The trails are a little confusing after you cross over Old
Railroadbed Road so I decided to place a cache that will lead you
through one of the many crossovers. We were walking along very full
from the picnic lunch we had enjoyed in the shade of the old bridge
and conversation turned to eating outside and grilling then I saw
all those cedar trees and my mouth began to water thinking about
cedar plank pork loin. So I wandered into the cedars, I did not
find any suitable planks but I did find a cedar stump, so I
stoppped and shot some coordinates while thinking about that
delectable pork loin with garlic mashed potatoes and steamed
vegetables. Now that is good eating, never had it, well here is the
recipe.
Cedar Plank Pork Loin
Prep Time: 10 min
Total Time: 5 hr 5 min
Makes: 8 servings
1 untreated cedar plank (14x7x1 inch)
1/2 cup Barbecue Sauce
1/4 cup teriyaki sauce
Grated peel of 1 medium orange
1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1 boneless pork loin (2 lb.)
IMMERSE the plank in water, placing a weight on top of the plank
to keep it submerged. Soak at least 4 hours or overnight.
PREHEAT grill to medium heat. Mix barbecue sauce, teriyaki sauce
and orange peel until well blended. Remove half of the barbecue
sauce mixture; set aside for serving with the cooked meat.
BRUSH the top of the cedar plank with vegetable oil; top with meat.
Place on grate of grill; cover with lid.
GRILL 1 hour or until meat thermometer inserted into the thickest
part of the meat registers 150°F, turning and brushing with the
barbecue sauce mixture for the last 20 min. of the grilling time.
Discard any remaining sauce used for brushing. Remove meat from
grill; cover loosely with foil. Let stand 10 min. until the
internal temperature is 160°F. Discard cedar plank. Cut the meat
into thin slices. Serve with the reserved barbecue sauce
mixture.
I like to scoop the potatoes and vegetables onto the plank
beside the loin with about 15 minutes left to cook and then serve
the whole thing on the plank. I am sure there are several good wine
pairings for this entree but I think it is mighty fine with mint
iced tea. Bon Apetit.
This cache is located along the nine miles of trails in the
beautiful Yanahli Wildlife Management Area. The trails are open for
hiking, mountain biking and horseback riding and we met several
riders while walking the trails. The terrain is typical middle
Tennessee, lots of rolling hills, dense woodlands and open meadows,
so while this is not a strenuous hike, be prepared to climb some
hills. Also be sure to check local listings during hunting season,
like most Tennessee Wildlife Resource Agency managed areas, the
Yahnahli is open to hunting, just to be safe I wear orange when
hiking here during hunting season.
Now, how about a little background on this beautiful area...
A former hunting camp for the Chickasaw nation, the Tennessee
Valley Authority acquired the land in the late 1960's and began
constructing the controversial Columbia Dam along the Duck
River--which happens to be one of the continent's most biologically
diverse rivers, containing more fish species than all of Europe.
The project was halted in 1977 by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife
Service, because of two endangered mussel species found there. Two
decades later, after costly legal battles between the TVA,
landowners, and the U.S. Government, the nearly completed dam was
demolished. It was later discovered that the "endangered" mussels
were neither endangered nor only found in this stretch of the Duck
River.
Today, the lands that were originally acquired to be flooded to
create a reservoir are managed by the Tennessee Wildlife Resources
Agency (TWRA) as the Yanahli Wildlife Management Area. Included
within this area are six natural areas covering over 12,800 acres
of ecologically significant lands collectively known as the Duck
River Complex State Natural Area. Through it all runs the Duck
State Scenic River.
The land is now known as the "Yanahli Wildlife Management
Area"--the Chickasaw word meaning "river flow" and is open to the
public for recreation and other non-harmful uses.
This cache was placed by the original three
Gorilla Freedom Finders.
Trailhead and Parking Information
There are two trailheads for the Yanahli Trails System and
either will work, depending on which caches you are hunting. The
Northern trailhead and parking are at the boat ramp at the end of
Old Railroad Bed Road, North 35 34.062 West 086 57.857. The
Southern trailhead and parking, and my preferred entrance is just
off Highway 50 at North 35.32.222 West 086 58.037 near the old
quarry. The trail is not a loop, although there is a loop section
near the river, check the uploaded pictures for a map of the
trails.