Post 900 Hike #79 Jakes Creek, Meigs & Curry Mtn Trails

(If anyone wondered about my last week's hike to Mt Cammerer with Vicar Zach and his wife Hannah, I had to cancel it because of predicted thundershowers in the area; the top of a mountain is not a good place to be in a thundershower.)

Today’s hike for our group was in essence one honoring Cecil Rowe; today he would become the first one ever to complete all trails in the GSMNP after reaching age 75. Although this was not the first time that he completed all the trails to qualify for The 900 Mile Association, it was the most noteworthy considering that he undertook this challenge at age 75. His hike would be a relative short one (not quite 8 mi.); it was to be followed by a late lunch at The Barn in Townsend.

At 0730 I was at Jim Harb’s home; he then drove to our usual meet-up at Food Lion. Here we picked up Amy Howe and Gene and along with several other vehicles, proceeded to Elkmont to the Jasper Creek Trailhead. Bill Broome had arranged for a host of drivers to take vehicles to the terminus of Cecil’s hike at the Wears Valley Picnic Grounds.

At 0900 several took pictures at the Jakes Creek trailhead; in mine Cecil is between two daughters, one grandson, and one son-in-law. At ~0905 we proceeded on the 0.4 mi. segment of Jakes Creek. Because our hiking group was augmented by members of Cecil’s family and by individuals with whom he worked prior to his retirement (not sure when that was), the pace was easy; knowing this would happen I purposely did not wear my HR-monitor because I knew that I would not endeavor to get an aerobic workout.



Our next trail was a 4.1 mi. segment of Meigs Mtn Trail; it was this trail section that Cecil needed on today’s hike to complete his quest (completing all trails after age 75 in the GSMNP, affectionately labeled a Geezer Map by John Kennerly). When we neared the completion of this segment, Cecil stopped and tried to get those of us who did many hikes with him as he pursued his Geezer Map together so that a picture could be taken by the trail sign. However, his instructions were not heeded since most everyone else stopped too; thus the second picture is of Cecil alone at the trail sign.



The last segment of the hike was the Curry Mtn Trail (3.3 mi.) ending at Metcalf Bottoms. During this segment of today’s hike I was able to talk to several individuals; I sort of went in spurts as I worked my way towards the front of our group, intending to talk to Cecil last. Initially I talked a bit with Joan Tomlinson; she has run a marathon and is now training to run a "trail runners marathon" in addition to completing her 900. I also talked with Missy Kane (not a member of our group but has her own hiking group for Covenant Health and is an ex-Olympian 800 m. runner), Bill Broome (a great guy and a great logistics facilitator for hikes, including this one and in April 07 when I completed my 1st 900), Bill Woodrick (an ex-colleague at UT who got me started hiking), and John Hutsenpiller (a fellow that I got started in hiking). I chose to pass no others for there was (1) a fellow from Channel 10 videotaping Cecil and concurrently interviewing him and (2) a cameraman from The News Sentinel taking pictures (both of the aforementioned activities were done while Cecil was walking the last 0.5 mi. of today’s hike. (In the 8/6 edition of the N.S., I was the 5th hiker behind Cecil, John H. was the last one pictured.) This was followed by a very nice lunch (really a dinner) at The Barn in Townsend. I believe that Cecil was truly pleased with the event even though it cost him a bit. The feat that Cecil achieved today was truly noteworthy; I was pleased that I could be a little part in helping him.

Epilogue: After I told him about today's planned event while we were running 8/3, Craig Wrisberg, who happens to be (1) one of my very best friends, (2) one I first ran with when I accepted employment at UT in '78, (3) one with whom I ran 3X/wk until I retired in '05, (4) one with whom I still run every Monday, and (5) a world-recognized scholar in Sports Psychology, told me, "Wendell, you can be the first one to complete all trails after reaching age 80--I know you can do it." That made me think a little. After the hike today Janetta Baker said that she doubted no else would achieve Cecil’s feat unless I did it. I told her that since I did not start hiking until almost age 71, and although I completed my first map at age 72, rather than seriously work on my 2nd map I just chose to hike and help others complete their maps. Then it dawned on me that had I pursued my 2nd map like I pursued my first map, I would have completed it prior to reaching age 75 yesterday. Then today’s hike would have been my 1st hike on my Geezer Map. One of these days I'll check my blog and see what I have to do to complete my second map; who knows what I will then do?