The Cumberland Trail (CT), when finished, will be a jewel of hiking for eastern Tennessee. Envisioned to extend more than 300 miles from the Cumberland Gap Historic Park on it's North end, to Lookout Rock near Chattanooga in the South. Wilderness, waterfalls, mountain ridges, rock formations, the trail will have everything that hikers love, and allow people to truly lose themselves in the wild beauty of eastern Tennessee. This multi cache will take you on just one small 3 mile segment of that trail that makes for a splendid day-hike. This portion of the trail whets the appetite for continued hiking on the CT, giving glimpses of small waterfalls, open woodland, rocky bluffs, and forest solitude. And best of all, it is easy to access. I hope you enjoy this hike as much as I have.
The multi cache can be completed from the lower trail-head near Red Ash, or the upper trail-head , known as Frenchman's Grave. Regardless of which trail-head you select, you will be hiking just about the entire 3 mile length of the trail to complete the geocache. There are two waypoints labeled "North Coords Clue" and "West Coords Clue". At each of these locations is a small preform tube that contains half of the coordinates for the final, and as you will note, both are only a short ways from either trail-head. Please do not open either of these containers, they are clear and should be readable without opening. This will help keep the clue dry and trouble-free. Once you have the coordinates from both the hints, you will be pleasantly surprised that you can find the final on your return trip. (NOTE: There is nothing hidden at the posted coords)
North Clue N 36° 18.148 W 084° 15.701
West Clue N 36° 18.627 W 084° 14.315
This section of the trail is in good shape (at the time of my placing), and all the usual precautions about hiking in East Tennessee apply: ticks, poison ivy, hunters, thorny shrubs, wildlife etc... During hunting season, all users of the area must wear blaze orange, and follow all TWRA regulations (see link for details and additional info on hunting season dates). Failure to do so not only compromises your own safety but can result in an on-the-spot fine if a warden finds the infraction. I am unsure about winter conditions of the trail, but if there is much snow or ice, finding all stages may become extra difficult if not utterly unreasonable. Keep this in mind when planning your trip. More details can be found by contacting State Park Rangers at http://tnstateparks.com/parks/contact/cumberland-trail.