Devil’s Backbone/Shortleaf Pine Trails,
Fort Henry Trails, Land Between the Lakes National
Recreation Area, Stewart County, Tennessee
(Click to enlarge pictures)
I’m almost embarrassed to admit it, but I’d
never considered Land Between the Lakes as a hiking
destination till my wife gave me a copy of Johnny Molloy’s Land Between the Lakes Outdoor Recreation
Handbook. I guess maybe I eschewed it because I consider myself an upland
hiker, with not a lot of interest in lakes, especially man-made lakes. Well, that may be so, but I don’t mind admitting
that after my first trip to the Fort
Henry trail system, I was convinced. Here my then eight-year-old son P. J.
is suited up and ready to go.
Yes, I’m ready too…that is point 7 of the
What? No bark shots? No, but in their
place is an amazing fungus we found growing on a tree limb.
The Shortleaf Pine trail winds its way
through a stand of—you guessed it—Shortleaf Pines, till it links in at its
southern verge to the Devil’s Backbone trail, which parallels it. The route is
generally easy to traverse and is well-marked. At right, Peej poses next to the
legendary moss-covered three-handled family gredunza.
Somebody tell the cat we found it for him…
So there are no bark shots. But we do have
an interesting gall pic, and a handsome young man
next to an equally handsome tree. I think he may be as big as the tree now!
Mom takes care of us, making sure there is
something nice in the pack for lunch!
Some people claim this sort of thing is an
Indian directional tree…
…but Peej knows better. It’s the forest
thoughtfully providing a place upon which weary travelers can rest!
At left: the Devil’s Backbone for which
the path derives its name. And it is a very cool section of trail to walk! I
will be visiting it again during my quest to hike all the
Ah, a bridge, just when you need it most.
Dig the Sam Hornish/Panther Racing shirts Peej and I
both wore!
The trail bagged, we head home, passing
through scenic New Johnsonville along the way (hey, I never said I had much of
a sense of direction) There we find this watering hole with rather a unique
name…it has nothing whatsoever to do with Fort Henry, the trail, or hiking at
all, but it sort of fit in with the light-hearted nature of this trip, so I
took the picture and include it here for your approval.
Back to the
Pictures
Page
Back to the
Home Page