Meigs creek to Lumber Ridge to Tremont.

5/28/15  We started out on Meigs Creek trail, which has over 20 small creek crossings.  Last summer when we hiked this trail, I managed to slip and fall in the water, but this time every crossing was uneventful.  When we came to the intersection of Curry Mountain, Lumber Ridge and Meigs Creek, where we planned to eat lunch, there was a large hiking club there doing the same thing.  They were very friendly, and we enjoyed some nice conversation. We also met some of the trail maintenance crew, and expressed our appreciation for the hard work they do.

 Since the trail was going to be pretty crowded, we decided to take the manway, (an old unmaintained trail) down to Tremont.  That proved to be a good decision, in that it was not crowded, but unmaintained is the word of the day.  It was a good challenge for all of us.  We ended up at Spruce flats Falls, then at Tremont.

Galax blooming

Steve and our friend Hank

Spruce Flats falls.  The last time we were here, it was very crowded, and we never did get a decent picture.  It's only a short way up to Tremont (where the car was ) from here, but what a climb!

How do you tag a butterfly?

That was the burning question of the day.  Steve and I were invited to a Monarch Tagging event, hosted by our friends Hank and Margaret.  The event was sponsored by the Smoky Mountain Institute at Tremont , which is not far from our house.  They host science camps for kids and families, and participate in a variety of worldwide research projects, such as monitoring salamanders, banding birds, and tagging Monarch butterflies. 

It turned out to be a cold rainy day, and there was not a butterfly in sight, but we had fun anyway.  And to answer the question, you tag a butterfly by placing a sticker with a unique number on it, on a certain spot on the underside of the wing.  If you ever find a dead monarch, look at its wings, and you may find one that's tagged.

Following is a YouTubevideo put together by one of the participants, Gina.  For some reason, it doesn't seem to play well on a mobile phone, but is fine on a laptop or desktop.  Enjoy!
 http://youtu.be/5OXkd4VsHfs

Indian Flats Falls

Oct 24, 2014  Steve and I decided to hike to Indian Flats Falls, near Tremont.  These falls are not marked on any of the park maps, for some reason but most of the locals know the way.  The trail is actually an old railroad bed, leftover from the logging days before the park was formed. Now it is a horse/hiking trail.  Although it is an 8 mile round trip, it is a very gentle climb and follows the river most of the way.  There are numerous small waterfalls and cascades along the way and it was a very pleasant hike.  We saw several horse groups(usually we only see their "calling cards")  We will definitely hike this spot again.

We hiked this far with our grandson Eli last spring.  We sat on this bench and ate a snack before heading back.  Eli had just turned two and hiked over two miles that day.  Let's just say he took a real good nap!

We think this was from one of the logging camps.  There was a stone wall surrounding this chimney that we think was the foundation of the building.

Steve is looking at a stovepipe, and a rail from the railroad.

The falls!  This would be even more wonderful on a hot summer day.