictures below, well worth it. It's breathtaking up there. Also, it's about 20 degrees colder with a significant wind chill. One might want to bring a sweater and pants when they go up there. This Florida boy was unaware of the cold and froze during his first trip.

Article Share: Hawaii Struggles To Maintain Its Worn-Out Hiking Trails

I came upon this article while searching around for some hiking stuff to read about, and it involves one of my bucket list destinations: Hawaii. It, unfortunately, details the state's struggles to keep up with the number of visitors the island is seeing.

And this brings up something that's been on my mind quite a bit lately: How does the number of people visiting certain parks and trails affect it?

While working at WBIR in Knoxville this summer, I've had the chance to witness a fair bit of reporting on the Great Smoky Mountains. For example, one popular hike called "Chimney Tops" is in serious danger of being shut down because of the threat imposed due to erosion and general wear-and-tear. It's a very steep hike, and one slipped foot essentially leads to certain death or entrapment.

Which brings me to my next thought - how much is too much? I have a lot of trouble answering that question because, as an avid hiker, I want to be able to enjoy these natural resources, and I want everyone else to be able to as well. But at the same time, I want our natural resources to be preserved and protected.

So where does that leave us? Unfortunately, there's no real answer. The article touches on one possible answer a bit (one that Hawaii currently isn't available to do) in government funding. Personally (and this is just my personal opinion), I'd love to see the government allocate more funding to hiking trails and landmarks. However, with that being said, I'm not exactly sure where the money in this scenario would plausibly come from. If it were possible though, I'd love to see it.

Regardless, this is a good thing to keep in mind for any traveler, wanderer or adventurer. Make sure you don't unnecessarily add to the growing erosion of any trail by going too far off path or littering or anything of that nature. Leave no trace.

The Sinks and Laurel Falls

These were two quick, but nonetheless fun hikes I did when a few friends of mine visited from back home.
The Sinks is literally just a driveby waterfall. You could drive right up to it, hop out and hop in the water or take a few pictures.
I'd strongly recommend staying out of the water here, and local officials appeared to oblige - there are several signs informing visitors to not take a dip in the waterfall as several people have died as a result of doing so.
Nonetheless, we saw at least seven or eight visitors sliding down the rocks into the water. I'll admit - it did look fun. We were on a little bit of a time restraint though, so I didn't get a chance to check it out. But it was very pretty - and very powerful - from where I was.

The other waterfall I had a chance to take a look at was Laurel Falls. It was my hike for the weekend a bit ago. It was short, only 3 or 4 miles roundtrip, but it was pretty. The waterfall was split into two parts and was a cascade. Visitors - and there were plenty of them - were able to walk in between the two parts. There were lots, and I mean lots, of children playing in a little pool in that middle spot because there was a barrier there. It was a very popular hike because it was paved the whole way as well. Less of a hike, more of a walk. But still pretty. I don't think I'd ever do it again, but I'm glad I checked the box.

Revisiting Ozone Falls + High Ground Park

Prior to my family reunion up in LaFollette, Tennessee, I had a chance to take some of my immediate family back to my favorite areas in or around Knoxville.
My first stop: Ozone Falls. As you can see from one of my previous posts, Ozone Falls is one of the prettier, more undisturbed areas in East Tennessee.
It was definitely a little less powerful this time around because we haven't had quite as much rain as we did the last time I came, but it was still pretty impressive. Plus, with the sun poking its head out, we had the chance to actually take a dip in the oasis this time around.

The water was perfect. There's really not a better way to describe it. It was a hot day, and the water was cool - but not too cool. Like the perfect, refreshing temperature.
If you stood under it, the waterfall was plenty powerful too. Plus, it actually kicked up a gust of wind that made it really chilly - chillier than I had anticipated for sure.




It was plenty beautiful, and I was really glad my family got to check it out. In the photo above to the left, my brother and I took a dip in the waterfall.

One other place I take everybody that comes and visits me while I'm up here is a place called High Ground Park. I randomly stumbled upon it while Google searching where to watch sunsets in Knoxville. It's a little spot at the edge of a cliff that overlooks the city and gives a fantastic view of the sunset.
The first trip I took up there, I was hopeful. But it surpassed even my wildest expectation. Below is a quick photo dump of a few of my trips there. Spectacular.