House Mountain Hike #202, 9-9-2025: Acorns Popping Like Popcorn! (published 9-10-2025; article #536)

Introduction

Sandwiched between two great hiking weather days, yesterday's 202nd hike on House Mountain, despite being a cloudier and more humid day, turned out to be rather entertaining! Welcome, fellow outdoors enthusiast, to the 80th entry in the hiking topic section.

In the woods, have you ever heard and seen so many acorns falling at once that they sounded like popcorn popping and looked like ping-pong balls bouncing? Well, I did yesterday afternoon.

First, however, I want to tell you about the hike up and back down the west trail with three photographs. Afterward, I will present the audiovisual clip of hundreds of acorns on one section of trail. I captured the sound of a few that fell. Of course, I interjected a few humorous comments.

The Hike with Three Photographs

After tending to household chores in the morning, cleaning up, and eating my noon meal, my 2006 Frontier took me to the nearby House Mountain State Natural Area. The overcast morning became a mostly cloudy early afternoon. Humid, the temperature was in the mid-to-upper 70s Fahrenheit. Eight vehicles were in the upper parking lot at our arrival.

Hiking Up the West Trail

From the covered picnic area, I started hiking up the west trail at 1:38 PM. Two young ladies were coming down as I started hiking. Only two other hikers descended past me as I hiked up. Otherwise, I was alone, except God was with me, the rest of the way up, at the west bluff, and on the hike back down and out.

At 1:52 PM, I had trekked up the four lower switchbacks and through the lower area. The six upper switchbacks were ahead of me. Eight minutes later, I reached the sixth switchback. From there, it took 12 minutes to hike along the narrow and rocky trail to reach the west bluff. I wiped away buckets of sweat from my forehead.

Acorns were strewn in several places along the trail. At certain sections, they were falling and popping off the ground and rocks all around me. I kept thinking that one would hit Mike's ball cap that was on my head.

At the West Bluff

At 2:12 PM, I touched the rock near the west bluff to check my time. Thirty-four minutes from base to bluff was reasonable for my first hike this fall in the humid warmth. After all, I am 65 years young and in youthful condition, despite the 35 pieces of surgically installed metal in my left shoulder, right knee, and right foot. (This was my 66th hike on the mountain as a “bionic man.”)

After cooling off and taking a leak toward Knoxville, at 2:23 PM, I took the following photograph:

Just before the photograph, I stood on the rock outcropping. The view looks southwest toward Knoxville. As you can tell, it was mostly cloudy at the time. The distant clouds looked like they were drawing up water vapor, a sign of potential rain coming.

Wisdom dictated that I hike back down on the same west trail up which I had hiked. I didn't think it would rain, but I didn't want to chance it.

Hiking Back Down the West Trail

Around 2:25 PM, I started hiking back down and out the same west trail. Wouldn't you know it? The clouds thinned out, and the sun started shining!

The following photograph, taken at 2:33 PM, shows a section of trail just below the ridgeline.

The view looks northeast. That is a narrow trail on a steep slope. Lean toward the mountain, and watch your step!

Once I started down the six upper switchbacks, I saw and heard oak trees dropping acorns again. The sound was like popcorn popping. The view was similar to ping-pong balls bouncing.

At the third upper switchback, I had to stop to take the following photograph at 2:53 PM:

Again, the view looks northwest. Do you see the light yellow-green acorns along the trail? If you can count how many you see, please leave a comment. I didn't try to count them, since they were still falling, popping, and bouncing all around me!

Audiovisual Clip of Acorns Popping Like Popcorn!

Minutes later, at the same switchback, I decided to try to capture the sound in an audiovisual recording using my semi-intelligent (smart) phone. Of course, I had to interject some humor.

Appalachian Irishman – Podcasts (YouTube) presents House Mountain Hike 202, 9-9-2025: Acorns Popping Like Popcorn! (published 9-10-2025; episode 39). In just under two minutes, I tried to catch the sound of acorns popping on the rocks and ground nearby. Did I hear at least two? How many do you hear?

As I said in the episode, if you want some acorns before the squirrels and deer get them, hurry up to House Mountain, and bring a bucket!

Conclusion

Today's weather so far has been mostly sunny and less humid. Why didn't I hike House Mountain today and collect acorns? I had to publish the previously referenced audiovisual clip and write this article. Of course, Wednesdays mean washing white clothes and towels. Being retired, I wind up doing many of the household chores, since the “long-suffering” Mrs. Appalachian Irishman is still working.

Will I hike House Mountain tomorrow, taking along a container to fill with fallen acorns? We will see! Until then, remember, even an hour and 46 minutes in the woods yesterday was better than not having been there!

Y'all take it easy and keep turnin' right and goin' straight out there. Ya hear?