Comments on: Palmer Creek Trail at Cataloochee, Great Smoky Mountains National Park

By: Tim Truemper

Tim Truemper — Sat, 12 Mar 2016 01:45:00 +0000

Looks like more work for the camp staff with the blow downs. Sure wish the hemlocks were not dying off. We’ll see how things go where they are treating the trees.

By: Robyn Lay

Robyn Lay — Fri, 11 Mar 2016 16:14:00 +0000

In reply to Jeff Clark, Meanderthals. I was actually worried they wouldn't be able to climb the slope and get over that end or around the root ball. You know how steep it is. It was scary but they did it. Even we as horse owners seem to always underestimate their capabilities. They are pretty amazing athletes. I even had a hard time getting over that tree and like you, worried about ending up in the ravine.

By: Jeff Clark, Meanderthals

Jeff Clark, Meanderthals — Thu, 10 Mar 2016 18:31:00 +0000

In reply to Robyn Lay. Thanks for telling your story Robyn. It is hard enough to climb over those downed giant hemlocks on foot. I can't imagine coaxing a horse around them.

By: Robyn Lay

Robyn Lay — Thu, 10 Mar 2016 18:08:00 +0000

Last year my husband and I were horse camping at cataloochee and wanted to do the loop that goes from pretty hollow gap to mt. sterling ridge, across to the shelter up there (can’t remember the name just now) and then down balsam mtn. road to Palmer Creek trail then back to the horse camp. It was a long ride. We missed the turn going down to the shelter and trekked 2 miles out of the way -total of 4. It was getting late and we were worried about going down palmer creek trail in the dark. When we did get on it from the balsam mtn. side it was very grown over. After a few minutes we came to a huge tree down – likely one of the hemlocks you describe. It was very late and I still can’t believe we convinced the horses to scale the bank around the root base of the tree and come down the other side. Of course we dismounted before doing this. We would have had to camp on that narrow trail if they hadn’t or back track to balsam mtn. road. We did not have enough daylight to return to the shelter even! I told the rangers about the downfall. That particular tree had been there for more than a year because we had been blocked the year before from the cataloochee side. I hope it’s the same tree and they take it out this year. That’s a long loop and could be very uncomfortable if not dangerous to be caught on the other side of it in the dark. It is a beautiful trail though and I can attest to the narrowness of the trail and the drop offs after the downed tree. Our horses were slipping down that trail and I have to say it was a definite butt clencher. Thanks for sharing your story I always enjoy reading about your adventures.

By: Jeff Clark, Meanderthals

Jeff Clark, Meanderthals — Thu, 10 Mar 2016 17:04:00 +0000

In reply to Mark Stoffan. Thanks for the interesting tidbit of Cataloochee history Mark. :)

By: Mark Stoffan

Mark Stoffan — Thu, 10 Mar 2016 16:52:00 +0000

Back in the 1920’s a couple of men from Cosby, TN were camping in the valley of Lost Bottom Creek along its Falling Rock Creek tributary. They built their campfire against a rock cliff, then went to sleep. The heat from the fire expanded the rock, causing a huge slab to drop off, then pivot and fall over where it crushed one of the men in his sleep. The boys from Beech Grove School helped pry the rock up and remove the body to Cataloochee. The rock is reportedly still prominent beside Falling Rock Creek but I’ve never been particularly eager to go looking for it.