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As 2024 winds down and we start looking forward to 2025, may we pause to look back at all the great adventures 2024 has brought us…

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We kicked off the new year chasing waterfalls with the Winter Waterfall Wander.  We hiked to Black Mountain to Ozone Falls, Slave Falls and Twin Arches, Piney Falls, Stinging Fork, Cumberland Falls campout for the moonbow, and Honey Creek. We had some chilly hikes and amazing waterfalls

everywhere we went!

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Spring brought us to the annual Tennessee Mountain Laurel Hiking Marathon. Boots hit the trail in March on Bridge and Point Trails at Obed Wild and Scenic River/Lilly. This is the time of year when we’re all in the woods searching for wildflowers as the forest comes back to life. We had 45 marathoners with 6 hiking over 100 miles.

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Summer brings the heat and humidity which can be unbearable hiking. Some of us crazies hike anyway –there’s solace in the woods, even when it’s 90 degrees! While we had no organized hikes, members of Hike MoCo kept in touch with each other and went to the woods. Summer has its own beauty amid the

heat and humidity: beautiful green, green mountains; super moons; peaceful sunsets; and moonlit walks

in Cades Cove.

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We hiked Hidden Passage at Pickett State Park to start our fall season and Fall Frenzy. It’s the time of year we adventure to cool overlooks to enjoy the changing of the leaves. We did it a little different this year, asking our hikers “where do you want to go?” and we set our hike schedule based on the answers

received. This led us to Breakaway Bluff and Devil’s Racetrack on the Cumberland Trail, Virgin Falls, and Fall Creek Falls State Park. Fall Frenzy will end with the annual Sunrise on the Point hike to Point Trail in the dark to watch the sun rise, followed by a yummy breakfast at the Lilly Pad.

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2024 has been a busy and challenging year but a year full of great trails and adventures. To reflect is to be thankful for every mile we’ve put under our boots and start looking forward to where our boots will take us in 2025. - Cathy & Erin

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