Three Beards and a Mutton Chop Journaled on this page are the travels of a few good men as they traverse some of the greatest sites to visit in the Great Smoky Mountain National Park. This group includes myself and three friends. We prepare ourselves to return to a place where we have completed roughly 6-8 combined day hikes but this time we plan to backpack on a 3 night trip while roughing it. This will be a first for all of us as we prepare to journey on a true backpacking expedition into the remote Smoky Mountain areas during a late winter season. It starts as we find ourselves in a familiar ritual one evening, we are all sitting around outside smoking our cigars and recounting past hiking experiences with about as much glory and pride as one could muster from the comfort of a rocking chair. Eventually one of us suggests we plan another trip, but this time the group takes to offer seriously. We quickly surmised that this next trip should be a little bit more challenging and involve more risk thank previously taken. The challenge and risk we imagine could only mean additional excitement and far more rewards to our efforts instead of perhaps eaten by bears or lost for weeks. We choose to focus on the details that serve us the best. Over the course of the next two months many potential routes are discussed and researched. Our past travels had us arriving at destinations such as Chimney Tops, Grotto Falls, Rainbow Falls, Brushy Mountain, Mount Le Conte, Clingman's Dome and a few others. We each have fond memories of the trails in which we took to arrive at each destination and wanted this trip to include some of that remembrance and to also see it in a different season. Additionally we wanted to embark upon trails never taken by any of us to give us some near territory under our belt. Originally I had a route planned that would take us along some fairly rough terrain and in some sections not even be marked. Based on discussions with folks local to the area and doing some extensive research we decided to plan a safer route that kept us on the trail the entire time and made use of park shelters each night. We will be more adventurous on our next trip when the weather is more permitting. The Route
The Hikers When we started planning we had originally set out to be a party of five which would include my brother. I have been trying for a long time to take an extended hike with my younger brother and unfortunately he was unable to make this trip. I would of loved to have had him come along but I know life has a way of readjusting priorities beyond the judgment of yourself. Equipment and Supplies There is no shortage of controversy on which types of hiking gear you should choose to buy for your trip, invariably some of the items you choose based on educated guesses or store manager swearing could end up being tested for their aerodynamics while atop a mountain ridge. The cost added once you tack on words like "lightweight, waterproof, durable, quick drying, environmentally safe" seems to know no bounds. And don't expect it to come in your size, you might need to lose a few pounds to meet manufactures constraints. Some items sold at backpacking outfitters range from necessity to pure luxury, you really need to balance the want vs need as everything you bring must ride with you the entire time. I will focus here on the items most shared among the group and perhaps a couple specialty items that seem to stand out of the ordinary. Water Stove Clothing and Bedding The Hike : March 23 - 26 Day One : Watch for Bears The first day of our hike we get to start out well rested as we drove into Gatlinburg the night before and slept in a hotel. That night I happen to channel surf the local lineup and found Animal Planet running a show on bear attacks, it seemed appropriate to watch as we might learn something while in the backcountry. The shows host asked the fifty million dollar question of "What do you do in a bear attack" to both bear attack survivors and bear attack experts. What I found out was that the survivors had zero advice in that situation and simply suggested you avoid being caught face to face with a bear however the bear attack experts offered what seemed limitless information and ideas on what you should do. I think it's wise to steer clear of them at all costs. At 7:50am we all ate a hearty country breakfast at a local joint called "Flap Jacks" and then got our shuttle lift to New Found Gap where the trail began for us at an elevation of 5048 feet. The trail began rather steep with every step at least a foot higher than the previous for about 200-300 feet. All of us were asking ourselves very quietly "What did I get myself into?". At 11:08am, an hour and half after we started, we reach our first intersection and head along Sweat Heifer Trail which is a downhill walk to Kephart Shelter roughly 3,000 feet below. At one point during the hike Roy and Brian, whom are leading the hike past the view of Chad and myself, shout out what we think is "BEAR!!!" so both Chad and I bolt down the trail nearly twisting ankles and dropping gear to reach two smiling faces. Brian corrects me and tells me that Roy was yelling "We HEAR water" and after some jovial exchanges we press on. Near 1:00pm we take a 40 minute break for lunch and airing out our socks, Roy chose to keep his pack on and just sit down as he did so many times. We enjoyed some of our lunch items and even some coffee and hot cocoa. After a continued downhill hike we arrive at Kephart Shelter, our first of three shelters, at 3:00pm. We waste little time in setting up our sleep pads and head down to the creek for some smokes. Later we built a fire, ate soup, had another smoke down by the creek as it turned dark and eventually went to sleep to a crackling fire in the shelter fireplace which proved to provide no heat whatsoever.
Day Two : The Grind Got up early and around 7:15am I made a fire for oatmeal and coffee so we could get a 9:00am start on the trail as was our initial plan for each day. When we found out that Chad's expensive hiking boots were still wet on the inside from a fall in the creek on the first day he suggested we put some fire near them to dry them out. I personally did not think this would work unless it sat for at least 2-3 hours but the alternatives (either leaving him there to dry out on his own or having him walk in pure wetness) did not appeal much to me. So I cut up some sticks to create a "boot drying apparatus" over the fire pit and built a fire that I set Roy in charge of tending it until we got some of the water dried out of the shoe. I then went down to the creek to wash dishes and almost lost our stove in the water. We made it out of the Shelter and onto the trail at 10:00am with shoes at least partially dry. The day two trail had us ascending along Grassy Branch Trail which we nicknamed "bull crap grind" as the amount of elevation change was considerable over a relatively short distance. I was feeling quite fatigued along this section and we took a nearly 1 hour lunch break to regain some composure. After lunch we reached Dry Sluice Gap at 1:15pm and I was most certainly hoping for a break in the continuous uphill grind, I rested on the sign for a few moments. At 2:15pm my cell phone began beeping to indicate an email message was sent alerting us that we were in an area of coverage for the first time since we started hiking. From this location we could spot Charlie's Bunion and The Sawteeth which were destinations on our hike this day. We carved out "CELL" on a rock to let others know of the great reception in this area. The remainder of the trail as it descended we called "Sweet Baby Decline" as our feet and legs got a chance to rest as we continued to once again lose elevation (that we would eventually have to make up for on another day). When we began on the AT heading towards our next shelter I hiked up what I thought was Charlies Bunion but instead was The Sawteeth. Chad repeated four times to me that I was wrong about going up this rather steep incline side trail however I just smiled and repeated "Thanks, I'm going anyhow". The views were real nice and I got a chance to spend a few moments alone up here just hanging my feet over the edge of this ridge. Chad eventually made it up and grabbed some shots of his own. We then hiked over to what was clearly Charlies Bunion and we all enjoyed a rest and a smoke while viewing the panoramic views of the entire mountain area miles away. We met up with other hikers here as this was a hot spot for many since it is clearly marked on all park maps. Among those we met were two thru hikers of the AT, a seemingly strange hiker referred to as Glow Worm who was making plans to visit his chiropractor real soon, a local bartender Wayne and his wife Susan. We arrive at Icewater Spring Shelter around 6:00pm to find it rather full but still enough room for us. I quickly started dinner while sharing some of the fire from other hikers. We talked to many here and got a chance to hear stories about why they choose to hike the entire AT. One hiker who was called Tekla (his mother's name) told us his story of tragedy and heartbreak as a young child and it seemed he was clearly out here away from modern civilization to get his bearings straight and hope for clear thoughts when he finishes. While I thought his openness was a bit sudden for total strangers I hope it helped him to take whatever personal steps he has as his feet move him further towards the end of the AT. I attempted to sleep here however was unable to. I once drifted off and awoke to what I thought must be around 4:00am or so, after consulting with my watch I found it was only 11:30pm and I had only slept for about 40 minutes. The wind and rain increased throughout the night and it seemed as though the next days hike was going to be in a storm or at least flooded.
Day Three : Intense Arising from my sleeping bag with no rest to be welcomed to a dreary morning of continued rain, wind and cold air was certainly not motivation to pack up my bag for what we all expected to be a tough trek up the Boulevard Trail towards Mt Le Conte Lodge. The temperature shielded from wind was hovering around 35 degrees F. Chad informed us that he was feeling quite nauseous and even contemplated hiking out of the woods to get a lift back to the hotel. This would of either ended the hike here or would make for a short hike the following day once he was feeling better. He made the proposition to the group so we could all decide. I considered the options for about a second and felt that if he simply needed to empty his stomach then a simple finger thrust down the throat would likely return him to a relative comfort level within minutes. Although I did not share with him my intentions for medical recovery I responded with "Let's stick to the plan and just do it." to which the others agreed. We pressed on starting at the Boulevard Trail Head at 9:00am where the first 3/4 mile was mostly downhill or flat. Nearing 1/4 mile into the hike we ran into a hiker coming down the trail and he hastily said "You got a good climb up ahead." and simply kept walking without hardly skipping step. Having been lost once before in 2003 on this trail I knew the trail was going to be a good incline before it was over but my memory was not great since I was in a mode of panic at that time. As the trail continued to climb it seemed the terrain got worse, large rocks piled on each other made the incline harder and of course the rainfall made everything slippery and our clothes heavy. The gusts of wind, which we later found out, were severe and in the tropical storm range of 60-70mph. Combined with mid-30's temperature and constant downpour the trail could only be referred to as "Intense". When our footing was not altered by slipping on rock or root there were times when the wind gusts would try to literally blow us off the trail and down the mountain side. I eventually began to recognize a section of trail as a spot that in 2003 I made a turn around in hopes of locating my way back to the Lodge. During that trip 6 years ago Chad and I got separated around 5:30am on an early morning hike to see the sunrise and I simply missed a turn. Being in a panicked state, without food or water, carrying only heavy camera gear, eventually dehydrated and being over heated I began to hallucinate. I even saw a man in a blue jacket on the trail that I ran after and shouted at, the spot this happened on I remembered quite vividly and was keeping my eye out for it just for nostalgia. When we reached a section of trail that was cabled to the side of the mountain we all took some deep breaths to regain composure so as to not make any mistakes. As we exited the trail I realized that the location of trail I so vividly remembered having that man on it simply did not exist. No section of that trail even resembled it although I did recognize other spots that I thought led up to it. Quite an odd moment of consciousness. Arriving at the Le Conte Shelter we quickly dropped our bags and began to recount in brief broken sentences just how intense of a hike we just accomplished. Our next destination was obvious: Le Conte Lodge Office where we knew there was a gas powered heater and rocking chairs just waiting for us, after which we would enjoy a hot meal and limitless coffee, hot cocoa and lemonade as provided by lodge staff. Unfortunately nearly no pictures of this day exist due to the extreme weather conditions, next time at least one of us will have a water proof camera for moments such as these. If you have ever seen television documentaries of hikers high up on a mountain side charging on slowly as if about to collapse from extreme duress and wondered to yourself "are those guys insane?" then that is what it looked like. Nearing bed time and with all hiking companions snuggled soundly in their respective cloth coffins I decided to share my odd observations of questionable reality since arriving at the shelter. It included voices I kept hearing of two females near the shelter, odd words above my head about bear slayings in a satanic ritual and of course the man in blue jacket I saw 6 years ago. We reasoned that the female voices were simply my doing as I likely desired for women to enter the shelter and make a direct route for my sleeping bag (I didn't think this was the case but I dared not question it), the bear slaying was likely a simple joke as right next to it was a heart drawn in pen with the words "I love video games" next to it and I'm fairly certain the man with a blue jacket was a hallucination but it was worth mentioning for effect. Every noise that went on that night was investigated by flash light from the comfort of our sleeping bags. Little did we know that the monsters laying ruin to us did so only when we snored and did so inches from our faces, darn mice. I tried hard to get some rest that night however my mind was racing with so many thoughts of that day. I sat up many times from 6:30pm till 4:00am writing entries in my journal to simply past the time and hoping that getting the thoughts down on paper would relieve my mind however it did little to provide rest. I noted how interesting it was that in an environment void of modern factors of stimulus that I could possibly lay awake unable to collect my thoughts and simply rest on them. To put it simply I was overwhelmed by the simplicity of nature and it's effect on me, at the very least I could rest assured I was not hallucinating anymore while on Mt Le Conte and that was comforting.
Day Four : No big deal We awoke feeling refreshed and ready for a downhill walk of about 7 miles to find ramen noodle bags with new holes in it and some noodles even in our shoes. I managed to not get bothered much that night from the mice as all of my food was double bagged and deep inside my backpack but others that night were not so lucky. Chad and I readied some "articles of remembrance" that would remain for future trips and carefully submitted them to the wild in two locations this day. The trip down started along the Trillium Gap Trail which was actually underwater and basically a stream due to the excess water that fell the night before. Our water proof shoes certainly got a field testing for the first 3 miles. Making it to the intersection of Brushy Mountain Trail we stopped for a little break and eventually made it out past Grotto Falls to the parking lot where Roy's truck was waiting. It was now 3:00pm and we were off the trail for the first time in four days. First priority was shower, then steak dinner, then some alcohol and television so I could feel like I belong back in society. Seeing news headlines on local papers made me realize that while out in the woods everything that happens in the world from our perspective happens on the mountain and no where else. Issues down below or even a few mountain ridges away have no bearing on our situation. On the trip back home we smoked some cigars and read stories from a Search and Rescue journal I picked up at a National Park Visitors Center. WIth the ordeal of this trip now behind us we look forward to recounting each moment in joyous recital over what will likely be hundreds of dollars worth of cigars.
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