#solomonmaxx

Hiking the Appalachian Trail - May 3, 2015

This weekend we did not hike a section of the AT, but instead, we hiked Alum Cave trail up to the Mt. LeConte Lodge, where we stayed the night at the highest lodge in the Smoky Mountains. Five miles up. Five miles down. 6594 foot elevation.

It was my third time hiking up to LeConte and staying in the lodge, but this particular trek was my younger cousin's first time. We were rather lucky that the weather cooperated, yet again. The hike wasn't particularly long, so we headed to the mountains at 1:00 in the afternoon, which set a relaxed tone for the trip. The Alumn Cave trail is a relatively popular trial in the mountains, and consequently, we passed numerous other hikers.

As I hiked the familiar trail, I thought back to hiking it as a child. Certain views became grander and particular corners in the pathway recalled memories. This time, however, the view from the trail was unimpeded, and I was able to see for miles. Whereas the last time I hiked Alum Cave, it was rainy and foggy. What is great about Alum Cave trail is that you can see the top of Mt. LeConte at various points along the trail, which is helpful in gauging how far there is left to climb.

At the very top of the climb, there is a turn in the trail, and the scenery shifts from rocky mountainside and panoramic views to a contained mountain top forest with trees lining the pathway. From the turn in the trail, it is only ten more minutes to the lodge. We made it to the dining hall just in time for dinner.

Staying at the lodge allows the hiker the advantage of being able to watch the sunset from the top of the mountain, instead of having to hike back down the trail before night fall. We watched a glorious sunset before heading off to bed in our cabin. Our group did not have the best night’s sleep because of cool temperatures and creaky beds, but we awoke the next morning ready to hike back down the mountain.

After a breakfast of pancakes and eggs, we packed up our belongings and started our descent. It was another beautiful day and we ran into a couple of familiar faces as we carefully made our way down the mountain.

As we drove home my cousins and I all passed out in the car and took a well deserved nap.

Until the next trail,

Lo Main

Hiking the Appalachian Trail - April 18, 2015

I am absolutely, positively, exhausted.

We awoke at 6:30AM this morning and got ready as quick as we could to leave the house. I snagged a quick bowl of oatmeal before putting on my jacket and loading up the car with my mom, dad, and brother. We picked up two of my cousins by 7:30AM and were on our way to Clingmans Dome (yes, the place where we started our last hike). This time we hiked eight miles from Clingmans Dome down to Newfound Gap. Piece by piece my parents and I are hiking the Appalachian Trail that runs through the Great Smoky Mountains – and we take along who ever is brave enough to come with us.

The day began dreary and clouds hung in the sky, threatening rain. Yet, by the time we reached the top of the mountain, the weather had cleared up. Again, we were on top of the world and could see for miles. There was still some cloud coverage at lower elevations, so we were looking out onto the tops of clouds. It was quite the motivation that launched us up the first, rather steep, half mile to the lookout tower that is Clingmans Dome. The panorama was stunning.

After we gazed over mountaintops and clouds, we got on the Appalachian Trail and began the more intense part of our journey. Although our trek was mostly downhill, we definitely endured some significant uphill stretches of trail. The trail itself was muddy most of the way. Thus we had to navigate creatively around the puddles.

I often caught myself in a trance of staring at rocks and calculating my next move. When I caught myself, I would immediately look up and take in the scenery. The forest was enclosed around us, and every now and then, we would come upon a break in the trees where we could see the mountains sprawling out into the distance.

The trail conversation was light and humorous. We were all pitching in, trying to help come up with trail names for my cousins.

Toward the end of the trip, the last two miles, our legs began to drag a bit as the hike was beginning to take its toll. Nevertheless, we emerged from the trail at Newfound Gap and  enjoyed a feast of snacks in the parking lot.

The trip was definitely a different excursion because we were with a larger group, yet still enjoyable. Plus, we were rather fortunate to have great weather again – partly cloudy, clear skies, no rain, and springtime temperatures.

Here’s to another section of the GSM-AT done!