Join the Plateau Chapter of the Tennessee Trails Association for a hike in June

May 29, 2009 09:48 am

— The Plateau Chapter of the Tennessee Trails Association has announced its June 2009 hiking schedule.
• There is a leaderless hike (typically 5-7 miles) every Wednesday morning. For additional information or to get on an e-mail list for the hikes, contact Bill Harris at 484-9152 or visit the Plateau Chapter Blog at http://ttaplateauchapter.blogspot.com. Rain cancels.
• June 6 — National Trails Day Hike. John Litton Loop, Big South Fork. The John Litton loop is about a 6 mile long hike with some small waterfalls and some rock formations along the way. The trail is named for John Litton who settled in the area around 1900 and his dwelling and outbuildings are still standing. The hike is rated moderate. Meet behind the Cracker Barrel at 8 a.m. CDT. For more information and to register, contact Bill Harris at 484-9152.
• June 27 — Bone Cave State Natural Area is near Rock Island State Park. Once at Rock Island State Park, the hike will be led by a Park naturalist. Expect a short but fairly steep descent to the cave entrance and then two hours in the cave. The footing in the cave is generally good but there is some hands and knees crawling and narrow spaces. The crawls are never very long so it’s not a claustrophobic experience for most hikers. The hike probably belongs in the moderate class. Bone Cave is bone dry and got its name for the bones of a prehistoric giant sloth that were found preserved in the dry environment. Saltpeter was mined as early as the war of 1812 and much of the equipment has been preserved by the dry environment. Dress for 55 degree temperatures. There is a state park fee of $3 and a 20 hiker limit on this hike. So, hikers must register in advance. For safety, bring two flashlights. Hard hats are a convenience, but not mandatory. For more information and to register for, contact Jim McCullough at sue1290@frontiernet.net.

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