“DEVIL'S NOSE,” by WINNIE SEALS (published 5-1-2022; article #317)

Introduction

The first article today was a rough draft that I finished finally. This is the second rough draft that I am finishing today.

The fourth anniversary of the passing of my mother-in-law (Phyllis Ann House Gordon, 4/10/1941 - 4/30/2017) was yesterday. The celebratory article that I published yesterday helped Mrs. Appalachian Irishman and her family survive the sad memory of my mother-in-law's passing.

One of the four subsections, in the first article today, is about the CHS Yearbook. I was too late to have my website advertised in the 2022 Yearbook. I did donate the price of a Yearbook, so that a student, who could not afford one, could have one. Winnie (Winn) Seals and I conversed by phone, on 3/29/2022, as folks from Hawkins County Tennessee do. She is a teacher at Cherokee High School and a member of their Yearbook staff.

We both have an interest in Devil's Nose – in Hawkins County. The Topic Section, Devil's Nose, has five articles that I have published, over the years.

Winnie (Winn) Seals emailed me her painting of Devil's Nose, in two images, and her poem, “Devil's Nose.” She granted me permission, on 3/29/2022, to publish her painting and poem, citing her full name, in a future article, once I got around to writing it. Well, Winn, here it is! I will email you after I publish this article, as I promised, on 3/29/2022!

Winn Seals' Devil's Nose Painting

In her second email of 3/29/2022, Winnie (Winn) Seals wrote, “Here is my work from Devil's Nose Inspiration.” I am inspired. I hope that my readers are.

Winn Seals' “Devil's Nose” Poem

Devil’s Nose

Sunlight breaks through the clouds
Revealing a mountain peak.
Sloping up from the valley below.
A crooked nose
Seen from far away.

At the foot of the summit
The valley hovers in its shadow.

Over two centuries ago
When the valley was settled
Folks made the climb.

The long trek up the bridge of the nose
Ascends in a challenging slant.
Crosses a shallow stream.
     Clamber.
          Stumble.
               A rugged trail.

Near the top of the trail
It ends in a flat surface.
     Peaceful.
          Tranquil.
               God’s place.

An early traveler once asked,
“What’s the mountain's name?”
The mountain pioneer replied,
“The Devil knows.”

– Winn Ann Seals

How Devil's Nose got its name is a mystery. One theory is in Winnie Seals' poem. The mountain, viewed from the east, looks like a crooked nose, as Winn's poem mentions. Another theory is that someone hiked Devil's Nose and never returned. The question, many decades ago, was, “Where did he go?” The reply was, “Only the devil knows.”

I started tracking my hiking record, on 4/23/2000. It lists ten hikes on Devil's Nose, from 2/16/2002 to 11/29/2013. My “bionic” life that started on 3/29/2016 has forestalled my next hike on Devil's Nose – for now!

Conclusion

When will I hike Devil's Nose again? God only knows!

Thank you, Winnie Seals, for allowing me to share your painting and poem on my website. It took me a while to get to it, in the context of “life, such as it was.” You are welcome to reprint or publish this article, by any means, as you desire. Let's get a group together, for a Devil's Nose hike, this fall!

As of today, I now have six “Devil's Nose” articles in that Topic Section!

Devil's Nose Hiking Record, So Far, from 2/16/2002 to 11/29/2013 (published 11-15-2020)

11/29/2013 photograph by M. Fearghail standing on the east bluff on Devil's Nose looking southeast. The image is also included in the 1/1/2014 article.

 

Introduction

Three days ago, a reader from Louisiana, with whom I became acquainted, emailed me. He wanted to know about my hikes on Devil’s Nose. Several years ago, he hiked Devil's Nose with a group on Thanksgiving Day. The gentleman seemed to be a fine feller! He inspired me to publish this article about my hikes on Devil’s Nose, each within the context of life at the time.

The following is a redaction of my email reply today to the gentleman from Louisiana. I edited it for style and added additional remarks. His personal information is removed.

I hope by reading this article that you are inspired to go hiking! A day in the woods adds a day to your life!

11/15/2020 Email Reply

Thank you for your 11/12/2020 email, and I am grateful for your interest in my website journal. I’m glad to “meet” you in this manner!

I haven’t been brave enough to hike Devil’s Nose since my last hike “up the Nose” on Friday, 11/29/2013. (The 1/1/2014 article is about that hike and includes 12 photographs.) I don’t have plans to “hike the Nose” this year, unless they change. The 8/26/2016 article “I’m Still Alive – Why?” explains why I haven’t hiked Devil’s Nose in a while.

I grew up in Hawkins County. During our elementary and high school years, a friend, with whom I still keep in touch, had an uncle who owned property at the southwest base of Devil’s Nose. My friend, another friend, the younger brothers of two of us, and I hiked Devil’s Nose an uncountable number of times from the late 1960s until the late 1970s. I have many memories of those hikes!

Eventually, I educated myself formally and got married. My wife and I lived in Missouri (1986–1994) and then in Russia (1994–1999). We returned to northeast Tennessee in late 1999. Since then, my public journal and commentary have included several details about life. (A search by “Mom” will find several key articles.)

On 4/23/2000, I started keeping a hiking log. My hikes on Devil’s Nose since that date total the following ten (so far):

(1) 02/16/2002, Saturday, with two of my three younger brothers and my youngest brother’s wife.

(2) 11/30/2002, Saturday, with the same family members as on 2/16/2002. We “hiked the Nose” twice in the same year! We had to skip 2003 for various reasons.

(3) 11/26/2004, Friday, with my youngest brother and his wife. I took two photographs.

(4) 11/25/2005, Friday, with my youngest brother only. I have one photograph.

(5) 11/24/2006, Friday, with my youngest brother. The hike was dedicated to our mother, who was born on 11/24/1932. Mom “went to see Jesus” on 12/27/2000. I took 23 photographs.

(6) 11/23/2007, Friday, by myself. No one else could hike with me. My notes from that hike: First time to hike alone. 11 AM-3:40 PM. 50 minutes to hike up to the west bluff. It took 45 minutes to hike across the ridge. 45 minutes at the east bluff. 45 minutes back to the west bluff. 35 minutes to hike down and out. A little white and black dog followed me. The weather was partly cloudy, breezy, and in the 40s. I took eight photographs. An additional note: On 1/25/2008, Dad joined Mom. This marked the last hike that Dad saw me leave the homeplace to hike and return after the hike.

(7) 11/28/2009, Saturday, with my youngest brother. My notes from that hike: 10:45 AM–4:15 PM. It took one hour to hike up the west trail and one hour to hike across the ridge. One and a half hours at the east bluff. It took an hour to hike the ridge back to the west bluff. We took 45 minutes to hike back down and out. A black dog followed us. The weather was sunny and in the 60s. I took nine photographs. This hike is mentioned in the 12/12/2009 article and includes two photographs.

(8) 11/27/2010, Saturday, with my youngest brother. My notes from that hike: 10:15 AM–3:45 PM. It took one and a half hours to hike up to the west bluff and one and a quarter hours across the ridge. We were an hour and a half at the east bluff. We took an hour to hike back to the west bluff and forty-five minutes to hike down and out. The weather went from sunny to cloudy and back to sunny. The temperature was in the low 40s. I took 21 photographs. The 11/28/2010 article is about this hike. It includes 10 of the 21 photographs that I took.

(9) 11/25/2011, Friday, with my youngest brother. My notes from that hike: 10:15 AM–4:00 PM. We took an hour and a half to hike up to the west bluff. It took an hour to hike east on the ridge. We enjoyed an hour and a half at the east bluff. It took an hour to hike back west on the ridge. Hiking down and out took 45 minutes. The weather was clear, warm, and in the 60s. I have 21 total photographs.

(10) 11/29/2013, Friday, with my youngest brother. My notes from that hike: This was my tenth hike on Devil's Nose that is recorded in my hiking log. 11 AM–4:30 PM. I didn't record the time that it took to hike up, across, back, and down. The weather was clear and about 45 degrees Fahrenheit. Snow was still on the north slope and on the ridge. I photographed bobcat tracks! On the east bluff, we met a former son-in-law of a first cousin, his daughter, and others! (Using ropes, they had hiked up the steeper east trail.) I took 12 photographs. The 1/1/2014 article is about this hike and includes all the photographs.

Thank you again, my newly found hiking friend and distant neighbor, for your email. I will publish a section of this email, without your name mentioned, on my website. Thank you for inspiring me to write another article about hiking!

I trust that you have accepted the Good Lord’s salvation and are living accordingly. This world is a training ground for our everlasting home. Can you imagine hiking in heaven? I can! Will it not be great? If we don’t meet here, I’ll enjoy a heavenly hike with you eventually!

Kindest regards, in Him,

Marion W. Ferrell

PS: On my website, I write under my pen name, Merrion Fearghail. From Gaelic, Merrion means “brave man,” and Fearghail, my ancestral clan from County Longford, means “man of valor.”

Conclusion

I hope that this article inspires you to hike! As I've said many times, a day in the woods adds a day to your life!

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Devil's Nose, 11-29-2013 Hike (published 1-1-2014)

Devil’s Nose, in Hawkins County, Tennessee, is the highest peak, at its saddle, in the county. How it is named? I have heard two stories. From the east, the mountain looks like a crooked nose coming out of the ground. The other story is that someone got lost on the mountain and never returned. Someone asked, “Where is he?” The answer was, “Only the devil knows.”

This Appalachian Irishman has hiked Devil’s Nose, since his high school days. A friend's uncle owned property, at the southwest base of the mountain. We boys would hike up “the Nose” from his property. Later owners still allow us to hike from the same property. In 2002, I began keeping record, of my usual annual hikes up “the Nose.”

My 10th hike up Devil’s Nose, since 2002, was on 11/29/2013. The weather was cool and clear – almost perfect. If it had been a little cooler, as in 20F or so, the weather would have been perfect.

In recent years, only my youngest brother has been brave enough, to venture up “the Nose” with me. The following are photographs from our 11/29/2013 hike.

The first two are of my brother and me, at what he calls “the Samson Rock.” This is a rock formation, as we hike up the southwest side.

The next photograph is of my youngest brother, climbing in his favorite tree on the ridge, heading east. He likes to have his photograph taken in this tree every year!

It had snowed the day before, on Thanksgiving, and snow was still on the ground, on the ridge and on the north side of the mountain. We found fox and bobcat tracks on the ridge. The next photograph looks like fox tracks.

 

This next photograph looks like a set of bobcat tracks.

The next two photographs are heading east on the ridge. This is the first time that I can remember hiking, with snow on the mountain.

The next three photographs are taken from the east bluff, looking south and southeast. A group of four hikers came up the treacherous east side, using rope and hooks, while we were on the bluff. One was a nine-year-old girl, who is the great granddaughter of my uncle Carson and aunt Hazel Ferrell! (Can you figure out how she and I are related exactly?) This young girl certainly has some Appalachian Irish blood in her!

The next two photographs are the traditional “standing on the bluff” images, of my youngest brother and me.

Lord willing, I want to hike Devil’s Nose every year, the Friday or Saturday after Thanksgiving, as a memorial to my mother, whose birthday was on November 24th, 1932.

Devil's Nose Tradition: 11/27/2010 Hike (published 11-28-2010)

My grade school and high school friend, Bill, had an uncle, Walter, who lived and owned land at the southwest base of Devil’s Nose, in my beloved and native Hawkins County. Bill, his brother, my brother Clark, another friend Randy, and I went “up the Nose,” from “uncle Walter’s” land, back in those days a few times.

Some things change. Some remain. “Uncle Walter” is gone, but a descendant still lives in his old homeplace. Now, at least, my youngest brother, Doug, and I “hike the Nose,” on the Friday or Saturday after Thanksgiving every year, as a tradition, since Mom’s passing in December 2000. I have kept records from 2001 forward. To make up for not going after Thanksgiving in 2001, Doug, his wife, my next-to-youngest brother, Arthur, and I hiked in February of 2002. Since then, at least Doug and I have hiked every year, except in 2003 and 2008. Well, I hiked alone in 2007.

Devil’s Nose stands alone, rising about 2,300 feet, with a ridge running west to east, south of the Clinch Mountain range. Years ago, I heard two origins for the name. Viewing the mountain from the east, it looks like a craggy nose coming out of the ground. Another option is that a man, long ago, went into the mountain and never came out. When asked, “Where did he go?” Someone replied, “The devil knows.”

Regardless of how named, Devil’s Nose calls, at least once a year, and my brother and I must answer. I enjoy the woods and the solitude. The east bluff unfolds a spectacular view of the valley below. Hiking in the woods clears my mind, heals my soul, and rejuvenates my body. Looking down from above, my mind expands, and the minute issues of daily life take perspective. A man needs to answer the call.

My youngest brother and I hiked “the Nose,” on Saturday, 11/27/2010. The first two photographs show Devil's Nose from the south. Can you see the hawk in the close-up of the east bluff?

The next two photographs are from the southwest side, which we go up to get to the west side of the ridge. Make your own trail most of the way. At one point, climb over the rocks, pulling and crawling your way up! Do you see the icicles? The valley temperature was in the upper 30’s in the morning. The ridge was colder!

The following photograph is facing east, near the east bluff, along the ridge. We’re almost there! You can follow an animal trail part of the way, but you must mostly find your own way. Isn’t that true in life too?

The next three photographs are on the east bluff. A persimmon tree was still ripe, and we enjoyed its fruit. Just don’t eat it before it’s ripe! I made a small fire from damp leaves, pine needles, and twigs. Of course, the Appalachian Irishman had to strip down to his T-shirt in the cool weather!

The final two photographs look toward the southern valley, below the mountain. What views! The camera does not well capture the view that the mind retains!

You know, if the weather allows, I might just need to see who will “hike up the Nose” with me around Christmas this year!

Recent Hikes on House Mountain & Devil's Nose (published 12-12-2009)

Hiking is this Appalachian Irishman’s escape from the trappings of work and modern society. Living a harder but simpler life in the wilderness of Appalachia 150 to 200 years ago appeals to the imagination.

The following are eight photographs from recent hikes on House Mountain in Knox County, where the Appalachian Irishman is forced to live, by economic necessity, at the moment, and Devil’s Nose, in the Appalachian Irishman’s native and beloved Hawkins County. Enjoy the views!

The five, below, are from House Mountain, looking southeast, then northwest, from two bluffs. I took the photographs during my hike, on 12/5/2009. For previous entries about House Mountain, read My Mountain, House Mountain Winterland, and Best-Dressed Hiker.

The following three are from Devil’s Nose. The first, taken before my solo hike, on 11/23/2007, shows the mountain from the south. The other two, taken during the hike, on 11/28/2009, with my youngest brother, show the views, looking south, from the eastern bluff. For a previous article about Devil’s Nose, read Devil's Nose Mountain, Hawkins County.

Devil's Nose Mountain, Hawkins County (published 3-7-2006; article #2)

Ah, so relaxing, the view from the eastern bluff of Devil's Nose in my beloved Hawkins County! Get away from the trappings of modern life and wonder how you would have lived 150 or 200 years ago! The crunch of the leaves underfoot, the smell of the cool fall air, and the beauty of the clear autumn sky invigorate the soul, making the struggle through the briars not too aggravating.

Yes, yes, my inaugural article (of yesterday, 3/6/2006) was a bit salty, an overstatement for effect in my political persona. But this true Appalachian native enjoys the woods, hiking, camping, fishing, and hunting. He yearns for simpler times, when families lived and farmed together. You knew your neighbors, and they honestly cared for you. Times were hard, yes, but modern conveniences would not have been missed then, since they weren't around. People worked with their hands, staying better fit than today's “couch pizza.” (The potato, being an Irish staple, gets a bad rap. It is rather nutritious!) Churches were not mega, big business conglomerates but small, rural spiritual families.

Okay, okay, I am romanticizing a bit, yes, but do you not feel the temptation to go back? What say you?