Savage to Hobbs to Alum Gap to Stone Door - WHEW!
Darren G. and a small group of able bodied friends are planning a trip to the Park the first week of February and are asking for some trip planning advice about seeing a good part of the park in three days. The first overnight at Hobbs Cabin, coming up through Stone Door on day three.
Savage Ranger Station to Hobbs is a good walk, a little easier on the Plateau Trail but a little longer. Starting at 10 AM you should have enough daylight. It is getting dark here before 5 PM but the days will be a little longer in early February.
The Connector Trail is the most challenging trail in the Park and the trip down from Hobbs is steep. A good walking stick is a nice partner to have on trails like this. If you start early, Hobbs to Alum Gap is doable but if you hike to Alum, unless you go back down the Big Creek Gulf Trail and come back up, you will already be above the Stone Door at Alum, they are about the same elevation. You could take the Big Creek Rim Trail from Alum Gap to Stone Door, go down and back up the Door. There are very good photo ops at Stone Door with one of the best scenic overlooks in Tennessee or anywhere else for that matter.
Hobbs Cabin to Stage Road campsite would require a backtrack part of the way to get to the Stone Door on day three. Hobbs Cabin to Stage Road is doable in one day, no problem.
As far as I am aware, all of the stream crossings along the Connector Trail are now on bridges and should be AOK so long as we don't have a frog strangler rain. The park is still dry from our severe drought, although recent rains have helped. Read this blog comment from Ms. April regarding the water conditions she and friends experienced last week.
http://www.friendsofscsra.org/2007/12/trip-to-park-between-christmas-new.htm
Be careful to keep your water bottles filled as you go along, you could hit an unexpected dry spot at any campsite.
If weather or other conditions slow you down, you could always do your second night out at Sawmill, do a rock hop day hike up Savage Creek and back to see the old growth timber, and come out Stone Door on day three from Sawmill.
Sage advice? Take your time, smell the planet and take lots of photos. There is much to see in the Park if you take time to look.
Have fun, be safe,
Ron Castle
Savage Ranger Station to Hobbs is a good walk, a little easier on the Plateau Trail but a little longer. Starting at 10 AM you should have enough daylight. It is getting dark here before 5 PM but the days will be a little longer in early February.
The Connector Trail is the most challenging trail in the Park and the trip down from Hobbs is steep. A good walking stick is a nice partner to have on trails like this. If you start early, Hobbs to Alum Gap is doable but if you hike to Alum, unless you go back down the Big Creek Gulf Trail and come back up, you will already be above the Stone Door at Alum, they are about the same elevation. You could take the Big Creek Rim Trail from Alum Gap to Stone Door, go down and back up the Door. There are very good photo ops at Stone Door with one of the best scenic overlooks in Tennessee or anywhere else for that matter.
Hobbs Cabin to Stage Road campsite would require a backtrack part of the way to get to the Stone Door on day three. Hobbs Cabin to Stage Road is doable in one day, no problem.
As far as I am aware, all of the stream crossings along the Connector Trail are now on bridges and should be AOK so long as we don't have a frog strangler rain. The park is still dry from our severe drought, although recent rains have helped. Read this blog comment from Ms. April regarding the water conditions she and friends experienced last week.
http://www.friendsofscsra.org/2007/12/trip-to-park-between-christmas-new.htm
Be careful to keep your water bottles filled as you go along, you could hit an unexpected dry spot at any campsite.
If weather or other conditions slow you down, you could always do your second night out at Sawmill, do a rock hop day hike up Savage Creek and back to see the old growth timber, and come out Stone Door on day three from Sawmill.
Sage advice? Take your time, smell the planet and take lots of photos. There is much to see in the Park if you take time to look.
Have fun, be safe,
Ron Castle
Labels: Hobbs Cabin, Trip Planning
posted by Ron Castle @ 7:42 AM
1 Comments
