|
October
3rd - I left immediately after
work to check out the Lone Oak Trail on Buffalo
Mountain. The trailhead is located by taking
Cherokee Road (off of University Parkway, next to
Pine Oaks Golf Course). Go a few miles and
then take a left directly across from Cherokee
Middle School onto Lone Oak Road (which eventually
turns into Dry Creek Road). After a couple of
miles you'll see the small trailhead sign, and
there's also a small parking area about 100 feet
past the sign.
This
trail was mostly constructed by Tom Dosser, a friend
of the hiking community, and I want to commend him
(and those who helped him) on a fantastic job with
this new trail. I found it very well marked
(with orange blazes) and in great condition.
The
trail begins (at around 2000' elevation) by
immediately climbing the west side of Buffalo
Mountain through a series of twenty switchbacks
(yes... I counted). It then levels out briefly
on a short ridge before a tough final ascent to the
summit. I found the views incredible on this
hike, and I plan to return when the leaves fall
because it will be even better.
This
was also my first time on the Tip Top summit of
Buffalo (elevation 3280'), and I was pleasantly
surprised by the views. I stayed on the summit
for quite a while just checking out the scenery.
Through the trees looking north was Johnson City,
where I picked out many landmarks in the city.
I could then turn around and look south where I had
awesome views of Unaka, Roan, and the surrounding
mountains. I was even able to see both of my
golf courses from the same location with help from
my binoculars... I found hole #1 of Pine Oaks
looking north, and then turned around and found hole
#9 at Buffalo Valley while looking south.
This
is a wonderful hike for anyone in Johnson City
wanting a quick and convenient after-work hike, that
offers incredible views. It's also a workout
with almost 1300' of climbing in 1.5 miles to the
summit (3.0 miles round-trip). I'll be back
soon, and I'll be sure to bring my camera next time.
|
