CD Bypass, Forney Ridge--4.5N, Sprnghse Branch--4.2N, Forney Creek--1.3PD, Whiteoak Brnch--1.8PD, Lakeshore--1.3PD, Tunnel Bypass--1.2 N (13.3 mi)

Met at Food Lion at 7:00; Amy and I drove to Sugarlands. Amy and Richard Ryburn (a new hiker) were doing Noland Divide and Noland Creek; I picked up 3 of her passengers and had 6 in my car for the 1-2 miles to Clingmans Dome. (Six from Gatlinburg whom I did not know had started on Noland Divide about an hour earlier; Bill Broome, Bob Bolinger, Bill Woodrick, John Kennerly, and Tom Wainner would follow later. I felt quite comfortable about this contingent of 13 for the hikers that I knew would ensure that everyone finished.)

My group (Jim Harb, Lowell Reid, Ellie Doughty, Cecil Rowe & Jim Carmon—new to our group) got started about 9:00. Frank & Peggy Jaskolka and Barbara Slover & Martha Frink had started on the same route about 60 and 15 min. earlier, respectively. The Forney Ridge trail has a few rocks, in parts an exceptional amount of growth, plus a 2,300' descent--not my favorite type of trail.

On Springhouse Branch Jim Harb, Jim Carmon & I were behind only Frank and Peggy. It was on this trail that we ran across two unique examples of "orange mushrooms"; as you see I got a good picture of the pair but a horrendous picture of the bunch--in your mind’s eye you’ll have to transform the goof to the good one.

We ate lunch when we reached a campground near Whiteoak Branch. At this point the Jim H & C went South on Forney Creek while Lowell, Ellie, Cecil and I took the hypotenuse. Frank & Peggy were close behind us and Martha & Barbara were a little further back (these 4 would be going through the Tunnel to Nowhere, a shortcut). The four of us met the two Jim’s on Lakeshore. When we came to Goldmine Loop, Ellie (who has completed all trails) volunteered to go with Jim H. on Goldmine Loop--a very difficult trail; the remaining four of us needed Tunnel Bypass (although I had done Goldmine Loop when I backpacked, I had completed only a segment of Tunnel Bypass). I decided to speed up and arrived on Lakeview Drive ~3:50; thus the hike took me close to 7 hours. Frank and Peggy were coming out of the tunnel about the same time that my cohorts finished. Shortly thereafter Barbara and Martha came out of the tunnel about the same time that Ellie and Jim had finished Goldmine Loop.

The bus was supposed to arrive at 5:00 but was a little late; when it did arrive it had picked up the 13 who had done Noland Divide & Noland Creek. With 23 riders we needed to charge only $7 each; that was great! On the way back Bill Woodrick and Jim Harb collected the money for me while Bill Broome and I planned next week's hike.