Fighting Creek Trail 08

Fighting Creek Trail
1.4 miles from Sugarlands Visitor Center to the John Ownby Cabin
Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Near Gatlinburg, Tennessee in Sevier County
Highlights include peaceful woods, early log home
Cautions include black bears, false trail beyond cabin
Elevation low is 2400 feet above sea level
Elevation high is 2500 feet above sea level
Difficulty rating is easy
Condition of trail is excellent

The Alcoa Ridge Runners took this hike as a round trip of 1.8 miles starting and ending at the far end of the Sugarlands Visitor Center parking area on the eleventh day of November in 2013. The Veteran's Day tour would be for a quiet walk with the Green Team, Two WWII Vets who served duty in Germany and France. Images of the woods and these two fine men would be taken. Two of the three team leaders, Yellow and Green, were on the hike. Ranger Ricardo was on the Yellow Team, Pappy Abe and Tommy Fagg were on the Green Team.

Understand that Pappy Abe, the father of Ranger Ricardo, was ninety years young when he took this journey into the backcountry. Traveling with him on this Veteran's Day was his lifelong friend, Tommy Fagg, who was 88 at the time. Both elders were promoted to different teams at the end of the hike. Tommy got elected to the Yellow Team. Pappy was placed with the Red Team.

Ricardo took the two fellows around the loop to the cabin, one of the oldest log homes in the Smokies. Pappy made a mistake that had been repeated by many folks before him and assumed the trail kept going past the cabin. As a result, he went off the trail and into a ditch. Ricardo and Tommy pulled him out. A skinned shin was a war mark. They then made their way back to the trail, across the creek, and back down the hill to the Visitor Center.

When asked if they would do it again, the men were all too eager. This winter, Pappy and Tommy will be working out at the gym located in the Wellness Center at Blount Memorial Hospital in Maryville, Tennessee. When the springtime arrives, we hope to have them out on the trail patrolling the quiet walkways of Little River Road. Since they both love birds and flowers, this should be a good year as they enjoy the golden time of their lives. Now all we have to do is find some more Green Team members...