Snake Den Mountain

With my Spring semester over, I hiked up Snake Den Mountain and Inadu Knob in GSMNP. It looks like spring finally reached the mountains, as numerous wildflowers were blooming, including large numbers of trillium.

However, it wasn't the only interesting I saw. Near the top of Inadu Knob, are a few pieces of a Air Force F-4 Phantom that crashed in 1984.

Finally, here is a view of English Mountain from Snake Den Mountain and a view of Snake Den Mountain and Inadu Knob.

Cumberland Mountain 2

Last fall I went to hike on the Cumberland Trail on Cumberland Mountain. Tuesday, I went back, this time hiking the east end. I thought I would try to explain the some of the geology (god knows I don't understand that much either). Cumberland Mt is a strike ridge and is the backside of the Pine Mountain thrust plate, whose front is about 10 miles to the northwest. On the image below I have added a dark line on the front and back of the plate. At Cumberland Mt, the rock is nearly vertical, as will be seen in my first photograph, so there is a quick transition from the mountain to the flat Powell RIver valley. Geology nerds can read more at (Smalley, 1985).

The trail is steep and rock and is not helped by those nearly vertical rocks. The forest is a pretty young (< 30 years) Maple-Beech forest and is replacing the pioneering Pitch and Virginia Pines.

I also same several Eastern Fence Lizards. However, the most spectacular things are the views, not only of the Powell Valley below, but also Norris Lake (TVA lake), and the mountains to the northwest.