Collins Gulf (South Cumberland Recreation Area) - March 13, 2010 - Member Trip Report
| Hike Name: | Collins Gulf (South Cumberland Recreation Area) |
|---|---|
| Country: | United States |
| State: | Tennessee |
| Trip Rating: |  |
| Trip Date: | March 13, 2010 |
| Duration: | 4 days |
| Trail Conditions: | Good |
| Trail Traffic: | None |
| Trip Weather: | Cloudy |
| Trip Winds: | Light |
| Trip Precipitation: | Rain |
| Trip Temperature: | High: 41-50, Low: 31-40 degrees Fahrenheit |
| Trip Report: | We departed Heritage Methodist Church Saturday morning March 13. Our crew consisted of fifteen scouts six adults and my daughter. We arrived at the South Cumberland Recreation Area around 2:45 in the afternoon. The temperature was in the mid forties with a heavy overcast. We were expecting rain in the forecast and it started just as soon as we were about to start on the trail. This meant that we stop and put on rain gear. So without even getting on the trail we were already stopped and adjusting equipment. Finally we start down the trail around 3:30. It was 1 ½ miles to the first campsite, Collins East Camp. Eleven year-old boys average about one mile an hour on the trail but this trail was different. Abut half of this trail was extremely rocky (dubbed the “Rock Garden” by the scouts). This with intermittent rain mixed in nearly doubled our time to get into camp. Arriving at the campsite at nearly dusk put an urgency on all of us. It was a mad scramble to put up tents in the rain and growing dark with a half dozen inexperienced scouts stumbling around. Once the tents were set up it was now time to eat. The older scouts used their past experiences as a guide and ate a hand full of trail mix and crawled into sleeping bags away from the cold and rain. To give the new scouts the full feel of backpacking in inclement weather we hunched over our small camp stoves cooking Ramen, Teriyaki noodles, or what ever they brought to eat in the dark. We reminded them not to put their wet boots in their tents and sent them off to bed cold, wet, and exhausted with the words of “It’ll be better tomorrow” ringing in their ears. True to our promise it WAS better the next day. It wasn’t dark. It was still cold and it was still raining. The older scouts took off early on their own extended hike. We would not see them again until the following evening. Breaking camp was a slow process. Cold wet fingers rolling up sleeping bags and tents brought out loud complaints and many moans and groans. Once on the trail things improved. The drizzle and mist continued to fall but bodies were moving and the boys began to warm up. Now that they were warmer and fingers were no longer numb and painful their outlook was much improved. Our hike this day took us along the east rim of Collins Gulf. There were several overlooks where the boys could see up and down the length of the gulf and down into it also. The gulfs are V shaped erosions in the Cumberland Plateau. These can be a mile wide and eight hundred feet deep and are quite breath taking when viewed from the rim. Despite the rain and poor visibility there was an excitement to get to the next overlook to look about. After a six mile hike along the rim we arrived at our next campsite, Stage Road Camp around 3:00. The scouts were quite disheartened because it was still lightly raining. Tents were set up and meals prepared. The plans to practice knot-tying were nixed due to cold fingers. A fire was attempted with soggy wood but that was an abject failure. With nothing else to do but sit around in the rain an early night was called and everyone was in their tents before dark. The next morning was much improved. The rain had stopped! The cold was still there but at least it was dryer. This day brought a trail of five miles along the south rim of the Savage Gulf. Like the trail the day before, there were several overlooks but this day without the rain, the views were much better. Spirits were high and sore feet did not hurt as much with the improvement in the weather. At the end of the day’s trail was Savage Falls Camp. Near the campsite was Savage Falls. This fall was a major highlight on the trip. The boys scampered about on the wet rocks below the falls and explored trails along the banks of the stream until it was time to cook their supper before it got dark. About this time, the older scouts arrived in the campsite next door and came by to tell of their adventures. This evening a fire was successfully built. We didn’t see much sun on the trail but there sure were a lot of beaming faces around that fire. The final morning brought scouts that packed up camp in record time in order to get to the trail head. There shouts of “Hamburgers for lunch!” as the struck out on the trail. The trailhead was reached by late morning and we were on the road to hamburgers and home a short time after. There was a sense of relief that the hike was finished but also a large feeling of accomplishment in the young scouts that had completed their first backpacking adventure. Fifteen miles of rocks, mud, and cold rain may have added just a little bit of character to each of these boys. As one boy said “I think I’ve had enough character building.” These new scouts show grand potential. This could be seen from the way they overcame the adversities of the trail in the Savage Gulf. |
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