Hannah Mountain (7.6 new) & Rabbit Creek (2.7 new)

Met Lowell Reid and TJ Tolnas at Food Lion at 8:00. Proceeded in Lowell’s Jeep to Cades Cove and then on to Forge Creek Rd at the West End of the Cove (Forge Creek is a 2-way road). Unfortunately the road continuing SW (Parson Branch Road) is still closed due to storm damage; thus Lowell and I walked ~3 miles on Parson Branch while TJ drove Lowell’s vehicle to Abrams Creek Campground (the terminus of our hike).

Our walk on Parson Branch Rd was mostly up; the map did not show that. Of course that 3-mile section of our hike does not count; however, all the trails covered today were new for me (i.e., 10.3 miles new). Hannah Mountain Trail is relatively modest and pretty trail (see pic). The Brown Book talks about a spectacular tuliptree (Brown Book's spelling--see 2nd pic). Just prior to Hanna Mountain Trail's junction with Rabbit Creek Trail, there's a pretty good climb. Just prior to that we met TJ as he was hiking towards us. Hannah Mountain proceeds in a NE-direction but we turned on Rabbit Creek that proceeds in a NW-direction. This section of Rabbit Creek is fairly easy and we got to its end much sooner than I had anticipated. I could not believe how close TJ had parked Lowell’s Jeep to the trail terminus.