Hiking Season

If you've followed this blog for any length of time, then you probably know that I enjoy hiking almost as much as fishing. Photography is a close second as well. For the past handful of years, I've been running into a good problem to have. My fly fishing guide business here in middle and east Tennessee keeps me busy enough that it can be tough finding time for other things that I enjoy. 

While you won't hear me complaining about having enough work, it can be a challenge to stay in shape. As my business has grown, more and more of those trips have been float trips. I enjoy working out of the drift boat, but being a fly fishing guide on the waterways of east and middle Tennessee also means spending large parts of my year in rather sedentary fashion for me. I probably need to devote more time to running or jogging, but it can be hard to find motivation at the end of a long day when I just want to get some supper and spend time with my family. Thus, as trips start to slow down a little in the cold months, I enter into what I like to call hiking season.

In addition to having plenty of time on my hands, it also helps that it is generally cold or at least cool out. Another big reason I don't hike more in the warm months is that I really hate getting thoroughly drenched. If you've ever hiked in the southeast in summer, you know that you'll end up sweating buckets. The humidity is impossible to get away from. This time of year, with the weather being cooler, I get out for exercise and enjoy not overheating. On some days, there can be a fine line between being too cold and too hot, but that is easier to figure out for me than when there is just the option of being too hot.

Recently, with the guide calendar opening up just a little and the weather finally cooling down, I've started spending time hiking more again. The first trip was a big treat.

Hiking Virgin Falls Alone

Over the years, I have hiked the Virgin Falls trail many, many times. I've even hiked it at night. It is one of my favorite trails in the area and at just 30 minutes from my front door, it is easy to get away for a few hours. Recently, I've hiked it twice. The first time was epic. I got to the trailhead, and there was NO ONE THERE. Seriously, no vehicles, no Park rangers, no one. That trail has become popular enough that it is almost impossible to enjoy it that way, but I seriously had the whole entire place to myself. 

I've taken to carrying some of my camera gear when I hike. Some days it just serves as weight in my pack as I try to get in better shape. On other days, it actually gets used. When I had all of Virgin Falls to myself, you better believe I used my camera gear. Capturing several of the area falls without anyone intruding into the picture is challenging normally. On this day, it was simply a bonus.

The majority of my "picture" time was spent at Big Laurel Falls. The light was perfect for this time of year and flows were low enough that I could shoot from much closer than normal without covering my lens in spray from the falls. Here are several of my favorite shots of Big Laurel Falls. 

©2024 David Knapp Photography

©2024 David Knapp Photography

©2024 David Knapp Photography

After noticing that time was ticking away, I quickly packed up and hustled over to Sheep Cave and then on to Virgin Falls. I still haven't been inspired to shoot Sheep Cave. Maybe I just haven't considered my angles enough yet, but either way I just took a quick selfie on my cellphone to show I had been there, and then kept trucking.

Virgin Falls was another story. I wanted to find some hepatica blooming and knew that the top of the falls was a good bet. I took pictures of the falls (for perspective, it is 110 feet tall) itself, then climbed up to enjoy the top (and a few hepatica!). Every year, I try to find hepatica blooming for as many consecutive months as possible. Virgin Falls and one or two other caves are my best bet for finding them in December and January. By February, the opportunities start to expand and by March, we are at peak bloom for the early spring wildflowers. I got my pictures of the falls, found my wildflowers, then realized the day was growing late. 

©2024 David Knapp Photography

On the way out, I kept expecting to run into some other hikers, but it just never happened. In fact, when I got back to the trailhead, it was still empty. That is possibly the first time I've ever done that, and certainly the first time in a good long while. I don't expect to enjoy that again too often, so I savored the moment. My tired legs were glad to sit down and point the truck back towards home. I am in poor enough shape that I was dealing with some leg cramps for the last couple of miles of the hike. Thankfully, on my next visit, that problem was almost nonexistent. 

Hiking Dry Creek Falls Trail

After that first Virgin Falls hike for this cool season, I made a second return visit a week later. On that trip, there were a few other hikers around, reminding me yet again how special the last visit had been. Thankfully, on this next visit, I didn't have as much trouble with my legs wanting to cramp. A few more hikes and that problem should be in the review mirror for a while at least. 

Then, just yesterday, with super nice weather and the threat of some serious winter cold coming soon, we took a family trip down to the Lost Creek vicinity. I talked my dad into joining and we decided to hike the Dry Creek Falls Trail from Lost Creek to Dog Cove. Having been up to Dry Creek Falls via Rylander Cascade one other time but no further, I was excited to hike some new to me trail.

The climb from Lost Creek up to Dry Creek Falls was longer and more sustained than we remembered. Once the trail topped out on the Plateau, I realized why it had felt like such a climb. Still, the hike was pleasant with perfect weather in the 50s with mostly sunny skies. 

©2024 David Knapp Photography

Once we hit the top of the Plateau, it was easy to make good time. We cruised along until we saw Meditation Rock which required a brief stop. I didn't spend any time there with my camera, but we did enjoy the trail much more from that point on down to Dog Cove. The trail started descending not much farther past Meditation Rock. The trail builders did an excellent job of making the trail as interesting as possible. In one spot, it looped around a GIANT boulder, just because. In another, it sent under a pile of boulders that created an arch of sports, apparently just because again. I like trails that have character and interesting features, so I was glad that they incorporated these interesting sections into the trail. 

Just before we started to seriously drop off of the Plateau, I looked around and wondered why there was no sign of any rock climbing. We discovered the reason not too much farther down the trail. Apparently it incorporates a lot of Nature Conservancy land, and rock climbing (among other activities) was expressly forbidden. That is both good and bad. Good because, well, this area will stay wild and protected. Bad because, there are some awesome rocks that would be fun to climb. I haven't climbed much in many years, though, so it isn't much loss for me. 

Overall, this is definitely a trail I would hike again. I think next time I'm going to get dropped off in Dog Cove, then hike to Virgin Falls, and get picked up at the Virgin Falls trailhead up on the Plateau. That would be a great day hike!

How Much Is Too Much?

Sitting around this evening, my wife told me that her mom had inquired about a hike we had recently done. When I asked my wife why her mom was suddenly interested, I found out something interesting. Apparently my mother-in-law had seen something about it on TV. Some news piece or something similar was done to highlight different out of the way hikes in the area. My first thought was oh great, another one ruined. 

One of my favorite local hikes and one of the best hikes on the Cumberland Plateau, Virgin Falls used to be an out of the way spot visited by just a few. Same thing with a few others I can think of both in our immediate area and beyond. Now, if you visit Virgin Falls on a weekend, be prepared to share the trail with anywhere from 50-200 of your new best friends and maybe even more. I've seen cars parked down the side of the road in both directions, damaging the shoulder, creating ruts, oh, and of course completely ruining the feeling of solitude that originally brought me to this amazing place.

I've seen the same problem explode in the Smokies. Last year was particularly bad, of course, as COVID sent many people into the outdoors where recreation was not only safer but often free or very low cost. That trend will continue for at least another year it would appear. But COVID really isn't the only one to blame for this problem. The issue of overcrowding was already a thing with Virgin Falls. In fact, it motivated Tennessee State Parks who oversees the area to institute a backpacking fee and permit process. The backcountry campsites were seeing horrendous overcrowding and the surrounding areas were getting trammeled by unconscientious, unlearned, and occasionally unscrupulous adventurers. 

The amount of trash both in the backcountry and also roadside has grown a lot as well. The sad thing with the increase in traffic is that not everyone has the same ideals of leave no trace. In fact, many people ignore it either purposefully or because they don't know any better. Piles of poo and tissue paper abound in the woods near backcountry campsites, while people let their dogs go right in the trail without bothering to clean up after their furry friends. Don't even get me started on the intentional garbage people leave because they don't want to carry out the wrappers their food came in or in extreme circumstances, that heavy tent. 

Yes, the great outdoors is being rapidly loved to death. Yet, during the discussion that motivated all of this, there was something nagging in the back of my mind. Even I am at least partially responsible for this. You see, I tell anyone and everyone about my favorite hikes, just the same as many tell people about their favorite fishing spots. I am always shocked at how many people will ask complete strangers on the internet about the best places to fish and will usually get back incredibly detailed responses on small out of the way trout streams. Yes, technology ultimately is to blame here, but we need to use more than a little self control and common sense.

The free flow of information has allowed people who would never set foot into the Smoky Mountain backcountry to learn about the glorious brook trout fishing found there and head off in search of their own photo op. Blogs like mine don't help. Those of you who have followed this blog for a long time have probably noticed a trend. Older posts contain more information than newer ones. I, along with many others who love wild places, noticed a little too late what all that free information was doing to the previously pristine places we treasure. Yet, information continues to get out.

A few years ago, the internet message boards were all the rage, and woe unto anyone who foolishly decided to hot spot. Never mind, of course, that this was usually done innocently. Some kind person really wanted to help someone else out. People quickly figured out the effects of doing so, and would chase the unfortunate person right off the board who dared to speak of such secret things. Now, all a person needs to do is join the right Facebook group, ask where to go, and some person who has been to stream X once with their cousin's best friend's uncle will pipe up with all the details. Never mind that they probably couldn't catch a cold once they got there. Still, the damage is done as armies of adventurers roam throughout previously untrammeled and untamed wilderness. 

Now, with the rise of click bait, large companies create websites with no more purpose than to answer the specific queries people enter into Google. They go and find some expert to write an article, pay them a little to kiss and tell, make sure the search engine optimization is done correctly, and sit back and enjoy the advertising revenue from all those people clicking their article. Yet, we all do it. And that is the trouble. How much is too much these days? Where do we draw the line in sharing information in a world awash in more information than anyone knows what to do with? Nowadays, we have facts and alternative facts, but in all the mess, wild places continue to suffer from overuse.

It is easy to go down the rabbit hole of asking how dare people fish my stream and hike my trail, but in reality I'm just another person out there adding to the congestion. At what point do we need to step back and add self imposed limits to lessen crowding issues? 

Yet, in it all, there exists much hope as well. With the massive influx of new interest in the outdoors comes the opportunity to convince that many more people that wild places are worth preserving. For fly fishing, we have huge issues with crowding that still have to sort themselves out. At the same time, all of these new converts are more people to advocate for clean air and clean water. Ultimately, all of us suffer if those things are gone. As earth's population continues to soar, it is becoming more and more crucial that we figure out how to balance our desire for wilderness with the footprints we leave. With more people becoming interested, we have an even greater opportunity for positive change.

The one thing we can all do now is, admittedly, somewhat selfish. We can go back to the days when hot spotting was a huge taboo. One of the greatest joys of nature is to explore. When you find your own hidden paradise, you can imagine at least briefly that you have your own secret. When a spot comes to you through a social media tag and you're just there to get your own selfie, it really isn't yours. The hidden spots, the ones you've worked diligently for, those are your spots. The only way they'll stay that way is if you keep them to yourself. 

In fly fishing, as with other parts of life, there is always the tendency to tell one close friend or family member. Of course, they share with just one close friend or family member as well, but eventually the secret leaks out. I have fishing buddies that I share lots of general info with, then I have a very small handful of friends who I share the true secrets with. Those are the ones who I know really will keep it under their hat. Nowadays, there really aren't that many secrets left. And this brings us back to the question: how much is too much? At what point do we draw the line, or should we even draw one, when it comes to sharing about the great outdoors? 

A Late Winter Hike

In amongst all my fishing adventures, the hiking often takes a backseat.  That is unfortunate because I love hiking almost as much as I love fishing.  Of course, combining those two can be even better!  One of my recent hiking adventures was in the Virgin Falls area on the Cumberland Plateau.  Here, in the Scott's Gulf area, the upper Caney Fork has carved a dramatic canyon on it's tumbling journey off of the Plateau.  Numerous waterfalls add a scenic touch to many hikes.

The objective on this hike was not Virgin Falls but rather Upper Polly Branch Falls.  Having done the Virgin Falls hike a couple of weeks earlier and wanting something shorter, we opted for this less travelled but significantly shorter option.  Once we arrived at our destination, my camera was soon busy.  Here are some of the pictures I took.