Duty Calls

Today’s the day we’ve been waiting for--jury duty.  Nashville seems like a long way away when you have to be there by 8:30.  Gene crawled, grumbling, out of bed before daylight, scraped a razor across his face, swallowed a bite of breakfast, and dashed out the door before 7 AM.  The drive was only 35 miles, but with a good portion on a 2-lane, curvy road which has more than its fair share of rush hour traffic, getting into downtown, finding a place to park, and being at the courthouse on time was a challenge.  But, he met the challenge and was there with 5 minutes to spare.

Fire Pink

He was chosen as a possible juror right away, but after spending all day in the courtroom and being asked numerous questions, he was finally dismissed from that trial.  He gets to go back tomorrow, same time, same place for another opportunity to serve.  We’re actually very glad he wasn’t selected today because that trial was expected to last for a couple weeks.

Redbud

While he was doing his duty, I had the run of Montgomery Bell State Park.  We’ve mentioned Montgomery Bell and his success in the iron industry making him one of the richest men in Tennessee during the early 1800s.  The site of an old iron forge and the ore pits are not the only thing of historical significance that took place at what is now Montgomery Bell State Park.

The “birthplace” of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church is just over the hill from the campground.  It seems that three of the church clergy were unhappy with official church policy and wanted to work out some way in which to resolve their differences of opinions.  These three guys met at the home of Rev. McAdow on February 4, 1810 and ended up reviving the Cumberland Church which had been dissolved several years earlier by the Kentucky Synod.   A replica of Rev McAdow’s home stands on the site where these men gathered.

Near this cabin is a small chapel built in 1960.  Services are held here each Sunday during the summer months and it’s a popular place for weddings.

Phacelia

This evening we spoke with those Maineiacs.  Mike and Peggy are motoring their way north on the Natchez Trace Parkway and expect to be in our neck of the woods on Wednesday.  Certainly anxious to see them and hear all about their trip around Texas.

That does it for today.  Thanks for tagging along.

Creech Hollow Trail

This is the weekend and that means family stuff.  This afternoon we drove up to Joelton to visit with Jack, Ansley, and Kayley and then went out to dinner.  Yesterday was a big day for little Miss Kayley--she got her first haircut.

This morning we had time for a short hike.  Creech Hollow Trail is easily accessed from the campground so that’s the one we chose.  Creech Hollow trail is listed as 1.7 miles in length and we figured we added another half mile or so for the access trail.  We often hike Creech Hollow, but I don’t think I’ve ever hiked this trail without also doing one side or the other of Montgomery Bell Trail.

Canoe on Creech Hollow Lake

The Montgomery Bell Trail is a 10.5 mile loop.  Creech Hollow Trail serves as a connector between two sides of the Montgomery Bell Trail forming a figure eight.  Because there is parking at various places along the Montgomery Bell Trail, Creech Hollow actually creates two 6-mile loops out of the Montgomery Bell Trail.

I'm lovin' my new pack

It was a cool, overcast morning, but still pleasant to be outside.  Again, we were thrilled with the display of wildflowers.  We continue to see anemone and continue to be puzzled as to which it is--rue or false rue.  We also came across a vine today that we haven’t been able to identify yet.  We’re almost positive it’s some sort of pea, probably a vetch, but which one we have not a clue.

Vetch, maybe? 

Anemone--rue or false rue

We’ve had a busy day and now it’s time for bed.  Tomorrow--more family stuff.

That’s it for now.  Thanks for tagging along.

A Me Day

Well, I guess I need to catch up with what’s happening with us.  For this visit in Nashville we are staying at Montgomery Bell State Park.  As you might suspect, since we rolled into town we have been very busy with family.  Saturday morning we spent with Jack, Ansley, and Kayley.  Sunday afternoon and evening we were over at my parents’ home.  In between times, we were rushing to get laundry done and groceries bought.  After a busy traveling and hiking week last week and family over the weekend, I needed a day to myself.

False Rue Anemone

I had a very enjoyable day.  It was a gorgeous spring day and I sat outside with my coffee and a book for much of the morning.  Gene had invited one of our hiking buddies to join him for a hike here in the park.  I bugged out of that adventure so had most of the morning and early afternoon to myself.

Saxifrage

One of the things I enjoy doing, but don’t do very often is go out with my camera.  A couple years ago I purchased a small point and shoot camera to take on the trail.  I love that little camera and it’s the one I usually grab every morning whether we’re hiking or not.  The abundant wildflowers around our campsite piqued my interest in taking my SLR on a trail today.  All the photos in this post are from my short walk along the Bailey Nature Trail, a three-quarter mile loop behind the Visitor Center.

Lots of trillium almost ready to bloom.

Montgomery Bell State Park has a nice campground.  Several years ago they upgraded to accommodate larger RVs.  They now have many sites with full hook-ups. Most are back-ins, but there are a few pull-thrus.  We are parked in a large level site right by the creek.  This is spring break season and schools in several nearby counties were on vacation last week.  The campground was nearly full over the weekend, but nearly empty today.  If you don’t like the smell of woodsmoke, this was not the place to be this weekend or any weekend for that matter.

But I only saw these three that were in bloom.

White trillium

The down side to staying here is the two-week limit.  Since we only expect to be here a couple weeks this time, it’ll work out fine.  However, in the fall when we come to town and plan to stay for a couple months, it’s just not worth the hassle of moving all the time.

Can't find this in our book.  Still trying to figure out what it is.

The up side to staying here is the hiking.  There are 20 miles of trail within the park and we can jump on an access trail right in the campground and not have to drive to a trailhead.

I just love the spring beauty.

Now that we’re all settled in and enjoying life creekside, tomorrow we get to move.  Remember that slide out that wouldn’t come in when we were in Perry?  We have a service appointment to have that repaired on Wednesday morning, 8 AM, on the other side of downtown Nashville.  In order to avoid the morning rush hour, we’re gonna move ourselves up to Music Valley Drive almost next door to our dealership.  After the repair, we’ll come back here.

I think that about wraps up the day.  Thanks for tagging along.

New Years Day Hike

We anticipate doing a lot of hiking during 2012 so, in that regard, we got off to a very good start today with a 6.5 mile hike at Montgomery Bell State Park with the Clarksville chapter of Tennessee Trails Association.  We last hiked with the Clarksville group at Meriwether Lewis on Nov 19.  Several of the hikers who were on that hike were with us today and it was nice to see them again.  The hike we did today was the same hike we had done with our hiking buddy, Herb, on Nov 7th.

Suva, our leader for this hike.

We met the Clarksville group at the Visitor Center at 10 am.  All together there were 21 hikers in our group.  It took several minutes for everyone to get their gear ready, visit the restroom, sign in for the hike, and stow the pot luck lunch in any pack that had extra room.  Of course, there was the customary group photo to be taken.  After about 20 minutes we were finally ready to hit the trial.

Our lunch spot for the day.

Since this was the same hike we had done on Nov 7th, I won’t repeat the description of the trail, but if you missed it then or want to reread that hike, click here.  I’ll cut right to the chase of today’s hike.  It was New Year’s Day, after all, and for several years TTA has had a “pot luck lunch on the trail” hike.  Needless to say, the packs were full.  Some hikers were even carrying backpacks, not the customary day packs for a hike of this length.

We made our way around to the lake which was to be our lunch spot.  There was a little nip in the air and there was a brisk breeze blowing so it was a bit chilly out.  We found a place at the end of the lake which was somewhat sheltered from the wind and in the sun.  Our leader, Suva, spread the “table cloth” and we laid out the feast.  And a feast it was including the shrimp cocktail.

Being New Years Day we naturally had to have black-eyed peas.  This may be a southern tradition; I don’t really know, but all my life we’ve had black-eyed peas on New Years Day.  They’re supposed to bring good luck during the year.  There have been a few years in my life when I didn’t considered myself very lucky even though I ate those peas so I tried doing without them for a few years.  I’m back to eating them now, but only because I like them.  I can’t actually say they bring good luck.  Anyway, we had several pots of peas on the trail today.

The stoves came out to heat those peas.  There were 6 stoves all together and Gene was in his element.  You know how he just loves backpacking stoves.  He made the comment later that he noticed how all the people with alcohol stoves were in a hurry to get to the lunch spot so they could get their stoves lit.  For those of you not backpackers, alcohol is notoriously slow as a heating fuel.

J R Tate, aka Model T

We had a great hike, a fantastic lunch, and a wonderful day.  We really enjoy hiking with the Clarksville group.  They are so much fun to be with.  Among the group, there are several long-distance hikers.  The long-distance hiker is a different character from the day hiker and we enjoy talking to them about trails and gear.  Suva, our leader for today’s hike, has for several years taken a group to do a section of the Appalachian Trail.  That group is within four hundred miles of completing that trail.  Also on our hike today and a member of the Clarksville Chapter was J R Tate, better known in Appalachian Trail circles by his trail name, Model T.  J R has completed 4 thru-hikes and has written a couple books about his experiences on the trail.  It’s always fun to catch up with him and his stories.  And let me just say we proudly carry an alcohol stove made by his hands.

So, I think we got this year off to a very good start--good friends, good food, and a good hike.  That’s all for today.  Thanks for tagging along.

Montgomery Bell Trail

For our hike today we went back to Montgomery Bell State Park to do the other half of the 12-mile figure eight Montgomery Bell Trail.  We had done half of this loop several weeks ago.  Today, Herb went with us and we had a great hike.

From our campground on the north side of town, Montgomery Bell is about 50 miles away.  We stopped in Bellevue, about halfway, to pick up Herb.  I know this may come as a surprise, but these guys started talking “gear” before they even said “Hello”.  It was like show and tell right in the parking lot at Staples.

The first piece was an antique Primus stove Herb dug out of his gear closet which dates back to his hiking days when he was in collage.  Gene is obsessed with camping stoves, so he was like a little kid in a candy store.  Even I’ll have to admit the stove had a certain amount of appeal.  The stove, including the can, weighs 19 oz, far too heavy for today’s lightweight backpackers.  It uses white gas or Coleman fuel and will burn about 50 minutes on a “tank” full of fuel.  That might be enough for a weekend trip, but for a longer hike, more fuel would be needed.  The rubber gaskets are probably all dried up and it’s probably dirty on the inside, but from the outside it looked great.  Okay, that was fun.

The next show and tell item was Herb’s new day pack.  He was sporting the latest and greatest lightweight pack from REI--Flash 18.  This little sac has a capacity of 18 L (1100 cu in) and only weighs 10 oz.  It’s tiny, but where do you put all your stuff.  Herb says I carry too much stuff, anyway.

We finally got on our way and were hiking by 9 AM.  We started our hike near the front entrance to the park and hiked in a clockwise direction.  The first section is along an old roadbed and is my least favorite part of the trail.  It’s wide, but very rocky with lots of ruts.  With the leaves covering the trail, it was very difficult to see the rocks and roots in this area.  Past this half mile section, we were on the more comfortable dirt trail.

The first half of our hike had several creek crossings.  Today, they were no problem; easy crossings usually on exposed rocks.  However, I have been on this trail in the spring after a heavy rain and these small creeks can present a real challenge getting to the other side.

We followed the trail across the streams and through the woods for a couple miles before coming to another long stretch where the trail follows an old road bed.  This section is about a mile in length with the park boundary and train track on one side and the park golf course on the other.

It was along this stretch that we stopped for a “coffee break”.

Although the temperatures were warm today, Gene had brought along his stove (a pepsi can alcohol stove with the Trangia pot support and pot, and an aluminum foil windscreen) so he could fix us a hot beverage.  I had hot chocolate, he had coffee, and Herb chose to drink cold water.  That may have been the better choice on this warm day.

Herb just loves his new baby

The trail which creates the figure eight is the Creech Hollow Trail which follows along the bank of Creech Hollow Lake.  The park road is very close to this lake and we often see fishermen on the bank, but not today.

Just before the end of our loop, the trail drops down by way of steps into what appears to be a sink hole.   It’s a hole, but one created by the mining of iron ore during the early 1800s when this was a major iron furnace owned by Montgomery Bell.  It is said that some of Andrew Jackson’s cannon balls were made from iron ore mined at this furnace.  There are several ore pits in the park as well as cemeteries containing the graves of many of the iron workers.

It was a beautiful day to be outside and we especially enjoyed sharing it with our friend Herb.  Glad he brought his old stove for show and tell and I’ve got that little pack on my mind.  I might could do without some of my stuff, after all.

That’s it for today.  Thanks for tagging along.

TTA Hike at Montgomery Bell

This was one of those absolutely gorgeous fall days.  There are precious few of these picture perfect days in middle Tennessee, so it is best to enjoy them when they occur.

Our chapter of Tennessee Trails Association had a hike led by Diane Manas at Montgomery Bell State Park.  Diane is very active in the club and leads several hikes each month.  This is the same Diane that hiked with me for a section on the Appalachian Trail in 2008.  This was the same hike Gene and I did a couple of weeks ago.  We even stopped at the same log for lunch today that he and I had used on our hike.  However, the hike today was much more dramatic since the leaves are in peak color.

There were 4 ladies plus Gene and I in the group.  Since we usually hike alone, it was a real treat to have others with whom to share the experience.  We have known all these ladies for several years, so it was also nice to have a chance to catch up with what everyone has been up to lately.

The hour ride home in the truck has left my body in a somewhat crippled condition.  My grandfather would say I am “stove up”.  This old body got a workout today.  I’m going to shuffle around the kitchen long enough to get dinner on the table, then I will take to my recliner for the duration of the evening.

Enjoy the photos of fall color reflected off the surface of the lake.

Montgomery Bell State Park

Montgomery Bell State Park, located in Dickson County about 30 miles south west of Nashville, is what the state calls a “resort” park.  There are 7 parks which fit into this classification and they all have lodges, golf courses, trails, and campgrounds.  In other words, they offer more activities than the non-resort parks.

A side trail led to this grave of a small child

At Montgomery Bell the lodge has recently been remodeled and has modern hotel rooms and a wonderful common area facing the 26-acre Lake Acorn.  At the lake there is a picnic area, a sand beach and swimming area open during the summer months.  They also have canoes and paddle boats for rent during warm weather.  Those, of course, were closed today.  There are also two “group camp” areas with small cabins for rent--great for church or club retreats.

View from our lunch log

We were surprised to find the campground crowded until we remember that this is a 3-day weekend for those whose employer is closed for Columbus Day.  The campground is typical of many state parks--large gravel sites with lots of trees.  All of the sites are back-ins, but there are some with full hook-ups and large enough for big rigs.  One side of the campground borders the creek.  There is a large play ground and a softball diamond.

It is one of our “regular” places for hiking.  There is a large 12-mile loop which has a 7-mile option.  We did the 7 miles today.  There are several shorter trails within the park as well as an orienteering course.  We have been going to Montgomery Bell for a couple of decades and have seen some great improvements to the trail system.  My favorite improvement has been the bridges over several creeks.  Many of these bridges have been designed, constructed and installed by boy scouts. Today, we were happy to see the old overnight backcountry shelters are being refurbished.

The area this park occupies has a rich history.  Very near where we parked for our hike today is a replica of the dogtrot style home of Samuel McAdow, one of the founders of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church.  Rev. McAdow and a couple of friends organized the church in 1810.  Some 150 years later, a small church was erected as a sort of “shrine”.  The church is still active and is a popular place for weddings.

Mr. Montgomery Bell, for whom the park is named, went into the iron business in the middle Tennessee area in the early 1800s.  The Laurel furnace was located on land which is now the park that bears his name.  The ore pits, resembling hugh sink holes, are still visible although they are now grown over with trees.

It was a great day to be outside communing with nature.  Although there was rain in the forecast, we either avoided it or it didn’t happen.  We even got a few glimpses of blue sky.