# Catalooche trail ride



## Celeste (Jul 3, 2011)

Wow! Where is this?


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## gunslinger (Sep 17, 2011)

Cataloochee is roughly 4 miles north of Maggie Valley NC, and maybe 10 miles NW of Wayneville NC. We came east on 40 out of Knoxville to exit 20 in NC....make the very first right turn and keep straight for about 10 miles.

Cataloochee was the "unused part" of the Great Smokey Mountains until around 2001 when a herd of 25 Elk were released there. Not sure how many Elk there are today but a couple of years ago I was told there were 150+. 

Also saw many large flocks of Wild Turkey and Whitetail deer. Owls hooted all night.


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## HagonNag (Jul 17, 2010)

Gunslinger, it sounds like a LOT of fun...minus the slippery! You're ALMOST in my area...not quite...but close!


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## AQHSam (Nov 23, 2011)

It's sounds like it was a wonderful adventure!!


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## Missy May (Feb 18, 2012)

Hey gunslinger. I have ridden into Catalooche many times.  I don't know if they do this any more - but you use to have to make reservations and identify where you were going if you went in for a several day ride. It is indeed beautiful...and rainy, and cold. For whatever reason, the trees bother me now..they didn't use to. I am going to the area soon to lay flowers on my buckskin's grave....I hope I can handle the trees. Its odd, I use to find them so beautiful!


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## toosexy4myspotz (Oct 7, 2007)

oh i love cataloochee! we have a trip planned for end of October. the first time i went i didn't sleep at night because you could all the wolves and mountain lions talking back and forth. not to mention the bear that cruise by every night. i was worried about our horses but they Acted like they never saw or heard anything. its a beautiful place and so well worth it. i also managed to get my poor mare caught up in a bees nest and stung about 30 times but she handled it like a trooper.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## toosexy4myspotz (Oct 7, 2007)

also never let your horse graze on these trails. there are massive amounts of highly toxic plants.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## gunslinger (Sep 17, 2011)

Missy May said:


> Hey gunslinger. I have ridden into Catalooche many times. I don't know if they do this any more - but you use to have to make reservations and identify where you were going if you went in for a several day ride. It is indeed beautiful...and rainy, and cold. For whatever reason, the trees bother me now..they didn't use to. I am going to the area soon to lay flowers on my buckskin's grave....I hope I can handle the trees. Its odd, I use to find them so beautiful!


Your horse is buried near Cataloochee? What a wonderful place to lay at rest.

This was really a pretty hassle free trip considering. The Rangers were more than nice and very accommodating, a really good feeling with all the controversy surrounding horses in the park.

I'd love to do more rides up that way but I'm not sure how much longer my wife can make this type of rough, challenging long rides.

By the way, I rode my mare barefooted with Renegade hoof boots on her fronts.....this was my third trip with the Renegades after riding Easyboots for the last couple of years.

I'm really liking the Renegades.


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## gunslinger (Sep 17, 2011)

toosexy4myspotz said:


> also never let your horse graze on these trails. there are massive amounts of highly toxic plants.
> _Posted via Mobile Device_


Really? I guess I got luck then.....can you elaborate more on this please?


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## phantomhorse13 (Feb 18, 2011)

looks like a fantastic time! thanks for sharing.


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## Missy May (Feb 18, 2012)

gunslinger said:


> Your horse is buried near Cataloochee? What a wonderful place to lay at rest.
> 
> This was really a pretty hassle free trip considering. The Rangers were more than nice and very accommodating, a really good feeling with all the controversy surrounding horses in the park.
> 
> ...


Yes, as the crow flies his grave is about 6 or 7 miles...but winding around to get to catalooche, even going in from Cove Creek (which I have done w a horse trailer, and so do _not _recommend) doubles or more the distance. He is buried in an exceptionally beautiful spot w a fantasic view. He deserved that.

Don't say that...your wife can make it! It was the cold that use get to me. I don't "do" wet-cold. Once I got so wet and cold in there that my hands "locked -up" whilst I was trying to untack. Just keep her warm!!! Aside from the trees, I would never go in w/o a "tight group" and good horses for a several day trip, no..uh uh. Sure is a blast, though, ain't it!?!

Interesting that the renegades did so well...I would almost have been inclined to go bare all the way around for the "slick" stuff. I guess the boots do provide traction.  I just sent for an easyboot fit kit for the "wide" sizes - her foot is roundish. I am going to get the new "back country" model. The "trail" ones I have do fantastic over rocks...and I do mean - _rrrrocks_. I figured if the round sizes fit better, I might as well try the "new" model.


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## gunslinger (Sep 17, 2011)

Interesting....the Land of Enchantment......I was thinking that was New Mexico. So you live near Waynesville or Maggie Valley I take it.....?

Had I known, I would have invited you you ride along with us....


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## Barrelracer00 (Sep 9, 2012)

So happy to see this! Since my horse is taking a break on barrel racing, we're going to make the end of this year-2013 a trail riding year, trail riding as much as we can. Thanks so much for this, I live in NC and I'll defiantly put this on my list for places to trail ride.


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## Missy May (Feb 18, 2012)

gunslinger said:


> Interesting....the Land of Enchantment......I was thinking that was New Mexico. So you live near Waynesville or Maggie Valley I take it.....?
> 
> Had I known, I would have invited you you ride along with us....


Haha! I do live in New Mexico..although western NC is pretty enchanting. My family is from the Wayesville/Clyde area. I have spent a lot of time there, own property there, yada, yada. I always intended to move there, perminantly. I was raised in the desert and spent most of my life in it...that is my only explanation for having developed a problem w trees.  I've also been on a couple of the annual waggon trains there (they start out in the area), they follow a historical trail (can't remember the official name of it), waggon master makes sure you are up before sun-up  and it ends in a parade...lasts about 9 days - goes all over You don't have to go in a waggon, of course. If you can ever make that it is a HOOT and a half!


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## gunslinger (Sep 17, 2011)

This is the allergy capital of the country I think....I've read that the southern Appalachians make up the second most diverse ecosystem in the world, following only the Amazon Rain Forest in the number of plants and animals found in the region.

Barrelracer00 the Smoky's claim to have 850 miles of trails.....you'll have to hustle to get them all rode in a year! 

While I was there several people told me the Big Creek horse camp is a great place to ride out of as they have potable water and flush toilets.....


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## toosexy4myspotz (Oct 7, 2007)

i will dig threw my file cabinet when get back from our trip this weekend and list the different plant species and where they are dominate located at. i was warned the first time i ever went and got lucky to get informed of the different plants.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Missy May (Feb 18, 2012)

I never had an allergy there, or anywhere, actually. I would trade allergies for what I "developed".  I can't handle being surrounded by dense forests of deciduos trees. I cannot see the horizon and there is only one color - shades of green. So, I figure if I cannot get "over it" in my "second home" w family and friends...it will never go away, and I will never ride in the Smokeys again.


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## gunslinger (Sep 17, 2011)

There are many who move to places such as Arizona looking for relief.


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## Missy May (Feb 18, 2012)

gunslinger said:


> There are many who move to places such as Arizona looking for relief.


Really? Do you mean from allergies or from the trees themselves?


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## gunslinger (Sep 17, 2011)

From Allergies...

Funny, I was raised with all the green, lived in El Paso for awhile and thought, nothing but brown and grey....

I never really thought much about someone only seeing Tennessee or NC as only green.

If you come in the winter do the trees still bother you?


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## Missy May (Feb 18, 2012)

gunslinger said:


> From Allergies...
> 
> Funny, I was raised with all the green, lived in El Paso for awhile and thought, nothing but brown and grey....
> 
> ...


I haven't been back east in the winter since I got this "condition" - but I think it would help w/o the leaves..and be all nice and grey like. 

I have heard people in the desert that are from back east say they are homesick for some "green" and, as you said, the desert is brown or grey - just dirt and rocks. Its _so odd_ how people see two entirely different things! I see every color in the spectrum in the desert and "textures", not "dirt and rocks". And, ya can't miss that big glowing ball at sunset!

I fair better in my "second home" (western NC) than any other deciduos forested area. The trees _feel_ "cleaner" - which I _know_ sounds nutters - and I can get on a ridge line and "see". If I get near new growth forests w massive undergrowth somewhere that is hot and humid - I will, literally, get on the next thing smok'n and headed in the direction of home. 

W NC is _fantastic_ horse country, though...none better, really. Sometimes I feel bad for my mare that there are no "green hills" and streams for her here. She was pastured there for a bit. She doesn't mind trees.


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