Post 900 Hike #28: Parts of Madron Bald & Gabes Mtn

Drove the ~2 miles to Jim Harb’s home at 7:00; then went in Jim’ car the ~2 mi. to Cecil Rowe’s home. John Kennerly arrived shortly; we then decided to take two vehicles for doing so would allow me to move Cecil’s to the beginning of Madron Bald trailhead. Jim and I would do an in and out from this point and Cecil and John would end there after completing the Eastern portion of Old Settlers Trail (it is entered via a manway off of US 321. In two vehicles we went to the Cracker Barrel at Strawberry Plains to check in with the other Wednesday group hikers. The latter group was going in two vehicles to the Madron Bald trailhead where they would meet up with BZ and Bob; some would do an in and out on the latter trail and some were either going to do a longer loop or shuttle a vehicle to the Cosby Campground. At this meet-up Glen showed us his frost-bitten thumb from the Jan. 2nd hike; it would serve as a good lesson to anyone not cognizant of the perils of hiking un-prepared. (Ironically Glen was perhaps quite prepared but he had loaned his heavy gloves to a non-prepared hiker and wore light ones. Jan. 2nd was the day that most of our Wed. group cancelled hiking because of the weather forcast.)

It was ~ 9:10 when Cecil and John and Jim and I arrived close to the manway on U.S. 321 which permitted access to the Old Settlers Trail; at this point I drove Cecil’s vehicle to the Maddron Bald trail head with Jim following me. Bob and BZ and part of the main group were ready to set out as Jim and I arrived; at 9:30 Jim and I started with Kim accompanying us. At 9:50 we had covered the 1.2 mi. section to the Gabes Mtn trailhead; Jim and I took off at 9:55 on it and Kim waited for the Maddron Bald hikers behind us.

After reaching the turn-off to Hen-Wallow Falls (~4.5 mi.), we had completed the trail section that Jim needed for his 900 mi. quest (he had covered the 2.1 eastern section of Gabes Mtn trail from Cosby to the Falls previously). We decided to go to the falls for lunch (this added 0.1 to 0.2 miles to our trip) and arrived there at 11:45. After lunch and a few pictures we began retracing our steps at 12:15; we arrived at Jim’s vehicle at 14:20. Today’s hike was only 11.6 miles and I arrived home at 15:55.