Old Settlers Trail (Eastern part) 7.5n (+0.5 Manway & 1.2pd Maddron Bald)

Arrived at a resort campground off U.S. 321 about 7:50; momentarily Dennis McAdams’s wife dropped him off there (she had picked him up at our terminus of the Maddron Bald trail where he had left his car). We then walked down U.S. 321 to the Manway close to Noisy Creek that would take us to Old Settlers Trail; the latter is ~0.5 mi. off the highway. The entrance that we made is at the approximate midpoint of the 15.8 mi. length of Old Settlers.

We arrived at Old Settlers Trail ~8:20 and started our trek East. (Very possibly I will come to the very same point tomorrow and travel West on this trail; thus over the two consecutive days I will have covered Old Settlers entire 15.8 mile length.) However, on today’s hike I did not carry my hiking poles; instead I carried one of the two tools that Dennis uses on the Eastern part of Old Settlers in its maintenance. We cleaned up ~23 water bars on our trek today.

Old Settlers is an interesting and fairly well marked (at least on the Eastern section) trail; most water crossings were very easy with one possibly moderate. As a hiker that uses his poles more than most (as a carry-over from my cc-skiing), an axe-like tool (axe blade plus a scrapper appropriate for water bars) required me to use a total different strategy on a few of the stream crossings. On the last and most difficult one Dennis gave me the rake to use as a hiking pole.

Since early settlers often built their homes close to the creek, we saw a few chimney remains and on two an old wash tub as well. However, the most unique thing seen was the stone fences. One section of the trail was parallel to one of these fences; it was at least 50 yards long and perhaps closer to 100 yards (the distance perpendicular was less). Unfortunately I did not have my camera. (If I had picked it up from its resting place before I left my home I would have awakened Winston (my 8-month Airedale Terrier) at 6:15 a.m.; he in turn would have awakened Meredith who would not have been too appreciative).

We finished the trail ~3 hours after we started; we then walked 1.2 miles on Maddron Bald to Dennis’s car. On this trek of the journey we met an apparent husband and wife (the only other hikers that we saw); they were wearing fairly heavy coats while Dennis was in short-sleeves and I wore a long sleeve T. After Dennis dropped me off at my vehicle, he went to Cosby and I ate part of my lunch prior to starting the return trip to Louisville.