Saturday, October 19, 2013 - Bushwhacking Big Creek Trail - 14.1 miles Getting there: From McCaysville, GA continue through Copperhill, TN to Highway 64. Take Hwy 64 west to Ocoee water tower. Cross dam and continue on Forest Service (FS) Rd 45 for 3 miles to FS 221. Turn right and go 0.9 mi to Big Frog Trailhead on left. FS 45 and 221 are narrow gravel roads in satisfactory condition. Route - Day 1 Low Gap Parking to Low Gap via Big Frog Mountain Trail - 2.4 miles Low Gap to Grassy...
September 22, 2013 This was a 11.9 mile day hike up Fork Ridge Trail to Big Frog Mountain and returning along Licklog Ridge to the east of Fork Ridge. [caption id="attachment_796" align="alignleft" width="640"] View of Fork Ridge from Licklog Ridge.[/caption] Started hiking at 7:30 AM and finished at 1:30 PM. The trail starts climbing gradually to the wilderness area. After 2.5 miles I turned right at a signed junction with Rough Creek Trail. Rough Creek Trail drops to Rough Creek, then climbs back to junction with Fork Ridge Trail after 1.8 miles....
August 3, 2013 - Getting Away I needed a quick wilderness fix without a long drive, so on a Saturday afternoon, I quickly threw an overnight pack together and loaded my mountain bike on the car. Within a couple of hours I had left my car behind at the Horseshoe Bend Trailhead and was on my mountain bike tearing down a rocky forest service road back toward my cached pack near the lower Jacks River Trailhead. I forded back over streams which only minutes before I had carefully crossed...