Thursday, October 16, 2014
Summiting Mt. LeConte in Great Smokey Mountains
Alum Cave
Trail to summit of Mt LeConte, GSMNP
Rounding
a bend on New Found Gap Road, we knew we had reached our destination -- the Alum
Cave trailhead in the GSMNP. Cars were parked up and down the two-lane parkway
as overflow from the trailhead parking lot giving evidence to the popularity of
this trail. I found a space on the
shoulder of the road for my car and we joined the throng of hikers seeking to summit
Mt. LeConte on a beautiful fall Saturday morning.
Stepping
off at the trailhead we were lockstep and Indian-file with some 20 other
hikers, soon each small group adjusted to their own stride and the path cleared
as if our trail-mates were absorbed into the foliage. This first stretch of trail up to Arch Rock
is relatively flat and parallels the shallow Alum Cave Creek. After 1.3-miles we arrived at Arch Rock,
located at the junction of Alum Cave Creek and Styx Branch, and is a natural arch
which you climb up through aided by steps hewn into the stone.
From the
arch look forward to gaining approximately 700-ft as you climb the next mile to
Alum Cave, actually an overhang that was once a saltpeter mine. On this leg of the hike you start finding
cable strung on the cliff faces to assist in your climb. The path becomes rockier and with the knurled
tree roots protruding from the ground, makes footing perilous on the narrow
cliff hanging paths. Here is where you
really breakout of the forest and get the first of many awe inspiring views of
the mountains.
This
stretch of trail is probably the most impressive as your climb takes you higher
than the surrounding peaks and you find yourself in the mist that that is the
namesake of the Great Smokies. Here the
trail is steep and narrow but the views are breathtaking as you seem to hike
in and out of the clouds.
With the
fog closing in, the view from the summit was obscured. We made our way to the lodge, grabbed a quick
snack, refilled our canteen, and took a quick rest before sticking our head
into the “lodge office.” The office
consists of two rooms separated by a half door.
The large room has some rocking chairs and a pot belly stove and the
smaller room is a store room where they sell t-shirts and sign guests into the
lodge.
Mt.
LeConte is one of the highest peaks in the Appalachian Mtns cresting at 6593-ft
above sea level. To reach the summit
from Alum Cave Trail, you have to climb 2763-ft and hike 5.5-miles from the
trailhead on New Found Gap Road. The Park Service gives this trail its highest
difficulty rating of STRENUOUS, and I must say it most definitely earned its
rating! Other than the stacked stone summit,
there are three major attractions on the trail: Arch Rock, Alum Cave and
LeConte Lodge.
Stepping
off at the trailhead we were lockstep and Indian-file with some 20 other
hikers, soon each small group adjusted to their own stride and the path cleared
as if our trail-mates were absorbed into the foliage. This first stretch of trail up to Arch Rock
is relatively flat and parallels the shallow Alum Cave Creek. After 1.3-miles we arrived at Arch Rock,
located at the junction of Alum Cave Creek and Styx Branch, and is a natural arch
which you climb up through aided by steps hewn into the stone.
I was
impressed with the arch and it reminded me of the Stone Door at South
Cumberland State Park. The navigation of
the steep steps are aided by a cable railing embedded in the side of the
arch. In wet weather these steps can be
tricky, especially going down them on the return leg of the hike.
From the
cave you circle Peregrine Peak and cross the ridgeline, switching the scenery
from the left to your right and giving ample views of Huggins Hell, a
steep-picturesque gulch. Here you
parallel Huggins Hell for a good distance until you come upon a staircase that
doubles you back and marks the final climb of over a mile to LeConte Lodge.
Eventually
the trail levels and turns from the cliff face where you enter a path through
the forest that ultimately come to a clearing that is LeConte Lodge. Here is
how the guide books describe LeConte Lodge, “…is the highest guest lodge in the eastern United
States. It is accessible only by hiking
and consists of hand-built roughhewn log cabins with propane heat, kerosene
lanterns, clean linens and warm wool blankets. Hearty meals are served family style in the
dining room.”
With the
fog closing in, the view from the summit was obscured. We made our way to the lodge, grabbed a quick
snack, refilled our canteen, and took a quick rest before sticking our head
into the “lodge office.” The office
consists of two rooms separated by a half door.
The large room has some rocking chairs and a pot belly stove and the
smaller room is a store room where they sell t-shirts and sign guests into the
lodge.
It was
getting up into the day and we had the return 5.5-miles of downhill hiking
still ahead of us, so we stepped off on the return leg of the hike. Though the trail obstacles were still in
place, and our bodies were tired, the back leg proved much easier and we
encountered few hikers on the return leg.
The
daylight was starting to fade as we completed the eleventh mile of the out-and-back trail. It had been a long day and
were definitely tired, but had succeeded in making it to the summit of Mt.
LeConte and had experienced some of the wonderment that is the Great Smokey
Mountains.
