The Nickajack Naturalist

Friends of South Cumberland Celebrates Preservation of New Tract

                                                                                            By Margaret Matens          

Hikers gaze at Big Creek Gulf from Stone Door Overlook.                                (Photo: Bob Butters)

The Friends of South Cumberland State Park’s Land Preservation Celebration on October 11 provided a chance to view a recently acquired tract of land across from Stone Door, followed by a program at the historic Beersheba Springs Hotel. (See earlier announcement here.) Joining the festivities were over 100 guests including Sen. Janice Bowling, State Naturalist Randy Hedgepath and State Naturalist Emeritus Mack Prichard, who enjoyed lovely fall weather, festive food and the music of Bazzania.

The Jones Tract is on the bluff opposite Stone Door.                                      (Photo: Bob Butters) 

Sen. Bowling addressed the crowd at the hotel, explaining her support for state funding of new initiatives in Grundy County to boost ecotourism. According to Sen. Bowling, “The acquisition of the Jones Tract brings to fruition a thirty year old hope and effort. The FSC, one of the oldest Friends groups of our parks in Tennessee, has added to its credentials as the most successful in land acquisition. I sincerely appreciate the efforts and resources provided by this dedicated organization toward such a significant purchase.” Howell Adams, John Greeter and Sam Baggett met with Sen. Bowling prior to the celebration and continue to provide leadership on emerging park projects in Grundy County.

  

The group pauses for a photo op at the Laurel Gulf Overlook.                        (Photo: Bob Butters)

State Naturalist Randy Hedgepath led about 75 hikers to an overlook at Stone Door to view the 40-acre Jones Tract, which includes 2,000 feet of bluff line across from the Stone Door overlook. Hedgepath noted, “Many tracts of land, if developed, would impact the natural beauty of Savage Gulf, but few more directly than the Jones Tract. The Friends of South Cumberland have given peace of mind to those of us who knew about this missing part. We can now look at the view from Stone Door to the east with comfort, knowing that good people came through and secured it for us all.”

The historic Beersheba Springs Hotel.                                                           (Photo: Bob Butters)

Click here to see more photos of the event on the FSC website.

Ed. note: This event also involved a ribbon cutting ceremony for a new rustic pavilion next to the Stone Door parking lot. The pavilion was made possible by a $27,000 gift from Friends of South Cumberland. 

TennGreen Needs Your Help to Conserve 1,000 Acres at Grassy Cove

From: www.tenngreen.org

 Help the Tennessee Parks and Greenways Foundation conserve the caves, bluffs, and forests of Bear Den and Brady Mountains. Protect Grassy Cove National Natural Landmark, Cumberland Trail views, and Sequatchie River headwaters. Known conservationist and Nashvillian Shirley Caldwell-Patterson is donating $100,000 to match your gift. TennGreen needs your help to raise $2.2 million for Grassy Cave Creek Corridor.    Read more.  

Fiery Gizzard Trail Project Featured on Tennessee's Wild Side

Raven Point, near the Fiery Gizzard Trail re-route project.                             (Photo: Bob Butters)

  The TV show Tennessee's Wild Side recently featured a segment about the ongoing project to re-route a section of the Fiery Gizzard Trail. (See an earlier post here.) Click here to read more and to watch the five minute video. 

Exploring Hike Options at Tims Ford State Park

By Bob Butters                                                                                   at: Nooga.com

The entrance to Tims Ford State Park.                                                          (Photo: Bob Butters)

  Tims Ford Lake, with 265 miles of shoreline, stretches through rolling hills of the Eastern Highland Rim just west of Winchester, Tennessee.  On a recent fall weekend, Kim and I decided pay a visit to Tims Ford State Park to check out some of the hiking trails that have been constructed in the past several years.    Read more.    

One of two suspension bridges on the Lost Creek Overlook Trail.                    (Photo: Bob Butters)

A view from along the Clifton Doyle Trail.                                                      (Photo: Bob Butters)

   

Recommended Fall Foliage Drive, Hike Tour

By Bob Butters                                                                                      at Nooga.com 

A fall view from Saddlehorn Rock Overlook on the Fiery Gizzard Trail.             (Photo: Bob Butters)

  It's that time of year again when many take to the roads in a quest for scenic views of fall color. Here's a recommended day's outing of 100 miles or so round-trip from downtown Chattanooga through the heart of the South Cumberland region, with several options for short hikes along the way.

Read more and view photos here. 

Birding With Bob--Oct. 8, 2015 - A Visit to the Tennessee River Gorge Trust's Bird Observatory

A Chattanooga Hiking Club group visits the bird-banding lab.

  On September 23rd I had an opportunity to accompany the Chattanooga Hiking Club's Wednesday group and Tennessee River Gorge Trust executive director Rick Huffines on a visit to the Trust's bird observatory. Located deep in the river gorge at the base of Elder Mountain, we hiked three miles to get there after reaching the end of Cash Canyon Road. I'm told the staff usually arrive by boat.

  Once there, we found John Diener and Lizzie Goodrick, who work at the observatory two days a week during spring and fall migration seasons, weighing and banding birds that had been caught in mist nets set up in the nearby woods. The focus is on neotropical migratory songbirds. At the moment, they had a gray-cheeked thrush, a tufted titmouse, and a Swainson's thrush. Later we followed them to check on the nets, which is done every 40 minutes, and found a gray catbird. It was put in a cotton bag and taken to to weighed and banded like the others.     

 In addition to the bird-banding lab, there are two shelters, two camping platforms, and a rather upscale privy.

 While there, our group helped mark a new one mile loop hiking trail.

Read an article about the bird observatory by Jenni Veal at Nooga.com here, and an article about the Trust's search for the cerulean warbler by Christopher Andrew Armstrong at Get Out Chattanooga here. 

Learn more at www.trgt.org. 

Bob Butters

The group observes John and Lizzie at work inside the screened-in lab.

The Swainson's thrush being released.

John allows one of the visitors to experience releasing a bird.

Lizzie holds the catbird just found in a net.

One of the canopy nets. It can be lowered to retrieve any birds caught in it, then re-raised.

(All photos: Bob Butters)  

Help Plan Moccasin Bend Park

By Sean Phipps                                                                                     at Nooga.com

Moccasin Bend as viewed from Sunset Rock.                                                  (Photo: Bob Butters)

  Most Chattanoogans are aware of Moccasin Bend, but many may be unaware of the efforts to preserve the area as a national park destination. The National Park Service has developed a series of management concepts for the 769-acre area and is seeking public review and comments.   Read more. 

  Read my earlier article about Short Hikes on Moccasin Bend.

 

Buggytop Cave Hike Video

Buggytop Cave entrance.                                                                               (Photo: Bob Butters)

  One of my readers, Michael Mitchell, recently sent me a five minute video which includes aerial drone footage, of a hike to Buggytop Cave, aka Lost Cove Cave. View the video here. 

  Read my April Nooga.com article about hiking to Buggytop here.

  Michael has similar videos of a number of places in the South Cumberland region which you can see on YouTube. Type Mikeisi in the search box.