The Channels

It is amazing how fast we transitioned from beautiful Fall colors to Winter bare branches in the mountains. A combination of exceptionally fast change in temperature that were in the teens last week along with a few windy days brought down most of the leaves. The woods we hiked in yesterday were nicely clear of underbrush and the predominant green harbingers were ferns scattered abundantly about the forest floor.

We had taken two vehicles with five of us, but there was only one parking spot when we arrived at the shorter route into The Channels. You were not even allowed to park legally down slope and walk up to the trail entrance per the posted Ranger. We opted to not go that route. Instead, we went around to the longer route. This other, older trail, The Great Channels Trail, was reported to be 11 miles roundtrip. However, it is hunting season, so two gates were open, and we were able to drive 2.1 miles (4.2 miles roundtrip) up the gravel road. My hiking partner GPS measured that we hiked 6.7 miles in total, barely farther than from the other end and far less traveled. Part way up slope, we came upon this curiously shaped limestone boulder. My first thought was that some giant hand had plunged into the soft, wet clay to form the large "eye socket" hole.

It appeared that there may be some good climbing on this boulder.

The way was not steep be it was continuous. Here we take a break. You can see both how young and how open the woods are which is an odd combination. Usually, young growth has abundant briars and brambles and all such herbaceous and low, woody stemmed varieties. Perhaps it is a function of this being the northern aspect or perhaps the trees grew so thickly as to shade out the understory. I don't know.

He turned before I could take the picture. The sky was absolutely cloudless when we started, but it slowly clouded up.

My son's map informed us that the flat-topped mountain is Clinch Mtn.

It would take very little to restore this tower for climbing, but I guess most people can't be trusted to take care, so the bottom run of steps is missing and the next run is missing the risers.

For all of the clearness of atmosphere, there was a haze down low, partly Nitrous Oxides (brown combustion haze that reaches up to 4500') and partly a forest fire off to the South.

The top of this mountain on which the tower stand is significantly flat and yet the sides are steep sided.

Picture of the Day! Brother and Sister on the left, me, my son behind me, and my most frequent hiking partner on the right

What is our next move?

There are so many parallel ridges in the Ridge and Valley Province. The sign reveals that we are at the entrance to The Channels which sits just off the peak of the mountain.

The sandstone cap to this mountain is cracked at right angles into a maze of passageways 10 to 20 feet deep and inches to perhaps 8 feet wide.

Bro and Sis stand in what I would call the entrance and main hallway of the maze. 

Some of the passageways are just wide enough to tempt you to explore and some even needful of removing you pack to penetrate. I was fascinated by the pancake shaped plate over some of the passageways and chocks jammed here and there in the gaps.

One pancake covering rock induced me to go up top to inspect. On top I saw this little tree prospering where it was planted. It is a little hard to discern from my picture, but the base of the tree is perhaps 15 feet below the foreground moss.

You see my friend is at the edge of the boulder field.

Other places it was not so easy to immediately find the way out.

Did years of my picture taking cause my son to pose so uniquely? (see earlier fire tower picture)

I wished that I had backed off a bit. Through this curiously shaped hole I could see white sandstone stained with iron oxide.

At the bottom end of the boulder field the height was more than 25'.

These two chock stones look very precarious.

The definite plane at top and bottom of this odd column are singularities between sandstone at the top and bottom and limestone in the middle.

Somewhat protected from rain and sunshine, it is still amazing how well the year of construction and elevation (as well as foreman on another angle) have stayed intact. 

Perspective is everything in photography.

Here probably placed by another explorer is a second example of the white sandstone with an iron oxide layer.

Following are the good pictures taken by my hiking partner. A combination of his superior camera, the unique natural lighting at just this moment, and the crazy chockstones make for some really good shots. My son suggested that I kick one of the chockstones. Though weighing many tons, you feel as though you could dislodge them upon yourself.

I wondered when I was taking my picture why the rest of the group was taking pictures of me. I think it was the startling lighting.

I observed to my hiking companions that even at 63 years old, I still feel excited like a child about curious new places to explore, observe, record, and play in. Perhaps I have a heightened sense of curiosity, but I feel as though when unblunted it resides within all of us, a God-given desire to discover Him through the beauty of what He has created. Because "The heavens are telling..." (Psalm 19:1ff) and "since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen" (Romans 1:20), I guess I'll keep looking and enjoying it and Him.