Judy and White Oak Sinks

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Smokies Hike With Judy – 4/13/12 – Turkeypen RidgeTrail/White Oak Sinks/Schoolhouse Gap Trail – 7.5 Miles
My friend Judy is narrowing down to her goal of finishingthe Smokies 900 – only 20-something miles to go, but they are in bits andpieces that require extra miles to reach. It’s been 18 months since we’ve hiked together and we had lots to catchup on:  children, her Lightheart gear business,and other hiking adventures, including her hiking on the Wonderland Trail atMount Ranier and my Mount Whitney summit.
Our goal today was to hike 3.6-mile Turkeypen Ridge Trail,which begins at Laurel Creek Road on the Tennessee side of the GSMNP (nearCades Cove).  Ordinarily this is a pleasantbut ordinary little jaunt, not too much elevation gain or loss, and it can becombined with a couple of other trails criss-crossing Laurel Creek Road to makea decent dayhike loop.  But...today thewildflower show was in full swing and we were thrilled to get an eyeful ofnature’s best offerings. 
Crested dwarf iris - so delicate and so detailed
I had seen crested dwarf iris on my solo backpack trip onthe NC side of the park, but not in such profusion
Flame azaleas at eye level. Unlike the shrubs in the typical Southern yard, wildazaleas grow like wispy trees and their colors seem to float
Judy has always been good at seeing tiny details at her feetand she spotted this lone yellow ladyslipper on the down slope
Yellow lady slipper
Another angle
Sweet shrub
Can’t get enough photos of mountain laurel
Before we knew it we were at the end of Turkeypen RidgeTrail where it T’s into Schoolhouse Gap Trail. And like the Holy Grail with a spotlight, there was a clump of yellowladyslippers about 15 feet off the trail, with several worn paths encircling itwhere wildflower pilgrims have walked and knelt to photograph this rareorchid.  So glad to see it appreciatedand not disturbed.
While we were having a lunch break by the ladyslippers, alarge school group from Chattanooga strolled up, carrying notebooks/journalsand cameras.  Their instructor seemedvery laid back, said the process of their exploration was less important thanthe destination of their walk.  Theirassignment was to record anything they saw of interest.
Foam flower
Rather than rack up more Smokies 900 miles, Judy and Idecided to explore the area called White Oak Sinks, not an official trail orarea in the Park but well known to wildflower enthusiasts for its riotousdisplay of spring flowers.  Even theschool group was headed there.  Theunofficial and unmaintained (but really good) trail into White Oak Sinks is offof Schoolhouse Gap Road.   And what isthere?
Dozens (hundreds?) of pink ladyslippers spread on a hillside
Large-flowered trillium
Mayapple foliage
And mayapple blooms
Yellow trillium

We walked deeper into the Sinks, at first discerning themain trail from numerous side trails and then finally giving in to exploreseveral of the intertwining paths.  Judyand I had both been here before and had pretty good memory maps.  Purple phlox filled the open areas and gaveoff a distinct perfume. 
Waterfall in White Oak Sinks – some people weredescending  down into the grotto but westayed at the top.
Blowhole Cave in White Oak Sinks, no people allowed, justbats.  (Bats in the Smokies are sufferingfrom white nose syndrome.)
Following a side trail as it climbed up a small ridgeoverlooking one of the meadows, Judy showed me a single grave of Abraham Law(1790-1864).  I have seen someinformation online that he and his wife had nine children and that the correctdeath date is 1844.  I wonder why he isburied up on that hill all alone?
That is one big grapevine

After roaming around the Sinks trails for a bit, we left theChattanooga crowd behind and located another unofficial trail that runs about amile up a creek bed to the park boundary at the end of Schoolhouse GapTrail.  Jim and I first hiked this trailback in 2008, when a homeowner on the boundary pointed it out to us.  We didn’t know what we were getting into atthe time, but today Judy and I easily walked to the end.  There a good old hound dog good-naturedlyguarded his homestead, but was not above begging for food as we took a snackbreak.
We walked back to our cars via Schoolhouse Gap Trail, a widegravel road bed, a little boring unless you meet some horses, but it gets youfrom A to B.  And you better believe Imarked it on my second Smokies 900 map.
(Another great blog post about White Oak Sinks is here.) 
So much time spent moving quicklyNo need to worry, we’ll get there, you’ll seeYou and I, we’ve got to catch this light before it’sgoneOnce or twice we’ve got to catch this light beforeit’s goneOpen your eyes, open your eyes, open your eyes‘Cause we’re almost there. ~Opus Orange