Maude’s Crack and No Business Backpack

We had a great backpack! In spite of Saturday’s early rain and gloom, the weather front had moved out and the sun was shining by the time we hit the trail. The temperature remained very comfortable for the entire trip.

The trailhead was located somewhere in the maze of gravel forest roads that wind deep into the Big South Fork. We started hiking near Terry Cemetery on a relatively flat trail along the Big South Fork plateau.

At the trailhead. From left, Kim, John, Ed and Steve.

Me, starting down Maude’s Crack

Within the first mile, we hit Maude’s Crack, our passageway down to No Business valley. Many mountain landmarks are named by (for) past residents and Maude’s Crack is no exception. The generally accepted story is that the crack was named for Minnie Maude Roysdon who, after her house burned down, used the crack to travel between her homestead and the temporary rock shelter that she and her husband lived in during reconstruction.

A recent Knoxville News Sentinel article by Morgan Simmons, says “being in Maude’s Crack is not unlike being in a cave. The footing is muddy and slick, and the gradient is nearly vertical.” Boy, amen to that! The opening in the rock formation was barely wide enough for us to get through wearing our internal frame packs. We absolutely could not turn sideways. Steve, who was shouldering an external frame pack, had to carry it in his hands because the frame was too wide.

I put my camera over my shoulder and took this picture of John. You can barely see the light behind him where the crack begins.

Will (in front) and Kim preparing to exit out of the crack. I, for one, was really happy to be out!

We continued on the trail for a while and finally stopped on the river banks of the Big South Fork River to enjoy lunch amidst the wildflowers.

Kim and Will enjoying lunch

Giant Yellow Trillium

Woodland Violet

My favorite flower is the violet. As a child I use to make bouquets from violets in the yard. These days, I wait as long as possible before spring mowing so I can enjoy the rich purple blooms (yes, I have a yard full of violets).

This is a piece of foundation from one of the homesteads that once dotted the No Business Creek community. The rugged mountain community consisted of a homes, a small store and a post office. Mail was delivered by a postman on horse back. The name of the community is rumored to come from the often heard comment “we have No Business being down here.”

Steve headed up the trail (actually he is turned around looking backward), We have just crossed No Business Creek for the 3rd or 4th time.

John and me in camp, under the tarp. At 4:00 PM, just as we pitched our tents and set up the tarp, it started raining again. It rained for a while then quit before bedtime. We stayed nice and dry.
Our tent along No Business Creek. We were camped just on the other side of another home site in the No Business Creek Community.

Sunday morning, John made a fine breakfast of sweet potato pancakes and bacon. The bacon was the precooked variety so we has no refrigeration issues. Yummy!

Our hike out included a stop at the Boyette homestead. The Boyette home was the last one in valley and on one of the nicest tracts of land in the community.

Ed sitting on the Boyette homestead foundation. Rocks from the foundation, pieces of rock wall and the incredible chimney are the only remnants of a life once lived here.