Meigs Creek - Trail Report

Last week was a busy one, so I didn't have a chance to blog all our fun. Jay and I tackled 2 hikes, and made an offer on a rental cabin. That's not to mention the Dolly concert, or hanging out in Gatlinburg with my sister, niece, and some of their friends.

So let's back track a 8 days to the hike Jay and I did last Sunday. I've finally found a Bible Study class where I fit, so skipping church for an epic hike was out of the question. Instead, we headed into the park Sunday afternoon for a short hike starting in The Sinks, Meigs Creek Trail.

The Sinks are infamous due to the dangerous water which has caused several deaths when people attempt to kayak/swim the area. The area has a pool of more calm water and is a popular swimming hole. The parking lot was packed when we got there, but it didn't take us very far down the trail to have the peace and tranquility I love in a hike.

First up along the path, though, was the waterfall. It is a bit off the beaten path, but the footing is easy enough to warrant climbing down for a better view. The terrain was easy enough, Jay should have brought along his fancy camera, but we weren't sure what to expect.

 The trail description Jay had read prior to embarking boasted 18 bridge-less creek crossings along the path. We counted ourselves around 20, although some are rather small and we weren't sure which officially counted.

Around the 2 mile mark were a couple of big ole trees. Of course we stopped long enough to get a few pictures before continuing up the trail.

We encountered some other hikers on the trail, they warned us of a timber rattlesnake up head. They had to stop and wait quite some time for the snake to get off the trail. From that point on I was paranoid. I made Jay discuss with me our snake-bite plan of action.

I was not a fan of this part of the trail. If the snake didn't get me, I feared poison ivy would!! Thankfully neither nemesis was encountered during the hike. We did, however, find a big hairy pile of poop.

Speculation is that it was coyote scat. Apparently they swallow their prey whole and their digestion systems don't take care of the hair?

The turn around point was uneventful, save for the tasty peanut butter and jelly sandwich I had toted along in my pack. On the first part of the way back, I tried to look at the flowers and enjoy the surroundings, but mostly I was still worried we'd run into Mr. Snake.

Get a picture of me crossing for the blog! Thankfully he didn't have the camera for the crossing in where I fell. Then again, if I had pictorial proof of the fall, you wouldn't be tempted to wonder if I peed my pants.

I was cranky the rest of the hike, until I was able to get back to the car and change clothes. Stopping for dinner on the way home, we found a cute little place not far from our house. And they serve beer, baked bean covered cheese fries, and giant cookie pizzas!

I suppose the trip wasn't a total waste!