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| Hiking | 16.09 Miles |
3,202 AEG |
| | Hiking | 16.09 Miles | 6 Hrs 12 Mns | | 2.81 mph |
| 3,202 ft AEG | 28 Mns Break | | | |
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| no partners | | I had a family thing in Ohio and decided to extend my trip with a few days in the Smoky Mountains. I booked an Airbnb in Cosby, TN and then made the 7.5 hour drive down from the Cleveland area. I had plans on doing several large hikes but I was limited by cold and sinus issues that landed me in urgent care the day before I drove down. I was able to rally and got in two solid hikes starting with Mt Cammerer.
I started from the Cosby Campground Trailhead where I purchased my $5 parking pass and parked in the closest available lot around 8:30am Eastern. It’s a Tuesday and the area is not busy. My plan is to do a 15+ mile lasso loop and I would start with the Low Gap Trail. It was a brisk morning with temps in the upper 30’s as I headed in on a good trail that made a steady climb. I feel crummy but good enough that I’m confident I can complete the loop. I would climb up and passed a few groups doing day hikes. With some effort I topped out at Low Gap and the Appalachian Trail. I turned left and had a brief chat with a guy who was section hiking the AT. He mentioned where he started from and I acted like I knew what he was talking about, even though I didn’t have a clue haha!
This section of the AT makes a steady climb but the trail is in great condition and relatively easy to hike. With some effort I hit the junction for Mt Cammerer and headed for the lookout. It’s .6 miles of relatively easy going and I hit the lookout at just over 4,900ft elevation. The views were fantastic and the fall colors were nice but at least a week or two from peak. I took a short break at the lookout and talked a group of women. One of them was completing all 900 miles in the Smoky Mountains.
After the break I continued hiking and returned to the AT. It’s almost all downhill from here. I would continue hiking the AT and eventually connected onto the Lower Mt Cammerer Trail. This was another section of trail in great condition and I made good time. Along the descent I stopped to visit the Phillips Cemetery. There were several graves but only one of them had a legible headstone that was for a baby that lived from 1910 to 1912.
The rest of the hike blurred by and a light rain started to fall as I walked up on my rental car. A moderate rain would fall as I drove back to my Airbnb. I got lucky with the weather, even though I was prepared with rain gear. This was a solid hike and I’m glad I was able to make a loop out of. I would spend the rest of the afternoon relaxing as I had another hike planned the next day. |
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