Introduction
A milestone is a significant point.
It denotes a meaningful achievement. A milestone is memorable. Last
Sunday afternoon was a hiking milestone.
Almost 25 years ago, starting on Sunday
afternoon, April 23, 2000, the House
Mountain State Natural Area in east Knox County, Tennessee, has
been calling me, and I have gone. Before last Sunday afternoon, my
hiking record indicates that others (family, friends, former
coworkers, and dogs) had accompanied me on House Mountain hikes 38
times. Thus, I had hiked “my mountain” alone 161 times.
Last Sunday afternoon, for my 200th
milestone hike on House Mountain, my youngest brother, his wife, and
their two daughters ventured with me along every trail and saw the
views from all four bluffs! Alone, I still have hiked House
Mountain 161 times, but I have now been accompanied 39 times!
Welcome, dear hiking enthusiast, to
the 78th entry in the hiking
topic section! This article is also included as the 132nd entry
in the family
topic section. Are you ready to read about my 200th hike on House
Mountain? Four photographs from the hike are included. Further, I
recorded a brief audiovisual episode at the upper-middle bluff. You
are welcome to tune in and watch it. The conclusion includes a
personal invitation to hike with me, if you would like to do so!
Preparing for the Hike
Shortly after morning worship, my
youngest brother and his family arrived at our house. They came in
his Nissan Frontier. Church-going clothes were changed into
comfortable hiking attire. Mrs. Appalachian Irishman, who was invited
to hike but declined, helped prepare a light noon meal for the six of
us.
My trusty canteen was already filled
with water. I filled another of my canteens and one of my wife's
canteens with water for my brother and his family. Hiking shoes on,
we were ready for the seven-mile drive to House Mountain!
Interestingly, as I was backing my
2006 Frontier down the driveway, I saw a hawk circling about 20 feet
above my brother's truck! His family and he were already inside
and preparing to follow me. My wife and Molly, our mature puppy, who
was also disinterested in hiking, were near the front porch. Once my
brother started backing his truck down the driveway, the hawk flew
away. What did that hawk want?
That was the closest to the ground that I have ever seen a hawk
circle above our house.
Hiking Up the East
Trail
The temperature was in the 70s
Fahrenheit. The variable wind, strong at times, indicated the coming
rain that arrived later overnight. The sky was mostly sunny, but
clouds were forming to the north. Arriving at the upper parking lot,
we were fortunate to find two open spots.
At 1:16 PM, I touched the marker
near the enclosed picnic area to begin our hike. Just before the
bridge, smooth rocks were stepping stones across the mountain stream,
still full of runoff from recent rain.
Just beyond the bridge, where the trail
forks west or east, my sister-in-law and nieces decided to take the
east trail up to the ridge. Three noticeable rock outcroppings are
along the lower part of the trail. My nieces had to climb up onto the
first outcropping! Their mother photographed them. I wish that I had.
Hiking on up, we talked, paused for
sips of water, greeted other hikers, and enjoyed the views. The upper
switchbacks challenged and invigorated us. My brother, feeling his
oats, ran up a part of one section! The final and highest switchback
is somewhat treacherous. Cutouts, caused by careless hikers, have
eroded the area, making it more steep and difficult.
Once carefully above that switchback,
the ridge was not much farther up. Several yards away from the bench
and sign at the ridge, I noticed the time on my watch. I had 40
seconds to touch the sign! I ran as fast as my “bionic” right
foot and knee would allow! I tapped the sign at 2:16 PM! My
brother and his family were right behind me.
We had hiked up the east trail in
exactly one hour! I'm glad that I looked at my watch when I did.
Years ago, before acquiring 25 pieces
of surgically implanted steel in my left shoulder, right knee, and
right foot, I could hike up the east trail in about 30 to 40 minutes,
according to my hiking record.
As an interesting point of brotherly
competition, nine years ago on Sunday afternoon, 3/20/2016, Molly,
about a year old at the time, my next-to-youngest brother, and I
hiked up the east trail in 65 minutes. Last Sunday, we hiked up
the same trail five minutes faster!
Of course, nine years ago, I almost
died on Tuesday, 3/29/2016, when an uninsured female failed to yield
to my right of way. March 20, 2016, was my next-to-last House
Mountain hike in my “pre-bionic” life. Two now-former coworkers
and I hiked the mountain on Saturday, 3/26/2016, three days before I
was almost killed. My first “bionic” hike on House Mountain, the
loop trails only, was on Thursday, 12/22/2016.
The Upper-Middle Bluff
Enough reminiscing about the upcoming
ninth anniversary of my near-death experience! I am still alive and
not breathing hard! Let's continue hiking!
After catching our breaths and sipping
water, we continued the short hike east along the ridge trail to the
upper-middle bluff. Before reaching the bluff, we heard and
spotted a woodpecker, pecking away at a nearby tree!
Standing on the largest rock
outcropping at the bluff, we gazed at the panoramic views of the
valley below us and the mountains farther from us. The mostly sunny
sky included clouds blowing in from the north. I wanted to see at
least one hawk circling nearby. Over the years, I have seen several.
I even recall seeing a bald eagle at least once. Unfortunately, no
birds were flying around us.
At 2:43 PM, I photographed my
youngest brother and his family. They are a good-looking foursome.
That's my opinion. Feel free to make it yours!
The view looks north. The clouds in the
background indicated the coming rain.
Last fall, our older niece, in her
freshman year, made the President's List at Walters State Community
College (WSCC)! When I attended WSCC (1978 - 1981), I focused on my
studies well enough to make passing grades, but I also paid attention
to my part-time job, dating, and especially to having fun with
friends! Our niece, also working part-time, is more mature than I was
at that age! Our younger niece, in her freshman year at Cherokee High
School, is also excelling in her studies. She is a member of the
ladies basketball team. Go Chiefs! Needless to say, my wife and I
are proud of these two Christian young ladies and their parents!
Warning my relatives beforehand, I
recorded an episode of Appalachian
Irishman - Podcasts (YouTube) at the bluff. The episode,
published the next day, is House
Mountain Hike 200, 3-23-2025: a Family Hiking Milestone! (published
3-24-2025; episode 35).
During the almost two-and-a-half-minute
presentation, I honored my father-in-law, whose 87th birthday was the
next day. On his birthday, my wife, sister-in-law, her daughter, and
I surprised Paw, as I call him, with a birthday supper and party! My
sister-in-law is a good cook.
In the episode, I also honored my
“adopted” brother-in-law and sister, Mike and Carol Sue.
They were married the day after Mike, or Michael, as Carol Sue
prefers to call him, turned 18! Carol Sue, I know that you miss
your beloved husband. We will see him again in heaven, where he
awaits us. The two of you will be even closer than husband and wife.
Hiking to the East
Bluff
The short hike from the upper-middle
bluff to the east bluff takes only about eight minutes. That section
of the ridge trail reminds me of sections along the ridgeline on
Devil's Nose mountain in Hawkins County, Tennessee. The topic section
Devil's
Nose includes six articles.
At 3:07 PM, I photographed the
following view from the east bluff. The view looks northeast.
The remnants of Hurricane Helene, which
brought flooding and damaging winds to this area late last September,
must have toppled the trees. The article from 10/19/2024,
part two of my 192nd hike on House Mountain ten days before, focused
on fallen trees caused by Helene and includes 20 photographs.
My two nieces like to pick on each
other in a playful manner. While at the east bluff, they picked pine
cones up off the ground and started throwing them at each other! If
it were permissible, the east bluff would be an excellent overnight
camping spot.
Hiking toward the West
Bluff
Leaving the east bluff, we started
hiking west back toward the upper-middle bluff, the lower-middle
bluff, and the west bluff.
At 3:20 PM, I photographed the
following scene behind the lower-middle bluff. The view looks
northwest.
The American flag is on the bluff, the
rock outcropping not visible in the image. It is below the higher
rock ledge that is in the shot. I
hadn't seen that flag before. The no trespassing sign, on
the tree to the right of the image, prohibits access to the bluff.
Over the years, I have spoken a few times by phone with the owner of
the section of land below and up to the bluff. He said that unruly
hikers were building fires on the bluff and throwing garbage onto his
property below. He put up the no trespassing sign to stop them.
Continuing west along the ridge trail,
we saw the “picnic rock,” as I call it. Farther along, I pointed
out the water cistern, which is near where the fire tower used to
stand. The two-seater outhouse, leaning but still standing, is still
visible. Holes are signs of shotgun blasts from the past.
I forgot to point out the “dinosaur
rock,” as I call it, but I did pause briefly at the location
where, on Sunday afternoon, 12/3/2017, Dr. Antonov examined me and
predicted a ten-year recovery. That was during my 141st hike on
House Mountain. Dr. Antonov is mentioned kindly in at least the
following four articles: 3/29/2021,
8/15/2021,
3/31/2023,
and 2/10/2024.
Hiking Down and Out the
West Trail
We did not tarry long at the west
bluff. My youngest brother and his family wanted to return home
before suppertime. At 3:52 PM, however, I took the following
stealth photograph, capturing all but my youngest niece, as they
began to hike down.
They had started down the marked trail.
I joined them by taking my usual route down the steep section beside
and below the rock formation to the left in the image. The view looks
west.
I caught up with my family members just
above the “defiant tree,” as I call it. The seemingly petrified
trunk still juts out between two rock outcroppings. Recent
photographs of that tree are in the articles from 5/5/2023
and 12/30/2024.
Hiking across the rugged trail below
the ridge brought up conversation about the cutouts, caused by
careless hikers. Years ago, the trail was pristine and not eroded.
The original trail is still visible. I still take it.
The three ladies, moving quicker than
my brother and me, were ahead of us, hiking down the six upper
switchbacks. They waited for us, before we started down the four
lower switchbacks. I asked my nieces to help me find a proper rock to
take home as a souvenir of my 200th hike. I had been looking for
rocks while hiking down.
The New
Year's Day 2021 article includes a photograph of the rocks from
House Mountain hikes 125 (10/18/2015), 150 (10/18/2018), and 175
(12/30/2020). It mentions the plaque for my 100th hike (12/31/2013).
Close to the marker near the covered
picnic table, my older niece gave me two rocks that she had selected.
Thanking her, I asked her to pick her favorite one. She did. I
happened to find two rocks also. I came home with four souvenir rocks
for my 200th hike!
Taken from my home office earlier
today, the following photograph shows, from left to right, the plaque
for my 100th hike, the rocks from hikes 125, 150, and 175, and the
four rocks from my 200th hike. My nieces' favorite is in the upper
left in that grouping of four. Mine are the lower two in that
grouping.
As an aside, the 100th hike plaque
should read “Tuesday, 12/31/2013, 100th hike,” not
“Wednesday” and “100th mile.” In 2015, when I finally decided
to place the order, I instructed verbally and in writing the aged
owner to engrave “Tuesday, 12/31/2013, 100th hike,
House Mountain.” Paying only 15 dollars for the plaque on
2/4/2015, I didn't have the heart to point out his mistakes.
Conclusion
Touching the marker at 4:42 PM ended
our milestone hike with and for family on House Mountain. This
200th hike was definitely meaningful and memorable!
With heartfelt gratitude, I thanked my brother and his family for
hiking with me. My brother replied, “We did it for you!”
Three hours and 25 minutes in the woods
with and for family was better than watching “March Madness”
basketball games on television! Mrs. Appalachian Irishman chose to do
the latter, of course, with her father and sister. It was their
family time together. During her grade school years, my wife played
on the school's ladies basketball team. Also, her father and she
enjoyed attending Lady Vols basketball games, when Pat Summitt was
the head coach.
Is House Mountain calling you, dear
reader? Would you like to answer that call by hiking with me? If
so, you are invited to email me, using the Contact Form on my
website's main page. I need to reach my next goal, 225 hikes on House
Mountain! I enjoy hiking alone. Hiking with others is better.