Jack's Southern Appalachian adventure

[Jimmy W]

Jack is on his way back home now. We spent 5 nights camping in the north Georgia, Tennessee and North Carolina mountains. Our first 2 nights were spent along Noontootla Creek in Georgia, where we both saw our first dusting of snow of the season. We then drove up along the Tellico River in Tennessee and camped across the road from the North River. Wednesday we got on the Cherohala Skyway at the Tennessee/North Carolina line and drove to Joyce Kilmer Memorial Forest and hiked the Loop Trail there. There was more snow on the ground along the Skyway. We camped that night along Santeetlah Creek. Thursday, we drove back down to Georgia and camped beside Sarah's Creek. We drove to Sandy Ford on the Chatooga River on Friday and came back to my house stopping to look off the edge of Tallulah Gorge.
We had a fine time telling tales and sipping Dago Red around the campfire. None of our camps were where we could see or hear other campers.

Noontootla Creek camp

North River camp

Jack at Joyce Kilmer

Me at Joyce Kilmer

Santeetlah Creek camp

Santeetlah Creek

Sarah's Creek camp

Chattooga River at Sandy Ford

 

[Lazyriverguy]

Jimmy
Purty pics.
Even the 1 with dago red in it. Thanks for taken us poor folks what can't offered to travel along with ya.
P.s. big dang tree
Joe

 

[oldsparkey]

WOW... Some beautiful territory and those streams sure look like they would be some good fishing. Just the right time for some camping , nice days and cool nights with a fire to warm you in the evening.

I'm surprised that with all those trees around Jack did not hang his hammock. :shock:

Chuck.

 

[bearridge]

Friend Jimmy W,

Fine pichurs of some of my favorite spots. That same snow had us pullin' out a day early. When Gatormac 'n Miz Wynelle come by ta visit, they left headed fer Joyce K. Santeetlah iz mitey special, but that Sandy Ford pichur calls me like a sireen. That iz where me 'n Swamprat put in last May. It iz a heap purtier in October, tho last fall there wuz more red 'n brite gold.

Sorry we missed ya'll.

regards
bearridge

I cannot undertake to lay my finger on that article of the Constitution which granted a right to Congress of expending, on objects of benevolence, the money of their constituents. James Madison

 

[Jimmy W]

We rode along the Nantahala Thursday afternoon, but they weren't releasing any water. We then took Hwy 28 along the Little Tennessee River, but Jack missed that since he wuz taking a practice nap at that time. The leaf colors were very good in spots. We saw some very bright reds especially coming out from Sarah's Creek. A few nights below freezing had really set the colors off.
Jack used the hammock at the first and last camps, but used the tent at camps two and three because it was warmer.
The Tellico River was the lowest that I have ever seen it.
Jimmy

 

[Jimmy W]

Bear. Have you ever been to the big cypress trees at Sky Lake just north of Belzoni? Here is a piccie of one of them.
Hijacking my own darn thread. :lol:

Jimmy

 

[Wannabe]

Jimmy,
Ya better deleate the picture of the cypress tree before Keith and Seedtick see it. It'll give em a heart attack. Is an astounding tree though. Beautiful pictures one and all even if Jack was in some of em. :wink: :lol: :lol:
Bob

 

[bearridge]

Never seen 'em. Run some road races in Belzoni, ate catfish, drunk some cold drinks, seen the Mynelle Gardens 'n played some ball there back when I wuz a little pardner. I had no idea we had any 2,000 year ole trees. http://www.wildlifemiss.org/news/news/2001/05-16.html

thanks
bearridge

A man that will go along with five killin's is taking his leaving awful slow. Augustus McCrae

 

[oldyaker]

Jimmy...That is down right beautiful! Another place I really need to get to someday! Thanks! Did Jack behave? Or was he ornery like his natural self? :wink:

 

[Jimmy W]

Jack behaved very well. That darn lynx did follow him down though.

Bear, if you want to see those cypress, I'll give you directions. There aren't any signs pointing the way. I was told that they are often in water, then you would need a canoe to reach them.

Jimmy

 

[oldsparkey]

http://floridagardener.com/misc/senatorcypress.htm

Click on the above to see the whole article but here is part of it...

Florida's "Methuselah Cypress", "The Senator"

Florida Native TM FloridaGardener.com

In a State of change, Big Tree Park bald cypress has endured over 3,500 years

Seminole County, Florida

In a land of over-development, highways and theme parks is a small preserve in Longwood between Sanford and Orlando where two huge ancient cypress trees grow. The elder of the two (“The Senator Cypressâ€

 

[bearridge]

Bear, if you want to see those cypress, I'll give you directions. There aren't any signs pointing the way. I was told that they are often in water, then you would need a canoe to reach them.

Friend Jimmy,

I got a canoe. It iz a tippy sob, but like a wild mustang, I need ta ride it some so it knows who iz the boss. Part of me dont want ya ta tell me. A place without no signs? Now that iz rare. When we go ta Jackson (like in a few weeks so they kin check out Miz Bear's head 'n then Great Southern Gun & Knife show) we go down Highway 49W. Let me give it some thought. Jest findin' this place mite be fun. I reckon it haz some gravel roads?

Fer now jest gimme a hint. Closer ta Inverness 'er Belzoni? Baird? East of 49W 'er west? Lucien (in the pichur I posted in my report of our Carolina trip} wuz reared out on Straight Bayou 'n went ta school in Midnight 'er Louise.

regards
bearridge

They wuz givin' me ten thousand watts a day, ya know, 'n I'm hot to trot! The next woman takes me on iz gonna light up like a pinball machine 'n pay off in silver dollars! Randall McMurphy

 

[oldsparkey]

I got a canoe. It iz a tippy sob, but like a wild mustang, I need ta ride it some so it knows who iz the boss.

regards
bearridge

Ha Ha Ha ........ Yep Bear , those narrower and lighter canoes are nothing like the wide tandems and especially the White Water Canoes. It's like going from a SUV to a Motorcycle.

They are the thoroughbreds ( A whole different breed ) that want to zip along with ease and cover some distance. I like to say the one I have likes to Rock an Roll and it does not care if it up stream or down stream it just wants to go and see what is around the bend.
It is the easiest paddling canoe I have ever been in and that alone makes it a ton of fun on the water.

Fixing to see how the canoe ( Sasquatch 14 x 30 by Jem Watercraft) paddles with all of the camping stuff in it next month which should be more fun then a barrel of monkeys.

Chuck.

 

[Jimmy W]

Fer now jest gimme a hint. Closer ta Inverness 'er Belzoni? Baird? East of 49W 'er west?

East of 49W and near about equidistant from Inverness and Belzoni and Isola. That should get ya purty dern close. One mo' hint: Turn onto the turn row just past the cemetery if'n it's not too muddy. There is another hint in that link that you posted.

Jimmy

 

[bearridge]

PS Jimmy, sorry bout yer leg. Cut inta yer swashbucklin'? A black patch 'n a parrot would go mitey good with that crutch. :wink:

 

[Jimmy W]

My sister and brother in law got a couple of parrots. Them dang birds do too much squawking to suit me. Had Jack along with his Joey knife to handle the swashbucklin'.

 

[swamprat]

Great pictures! Kept looking at the Sandy ford and knew something was different. Finally figured out you were standing on the Ga. side!

 

[bearridge]

I mite try that part of Section III agin if we kin drive in on the girlie man road on the Georgia side. My knees didnt hurt too bad last week. Bartram Trail Road IIRC. How hard a drive wuz it Jimmy? The outfitter we paid fer shuttle didnt mention the Georgia side.

 

[Jimmy W]

I mite try that part of Section III agin if we kin drive in on the girlie man road on the Georgia side. How hard a drive wuz it Jimmy?

It isn't bad. On the way in, Jack said that he wouldn't want to drive it in his van, but when we got to the river there was both a Lincoln and a Lexus there, cars not SUVs. My 2WD Nissan pickup handled it fine. One steep part near the river might be slick after a rain. I always liked that long Sandy Ford rapid just before the ford.

Jimmy

 

[bearridge]

Okay....what did ya do ta Truthful Jack....take him cross the river 'n leave him with the banjo pickers? If it wuz the High Sheriff, he'd be in Kentucky by now, but Jack drives a heap faster. So does most everbody I seen on the highroads. :mrgreen:

Jack......ya out there? Got yer whizbangs workin'? Anybody checked the satellites ta see if he phoned home? Aliens will likely be sorry if they took him off. Scotty, did ya beam him up? Got scotch whiskey?

a worried
bearridge

Josey Wales: You a bounty hunter?

Bounty Hunter: A man has to do something these days to earn a living.

Josey Wales: Dyin' ain't much of a living boy.