Moonlight hike, owl prowl and cleanup Saturday
For an outing along the Pellissippi Blueway, participants will meet at 3:30 p.m. on Saturday at the TVA Hickory Bend trail access and clean up trash in the parking area before embarking on a pleasant two-mile hike to the TVA undeveloped recreation area camping/picnic spot on Melton Hill Lake across from the actual Melton Hill.
There will be a general policing of the cleared area where there will a sunset, a moonrise, marshmallows, and fellowship, according to a news release from Oak Ridge-based Tennessee Citizens for Wilderness Planning. Owls in the area might begin calling as the fire dies, and participants slowly head back to the parking area. February is a good time to listen for owls staking out their territory for spring, TCWP officials stated.
The TVA Melton Hill Bend undeveloped recreation area is one of many jewels TVA has designated along the Clinch and other Tennessee rivers that are suitable for hiking, day use and a camping stopover along the Pellissippi/Three Bends Blueway that TCWP and Advocates for the Oak Ridge Reservation (AFORR) are working on developing.
"Gloves, trash bags, grabbers, and marshmallows will be provided. Participants should be prepared to dress warmly, bring their own sack dinner, and bring a headlamp or flashlights. (Please test them beforehand.) We plan to hike about four miles overall; there are some slight hills along the way. If the weather is terrible, we will reschedule," the release stated.
Directions, contact
The TVA Hickory Creek Bend Trail Parking area is at the end of Everett Road past Hickory Creek Park in southwest Knox County at the Loudon County line. Everett can be reached from Hickory Creek Road at the west end of Hardin Valley, or from I-40 exit 369, Watt Road, past the Pilot Flying J. For more information, call or write Sandra K. Goss at (865) 583-3967, sandra@sandrakgoss.com.
This article originally appeared on Oakridger: Moonlight hike, owl prowl and cleanup Saturday
