Post 900 Hike #89: Aborted Cades Cove Hike, Middle Prong & Indian Flat Falls +

Today’s hike appeared doable even though it looked as though we would have a little rain; when we left Food Lion at 0800 we did not realize that we would be in light rain for most of the day. My passengers were Ellie Doughty, Theresa Wu, Rita Haynes, and Charlie Bean. In a separate car Richard Ryburn and Dick Ledyard would pick up Jerry Roddy in Townsend. The eight of us planned to do Abrams Creek, Hatcher Mtn, Cooper Rd, and Wet Bottoms trails. In another vehicle Jane Calfee, with John Kennerly and Cecil Rowe, planned to do Rich Mtn Loop. When we arrived at Cades Cove we found that the loop road was closed because of high water and thus we could not get to the Abrams Falls parking lot; we then proceeded to do Jane et als. hike but shortly found an impassable stream (we never like the idea of putting on water shoes in the first mile of a hike). We then went across what in essence was a deer pasture (unfortunately my picture taken there was not clear); when we got to the loop road we realized one of the reasons for its closure was ~2 ft. of water standing on it. We walked back to our vehicles and all three proceeded to nearby Tremont; our new plan was to hike Middle Prong (Middle Prong Little River should present some neat pictures because of high water) with a sojourn to Indian Flat Falls (I did this hike ~one month ago, also in the rain).



I did not keep good time-mileage figures on the way up; the above picture is of Cecil and John standing by Panther Creek; fortunately we did not have to cross it in today’s plan. The Indian Flat Falls picture is of Theresa and Rita. After a quick bite, those in my vehicle decided to make it a longer hike by continuing on Middle Prong 1.5 mi. to Lynn Camp Prong Trail; when we got there we decided to go on to Campsite 28 (~1.5 mi.). In this sojourn we had crossed several streams which do not exist under normal conditions; however, the rains of late have made many stream crossings daunting—the one ~50 yds. below Campsite 28 would have required water shoes so we turned around there.



On the way back I decided to push it since I needed to ice my knee before I drove back to Maryville. At 13:35 I reached Lynn Camp Prong Tr; a 0.25 mi. later I reached the junction of Indian Flat Falls Trail (Note: latter is an unmarked trail—it is about 1.2 mi. above Panther Creek--the wide switchback where it starts was purportedly used as a turn-around for engines in logging days). At 14:06 I reached the Panther Creek Trail junction; at 14:51 I reached my vehicle. I covered the last 2.3 mi. of this flat and easy train in 45 min., despite going off trail in an aborted picture attempt and while stopping to respond to “tourist-hiker” questions. My pedometer mileage was 10.7 mi. for today's amalgam of adventures. I iced my knee, and then while talking to two of the tourist hikers that I had previously talked to on trail, my cohorts arrived.

We then proceeded to Tremont (I got out of my vehicle to take the final picture). We arrived at Food Lion ~16:30.