The Midday Rambler: Stairway to Heaven

This is our first reader-submitted hike, and I must say it is worth the effort. A reader named Carrie reached out and suggested Whitehouse Cliffs Trail at Rocky Fork State Park, and I'm glad she did. She warned me it was strenuous, but the view at the top is spectacular. Carrie was right on both counts. It's early in the series, but this trail is an instant contender as the most difficult hike I've been on. Do you think you're in shape? If you take this trail on, you're about to find out. Hike: Whitehouse Cliffs Trail Location: Lamar Alexander Rocky Fork State Park Distance: 2 miles The Prep You need plenty of water. I also suggest walking sticks and footwear that offers both ankle support and good tread on the bottom. Another thing I'd consider would be bear spray. There are signs a Rocky Fork indicating elevated bear activity in the park, and that is going to be the case a lot of places this time of year. In fact, I ran into a black bear near Tip Top on Buffalo Mountain last week. On my way up to Tip Top, I noticed branches with green leaves littering the trail. These branches came from a tree with small berries, which set off an alarm. Sure enough, on my return down the trail, the smell hit me before I saw him. Bears have a distinct odor, and you'll know it when you smell it. I paused, looked around the next corner and saw a juvenile black bear sitting on the trail eating the berries from a freshly torn branch. Once he noticed me, he skedaddled off into the brush. Black bears will give you a wide berth, but a little bear spray isn't a bad idea just in case. When you get to the park, follow the road until you get to the turnoff for the parking area on the left. It is clearly marked. You'll follow a gravel road to a small parking lot located at the various trail heads. There is plenty of signage to get you to Whitehouse Cliffs Trail. The Price The price is steep, pun intended. Over the course of one mile, you gain almost 1,000 feet of elevation. You start at 2,400 feet at the trailhead and end up at Whitehouse Knob, which is 3,335 above sea level. According to Carrie, a group of volunteers hand-built the trail back in 2019, and they did a fantastic job. The climb is steep, but the rock and log steps you'll find along the way give you something solid to step up on as you wind your way up the trail. The litmus test to see if you're ready for this hike can be found in any gym. If you can do a lot of step ups onto 12" or 18" plyometric boxes, this hike is for you. If you have short legs, lack stability or experience joint discomfort on tall step ups, you might want to sit this one out. The Payoff I spent most of the hike thinking Carrie had it out for me, but once I got to Whitehouse Knob, I was thanking her for suggesting this. What you find on top of Whitehouse Knob is silence and serenity. You get a view in all directions of unspoiled wilderness that is well worth all the work. Taking a few moments atop Whitehouse Knob is a relaxing experience. It amazes me how much natural beauty we have all around us, and this spot is Exhibit A. The Verdict Difficulty: 4.3 In my mind, Whitehouse Cliffs Trail edges out The Noggin at Buffalo Mountain Park as the toughest hike I've been on. I measure the intensity of a hike using my average heart rate and my average mile time. At 2.8 miles, the Noggin is a slightly longer hike, but it isn't as intense for the entire duration. There's a bench at the quarter-mile mark, but I promise you'll be pausing quite a bit on the way up. That's just as well, because the natural beauty on every step of this hike deserves to be soaked in. If you have any pictures from this hike or know of a hike you think I should go on, send me them along to me at: dongie@sixriversmedia.com. Previous Hikes The Noggin - Buffalo Mountain Park Upper White Rocks Loop to Huckleberry Knob and Sunset Point - Buffalo Mountain Park