July Hike: Mouse Creek Falls GSMNP

[Guest aBRG2far]

After starting my lifestyle change in Jan wanted to get back out into the woods and start hiking like I did before I gained weight. My first hike was only 2.6mi in April and I progress a little more every month. This month takes me to Mouse Creek Falls on Big Creek located at the northern most part of the Great Smoky Mts just over into NC near interstate 40. Big Creek is the watershed for Mt Cammerer and Mt Sterling and was logged in the 1920's, in fact the trail follows an old railroad bed used for hauling out timber. The trail is for horses and 4mi roundtrip with a 480ft rise, not to bad so I included a 20lb pack to carry. A good trail and very well mantained, no big roots or rocks to watch for.Besides the falls the other highlights of this trail are House Rock at 1.1mi and the Midnight Hole at 1.5mi. My wife, cousin, sister and her kids accompanied me on the hike. It was a warm day in the valley with highs in the low 90's but it was plesantly warm on the path, we were going cool off at the Midnight Hole anyways.

We nicknamed this trail "the butterfly trail". Never in my life had I seen so many butterflies in one place. Here is a small sampling of what we saw. In some places I had to swipe my hiking stick to send them flying so I wouldn't step on them or I'd go around.

I didn't go House Rock, its supposedly 200ft above the trail but I'll include a picture I found of it anyways for those thinking of going. I saw the rock field where it belonged but didn't feel like scrambling up it.

Here is the Midnight Hole. A natural swimming pool and it is cold! Its also very popular. It was crowded when we were there with about 20 or so people. Some swimming, some just sitting and the most daring or dumb jumping off rocks. I only jumped in from a few feet up. The pool is amazingly deep with it being over your head about 10ft from the bank. Its also crystal clear with large rainbow and brook trout in its depths.

Heres Mouse Creek Falls. It flows into Big Creek on the far side from the trail. Its about 45ft tall. One of the prettiest I've seen in the park. We also spotted a deer nearby.

I made it. Another waterfall for my list!

[Guest aBRG2far]

Heres my progress so far starting in April and going through July. All the trails are located in the Great Smoky Mts Nat Park. The clothes I wore in the April and May photos have been packed away because they're to big now. I've lost 93lbs so far ths year.

April: Laurel Falls 2.6mi roundtrip

May: Grotto Falls 3.0mi RT

June: Andrews Bald 3.5mi RT

July: Mouse Creek Falls 4mi RT

[Marswolf]

Some day I want to get to Buckeye Falls in the Cherokee National Forest in Unicoi County.

Some people think it is the highest water fall in the eastern US. Seems to depend on how you measure it.

I've been to the trailhead, but it looks like a great spot to get your car stripped.

http://world-waterfalls.com/waterfall.php?num=303

http://www.cs.utk.edu/~dunigan/landforms/m.php?wpt=UCF001

[Luckyforward]

Great pics!

Congrats on your weight loss!

[molonlabetn]

Ya' know... something we ought to look into is a TGO hiking/camping trip.

[creeky]

Great pictures! I'll have to get over that way.

You're really setting a great example for the rest of us.

I'm very proud of all you have accomplished so far!

Excellent work!

I'm about to head out this Thursday for the smokies myself.

Starting at Twenty mile ranger station, and up "twenty mile trail" to

"long hungry ridge trail", then over Gregory Bald and back down "Wolf Ridge".

This will be my longest hike. 4 days, 3 nights.

A TGO Hike would be cool! But I would have to have a ton of notice

before going. I generally can ony get away for one long Hike a year.

Heck... I been trying to get to one of the TGO Middle Tn shoots for teh past

three months! <sigh>

[Guest db99wj]

Great job, great pictures. The water fall pictures, especially the ones that you are not in, (nothing wrong with those), look like a post card quality pictures. What kind of camera are you using?

[BrandonTN]

Great pics and awesome job on the weight loss! It looks like you are bagging quite a few waterfalls. If you are ever near the Cumberland Plateau or Sparta, I highly suggest checking out Virgin Falls. It is a truly amazing site w/ lots of rock formations along the way. The main falls is 100+ feet and flows out of a cave into another cave, so there is no visible stream feeding it. Pretty cool!

[BrandonTN]

Ya' know... something we ought to look into is a TGO hiking/camping trip.

I'd be game for that...so many possibilities in the eastern part of the state.

[BigPoppa]

+ 1 to postcard quality pics.

and BIG UPS on the weight loss !

[Guest aBRG2far]

Great job, great pictures. The water fall pictures, especially the ones that you are not in, (nothing wrong with those), look like a post card quality pictures. What kind of camera are you using?

Just an HP E317 5mg, nothing special. I got it a couple years ago at Best Buy for $89, it can be tricky though, if your not perfectly still and hold it for half a second after the snap it will be blurry.

[Guest aBRG2far]

Thanks everybody, its been hard work but I'm now seeing the benefits. I still have a long ways to go but I've finally decided to do it without surgery, pills or fad diets. Next month I'm planning on Abrams Falls from Cades Cove and in either Sept or Oct Alum Cave Bluffs.

[Guest db99wj]

Just an HP E317 5mg, nothing special. I got it a couple years ago at Best Buy for $89, it can be tricky though, if your not perfectly still and hold it for half a second after the snap it will be blurry.

Wow, that little cheap camera can take some great pics!