The Students from REDCAR take a break to camp and hike in the Big South Fork National Park in Tennessee
After a week of intensive instruction and laboratory work on "Robotics", the students wanted to walk away from it all. So we did! The time was mid-February (1999), and we didn't know what weather to expect. Cool weather, overcast skies and a touch of snow made the English lads feel at home. Following are shots of the overnight camp/hike. These photos are rather large. Unfortunately, the collection takes a while to load. So go get a text on robotics and study up a little while they are loading!
First a caution from the sign for the group before entering the area!
Near our destination, the remote Charit
Creek Lodge, we crossed Charit Creek.
Charit Creek Lodge came into view in the little valley. No electricity there, but shelter from the weather.
So the 12 Redcar students, their leader, and four Cleveland State (TN) interpreters wandered into the lodge.
Some of the Tennessee types immediately sought out the dining area...
while students from Redcar were nestled snug in their bunks.
A clear starry night was enjoyed, then in the morning a light snow accompanied a small 3 mile round trip hike to a set of natural arches.
After returning to the lodge from the arch hike, all the overnight gear and uneaten food (there didn't seem to be any of that) were gathered up and packed another mile back up the hill to the vans. We were on our way to the Honey Creek hike elsewhere in the Big South Fork. This is a rugged 6 mile rock scramble, ladder climb and bush whack. As we dropped into the gorge of the Big South Fork, the rock bluffs started offering small shelters.
The bluffs got taller.
The steams got bolder.
And the trail got more narrow.
The Tennessee "leaders" fell further and further back.
Yes, the British lads beat us out of the Big South Fork gorge by about an hour. But we were all rewarded with great views of the river. The Big South Fork River looking upstream.
And the same river from the same spot looking downstream.

We all enjoyed a great adventure in the Cumberlands of Tennessee. We hope to have more joint instruction, cultural and adventure exchanges in the future with our friends at Redcar and Cleveland College in Redcar, England. We hear the moors there offer great hiking, too.

Here is a link back to the Cleveland State (Tennessee) homepage.


To contact Redcar and Cleveland College, e-mail Neil Walker, who led the group to Tennessee this February. He is the contact from England for this college exchange program. Both groups look forward to many more such opportunities in the future. Thank you to everyone who helped make this program possible and contributed to its success.


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