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.

More Unlikely Hikers

I came upon an interesting article while perusing some hiking news. Check out the hyperlink in the previous sentence to see the bond created by a blind man and a woman who can't walk due to Spina bifida.
Based in Fort Collins, Colorado, the duo make a remarkable pair with Melanie being the "eyes" while Trevor is the "legs."
Pretty freaking incredible.
In the article, the pair talk about how hiking gives them a purpose - something I feel myself. When you're out on a hike, nothing matters. All the stuff you deal with in your life is left behind for one brief period of time where you can just escape into the mountains or the trails.
The duo is on social media too, and they've hiked some awesome places.

View this post on Instagram

Hiking at The Grand Teton National Park was both challenging and rewarding, and definitely our biggest feat yet.💪🏼 Honestly though, the hike wasn’t as difficult as the hoards of people we had to navigate around. We go a lot slower than most, and have to tread very carefully around obstacles on the trail, so we will pull off the trail to let other people pass us, which makes us go even slower. Since so many folks that visit our national parks aren’t “experienced” hikers, there seems to be an absence of hiking etiquette on the trail. Share your top hiking dos and don’ts with us!⛰🥾👀 ••• (image description: Trevor and Melanie smiling in front of Jenny Lake, surrounded by pine trees, with the snow capped Tetons in the background)

A post shared by Trevor & Melanie (@hiking_with_sight) on Jun 10, 2019 at 8:46am PDT

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Hello, friends! We are Trevor and Melanie AKA Hiking with Sight, and together we are going to hike a 14,000 foot mountain in our beautiful home state of Colorado. In 2013, Trevor lost his vision to glaucoma, but has since been guided up mountains all over the world using a bell/voice system. Melanie, born with spina bifida, uses a wheelchair to get around. Trevor and Melanie became friends through their love of adaptive sports, which gave them the idea of utilizing both of their strengths to get outside! Melanie is the eyes of the operation, guiding Trevor as he hikes with Melanie on his back! Stay tuned to see how we creatively overcome challenges and summit mountains! #hikingwithsight #noeyesnolegsnoproblem

A post shared by Trevor & Melanie (@hiking_with_sight) on Feb 15, 2019 at 8:39am PS

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We arrived to Lake Tahoe yesterday evening and are gearing up for the @nobarriersusa Summit this weekend. We took advantage of some free time today and hiked part of the Shirley Lake Trail! #summitwithus #nobarriers #hikingwithsight #noeyesnolegsnoproblem

A post shared by Trevor & Melanie (@hiking_with_sight) on Jun 12, 2019 at 2:07pm PD

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Every single hike is a training experience, regardless of difficulty level, length of the hike, or familiarity! We celebrated the Summer Solstice on Friday with a local hike up Horsetooth Rock. We didn’t make it all the way to the top, due to lots of rain and muddy/slippery trail conditions. Although we didn’t necessarily enjoy being soggy and cold, working through as many weather conditions as possible will give us more confidence next time, so we still count that a “win”! It was also a good reminder that you can never be too prepared!! Anyone else do some hiking this first weekend of summer?🌞 Happy Trails!⛰🥾👀 ••• Photo by: @dannywarley ••• (Image description: Trevor and Melanie in My Freeloader standing in front of a massive boulder surrounded by greenery, with ominous skies overhead, and Horsetooth Reservoir in the background)

A post shared by Trevor & Melanie (@hiking_with_sight) on Jun 23, 2019 at 7:48am PDT

I really love that the pair is able to experience hiking the way I do regardless of their physical disabilities.

Norris Lake

Went a little different than my normal path would indicate this week and took a peek at Norris Lake with some of my family.
Norris Lake is located about an hour north of Knoxville and is widely regarded as the cleanest and best lake in Tennessee. I suppose I didn't really have a ton of experience going in as far as lakes go, but it was very pretty.
The first day after our arrival yielded an intriguing view due to the storm clouds lurking nearby.

It was...mysterious. We stayed on Cedar Creek, which runs into Norris Lake. And since the nearby hills drained into the mountains, the mist shrouded the hilltops. I will say that during these types of days (I was there about a week), I utilized the hot tub very often. I know right - a hot tub for an outdoor blog, but I'll take what I can get.

On a sunny day, the water was incredibly clear. It went about 15-20 feet to the bottom, and I could probably see about 10 feet.

The view from our dock as the sun set was spectacular. Even though there were no clouds to create marvelous colors, it still made for a peaceful and serene setting. And finally, I almost can't help myself. I had a chance to meet my less-than-a-month-old niece while there, and she is absolutely adorable. So, I had to include a pic of her too.

Fiery Gizzard

So, it's a little difficult for me to attend a hiking meeting because...well...they aren't very common. Instead, I live-tweeted a hike I went on this past weekend. A dang tough hike at that too. I decided it was finally time for me to conquer the Fiery Gizzard.
Fiery Gizzard Trail is located in Tracy City, Tennessee, and is widely rated as one of the top 25 hikes in the country. Was it? Eh. It was pretty, I just wish it were better marked. I got lost three or four times because of a lack of direction. Still a great hike.

Taking this long weekend to hike Fiery Gizzard Trail from Grundy Forest to Foster Falls today! #rtv3106

— Chris O’Brien (@OBontheNews) July 1, 2019

This...is going to be a journey. Says it’s going to be 13 miles, and supposed to be strenuous. Right up my alley pic.twitter.com/JeC7WJxd5m

— Chris O’Brien (@OBontheNews) July 2, 2019

And I was right. It was an absolute journey. I was 100 percent beat by the time I got back to my car. Part of that was my own fault because I chose not to fill up my water filter early on. More on that later though.

So far...not too bad. Somewhere around 2 miles in or so. Pretty, serene. pic.twitter.com/MtrfHvHV9L

— Chris O’Brien (@OBontheNews) July 2, 2019

The first 2 miles or so were spectacular. Very, very beautiful. It could have been even better if it were in the fall.

Okay, closing in on the 3-4 mile mark and it is getting significantly more difficult. Lots and LOTS of rock scrambling.

— Chris O’Brien (@OBontheNews) July 2, 2019

Ah, but the serenity was short-lived. The next four to five miles were lots of fun, albeit just plain hard. Lots of going up and down treacherous rocks. One wrong step would have sent me tumbling down the mountainside.

Lots of water along the first six miles. Nice. pic.twitter.com/F1y44AcM3R

— Chris O’Brien (@OBontheNews) July 2, 2019

Even amidst this difficult stretch though, water persisted. I always like having water near me when I hike. Nice creek sounds and cooler temperatures.

Chose not to fill up my water bottle, but sitting at about 5 miles in. Only gotten lost twice so far, this trail is not super well marked, but is beautiful. pic.twitter.com/hoZC43AQWb

— Chris O’Brien (@OBontheNews) July 2, 2019

As I previously alluded to, I chose not to fill up my filter and it bit me hard. I got real thirst between miles 7 and 10 and there were no sources of water in that stretch.

Update. Should have filled up my water filter. Next to zero water along the next two to three miles or so. pic.twitter.com/3S1v5HxWgh

— Chris O’Brien (@OBontheNews) July 2, 2019

Yep. As promised.

Getting there. Sitting at about 10 miles now. 3 or so to go. I am absolutely exhausted, but the land is flattening out. Getting much much easier.

— Chris O’Brien (@OBontheNews) July 2, 2019

The back half of the hike was significantly easier than the front half - which was great. I was destroyed with 3 miles left.

Almost at the end, a lovely view. pic.twitter.com/zpuHzl2QPJ

— Chris O’Brien (@OBontheNews) July 2, 2019

About a mile to go, I surprisingly stumbled into this sensational view of the valley before me. A nice motivator to close the hike out.

Finally, the end. Foster Falls. What. A. Hike. pic.twitter.com/NgpemYsd6J

— Chris O’Brien (@OBontheNews) July 2, 2019

A fun, yet torching hike. My legs have been sore pretty much since the hike, and it's almost four days later now.

I don't think I'd ever do Fiery Gizzard again, but I'm very glad I did at least once.

Overall Rating: 7/10