The start of the new year has members of the Tellico Village Hiking Club excited for what is to come.
The club has already planned more than 20 hikes, with the first set for Friday at Old Sugarlands, Twin Creeks, Gatlinburg Loop Trail.
Excursions include moderate to difficult trails within a two-hour drive. Hikes range from out and back trails to looping trails. One hike even requires a shuttle.
Dolly Garnett, a club leader, said she is excited for the group to experience some of the best trails in East Tennessee. Garnett has been involved with the club since moving to the area 18 years ago.
“We have two hikes every month for the entire year,” Garnett said. “We have a planning meeting in December and that’s when we plan our schedule for the year, so that’s why we already know what the year looks like.
“Our hikes are longer and more difficult and a farther drive sometimes,” she added. “But that’s good, because they ... can do something more challenging in our group.”
Several trails will showcase scenic views and waterfall destinations. The aim this year was to give members variety.
“We try not to do the same hikes every year,” Garnett said. “We have a few favorites — like the one we do in January. The first one is a yearly hike that everybody likes because we have lunch in Gatlinburg towards the end of the hike. It’s kind of like the signature hike.”
While the hikes vary in difficulty, many will offer elevation change and challenging terrain.
“If it’s over 10 miles, we always rate it difficult,” Garrett said. “Most of them under that are moderate, but it depends on the elevation, too.”
The club normally begins hikes by 8 a.m., and a majority of the trips will have members home by late afternoon.
One of the standout hikes is April 24 on the Soak Creek section of the Stinging Fork Falls Trail. While Garnett has made the trek by herself, she is excited about sharing the experience.
“I’m looking forward to that hike, which is on Cumberland Trail,” Garett said. “Another one of my favorite hikes in the Smokies is Abrams Creek Campground to Abrams Falls. Abrams Falls is a popular hike but the easier way to do it is from Cades Cove that makes it like a five-mile round trip hike, which is very popular for tourists and residents alike.
“But to make it longer, we go from Abrams Creek Campground, which makes it an 11-mile, round-trip hike,” she added. “And there’s a lot of variety on that hike if you do the 11 miles.”
Joining the group will offer fun exercise, camaraderie among those who share a love of hiking and the chance to meet new people.
John Winn, a longtime club leader, said he expects the 2024 schedule will give an enthusiast a wide variety of fun hikes.
“One of my favorite hikes is to a place called Hangover, which is in the Unicoi Mountains, the Cherokee National Forest behind Tellico Plains,” Winn said. “From the top of that mountain, you get one of the best views in East Tennessee. It rivals, in my opinion, the views that you get from the Clingman’s Dome tower.
“From the top of Hangover Mountain, you can see the outskirts of Robbinsville, N.C., and ... you’re looking down on the Little Tennessee River,” he added. “You can’t see a lot of the dams on the Little Tennessee River because they’re down in a valley, but you get a really good view of all of that and then you get a really good view of the Smokies in front of you.”
As one of the longest-tenured club members, Winn said the group has not grown as the Village population has exploded.
“You know, there’s always people coming in and always people leaving,” he said. “The numbers on the hikes tend to be fairly static, but we have 424 people on our email list.”
Winn said while many Villagers have shown interest in hiking, the challenge is getting them on the trail.
For more information about the club and a full list of hikes slated for 2024, visit online at www.tellicolife.org/tv-hikers.
