Unique things at Injun Creek

We've hiked along the unmarked Injun Creek Trail in the Big Greenbrier area of the Smokies several times. It is always an enjoyable walk and once again I marvel at how different a place can look in each season here. Last time we did this trail was in September, fully green and lush and we saw two bears. Now, just before spring, it is quite naked and dead looking.
There are some very interesting sights along the creek. An unexpected one this time was a large pair of men's tighty-whitey drawers hanging from a tree. Ew. Okay, moving quickly along.
One of the 'permanent' sights along the way is an enormous rock pile. It, along with a few smaller piles nearby, must have been the result of land clearing for farming purposes. It measures over 8 feet tall, and you'll note in the video that it actually is a stack of smaller rocks on top of one large rock.
Not only did the person/people who stacked it do a tough job, they did that job with skill and style and more than a little artistry, if you ask me :-)

Further along the trail is a small side-trip to McCarter Cemetery, a tiny, mossy spot on a little ridgetop. Beautiful and peaceful.







After passing backcountry campsite 32, uphill a bit until you reach the wreck of an old steam engine in the creek. How difficult to visualize a logging locomotive running these twisting, narrow routes.... not so shocking that one could get out of control and topple off the tracks!