Post 900 Hike #33: Deep Creek et al.

Today’s hikes presented two starting options in the vicinity of Newfound Gap with both ending at Deep Creek (i.e., Thomas Divide or Deep Creek trails). If enough signed up for the hikes, a bus from Cherokee Indian Reservation would pick us up at Deep Creek and return us to our vehicles on US 441. Because a few of us had done Thomas Divide Trail in January, our group planned to start on Deep Creek Trail; there were several ending options off of Deep Creek.

I picked up Cecil Rowe at 6:50 and then Bill Woodrick at 7:00; we then proceeded on John Sevier Hwy (TN 168) until its junction with US 441; waiting for us there at Lowes was John Hutsenpiller. At Sugarlands Visitor Center (where all hikers met up) BZ Lane elected to go with us; there were at least 12 who were going to start on Thomas Divide Trail.

We started on Deep Creek at 8:45; this trail basically descends. By 10:17 we had covered 3.9 mi.; but it was not until 12:05 that we reached Deep Creek’s junction with Martins Gap Trail (3.6 mi.). In the first leg we had to deal with a few blow downs; the main reason for the slow time on the 2nd leg of our hike was three serious stream crossings.

After lunch BZ and I set out on Martins Gap Trail while Cecil, Bill, and John stayed on Deep Creek; BZ is working on his 2nd 900 map and I was most willing to do a little longer and more strenuous hike. In 30 min. we had covered the 1.5 mi. of Martins Gap (~900’ of up); we then set out on Sunkota Ridge (SR). We finished the 3.8 mi. of SR in 90 min. At this point we met a few of the hikers from our other group (Bob Bolinger, his friend from Omaha, Scott, and Janetta Baker, along with BZ). Rather than take the direct route BZ and I decided to accompany Janetta on the 0.5 mi. Loop Trail and the Deep Creek Horse Trail (2.0 mi.). The indirect route that BZ and I took added 1.8 mi. for a total of 15.3; much to my surprise my old pedometer (still cannot find my good one) registered 15.35 mi. when we reached the Deep Creek pavilion.

Although the bus arrived earlier than the 16:30 expected time, we still had waited more than an hour for it. The bus trip seemed to go quite quickly; this was probably because I was giving a visiting hiker suggestions re his low back pain condition. The bus first dropped off the Thomas Divide Hikers and then us. After dropping off BZ at SVC, we set our for home; after dropping off the others I arrived home a few min. after 19:00.