82: Misplaced Jewel
F E N T R E S S C O., T N
In the dense forest of Fentress County, Tennessee – far from an ocean, lake, or even a stream bank - I’m sitting quite comfortably in deep sand. At my back is the concavity of a two-hundred-foot-high cliff. If in Utah, such cliffs would be commonplace; but here in Tennessee, they’re far out of place.
To have arrived in this spot took the connecting of many dots. I drove a rented SUV eight hours last night through two time zones and a dark drizzle. Slept in a cheap motel in the town founded by the Manhattan Project, and which still has nuclear reacting all around. Left that motel very early and drove another two hours before sunrise to grab the lone parking spot at the Mesa Top trailhead. Donned a rain jacket, hiked two miles, and upon arriving at this sandy place, have energetically been flitting about in awe for the past hour. But now, after all that, I’m ready to rest and begin the distillation process. I sit at the base of the amazing Killdeer Arch - Pogue Creek Canyon’s most iconic spot - and let the essence sink in.
This is an extremely unique location and I want to burn a deep memory. I’m ideally positioned to absorb it all. The cliff’s curve amplifies the sounds of natural silence. It’s an auditory delight. On a map, Fentress County is a dark green place, meaning heavily forested and lightly populated. Those qualities have led to an International Dark Sky Places designation. Dark skies also mean quiet places, and here at Pogue, it’s very hushed.
A gentle drizzle begins to fall, but under the cliff’s protective rim, the sand and I stay dry. Peaceful as it is, there’s a touch of unease at this spot. As I look out over the sand, its pock-marked with splashes of fallen pebbles. An up-close inspection of the walls of this cliff reveals the texture. Like chocolate chip ice cream, the otherwise smooth sandstone rock is speckled with pebbles which eventually dislodge and plop harmlessly in the sand. Within the ice cream though are ominous, guillotine-like slabs. Mixed within the pock-marked sand are these larger, fallen daggers - reminders to look up before sitting down at this otherwise peaceful place… and perhaps to hold in sneezes in too.
Two trails lead to Killdeer Arch – one from the lone parking spot and one from a more-central parking lot. On a Sunday in September, I’m surprised – though delighted – that no one else has hiked here yet this morning. I’m temporarily bequeathed sole ownership. This very personal experience fosters clearer thoughts, uncompromised images, a oneness with nature, and unbroken sounds. Solitude is the reward of early risers.
My initial plan was to walk the multiple trails crisscrossing this canyon; however, I make the presumption that this remarkable personal experience at Killdeer is the sweet spot. I’ve burned a deep memory here and feel no need to experience more. Such conclusions are a rarity for me. I perpetually want to look around the next bend. But I’m perfectly content confining my Pogue Creek Canyon experience to the awe of Killdeer.
As I was planning this excursion and trying to find a Tennessee addition to the list of Nature Conservancy (TNC) properties I’m collecting, the description of Pogue separated if from the rest. Too enticing not to visit. Reminiscent of America’s canyons of the Southwest. (They had me at Southwest.) Strip most of the vegetation out of this canyon and you’re in Utah; two vastly different worlds otherwise.
TNC also accurately describes this place as an ecological and geological jewel. Before even returning home, a friend asked where Pogue ranks on my list - a question that often perplexes. In the moment, I stumbled through an answer, knowing deeper contemplation was needed. And now, weeks later, away from the glow of the moment, that contemplation has led to this: Pogue is one of the very shiniest jewels in my collection, and definitely worth connecting any and all the dots that lead there.
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