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| Hiking | 18.15 Miles |
5,017 AEG |
| | Hiking | 18.15 Miles | 7 Hrs 15 Mns | | 2.72 mph |
| 5,017 ft AEG | 35 Mns Break | | | |
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| no partners | | I returned to the Smoky Mountains and my main hiking goal was to return to Mt LeConte from the southern approach. I hiked here two years ago but came in from the north. My plan was to park at Newfound Gap and start on the AT and then connect onto the Boulevard Trail and follow that to the summit and lodge. From there I would descend the Alum Cave Trail and then do two miles of road walking to the NW. I would finally connect onto the Road Prong Trail and complete my loop with a short stretch back on the AT. This turned out to be a wonderful hike and I was able to bum a ride to avoid the two miles of road walking!
I left my hotel fairly early and got a coffee and bagel in town and made the 30+ minute drive to Newfound Gap and started hiking just after 8am Eastern. I started out on the AT and headed in. It was a cool and brisk morning and there were intermittent periods of fog. I made good time over the first 2.5+ miles and connected onto the Boulevard Trail and headed to the NW. This is a fantastic section of trail that follows a ridgeline and drops off on both sides. There isn’t any exposure and the views are limited through the densely populated forest.
My going went well and I eventually topped out at the Mt LeConte high point which features a large cairn. I stopped here and had another group take my picture. From here I dropped down to the lodge and planned on visiting the store, which was closed two years ago on my previous trip. I arrived and found it closed again! It would reopen in an hour and that was too long for me. I would take a break to eat and hydrate. There were people hanging out and I really enjoyed this area.
After I had my fill, I started the descent down the Alum Cave Trail. I cruised down and passed a lot of people on their hike up. This is a very popular trail! There were several sections that included a cable to aid in your travel. I’m sure it’s helpful when there’s snow, I didn’t use it. I continued down and arrived at the trailhead. I had to make a choice at this point. Do I try to hitchhike back to the Newfound Gap and end my hike or do I go the other way and head for Road Prong Trail for a full loop. While I’m contemplating my decision, two guys returned to the trailhead. I asked them for a ride and they were heading to TN & agreed to drive me. I would be hiking the Road Prong Trail & completing the loop!
The drive went quickly and I said my thanks & started the hike up the Road Prong Trail. This trail leads to Chimney Tops but the extra 1.6 miles and climb were too much for me. My legs were getting tired and I had a long way to go. The early portion of trail was in fantastic condition and made for easy travel. Things changed once I passed the Chimney Tops turnoff. The trail narrows and the plant growth encroaches the trail. This slowed me down but wasn’t an issue. I would take an extended break by a waterfall. After this I continued up the trail and found myself slowing down considerably. With much effort I topped off and was back on the AT. From here, it’s another 1.7 miles to Newfound Gap. I made slow progress and finally reached my starting point around 3:30pm.
My main hike was over and was well worth the effort! I would return to Cherokee where I got lunch and then headed back to my hotel to relax for the rest of evening. I have several more hikes planned over the next few days and I’m settling into my trip. |
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