Post 900 Mile Hike #1: Chestnut Top 4.3 & Scott Mtn 3.6 (In-Out, 15.8 mi.)

This is my first hike after completing the 900 Miles of Trails on 4/4/07; my mission now is to help others in their quest for this goal as others helped me. I had called Bob Bolinger Tuesday to determine if the Wed. group scheduled hike met his needs or if he would like to do something else; he called me back last evening and proposed Chestnut Top & Scott Mtn in and out. I stopped at Food Lion ~7:55 but found no takers for this hike; several were concerned about rain and wanted to do a shorter hike. Met Bob Bolinger at the Townsend Y at 8:35; we started at 8:40 and reached the terminus of Scott Mtn Trail ~12:00; thus we averaged ~2.4 mph. This is not too bad since both had ~1,300 ft gain. We ate lunch at this point and started our return at 12:20; we covered the 3.6 mi. of Scott Mtn. Trail in 1 hr 25 min. (2.55 mph). We then covered the 4.3 mi. return section of Chestnut Top in 1 hr. 17 min. (3.36 mph); obviously we were going down hill (~2700 ft total downhill for the two trails).

After icing my knee I stopped for coffee at Jamie’s coffee shop in Townsend (forget the name of her place since she moved into a craft shop); I always try to give her business when I am in the area and reach her shop prior to its 4:00 closing. Her coffee and zucchini bread hit the spot. The expected rain finally came by the time I neared Heritage High School.