Exploring Reelfoot Lake

Exploring Reelfoot Lake

     Earlier this Spring I visited the Discovery Park of America in Union City, Tn with my husband, Donald, and my parents. We followed a recommendation to make the drive to the area of Reelfoot Lake and dine at Boyette's Dinning Room. Well it was definitely worth it! The scenic drive and eats had my husband and I vowing to return. 

    Finally late this Summer a plan was hatched to return for an overnight stay in local lodging and to explore what Reelfoot Lake really had to offer for outdoor adventures. I did some research on the local resorts and Inns before deciding on a little place called simply enough Reelfoot Lake Inn. We didn't need anything fancy, just somewhere to rest up with our pooch, Kennedy, before heading out for more explorations. 

    We headed first to Grassy Island and made a stop at the U.S Fish & Wildlife Visitor's Center. I headed inside for maps and info while Donald explored the grounds with Kennedy. Inside I found the attendant very helpful and informative. I was elated to find maps for several canoe trails but when I asked about hiking I was informed there was only one on the refuge with hiking not recommended this time of year due to bugs. "Okay, bugs?" I thought quietly to myself, I've dealt with their kind before and came armed with a full can off Deep Woods Off. After conversing a bit longer than I should have (that's me!) I used the facilities and headed out to regroup with my pack. 

    Donald had found a wide gravel path located on the backside of the parking lot and we decided to stretch our legs on it. It seemed it was a little informative trail leading back through tall meadows which were hemmed off near the trail with a mowed area allowing one to stroll without the meadow infringing on you. The path lead back to a small pond with  a small wooden deck of questionable durability overlooking it and an information kiosk about the importance of farm ponds just off the path. It was cute, scenic, and it was quiet but there was no wildlife to be seen so after a few pictures we headed back to the car. 

    Loaded up, we headed further into Grassy Island taking the Auto Tour. As we made our way back towards an observation deck we spied the hiking trail, appropriately named, Grassy Island Hiking Trail, and we just had to stop. We didn't plan to hike very far, just another little stroll to explore the trail a bit so I left my pack in the trunk. Strolling just fifty feet down a little boardwalk at the start of the trail we were inundated by mosquitoes, the likes of which I've never seen! I've hiked in swamps and have never had so many swarm onto me at one time! We immediately did an about face and high tailed it back to the car, swatting 20 mosquitoes away with one wave of an arm. I loaded in the dog as fast as possible then waved off another attack before getting myself back into the drivers seat. We had managed to only let a couple in and those were quickly shooed out. That lady wasn't playing around!! No hiking till after first frost in the Reelfoot Lake area!

Grassy Island Hiking Trail

  The a/c cranking I piloted us down Grassy Island further to the observation deck. Layering on more Off we heard thunder off in the distance and quickly made our way down the boardwalk. The darkening sky looming in the background of the observation deck we still took the time to snap photos, ooohhh and awe at the lily pads, impressive view and astounding Cypress trees before retreating back to the car again.

Grassy Island Observation Deck

    The wind picked up as I turned the car around and as we headed back down the Auto Tour Route the trees shook angrily in the wind their leaves falling about the car as we went. Finally the rain began to fall, I fully expected a full on down pour for hours but it only lasted a couple miles before it petered out to a few sporadic drops. By the time we reached the main highway the wind had subsided but the skies remained gray.

   As we turned south and made our way toward Reelfoot Lake State Park & Visitor's Center the skies remained menacing and the rain drops sporadic. We pulled into a boat ramp area to explore but found only a sculpture of a Blue Gill an old boat slip and ramp. Rain still smattering the windshield we decided to head down to the hotel, get checked in, get our bags unloaded and see what the weather was going to do.

    Finding the Reelfoot Lake Inn wasn't hard, it was located right off the main highway, a series of five small buildings, directly across from the lake with a field of chest high soybeans located behind it. Honestly the lodging was such a horrible experience I'd rather just skip discussing it but it deserves to be told to a degree. Cleanliness was lacking to such a level I went and purchased disinfectant spray and wipes, along with pillows, the ones provided were less than pancake thickness and we'd forgotten to bring our own. My card had already been charged, I didn't want to argue and fight to get credited back plus I wasn't sure if anyone else would take us with Kennedy on last minute notice. I had such a hard time finding some where that would accommodate a 17 pound Jack Russell mix to begin with. Insane pet fees combined with rules not allowing my canine kid to sleep with us as usual had landed us where we were. The linens were clean, the floor had been freshly mopped but other areas had clearly been skipped over so we relegated ourselves to waiting till we got home to shower, doing a little light cleaning ourselves and making sure things were germ free.

   We did manage to head over to Reelfoot Lake State Park and took a walk along the boardwalk trail that borders the lake. There were many people about enjoying the late Summer season but we found everyone to be extremely friendly. The boardwalk trail made its way through overgrown lowland areas before turning towards the lake and as the boardwalk turne

d again to follow the lake shore we were now walking among the knobby knees of the Cypress trees. The weather had cleared off and it was a beautiful afternoon although still humid. We made our way down the boardwalk passing people headed the opposite direction as we went and Kennedy had to smell every single one of them. There's not much option on a boardwalk, all I could do was let him sniff as we passed. We found an observation area and took advantage of it by snapping some pictures and soaking up a breeze off the lake before reluctantly finishing our boardwalk hike. It's definitely a must if you're ever in the area. The state park also offers guided Pontoon boat tours.

Boardwalk at Reelfoot State Park

   Boyette's Dining Room does carry-out so that's exactly what we did. We took our loot of hot Southern home cooking back to our meager accommodations. The plan was to refuel, crash out early and wake up with plenty of time to get to the Western shore for the sunrise. Our meal did it's job, with our bellies full and a slightly cleaner room we settled in for a little television while trying to slip off into slumber. We soon realized the mattress wasn't of much account but managed to doze off anyways.

    Around one o'clock in the morning we both awoke, uncomfortable and having a hard time getting much rest. The thought to throw in the towel crossed our minds but I was determined to explore the area more and watch the sunrise later that morning. We toughed it out and when my cellphone alarm went off at five o'clock we were up, getting dressed and ready to go. Thirty minutes is all it took us to evacuate hotel hell and head off into the darkness in hopes of new adventure.

     I navigated us through Tiptonville and over to Champion Point to watch the sunrise. The morning was chiller than expected and neither of us had brought a jacket, it didn't take long for the sky to lighten with the first hints of sunrise. We were able to quickly see a myriad of birds standing on Cypress knees in the lake or flying above. Heron, Cranes, Teals, Wood Ducks, Canadian Geese and more flew about. Soon the sounds of shotguns could be heard echoing from across the lake, duck hunters taking aim on their prey but the area we were in was not open to hunting.

    Waiting for the Sun to come up that morning, standing in a gravel boat ramp parking lot, tired as hell, with the wind blowing up off the water, was the longest sunrise I'd waited on in years. I seriously contemplated putting my arms inside my shirt but getting back in the car wasn't an option, I didn't want to miss a chance for a good picture and didn't want to retreat to the car a third time. We withstood the early morning chill, captured some amazing pictures, and made another lasting memory before heading off to the next location.

Sunrise over Reelfoot from Champion Point

   Our aim had been Choctaw-McCutchen Rd where another hiking trail was to be along with more wildlife viewing in what is known as the Black Bayou Area. When we finally found our target a barricade with signage informed us, Road Closed. Disappointed but not fully deterred I pointed us in the direction of the Air Park, along this highway was the other end of Choctaw-McCutchen Rd but it also was barricaded, Road Closed. We resigned to head down to the Air Park where there was a back country campground and another hiking trail. We found the Air Park and pulled into a spot where a small wooden deck overlooked an inlet of the lake. We explored this area and spied another larger boardwalk further up only to discover it was gated and fenced off. Driving around the campground we found it to occupied by one camper, sparse and back county..just what we like! We did find the trail but again the mosquitoes were on an insane level, it was odd how thick they could be in one area yet others they were virtually non-existent. The Air Park campground and trail would have to wait for a Fall adventure and possible camping trip.

Observation Area Air Park 

     As we made our way North and back into Kentucky we stopped at Long Point Wildlife area where yet another observation deck stood. I found it to be as described, overlooking a field of tall grass, while beautiful with the early morning Sun reflecting off the dew, there was not much to observe. We had actually seen more wildlife on the the drive in to the observation deck than we did while there but it was worth the drive through the countryside.

View from Long Point Observation Deck

   We will be returning to Reelfoot for more outdoor adventures, armed with a bit more education about the area; it will be after the first frost and we won't be staying at the Reelfoot Inn again. The state park is adding cabins which I look forward to seeing completed, maybe on the next overnight trip.

     Our trip turned into more of a recon mission for future adventures, it wasn't perfect, they never are, but I think that's what makes them adventures. There's something about over coming adversity, everything can't and almost never will go as planned but we try not to let it keep us from accomplishing our goals. I look at my adventures the way I look at life, you just have to roll with it.

Adventure Awaits!!

Fort Henry, Pickett Loop Dover, TN

Fort Henry, Pickett Loop Dover, TN

  Beautiful weather was in the forecast for Labor Day weekend so my husband and I decided that Sunday we would hit the trails. The morning didn't start very well, we were both tired from responsibilities the day before and when the alarm went off at 5am neither us seemed to have much enthusiasm. Still we got ourselves up and going, determined to take advantage of the cooler weather and get outdoors. 

  The sun barely peeking over the shortest trees we loaded up the truck and headed out to Land Between the Lakes. This trip took us to the southern portion, across the state line into Tennessee, and to an area where Fort Henry once stood. We had attempted to hike this area previously and found the trails in poor condition from muddy terrain to being inadequately marked. The US Forestry Service had done some work over the years, remarking the trails, and had produced some trail maps and literature in 2015. 

   We had done our research and chosen Pickett Loop, the idea of seeing old home sites and views of the lake as we hiked appealed to us. There is also a Fort Henry Trail marked on the map but there were no details on the trail as for a description or what color markers were used for it so we pretty much threw that trail out of the considerations all together. Two other trails were marked as temporarily closed which was disappointing as one traced U.S. Grant's march towards Fort Donnelson.

  We both seemed a little irritated that morning, most likely from fatigue. We had been busy as I mentioned, the previous day, I had driven almost 3 hours round trip, so I was not thrilled to be behind the wheel again and the drive seemed to be taking forever. To add to the frustration we were unsure of where to go to pick up the trail. The map appeared to show the trail right next to USFS 230 but there was no where fairly close or convenient to pull off and park even in a 4x4 Chevy extended cab. I wheeled the truck down USFS 233 and encountered the Fort Henry Trail which also serves as a connector trail but again there was no where to pull off and park so I decided we would just park at Boswell Landing Back Country Area and use a connector trail there to get to Pickett Loop. 

  I hadn't bothered to print off a trail map but did have it downloaded to my phone as well as a zoomed in screen shot of the trail we'd chosen. Tensions still running high we left the truck parked in the boat ramp area and set off down the trail. The trail followed along beside USFS 233 for some ways and we questioned if we where on the right trail despite the map, more frustration mounting, we continued.  Finally the trail turned sharply away from the road and down into a hollow exactly as the map showed so our confidence was given a boost, the tension and frustration started to melt away. 

  The connector trail wasn't long, after a dry creek crossing, and a little hill climb, we soon found ourselves at a sign post that identified the trail by a number, 24, which according to my screenshot was the trail we were looking for. What I did find odd was there was no trail name upon the sign post, just the number, a warning for motor vehicles and horses then a reminder to "pack it in, pack it out". We decided to go left at this intersection and head down toward the lake front. 

  Not long on the trail we cold soon see the lake peeking through the trees as well as some campers along the lake shore. One camper greeted us from below with a friendly "Good Morning" and we complimented him on their choice camping spot as we hiked along a rather wide trail, our little dog, Kennedy, excitedly trotting along with us. 

  The trail followed the shoreline around a bend and into the back of a little inlet before following up the other side of the inlet, where we spotted a Beaver swimming along the shore. The trail in this area was overgrown with weeds from both sides crowding over the trail, making it difficult to to see the trail and any snakes lurking close by. It followed the shore along Panther Bay for some distance and past an old home site with the remnants of a fireplace, before turning uphill. 

  We found ourselves atop a bit of ridge, not horribly steep, plenty wide, and the lake off in the distance, although not visible, on either side of us. The sound of a Baja boat being started carried easily up the ridge and through the forest. Following the trail up and away from the lake it again became overgrown and it became obvious our little pup was getting tired. According to the map we had hiked just 1.6 miles before the trail came close to USFS 230 with traffic noise being heard from well off, as light as it was. 

 

   It felt as if we had hiked much further and I cursed myself for not having downloaded a tracking app on my phone. I also still hadn't gotten a water bladder from my pack but I did have several bottles of water in it and we were working our way through the second one as the day began to warm up. I was ready for this trail to be over already, my ankles hurt and my pup was tired but we had only made it about halfway. This was by far the furthest hike we had attempted in some time, even though my body wasn't as sore as my previous trip, I wanted to be done. I was tired in other ways, tired of lugging the pack on my back, tired of holding the walking stick in my hand my husband had picked up for me, tired of stepping over/around downed and dead tree limbs/branches or trampling through brush that crowed the trail in places. 

   I could tell my husband was wearing thin also, it began to seem like this wasn't the day for such a thing. We had already grown weary from trying to wave sticks in front of us to combat the spider webs and just failed to keep it up constantly leaving us with them clinging to our faces, arms, hair and even having the owners scurry across our bodies before we could flick them away. Our state of mind, our fatigue from the previous day, and our frustration from that morning had worn us out, let alone the miles we were putting in on the trail.  

  Kennedy was tired also, this was further than he was used to hiking. He had gone from excitedly leading the way and sniffing everything to trotting and panting at our sides as we picked our way along. Sniffing now turned into an opportunity to rest which we somewhat welcomed but knew we were delaying in the inevitable. We wondered and yet hoped we wouldn't, have to carry him the rest of the way.

  Marching on, what choice did we have, the trail intersected with an old dirt road that looked as if it may have been used fairly recently even though it was not on any of my maps or mentioned as part of the trail system. A sign pointed towards the forest announcing a Civil War Cemetery but we could find no trace of it in the overgrown terrain. If it was there it would be a mission in itself to find it unless you knew where to look and neither of us had the extra energy for a side mission. 

  Plodding down the dirt road we navigated our way around stinking, stagnate pools of water before finally coming to another intersection. The number 23 hung high on a tree, sort of cocked off center and again the same warning to vehicles, horses and garbage which no one read apparently from the trash we had seen. We took a rest upon a fallen tree, attempted to gain our wits and hydrate a bit before continuing on. Here is where we made our mistake, or I made our mistake, I pulled out my phone and in my fatigued state assumed we needed to go left, following the blue trail markers we had been since the start of the main trail. My fatigue and the blue trail markers in combination with the numbered sign cocked off to one side had us headed down another steeper hollow. 

  At the bottom of this hollow the tail turned and headed toward a road. I thought maybe for a minute that the trail came close to it again, but my husband pointed out that it in fact crossed the road ahead. I instantly knew we were not where we were supposed to be and pulled my phone back out to confirm. We had veered off onto the undescribed and undetailed Fort Henry Trail. At this point we had two options to get back to where we had parked the truck, back track approximately a half mile or so up the trail and steep hill we had just come down then continue on Pickett Loop for yet another half mile back to the connector trail which was just under another a half mile itself or hit the pavement despite a dog leg in the road that would add more distance to our hike. 

  To say I was aggravated was understatement, I cursed, I swore and wanted the person who had marked these trails in front of me to account for this insanity. What the ever loving hell was going on here!?! What person with any kind of common sense about trails marks two connecting trails with the same color?! F*&$!! I didn't want to walk on the road, I wanted to hike on a trail but I knew everyone was spent at this point and going back seemed ridiculous.

  Our little family pushed on up the pavement back toward Boswell Landing, occasionally we had to get off the pavement and onto the steep bank beside the road to allow a car to pass. The terrain was smoother, more open and allowed more of a breeze to reach us but at this point it didn't make much of a difference. I was tired and pissed off.

  My husband was wanting to kick it into high gear and push through the last bit but I couldn't. I don't set a fast pace right of the gate so there certainly wasn't any hope of me accomplishing it at this point. We walked up a hill in the road, stopped for a break, and to allow a truck to pass which I considered jumping onto the bumper and hanging onto the tailgate. There's no shame in that right? It would still technically be getting myself back to where I started. 

  It was now 11:30am and we had been on this little adventure for 4 hours. My husband wanted me to wait there for him and allow him to push hard through the remaining distance which we were unsure of and return with the truck to pick me up. I stood there, leaning on my walking stick and spotted the remnants of another old homestead. I pointed it out to my husband and after another minute or so he again suggested I wait upon the steps that remained so he could push on. I hesitated, I didn't want to give up, I could do it, I knew I could, I wasn't that spent but I certainly couldn't do it at the pace my husband wanted too. Was it failure? I asked myself. What would the girls (other Ambassadors) think if I gave up? F&*# it, I was done. I was to tired to argue and to tired to explain myself to him in any hopes he suddenly develop the patience after the days events to wait for me.

  My husband headed up the road toward Boswell Landing and I with the dog went across the road to the old homestead. I shucked the pack off my back and seated myself upon the cracked and crumbling concrete stairs that had small tree jutting up through them. I could tell Kennedy was wondering just what was going on. Why had Dad left us? I reassured him he would be back with the truck so we could go for a ride and go home. He quickly found himself a spot and took a seat, content it seemed with my explanation. 

  I quietly cursed myself for taking the wrong trail and for not pushing on to the end. Then I decided not to be so hard on myself, this trail system had confused us more than once and this was to be the final time I vowed. I had hiked for 4 hours and over 3 miles which I couldn't remember when I done in recent years. Sure I didn't set a blistering pace which is not why we hit the trails to start with but I had accomplished a lot.

  Soon I could hear the sound of the truck approaching, grabbed up my pack and with the dog headed across the road just as my husband pulled up. Kennedy was so tired he didn't even want to move into the backseat when I put him in. When we came  to the intersection of USFS 230 and the Trace the South Welcome Station sits caddy corner across the road, I asked my husband to pull in so I could tell someone to take their happy asses back out to the trails with some white spray paint and remark the Fort Henry Trail. He chuckled a bit as he wheeled the truck north onto the Trace, towards home. 

  Ultimately I know the navigation error was my own fault despite the trail markers. Had I taken a little more time to consider things it was evident from the map we were headed the wrong way. The improper trail markers only served to fortify my incorrect decision. Chalk that one up to lesson learned and file under misadventure. 

Adventure Awaits!!