The Fiery Gizzard Trail. Beautiful and Rock Hard.

The Fiery Gizzard Trail (FGT) is one of the toughest trails I’ve hiked in a long time.  It is said that Backpacker Magazine has rated it one of the top 25 hiking trails in the United States. My 2 old hiking buddies, Luke and Greg did this trail with me on Veterans Day (November 11) of this year. If you have been following the news on this and its related trail, Dog Hole Trail (DHT), the State of Tennessee and the landowner have not been able to work out terms or come up with enough money to make the land purchase. The trail is scheduled to close to hikers on December 1, 2015. It was reason enough to spur us on, to experience the current trail configuration (FGT, DHT, Raven’s Point & FGT), to enjoy the view from Raven’s Point, and spend time together. We enjoy picking on one another.

 

Luke and I met Greg in Murfreesboro at 7 am and drove to the Fiery Gizzard Trailhead in Tracy City, Tennessee.  The trailhead is located on the southeast side of the town. We arrived at the trailhead about 9 am, change into shorts and boots, and after a couple of photos took the challenge of this trail. I suppose I should admit, we may have been a bit under-prepared mentally, because we had failed to note what others have written about this trail, “The section which starts at the Grundy Forest Natural Area Picnic Shelter and climbs the plateau to Raven Point is perhaps one of the most rugged and difficult trails in Tennessee. The terrain in the gorge is steep and extremely rocky.” Fortunately we made a loop-hike to Ravens Point, using Dog Hole Trail (a 2.8 mile trail), and the 5 mile section of trail described above, after our return from Raven Point.

 From the Grundy Forest Natural Area picnic area and parking lot (trailhead) we hiked the Fiery Gizzard Trail to Dog Hole Trail, a mile and a half (1.5 miles) from the trailhead. Along this section we hiked over several hiker bridges and at 1.3 miles took a short side-trail to see Sycamore Falls.  It is a twelve-foot high waterfall with a nice swimming hole. It was too cold to take a swim, but we did manage to photograph it. It was here that I fell. It had rained for several days prior to this hike. Rocks were wet and leaves concealed the slipperiness of them.

At mile 1.5 of the Fiery Gizzard Trail we came to the Dog Hole Trail. Taking this trail provided us with a loop-hike experience.  We hiked out of the gorge, past a “Dog Hole” coal mine to the gorge rim. It is about a half-mile from the bottom of the gorge to the plateau top.  There are two pipeline crossings (Natural Gas Pipeline) in the area. Dog Hole Trail runs along the east brow of the plateau and is a pleasant trail, with a few stream crossings and even a couple of plateau views (to the west). At 1.2 miles on Dog Hole Trail we hike past a side-trail to Yellow Pine Cascade and at 1.9 miles past another to Werner Point Overlook. Trail guides advise hikers to stay on the trail.

 

At 2.8 miles Dog Hole Trail ends, meeting Fiery Gizzard trail. The junction with Fiery Gizzard Trail provides two main choices. Initially, hiking north leads the hiker traveling south to Foster Falls (and an area known at Foster Falls Small Wild Area). The trail heading south leads north in a short distance and then into the gorge. There is also a short trail to a campsite. We take the Fiery Gizzard to return to the trailhead, but before it drops into Gizzard Cove (gorge), we encounter a half-mile side-trail to Raven’s Point. We hike the side-trail to the overlook.

 

We arrive at Raven’s Point Overlook at noon. The view to the south of Gizzard Cove is spectacular. Directly below the bluff are trees in beautiful shades of yellow and orange. I suppose I should mention it was a beautiful day with temperatures in the sixties. A perfect, late fall day for hiking.

 

 

We take a few photos of the views from the overlook and a few vain photos of ourselves enjoying lunch at Raven’s Point. We are there about 40 minutes. We know we need to hustle back because daylight hours at this time of year are few.  We calculate we need to be back at the trailhead by 4:30 pm if possible.

 We hike back the half-mile to the Fiery Gizzard Trail and almost immediately descend steeply into the gorge. The trail is very rocky and rough. In places there are rock fields so large it is impossible to identify a trail without the aid of blazes on trees. You hike or scramble across these “rock gardens” to a tree with a blaze and look for the next tree with a blaze.  Sometimes you hike on a bit further looking for the next blaze. It takes considerable time to transit this portion of the trail.

Somewhere near the end of this section Luke lost his footing on the muddy trail and fell head-long on to nearby rocks, nearly into Fiery Gizzard Creek. He lost his glasses for a time.  We were careful about helping him up, in part because he weren’t sure how injured he was and in part for fear of stepping and breaking his glasses. Leaves made the task more difficult. Blood was evident, but not so plentiful as to be of great concern. He said he was alright. We cleaned, dressed his wounds and hiked on. When he got home later in the evening, the injury warranted a stitch. I don’t know if he saw any heavenly bodies when he fell. For me he did the thing in slow-motion.

 Approximately two-miles from the trailhead we come to an area known as the “Fruit Bowl.” It is a file of house-size boulders with a stairway leading down among them. They are covered with moss and seem to put life into perspective. The cove in this area was beautiful. There are hemlocks, ferns, and flowing water. Given Luke’s injury, I might add, rock hard.

 

 

In another half-mile we come to the junction with Dog Hole Trail, completing all the “new” trail we will have hiked on this adventure.  We hike past Sycamore Falls and over the trail bridges and arrive at the trailhead at 4 pm. We celebrate the accomplishment with pizza at a local restaurant.

News reports suggest the State Department of Environment and Conservation will be relocating portions of these trails to state owned property, largely in the gorge in the coming years. Before you go, check with Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation for any relevant closure and relocation information on these trails. Then, prepare yourselves mentally for this 10.3 plus mile hike. Be advised, it is beautiful, especially in the cove and it is rock hard.

 

Scripture

Psalm 18.2 - The Lord is my rock, in whom I take refuge. He is my shield, and horn of my salvation.

Romans 9.31-33 - The Law is like a rock field. We stumble across it. The sure way is to walk by faith.

1 Peter 2.8 - Christ is the living stone, the cornerstone of the building.