Savage Gulf Trip Dec 29-31

**potneck** · 01-06-2015, 20:47

Originally Posted by ragnall

Thanks for posting this. It was a great looking trip. I am glad you had a good(if wet) outing. Hopefully I will make it to another one soon.

Ragnall

Yes, it was a great trip Ragnall, wish you could have joined us. Its a beautiful area and without the connector trail it was all easy hiking. We learned a lot from the cool wet weather and still really enjoyed it. Maybe we can do an overnight trip at LBL soon.

**cjayflo** · 01-07-2015, 09:58

I was around the Stone Door end that weekend. We got out before the rains really started to come down. Everything I have seen around that area has been amazing, I'm like a kid in a candy store there.

**potneck** · 01-07-2015, 22:22

It really is a unique area. We ran into a couple of guys that came from Stone Door Ranger station and were going to Hobbs Cabin via the Connector trail. They had given up and camped along the trail Sunday night (28th). Both were hanging in ENO's and one guy's hammock split and dumped him on the rocks. He had slept on the ground in all the rain. He was glad to be in the cabin by the fireplace when we met him. We ran into several hangers, but none were on HF.

**Kriswithak** · 01-08-2015, 17:01

I did the North Rim, Connector Trail and South Rim loop last year on Memorial Day weekend. I liked the North Rim but I thought the South Rim was even better.
The Connector Trail sucked! It's nothing but wobbly rocks and poison ivy. Keep your eyes on the tree blazes, without them there is no "trail". We made it down to the bridge and found a small group of young trail-runners going up the same trail we just spend over 2 hours negotiating. It only took them 45 minutes run the Connector and catch back up with us. How they did it without breaking bones and getting a nasty case of poison ivy I don't know. But kudo's to them!

We hit the park on what was probably the last weekend there was water available on the upper Rim trails. There are 2 natural springs at the campsites and we were carefully scooping water out of the small pools of water. We did encounter a few other small springs of water from on the other trails but I think that by the next weekend most of the water would have been gone.

Great place, I'm looking forward to checking out the Stone Door and waterfalls sometime.

**dickstarbuck** · 02-22-2015, 22:29

I'll gladly bump this thread because savage gulf is such a beautiful area. AND the connector trail is definitely a b*tch, but it's worth it to see both sides of the gulf. Anybody interested in a group hang there sometime soon? I live in Atlanta but that's well worth the drive.

**ccartertn** · 02-23-2015, 00:52

I did North Rim to Hobbs cabin Super Bowl weekend. The views on North Rim were amazing. I'll definitely go back soon and do some other trails.

**Ashe** · 02-26-2015, 18:16

I'm late on this thread, but thanks for sharing your trip potneck. Savage Gulf is a backpacker's paradise. I've done all of the trails (most 2 or 3 times) except for North Plateau. It's probably a good idea you skipped the Connector Trail with ice on the ground. that sucker's a ankle breaker from start to finish, even without ice.

have you guys seen Schwoon Spring yet? it's definitely the most underrated feature in the Gulf, especially when the water table's up.

**ccartertn** · 02-26-2015, 21:58

Ashe, I did North Plateau from Hobbs Cabin on Sunday cause I thought I'd get back to the car quicker and beat the rain. There are zero views. It is just a flat hike in the woods. About a mile longer but still quicker.
I'm looking forward to going back and doing some of the other trails.

**Tonykarter** · 02-27-2015, 00:31

So all of that three-leaf plant that I saw was really poison ivy after all? I swear I've never seen that much poison ivy anywhere else. Still, that place is my absolute favorite place to be in the woods.

**Ashe** · 02-27-2015, 10:04

Originally Posted by ccartertn

Ashe, I did North Plateau from Hobbs Cabin on Sunday cause I thought I'd get back to the car quicker and beat the rain. There are zero views. It is just a flat hike in the woods. About a mile longer but still quicker.
I'm looking forward to going back and doing some of the other trails.

hey Carter -- yeah I figured as much by looking at the map. isn't there something on the map about a big tree or something off of the North Plateau Trail? I've considered doing that hike just to cross it off my list and check out the side trail to the tree. Is it worth it?

I wish South Cumberland was less stringent on their stay-on-trail rules. I hear they gave the ENTs folks a hard time when they were trying to get permission to measure old-growth trees. there's so much more to explore in that canyon...