During our bi-annual
GoSmokies Events we try to provide some variety and hikes to accommodate hikers
of varying degree. Today, in the spirit of the Roamin’ Man of the Mountains we
would do some serious eating, some easy hiking, and some more advanced hiking
and above all laugh until it hurt! And finally we hoped to find the Roamin’ Man
Wiley Oakleys second home up Painter Branch.
Just in case Roamin’
Jedi Mike Maples got lost, he was provided with a shirt to identify him in case
he was found. He was also given a note that said, “If found please return me to
Twin Creeks Pavilion.”
As is customary, we
began with an easy stroll around the Bud Ogle Nature Trail.
Mike Maples began by showing
us a single grave near the Ogle
Place
We enjoyed a lot of
fall splendor today in the Roaring Fork section of the National Park. There
were a lot of folks who called Cherokee Orchard home and we were able to visit
several of those old home places today.
And of course, it
wouldn’t be a hike with Mike Maples without some tall tales. Maples shared a
story about a fish he once caught in LeConte Creek near the home place we had
just visited.
I think I heard Wiley
yodeling in the distance after that story!
After Maples whopper
of a story, folks was gettin’ hungry so we started back for the cars.
Back at the Pavilion
the real stars of this event were preparing and fixing up a spread for us
hungry hikers.
Of course, they got
no help from that guy in the middle. He is Sir Richard of the Dark Side who
shows up in hopes of defeating Jedi Mike Maples in a battle of wits. The Force
was strong today and Sir Richard would turn tail and run away in defeat.
Thanks Bonnie for
grilling up some good ol’ burgers and dogs! I do not know who stresses out
worse in the preparation of this event – Eleanor or Bonnie; but without them
this would simply be a hike and not the event that it is. So if you did not
give them a big hug and a thank you then you best git on it!
While lunch was a
grillin’ we took a moment for the customary Group photo. I also took a moment
to ask, “who are all these people and why do they keep following me!”
After which, I was
sedated and we were able to proceed with the Group photo.
Now these two guys
look like TROUBLE with a capital “T.”
Nearby, that Richard
Owen guy was plotting his strategy to overthrow the “Mike’s” and was attempting
to bring Marlene over to the Dark Side.
I happen to catch
this suspicious woman taking an exuberant amount of photographs which I suspect
she was giving to some high ranking Park Officials who might be keeping tabs of
the “Mike’s” activities.
Maples, as usual, was
showing off his dinner etiquette as he passed through the lunch line.
Everyone enjoyed
lunch and fellowship as we regained energy for the afternoons hike.
Mike Maples lead a
group from the Pavilion and met up with myself and a second group that started
out from the pull off at the Grassy Branch trail head.
Folks rebelled
against me leading the group, so a new leader was chosen.
He had us off trail
in seconds and just that fast we were at our first home site.
Our new leader had
some tough decisions to make but had us heading for our second home site in no
time. Maples group caught up to us at the second home site. The Jedi tried to
act unimpressed at the young Padawan and proceeded past the home site with his
group.
But the groups
managed to reunite and proceeded to the Obie Husky Place
There are lots of
things to find at this home place including both chimney remains of this two
room log house.
A small group of us
went to check out the nearby spring house and that’s when Maples made his move.
Was it a test or some
Evil plot? We may never know, but the small group went wandering up the path in
search of the missing Jedi.
Actually, Mike M had
made the suggestion that we go up to one more home site so when we lost him at
the spring, we assumed that he had gone forward. Thus, we went up to the next
home place which does not have much left of the chimney but Marlene managed to
find something nearby.
In the meantime, I
questioned one of the locals to inquire if he had seen Mike Maples.
We proceeded up to
one more home place where I found some items and leaned them up against this
tree.
We decided that Maples
was no where to be found and proceeded back down the trail.
Despite his efforts
at eluding us, we caught up to him at the creek near the Obie Husky place.
He was running away
in an effort to not show Marlene some car parts near the creek. But NOBODY
escapes from Marlene and he was forced to reveal the car parts.
We actually uncovered
several more parts sticking out of the leaves close by.
Now it was time for
the off trail trek to begin as the smaller group of five headed over the ridge
for a Wiley adventure.
We dropped down to a
creek where I had pulled several stove parts out and leaned up against a tree
about a year ago. The stove parts pictured above where ironically found again a
week later by Mike Maples. Maples had also found the home site on the ridge
above the creek which belonged to Harrison Ownby.
However, we found
some additional items at the home place. Pictured above, Mike Maples finds a
bed frame on the ground. He also found the end of a hoe. I found a bottle and a
small kettle to add to the home place collection.
It was now time to
head for the end of Painter Branch which in the pre-Park days was known as
Panther Branch. On a well known map by Lucinda Oakley Ogle, the Harrison Ownby
place is shown along with a well known inhabitant of the Smokies. And who to
better know that Wiley Oakley himself made his second home at the end of
Painter Branch. While nothing remains at his first home farther up the road, we
had hoped to find some remains of his second home today.
We found a small
clearing and a large rock pile at the home place.
I went up the creek a
little farther to explore but found nothing. Although, there was a larger
clearing where the home might have been. It was hard to know for sure if the
large rock pile was indeed the chimney or remains of another structure. In
either case, we were standing on land one occupied by the well known Roamin’
Man of the Smokies, Wiley Oakley.
Now it was time to
celebrate so bottoms up Terry, nice find!
It did not appear old
enough to be Wiley’s so we figured it washed down from some time in the past
when Maples was sittin’ above on the ridge pounding down a few.
As we headed out we
did come across what looked to be the remains of Wiley’s barn.
Obvious from the cuts
that this was not just a pile of wood scraps.
This was the find of
the day and all five of us were elated to be standing on the soil where the
famous Roamin’ man once stood.
Tammi found an
interesting item in the creek which we still have not positively identified.
She continued to find
stuff on the way back. Come on Maples where are those Jedi points?
We had no idea going
in what we would be up against; however, the terrain was not too bad other than
a couple climbs up the ridge.
Me and Maples were
pretty impressed with his first off trail hike and had to get our picture taken
with Frank. Sorry Frank, I think Maples forgot his Jedi points today.
I had pretty much had
my fill of Maples and his forgetting the Jedi points, so I asked Terry to
escort him promptly out of the Park. Later Jedi!
I had been more
impressed with Tammi and her skill at finding hidden treasures. After the hike
she took me and Frank to a hidden treasure right behind one of the Twin Creeks
buildings.
Of course, I had to
climb up for a closer look!
Thanks Tammi for this
after hike treat! Thanks to Jack Lail and Knox News who have been supporting
this event from the beginning. I know you wanted to do that last hike Jack and
Maples will be severely flogged for losing you guys! And I want to give one
more BIG thanks to Eleanor and Bonnie who really do all the work while we get
to play in the dirt! Love you both!
Lastly, a word of
thanks to my good friend and hiking buddy Mike Maples who I incessantly tease
(all in good fun of course), but is a big reason why I joined this group. Say
what you want about GoSmokies, but I have found more good friends on this site
than I possibly could have elsewhere. There are those who want to keep
everything a big secret and frown upon what we share. I have seen other sites
where people are grilled beyond belief for asking a simple question. All of
these places are vanishing as nature reclaims them. We are trying to document
some of them before they are gone. We hope others will visit and share their
findings as well. Hiking off trail is a risk, and should not be taken lightly.
That is part of why we do these hikes and part of why we share. It is not my
intent to glorify or have anyone go off trail unprepared. We spend a lot of
time preparing for these hikes and anyone going off trail should do the same.
And take it from one who knows: If your gut tells you to go back – then go
back. Thanks everyone for your support and hope to see you at future events.
