Frozen Rainbow Falls

Isn't that cool!   Frozen Rainbow Falls on January 9, 2010

Methodist Church Pond in Cades Cove

Park at the Methodist Church parking lot, cross the street and find the path leading downhill.  Its about 75 feet off the road.  Small pond that stays wet except during the hot summer.  Lots of hog rubbings on the trees near the pond.  It is man made but can someone tell me why?

Holly Tree Plaque of Mary Post in 1864

Planted in 1864 by Mary Post.  Mary planted a Holly Tree about 75 feet off Forge Creek Road in a place called Laural Spings.  It was the home of Calvin Post.  They had an orchard of some type there.  Today you can find a cystern, pipes sticking out of the ground and a water pump devise of some kind at the spring.

The original tree is dead but you can see a shoot at the base of the old stump.  Here is the plaque now.  According to David Post (who died around Christmas this year - 2009) the tree fell and someone found the plaque.  It was lost for a while and then recovered.  The Park Service gave it to the Cades Cove Preservation Association and I belive it was David who had it mounted on this rock.  Neat find!

Wagon Wheel Scars near Schoolhouse Gap Trail

From the Schoolhouse Gap Parking Trailhead, walk up the trail for about 200 yards.  In the creek bed to your left have you ever noticed thses scars?  There is about a hundred yards of these. I have only seen these types of scars in one other creek...that is East Prong of Little Pigeon just below Road Prong and Walker Prong.  These scars are 2 inches wide and from outside edge to outside edge are 64 inches wide.  In some places there are one defined set, other places two sets.

Here is a great shot of the scar.  Where did these come from?  I have a guess...

There are three wagons at the Cades Cove Cable Mill area.  They are all in the barn.  Guess what the measurement of the wheel is?  2 inches.  Guess what the width is of the wheel base from outside to outside?  64 inches!