My big hike of this first real trip to Great Smokey Mountains National Park takes me past the Alum Bluffs on my way to the summit of Mount Le Conte. Having camped in Smokemont last night, I wake just before sunrise and after quick trip to the bathroom, start to assess the inconveniences of the rain that fell all night long. Obviously, everything is wet, but other than a little extra time to shake the moisture off, it really doesn't cause any other issues. As I want to get an early start on the trial though, I start to break down camp almost immediately, and by 7:30 AM, I'm driving towards the trailhead.
I passed the trailhead parking area yesterday and it was the most packed place I saw anywhere in the park. It was in the early afternoon though and I'm hopeful that by getting such an early start, I can beat much of the crowd. When I pull in, there are already a lot of cars here, but still plenty of parking is available. I quickly gather my gear and head for the start of the trail.
While it's not currently raining, I'm debating on whether or not I will go all the way to the summit or just stop at the Alum Bluff. I guess we'll see how I feel and how the weather is when I get that far. The trail starts easy enough with a number of creek crossings over constructed bridges, which in most cases are really nothing more than a fallen log with a single rail attached. It's safe enough though and they pose no real issues. Much like my previous hike though, this is pretty much straight up the mountain.
The first truly interesting feature is something referred to by the Park Service as Arch Rock. Here, the trail first crosses one of those single-railed fallen logs and then immediately enters a large naturally-eroded hole into a giant boulder via a winding stone staircase carved through the hole. With the steps extremely wet from last night's rains, I take my time and hold onto the provided steel cable that winds it's way through the rock much like a Bannister would. The passage climbs approximately twenty feet as it winds through the rock and then emerges on the other side. This is actually a really cool feature and definitely makes the trip worth doing all by itself.
A mile or so later, I arrive at the Alum Bluff (or Alum Cave as it also known). It's an interesting feature, but really nothing more than a large overhang. I'm going to choose to call it a bluff instead of a cave. Here, the loose soils have washed out beneath the cliff to form a large covered area. Wooden steps lead up the rather steep approach and several groups have chosen to rest here before returning to their cars or continuing on toward the summit. I'm faced with a similar dilemma. The constant uphill has been pretty taxing, but after a short rest I feel pretty good and besides, if I don't summit today, I'll need to come back here sometime. I choose to push on.
From there the trail gets much more treacherous. Several sections have been carved (whether naturally, by the hand of man, or some combination of the two, I'm unsure in some cases) stone and with the rains, it can be quite slippery. While only a couple of feet wide in some sections and with tall drop offs, steel cables have been wisely installed as hand holds. What I find amazing (or more accurately, unwise) is a number of trail runners who have decided it would be a good morning and a good place for a run. No thanks, I'll play it safe and take my time over this terrain.
The views all along the way through this section are breathtaking. Much like other high places in the park, I'm afforded wonderful views of the rolling green mountains in all directions. In some sections, clouds have taken residence on top of me and almost completely obscure the view, but its actually nice to be able to cool off a bit in the moisture-rich fog.
As I approach the Le Conte Lodge, which is the highest maintained lodge in the eastern US, the trail seems to be something out of Tolkien's work. Mosses and ferns cover the wet ground, while the trail surface itself makes its way through lightly forested areas in a truly magical visual display.
Talking to several other hikers in and around the lodge, no one seems to be sure exactly where the mountains summit is from here. I decide to continue on past the sign for the clifftop viewpoint and the shelter in search of it. Finally, I encounter a couple that informs me the summit is a unimpressive pile of rocks just a short distance further. On the way, I encounter a beautiful doe out searching for some breakfast on this dewy morning. I do quickly come to the pile of rocks they mentioned though, and looking in all directions, I'm pretty sure they were correct and that this is the actual summit. Surrounded by trees and offering no view of the surrounding terrain, it is pretty anticlimactic after such a challenging hike, but still, I reached the summit of the third highest peak in the park.
Before returning to trailhead, I stop at the lodge for a short break and quick snack. The lodge consists of a number of wooden cabins and a kitchen, which unfortunately doesn't start serving food for another hour or so. That said though, I think I will want to return here by a different trail sometime and perhaps stay the night. This seems like it would be a fun adventure.
Making my way down the mountain is about what one would expect, but I do need to take it slowly over the slippery rocks I mentioned earlier and through the Arch Rock. Arriving back at the trail head, I see I've hiked about 11.8 miles and gained and then lost over 3,000' of elevation on this trek. This really was a great hike, both in terms of interesting scenery and a challenging workout. Now onto my next adventure - spending a couple of days in Asheville, NC touring some of the finest craft breweries in the country.
No comments:
Post a Comment