Snow Snow Snow

We had snow for Christmas this year, which was nice, but it didn't stop snowing until two days later!

This is a picture of the daylily seed stalks along the retaining wall.

Our Christmas Tree

I took a picture of our Christmas tree to use on our christmas cards, actually I took three and HDR'd up a picture.

Here's the cropped section I used on the christmas card.

Sill Branch Falls in winter

I was a bit restless after a week of working to get our downstairs den finished in time for a birthday party, so, when the first snowy Sunday of the winter season presented a few hours of walkabout time I was on it.

It had been raining and snowing most of the previous week, so I figured the creeks would be running full which could make any creek crossings trickier than usual, and any of the local waterfalls would be at their best. I picked Sill Branch Falls because it's a relatively easy hike and there was only one creek crossing and it's never been tough.

When I arrived at the trailhead I could hear the creeks roaring so I knew there would plenty of opportunity for good picture taking. The trail follows the creek all the way to the falls, so the plan was to go directly to the falls but scan the cascades for photo ops on the way in.

As expected, the falls were rolling and it was almost perfect weather for waterfall picture taking - cloudy - but it a bit windy. The picture above is a three-exposure HDR photo of the center section of the falls, it would have been much better if the wind off the falls hadn't been blowing that hemlock branch about.

This picture is a cascade about half-way back. It's a three-exposure HDR. I passed over several other small falls and cascades that were equally photogenic to get to back to this particular one. The sun was getting up and the clouds were getting thin, so the good light was getting away from me, and the snow was melting.

I was hoping for more snow, I was looking for some "snow on the rocks in the water" pictures ... maybe next time.

Baby it's Cold Outside

This little fern is feeling the cold of the first measurable snowfall of the season.

Along Sill Branch Creek in the Clark's Creek area in Unicoi TN.

It Snowed !

The end of a branch of the hemlock tree at the end of our driveway, in the snow.

Willow Tree

I'm really digging on this willow tree. It sits along the road on my way to work. I've been waiting on a foggy morning to try this picture because of all the clutter that would be in the background - though this morning might have been a bit too foggy.

It gets it's unique flat-sided shape from growing up right beside of a house. That house was recently torn down exposing the flat side of the tree to view. There are no limbs with leaves covering the trunk and the branches on the flat side which makes the great contrast between the black of the branches and the grays of the limbs with leaves.

Rocky Fork - Unicoi TN

I've found a new favorite place to go walkabout and practice taking pictures of moving water, it's the Rocky Fork area of Unicoi county. It wasn't a particularly good for taking pictures of waterfalls as the sky was partly sunny. I had to use an ND8 filter to get the long exposures, but that makes the colors a bit off.

Getting there is a simple thing: take exit 50 off I-26 east (Flag Pond) and at the stop sign turn left onto Upper Higgins Creek Road. Drive 1/2 mile and when you reach Rt. 23 turn right and drive another 2 1/4 miles then turn left on Rocky Fork Road.

The picture in the upper left is a waterfall just a little ways up the road on the right, it's easily visible from the road, you can't miss it. Take your time driving up this road as the creek is a constant 'stream' of amazing cascades and waterfalls. Get it, 'stream' of ..., oh bother.

After 3/4 mile from where you turned onto Rocky Fork Road, you will see a gravel pull-off to the left. Park here but make sure to stay out of the way of the gate because it's a tow-away zone. Follow the gravel lane along the creek into Rocky Fork on foot. The trio of falls in the picture to the right is about a quarter mile in on your left.

The gravel forest service road is in great shape, and it's not steep at all. It follows the creek but there were no creek crossings in the mile or so that I walked. There is a seemingly endless number of cascades, riffles, and waterfalls to shoot.

Like this cascade that swoops around a rock then rolls and over a shelf and makes some swirlies. Or this long skinny chute that has some cool swirlies to it's inside.

Barn Rock Barn - Mendota, Va

Is the barn eating the rock?
Is the rock eating the barn?

This is the famous Barn Rock Barn located in the Pine Grove community near Mendota. I do like me some barns and this one is pretty cool as barns go. From what I can gather, in the 1940s Frank Osborne "wanted to show how Southwest Virginia's outcrops could be creatively used when he built the barn with a 12 ft high rock for a wall."

I'm sure it sounded like a good idea at the time.
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Directions: From US-11 in Abingdon, follow US-19 northwest for 7.5 miles. Turn left on Va-802 (Mendota Rd) and travel westbound for 11.8 miles. Turn left on Va-621 (Barnrock Rd) and travel 0.3 miles, keep left on Va-614 when the road splits. The barn is about 100 yds ahead, on the right, just past Pine Grove Baptist Church.

Lower Higgins Creek Falls

It was mid-afternoon when I decided to make a quick scouting trip to see Lower Higgins Creek Falls in Unicoi Co.. I was hoping to see some falls colors still hanging around and maybe some decent reflections in the pools, the results were so-so on both counts.

The hike was quite taxing, no doubt because I hadn't been doing much actual hiking lately, and the elevation gain was more than I expected. But after getting to the parking area and saw the terrain I knew I was in for an ordeal. The total one-way distance is about 8/10ths of a mile; the first 6/10ths are about what you expect for an east tennessee waterfall trail, but the final 2/10ths will get your heart pumping and your legs burning. The total elevation gain is only 850 feet, but that's made in less than a mile, and the lion share of that in the last 2/10ths of a mile.

The rickety bridge that crosses the creek from the parking area to the trail didn't make a good first impression, and the squishy wet trail for the next 50 ft didn't help either, but after that initially weak start, the trail turned into a standard east tennessee waterfall trail. Like most other waterfall trails in our area, this trail is an old logging road that generally follows the creek as it climbs up a ravine toward the top of the mountain. The creek itself is replete (how's that for a $10 word) with small falls and cascades that are quite photogenic themselves, but time was getting away and I wanted to get to the main attraction.

After huffing and puffing my way to the falls, I was met with an incredibly steep 100 foot descent over rocks, roots and vines down to the base of the falls. You have to go down there because that's the only place you can get any unobstructed views of the falls. I snapped away for about 30 minutes at the edge of the plunge pool which is behind some large moss-covered logs. The fall itself is about 100 ft high and has three distinct tiers, only one of which is visible from the bottom.

So after climbing back up the cliff to the trail I followed the trail on up the mountain to see the two upper tiers. the middle tier is obscured by rhododendron but I made it down to the upper tier. And that's where I snapped this long exposure shot in which the leaves made some swirlies! I like swirlies. It was getting dark so they are not especially good swirlies, but they are definitely there.

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Directions: Take I-26E to the Temple Hill exit #43 just south of Erwin. Go left at the end of the ramp then turn right onto the old Asheville Highway (19/23). Travel 3/4 mile and turn right onto Lower Higgins Creek Road. Drive 1.5 miles until you reach a dead end whenr you can park.

Big Tumbling Creek

While on a recent trip with the family to see Laurel Bed Lake I took these two pictures of some fall colors reflecting in pools along the Big Tumbling Creek. The blue-bird skies and bright sunlight made the day totally wrong for waterfall pictures, so I was specifically looking for colors reflecting in the pools and the base of the falls.

On the way up to the lake we realized that we had missed the peak fall colors by about two weeks, so the pickings were pretty slim, but the reflections in these two pools were pretty special. The top left picture stood out because of the bright yellow-orange maple tree background, but the bare tree trunks in the foreground make the picture for me.

I think this next picture is one the best I've taken in quite a while. I really like the abstract nature of it, there's a lot of nearly hidden color, and the shimmering water adds some movement.

I'm definitely feeling this one, it might be my favorite.
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Laurel Bed Lake - Russell Co Va

I took my herd o' womens on a ride up to Laurel Bed Lake on the top of Clinch Mountain in Russell Co Va. I spent a lot of time during my teenage years hunting on that mountain and fishing in Tumbling Creek. Laurel Bed Lake is a man-made 330-acre lake that was created by damming up Big Tumbling Creek. It's literally on the top of Clinch mountain at around 3600 feet. The lake was created back in the early 60's to help provide sufficient water flow in Big tumbling Creek because it was a fee fishing trout stream.

The last time I was up there was almost 30 years ago, so I was surprised to see as much development along the road as we started up the mountain. But that only lasted a mile or so then it was road I remembered, following the creek up the mountain across the one-lane bridges and working up hill through a series of tight switchbacks.

As we made our way toward the lake I entertained the girls with storys of how I mis-spent so much of my youth walking around on that mountain with a gun and a fishing rod. Like the time I drove from the lake back to the the main road in the dark, in a truck where the headlights didn't work 'cause the alternator went out on the way up the mountain. A sharp guy would have turned around and went home while it was daylight, but I wasn't as sharp then as I is now.

Anyway, here's a picture of Emily sitting on a chair-shaped rock in the last of the three parking areas.

Great Channels Natural Area Preserve - The View

In addition to the geologic coolness of the rocks at the top of the Great Channels Natural Area Preserve, there is an insanely nice view of southwest Virginia. Since you are mostly above the tree canopy there is almost an unobstructed 360 degree view.

If a person was able to climb up the fire tower about two sections of steps, you'definitely have a clear view all around - but the fire tower has a sign that warns folk not to climb - so I can't in good conscience advise you to do this. I've not been anywhere in this area that affords such an unobstructed view of the valleys and surrounding mountain ranges. I'd be willing to bet that on a clear day you could see 50 miles.

The top picture was take facing due south. The sun was low in the west, it was quite hazy over the mountains, and I had forgotten to reinstall my polarizer afore I took this picture, so I dinked with the picture a bit trying to bring out some of the detail.

The bottom picture was taken facing north-east. That direction was not as badly hazed over as the southern exposure, so it needed a bit less post-processing.

I'll definitely be making a trip back in early winter when the sky's clear and the haze is gone. It'll be spectacular.

Great Channels Natural Area Preserve

I made an impromptu trip to the Channels Natural Area Preserve in Russell Co. Va. It was a gorgeous Sunday afternoon and the trees were displaying some great color.

The hike is about 6.2 miles roundtrip, with almost all of it on a gravel forest service road. The first mile or so is pretty easy, the last 2+ miles is a consistent climb, where most of the 1000 feet gain in altitude is made.

The first thing you see when you get there are the remnants of a small house and the fire tower pictured below. Walking past the firetower leads to a small trail through the rhododendron and down into the channels.

It's like nothing I've seen in this area before. The walls are 15 to 30 feet high, made of sandstone that's been grooved and pitted. The walls have been carved into huge boulders that have toppled over making a ceiling over the pathways. My description doesn't do this place justice, you really just need to go see it for yourself.

Cool Stuff to See Around Little Rock

The first picture was taken while I was standing between the index finger and middle finger of Six Fingers Falls because there wasn't any water running between the other fingers.

The top right picture is of Falling Water Waterfall - sounds like it was named the Deptartment of Redundancy Department. The color of the water is interestingly odd, and there is no obvious out-flow of water from the plunge pool, the water must be leaking out between the rocks or into a cavern.

And the bottom right picture is the official Pedestal Rock located in the Pedestal Rocks Scenic Area, in north central Arkansas.








The next three pictures were taken at the air show in Little Rock, nose art from an a-10 warthog from the 'flying razorbacks'. The next two are of the USAF Thunderbirds - they rocked, at the Rock.

Devil's Bathtub

It was the first really cold wet day of fall which meant that I finally had an opportunity to make a scouting trip to the Devil's Bathtub. I was waiting for a cold day to go because of the stories I'd heard about the snake population in the area. I figured if I went on a cold day I could out-maneuver any ninja-death-killer-attack snakes I might run across. And after having made the trip I can confirm that this is some of the snake-i-est looking terrain I've ever hiked through. There's no way I would ever venture into that part of the country during snake season, uh-uh, no way.

The devil's bathtub is located in Scott Co. Virginia, along the Devil's Fork trail. The trail follows Devil's Fork creek (duh), which is very fortunate considering the generally poor condition of the trail - but more on that later.

The trail starts at the top of the wooden stairs (yep, stairs) at the parking area. It proceeds downhill about 1/4 mile to the first of a dozen creek crossings. A hundred or so feet past the creek, the trail splits - there are several trees with yellow blazes here - you want to take the trail going left. After 50 ft the trail will split - start looking to the right to pick up the trail - I'm not sure if you can see any yellow blazes marking the trail through the woods. From here the trail generally follows the creek, crisscrossing it numerous times over the the next 1 1/2 miles.

The creek itself is made completely of sandstone rocks of every size from baseballs to refrigerators. What makes it so odd looking is the total lack of moss or grass or weeds or greenery of any kind on the sandstone rocks, they are all completely clean. There has been some obvious flooding because the creek is also littered with huge piles of trees and brush, some so large that they completely block the creek. And this is why I assume they grow all the snakes here - miles of clean standstone creek bottom - which makes millions of holes and pockets - and all of it covered in flood-washed debris.

Once you traverse the 1 1/2 miles of a rather average looking trail through hemlock and rhododendron, you'll reach the part of the creek that created the bathtub. This section of the mountain looks nothing like any of the terrain you've passed through to this point. It's a canyon carved out of sandstone by years of erosion. The trail itself comes out above the bathtub; the picture above is your first view of the bathtub and it's surroundings. Awesome!

Check out the color of the water and the bottom and sides of the bathtub! It looks a bit fake in the picture and it's not exactly the right color (a bit too green), but it's pretty close. I'm not sure what rocks are making that bluish-green, almost teal color. The weather was cloudy all day and it was raining off and on the whole time I was there, so the color did not come from a reflection of the sky. The water itself is almost perfectly clear. Notice that tree limb on the left, it's about 10 ft long and I could not touch the bottom of bathtub with it - yes I tried it, and yes, the water is frigid!

Lest you think the color of the pool is a product of post-processing, a couple of hundred feet downstream is another large pool that is the same bluish-green color. The water is so perfectly clear that you get a distorted perception of the depth. This pool is about 8 feet deep at it's deepest point, which is in that cut in the rocks at the base of the cascade where the water pours into the pool.

While overcast weather is absolutely the best for taking waterfall pictures, this isn't classic waterfall picturetaking. This place begs for days with clear blue skies overhead and bright fall colors. I'm definitely going to make a trip back up there later this fall, once there's some colored leaves on the ground; it'll be amazing. And I hear there's a 50 foot waterfall just a bit further upstream ... a sweet bonus.

Directions: Take US Hwy. 23/US Hwy. 58/US Hwy. 421 toward Gate City. In Gate City, continue going straight as the road becomes East Jackson Street and, ultimately, VA Route 71. Head east on Route 71 for a little over a mile. From here, take VA Route 72 to the left toward Fort Blackmore. Shortly after VA Route 65 and VA Route 72 merge, turn left onto VA Route 619.

Once on Route 619/653 for about 3 1/2 miles, the road splits, follow 619 to the right, travel about 1 mile more and look for the Devils Fork sign. Route 619 takes a sharp left and becomes Forest Road 619 (there is no street sign). Travel over the one-lane bridge and turn left just before the abandoned white house with a chain link fence. Follow this unmarked dirt road to the end, where you will find parking for the trail. The road to the parking lot is very rutted and may not be accessible by all vehicles, high clearance and 4wd is recommended. You cannot park along the road and walk because the property on both sides of the road is posted, you must get to the parking area at the end of the road.

Pat's Falls and Middle Laurel Falls

The second hike over the labor day weekend to scout out some potential waterfall hikes for this fall was intended to be a short one to new falls (Pat's Falls and Middle Laurel Falls) on a trail I'd been on before (Laurel Falls Trail in Dennis Cove). It was another bad really day for taking pictures of water but it was a glorious day for going walk-about.

The side trail down to Pat's falls is about 8/10ths of a mile down the Laurel Falls trail. It's a short but excitingly steep descent of 150 feet down the side of the hill. If you like waterfalls this one is definitely worth the effort.

The upper drop is about 8 feet high, the lower is shorter at about 3 ft. The pool at the base is quite impressive, I'm sure it's quite popular with the fishermen - if not it should be. The rocks that makeup the falls are copper colored and covered in some wicked cool green and brown lichens, a really great color contrast with the white water background.

Get back up on the trail and continue toward Laurel Falls. About another 4/10ths of a mile and you'll hear the Middle Laurel Falls about 200 feet below the trail - yep, that's 200 feet of straight down the mountain holding onto roots, trees and anything else that's handy. You might want to skip this one because of the treacherous nature of the trip up and down, and the falls themselves are not the most special ones around. The falls are really just an 8 foot high cascade that empties into long pool, but there are several cascades in th area that are just as nice and easier to get to. I snapped a few pictures which were ok, but again, this was not the best day for water snapping pictures. I collapsed my hiking stick and used it like an ice axe to crawl up the side of the mountain to get back on the trail.

I intended to continue on to Laurel Falls proper but by this time there were several folk on the trail, and if you've ever been to Laurel Falls you know how much work it takes to climb the rock stairs back up the hill once you make the trip down the hill. I was tired, so I trekked back out to the truck, maybe next time.

Upper Laurel Fork Falls & Campbell Falls

The cool morning temperature that signals the advent of fall was in the air so I hauled my lazy butt out of bed early on Saturday and went waterfalling in Frog Level. To get there one must go through the Dennis Cove recreation area, past the campground, all the way to the top of the mountain. There is a gated forest service road on the right (just as the main road breaks hard left) that takes you all the way down the mountain to the level of the frogs. You'll know it's the right road if you see the huge stump pushed up against the gate. The gravel road down the mountain is a bit over a mile in length, and is in remarkably good shape, so good in fact that some folk had pulled in a pop-up camper. The road ends at a turn-about. Park there and cross the creek.

Follow the forest service road as it continues leftward, generally following the creek. The hike was very easy with very little gain in elevation but there are several very challenging creek crossings to negotiate if you are trying to keep your feet dry. After the first of these crossings you'll come upon a good sized clearing, follow the tree-line down the left side of the clearing and you'll find the trailhead marker for Laurel Fork Trail and another, more challenging creek crossing. Laurel Fork Trail is easy to follow, and is in very good shape, with only a few muddy spots, but did I mention the creek crossings? There are two more of them to negotiate over the next .4 miles before you get to the falls. You'll definitely hear the falls as you approach them. There's a small trail down to the base of the falls, but it is very steep, and wet, and slippery, and steep, and rocky, and wet. It's one time I definitely wish I had brought some rope. I have a nice rope in the truck, about 25 feet long with a knot about every foot, but it's only useful if you remember to bring it.

Once back on the trail, continue up stream to Campbell Falls. This part of the trek is another .6 miles of trail, two more creek crossings, and one section of swamp slogging with some nearly-rotten logs to walk on, it only adds to the excitment. There's a steep and muddy side trail down to the pool at the bottom of the falls, I passed up it once I saw the mud. The falls face away from the trail, so to get some good pictures you'd have to negotiate the mudslide trail to the pool, then cross the creek at the base of the falls, something I wasn't prepared to do on this day. Instead I took the second side trail to the top of the falls. There's simply no way to get a good shot of the falls from up top, but there was a beautiful cascade at the top which is where this picture was made.

There's a third set of falls in the same general area, Firescald Branch Falls, which I couldn't find an obvious trail to, I'll try harder the next time ;)

Breeestol - night race at BMS

Since the death of Dale Sr. at Daytona in 2001 and the advent of the 'chase for the championship' system, the whole NASCAR world has lost a lot of it's pull on me. I used to be as big a fan as there was, but a lot of the fun was gone. I hadn't been to a NASCAR race at BMS in many years, so when I scored two suite passes for the night race I was a bit so-so about the whole thing.

The weather was typical Bristol race weather, that is, rainy and humid - that much hadn't changed. But there was a whole sea of humanity at the place that night, probably twice as many people as the last time I had been there.

I can remember going to BMS when there were only concrete seats on the front and back stretch, when you could get free tickets for the Busch series race, when the grand National race wasn't even sold out. Times, they are a changing.

The track has a modern stadium feel, very high tech, nice and clean. And the suite was most excellent. The food was hot, the beverages were cold, the seats were comfortable, it couldn't have been better. The sound level of a Bristol race is legendary, but inside the suite it was loud enough to be intriguing, but not much as to be a distraction. The sight lines are magnificent from way up there, the only complaint was that looking thru glass corners can distort certain angles, but I'll take that trade-off every day.

Since I had to watch Kyle Busch win, I'm glad I got to suffer through it in a suite.

Labyrinth Weir at South Holston Lake

Definitely a cool (literally) place to go hang out with the family on a hot summer day. we took a picnic lunch and ate at one of the tables by the river. Then I tried my luck at catching some of the trout from the river - maybe next time .... we then hiked the 2 mile loop around Osceola island. It was a good way to spend a hot summer afternoon, the cool breeze off the river was especially nice.

The Labyrinth weirs are about a mile below South Holston dam. The weirs were built by TVA in the early 90's to provide oxygen to the water when the hydropower plant isn't generating electricity.

I took the picture at the right from the bridge that crosses over to Osceola island. There is a matching labyrinth weir on the opposite side of the island.

Take SR394 past the Bristol Motor Speedway to the intersection with SR421. Turn right and continue 2.9 miles south on 421. Turn right onto Emmett Road and continue for 1.6 miles - bear right at the fork. After crossing the bridge, you'll find parking for the recreation area on left.

Cades Cove and Spruce Flats Falls

It rained and stormed the whole morning before we got to the Cades Cove loop, so the wildlife in the park was still taking cover ... at least that's my story as to why we saw just a few turkey and a few whitetail deer.

But the barns were cool and I like barns, old ones, new ones, doesn't matter. There's just something about the shape of a barn. Simplistic utiliy. The first one is at Cable Mill.

The next one is at the Tipton Farm. It's a cantilevered design, I've never seen one afore. It makes sense for creating shade, and some protection from the weather, but it looks top-heavy, kind of like a big wooden mushroom, or maybe like someone has stolen the bottom half ... regardless, it's a cool looking barn.





We also hiked to a waterfall on the way out of Cades Cove named Spruce Flats Falls. It was a pretty average hike, about a mile each way, a bit steep at each end, and the falls were just ok, not that different from most of the other falls I've seen.

What was cool is that this was the first time I've taken a picture with my new handy-dandy ND8 neutral density filter installed.

It was about 2:00PM so the light was really bad for waterfall picture taking, but this filter did a respectible job of getting a 10 second exposure in bright light.

Dennis Cove Falls

The hike to Upper and Lower Dennis Cove Falls is about a 3 mile roundtrip walk on a well worn trail through a tunnel of rhododendron along the many cascades of Laurel Fork Creek. The good news is that, unlike most waterfall hikes around this part of the country, there's very little gain in elevation (about a 100ft) from the parking lot to the falls. The bad news is the three creek crossings with no bridges - we don't need no stinkin' bridges. On this trip the three crossings were manageable with some creative rock hopping, but if the water was much higher the only choice might be to wade across.

Both the upper and lower falls are cascading waterfalls which form large pools at their bases, perfect for a swim on a hot summer day. Laurel fork is a popular trout fishery, so be courteous to the folk you see fishing.

Several hundred yards after the third creek crossing, you'll come to the only tricky part of the trail, tricky because it's a very narrow ledge alongside a slick rock with some tree roots to hold onto. Just a bit further up the trail and you come to a side trail on the right that angles down to the pool below the lower falls.

Lower Dennis Cove Falls (10-ft high)
N36 14.981 W82 05.946, 2880ft elevation

The lower falls are a 10 foot high cascade with a wide shallow pool at the base. The tree on the left obscures most of the falls, but you can rock-hop into the middle of the creek for a better view. I got to the falls a bit late in the morning, so getting a high-quality, long-exposure shot was no longer possible.

Return to the main trail and continue for a few hundred feet to a second spur on the right that angles downhill to the base of the upper falls.

Upper Dennis Cove Falls (25-ft high)
N36 14.981 W82 05.946, 2860ft elevation

The upper falls are a 25 foot high double cascade with a large pool at the base of the lower fall.

I didn't get to the falls until mid-morning, so there was too much light to get a really long exsposure shot to work. I really need to get myself a neutral density filter for days like these. I was able to get this one which has some 'swirlies' in the pool below the falls - they are so cool when done right, but this one was just too short of an exposure get it really right.

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To get there from Rt. 19e in Hampton, go north on route 321/67 toward Mountain City, drive 0.8 miles and turn right onto Dennis Cove Road - immediately in front of Citizen's Bank - there's a small brown 'Dennis Cove' sign pointing the way.

Dennis Cove Road is very curvy, very steep, and quite narrow in places. Travel the 4.9 miles to a gravel parking area on the left immediately before crossing the single lane bridge which leads to the Dennis Cove Campground. The trailhead is back across the paved road, just to the right of the bridge.

Just calmly go to the doctor

Since I've started hiking again I've only seen one small water snake. But recognizing that the places I go are prime locations for snakes - if I was a snake I'd like these places - was enough to prompt me to google up the latest information on what to do if you get snakebit while you're out hiking.

According to Google, there are only two snakes in East Tennesse that are venomous: the 'copperheaded rattle-mocassin' (left) and the 'timber-rattling death-mangler' (below). While it's true that all snakes can make you hurt yourself by causing you to jump, squeal and throw stuff, only these two snakes can actually hurt you with their bite. It should go without saying but the best option is to avoid being bitten in the first place so; wear boots, always have a hiking pole with you, and pay attention to where your feet and hands are going.

Many moons ago I earned a boy scout badge in first-aid which taught me, among other things, how to treat snake bites while out in the woods. Apparently everything they taught me was wrong, leaving me to wonder if there are any boy scouts who survived a snake bite.

The first thing to do is remain calm. You have been bitten by a snake and there is nothing you can do to reverse it. Throwing up your hands, stomping around and squealing like a little girl won't help. Neither will throwing all your gear at the snake. Your most severe problem is not the chance of death, but tissue damage to the bite area. If you are hiking alone, you are going to have to get yourself to the doctor. Stated in simple terms: "Just calmly go to the doctor." Most of the time antivenom will not be administered. They will more than likely just monitor your blood pressure and the swelling, and then send you home in the morning.

To that end, the following suggestions will help you get control of the situation:

•If you have a cell phone (and reception) call and have someone meet you as soon as possible.

•Remove all jewelry around or above the bite area as most likely the worst problem from the bite will be swelling.

•Keep the bite area below the heart.

•Do not apply a tourniquet; restricting the venom to a small area increases the potential of tissue damage to the bite area.

•Do not take an aspirin; it will thin the blood, and cause the venom to spread more than it normally would. The same applies for drinking alcohol; you can use that to entice someone to come and help you.

•Do not try to capture the snake. Antivenom is the same for all Tennessee snakes; so capturing the snake for identification is not helpful, and only heightens the chances of a second snakebite. In Tennessee it is illegal to harm, kill, remove from the wild, or possess native snakes taken from the wild without the proper permits.

•The telltale signs of a venomous snakebites are swelling, discoloration and an intense burning sensation of the bite area.

•Do not try to suck out the venom. By cutting the bite area, you suffer a greater chance of dying from blood poisoning than from the bite itself. Use the suction device from the snakebite kit - you did bring a snakebite kit, right?

•Do not apply ice to the bite area as this causes the venom to pool in the bite area, potentially causing greater tissue damage.