Daddy-Daughter Weekend (Cohutta Wilderness)

Had a great weekend! Pulled out of Hattiesburg at 4am Friday morning headed to the Cohutta Wilderness. Savannah and I had our last sit down meal (lunch) at Angela's Homestyle Restaurant in Cleveland TN. Following the Ocoee River to Ducktown we headed into the wilderness on eight miles of gravel roads. Dally Gap is the trailhead for Hemp Top Trail and the southern end of the Jacks River Trail. We took off down the Jacks River Trail and made it to our first river crossing two and a half miles in. Pulled off the boots and put on the water shoes. Crossed the river and a ¼ mile further down we found the perfect camping spot (on the other side of the river). Settled down early and prepared supper. Beef Stroganoff is an outstanding camping meal. Pitched the tarp and hammock and spent the night listening to the river gurgle nearby.
Saturday morning brought pancakes and bacon and thoughts of wet feet. Putting on the water shoes we head down the river toward our next stop. After many crossings we arrive at Penitentiary Branch. While having our lunch (Spam & Ritz) a large group shows up and starts setting up camp. We stash our packs and go down river to Jacks River Falls We enjoyed the falls for a while and headed back upriver to Penitentiary Branch. Not wanting to camp near the large group we moved down to Lost Branch and set up camp. It was such a beautiful day we didn’t even pitch the tarp for the night. Tuna Etouffee was on the menu this night. After watching the campfire burn down we collapsed into our sleeping bags. Two dozen river crossings over nine miles make for a long tiring day.
Sunday morning takes us away from the river. We start up the Penitentiary Branch Trail. This trail has a lot of up! By the time lunch (more Spam & Ritz) rolled around we had climbed up 1000 ft. headed for Hemp Top Trail. After lunch and another 300 ft. of elevation change we reach the trail junction near Rock Wall Gap. Hemp Top Trail also doubles with the Benton MacKaye Trail along the Tennessee Valley Divide. Elevation is around 3000-3200 ft. We trek down the relatively flat HTT until we reach the junction with the Benton MacKaye Trail. After a mile or so we reach Peter Cove, our destination for the night. Peter Cove is not prime camping! The flat of the cove was covered in rhododendron. We scrambled up the hillside and found a small flat spot to spread our ground cloth. On another small flat we prepped our supper (teriyaki chicken & noodles). Savannah then tells me before lunch she was footsore and was ready to quit. Lunch perked her up and without telling me she rolled on.
Monday brings our last day. Fried Spam was the breakfast that kicked us off on the trail to the truck. Once in the truck and on the road Savannah fell asleep as I searched diligently for a steakhouse for lunch.