ElkmontReservations

“I just made reservations at Elkmont (GSMNP), Main Campground, arriving on Friday May 24th, and leaving Monday May 27th. I have reserved two separate campsites (registered in my name), and you can bring along a tent, your popup tent/trailer-- or sleep with whomever will let ya in.

Even if you don't hike with us, come camp/relax with us, and hike wherever you want. I know we have nearly a dozen confirmed coming over Memorial Day Weekend NOW. I would like to see 30-40 show up.

I have contacted Blue Ridge Mountain Sports in Nashville (Bryan Dodge) and Knoxville (AJ) and they have agreed to help advertise this event.”

“Again.. if you are going to hike in the GSMNP over Memorial Day weekend.. please considering coming to visit our basecamp. We will have food, music.. we might even be dancing and skinny-dipping.

And.. if you want to hike.. consider our itinerary.”

“Dang.. I musta picked a lame title.. That's what I get I guess.

HmMMmm.... if you could just MODIFY the thread titles.. I could change it.. ??..



How about 'Hooters Restaurant agrees to cater weekend event?'”

“Ya.. that's it.. heh.. maybe there are some Hooters girls who like to hike.. and we can have them as our celebrity guests.. and let the Knoxville Hooters restaurant cater hotwings one night?”

“well, just so you don't feel you are talking to yourself, i won't be able to make it. we will be going to columbus, ohio that weekend i think.”

“TD, I am going to the "homeland" and will be on the Beach for the weekend. Sorry I cant make it,,,,,but I will scope out the Hooters Girls in Gulf Shores.”

“TD - you scared everyone away with images of you skinny dipping.”

“naw.. not ME skinny dippin.. I already got the girls for that.. :).. and I AIN'T telling who it is yet.”

“-- and I know this is coming.. so let me KILL it now.

They are both in their 20's.”

“are they 2 3 year old dogs? 3x7=21”

“I'm working it TD!

Details soon.”

“awesome.. ya.. I am working it here locally too.. (I was tempted to call Hooters tho!)..

but so far.. we got about 12. some guys.. some girls.. some old.. some young.”

“Since I couldn't get anyone interested in my AT trip for the same weekend, I may do this one. I assume another thread has the hiking plans in it?”

“kewl bitpusher.. ya.. its on my website.. but basically.. doing all six of the LeConte approach trails.. 14/15/16 miles days.

LeConte Extravaganza!


Saturday, May 25, 2002: Rainbow Falls - Bull Head Trails

We will hike up the Rainbow Falls: 6.5 miles, rocky, steep 4000' elevation change, and will return using the Bull Head Trail: 7.5 Miles gradual, and a nice trail for descending 4000' elevation change. Both have the same parking lot at their trailheads. Total for the day is about 14 miles.

Sunday, May 26, 2002: Brushy Mt/Porters Creek - Trillium Gap Trails

We will hike up the Brushy Mt/Porters Creek trails: 7-8 miles, and will return using the Trillium Gap Trail: 6.5 miles. 3500' elevation change, and a beautiful walk under Grotto falls. Total for the day, is about 15 miles.

Monday, May 27, 2002: Alum Cave Bluff - Boulevard Trails

We will hike up the Alum Cave Bluff Trail: 5.5 miles, and is the shortest, fastest, steepest and the most scenic. 2700' elevation change, and will return using the Boulevard Trail: 8.8 miles. Total for the day, including the additional short walk to Newfound Gap is about 16 miles.”

“OK. That's a lot of miles for me. Of course, if we're camping not backpacking, then just a daypack is involved. Crap that's still a lot of miles!

Maybe I'll put the wife and kids up in a nearby motel.”

“I feel bad TD!!!!!!!

8(”

“I may come and dayhike sections of the AT with car support from my wife...but I gotta talk to her about it first!”

“We are setting an 8lb pack limit.. We need to make this attainable for everyone.. and we can dayhike LeConte each day.. and camp each night at Elkmont.

If we get enough folks, we might do some key-swaps and all that fun stuff of passing each other on the trail each day.”

“Sniff sniff!!!!!

I want to go but......8(”

“I know some folks are like.. 'dang.. no way..'

but trust me..

we will all finish.. and we won't not KILL ourselves..”

“heh.. a double negative.. have not slipped and done that in a while..

Mike: too bad guy.. you bailed.

:)”

“Mike: Tell bitpusher.. TD is old.. slow and fat.. but he DOES finish.”

“Oh ya TD is top notch in my book and I want to come down but I am goning backpacking in michigan.

I know it sucks!!!!!

8(

And ya he does always finish!”

“We had a good time, Mike..

seriously.. you are a fine fella.. good hiker.. good camper.. and a lot of fun to be with.. really glad we met.. really glad we got to hike together.. :)”

“Sorry to miss this opportunity to meet. My plans are:

May Site
..6 Cataloochee CG (late night arrival)
..7 40
..8 39
..9 60
.10 59
.11 60
.12 65
.13 64
.14 65
.15 .1 (after a hot shower at Fontana Dam)

The it's on to Iowa to pick up my daughter from school and back to Florida.

The next trip will be early Aug. to Oct. 31.

Have fun.”

“Looks like my wife is onboard, as long as I don't make her camp, and as long as I can find things for her and the kids to do while I'm hiking. So put me down as a tentative, TD.”

“TD we will hike again I promise!

You are good people there need to be more backpackers like you.

You rock!

8)”

“I downloaded the trail map from the GSMNP site, and to dayhike any of the AT I'll have to hike much further than you guys will going up LeConte. So I'll bag that plan and just tough it out up LeConte.

If I can find stuff for my wife to do with the kids that is.”

“Gatlinburg/PigeonForge/Sevierville is a KIDs and wifey paradise.. heh.. hope you got lots of money.

:)”

“I wish I could be there ! but we will be way north by then. But I do want to say that Blue Ridge Mountain Sports has helped us out big time with our hike and I really wish you all well. Hope you have a great time and say hi to Tom from BRMS for me.Also please make sure you lock your food in your cars while at that campground. Bears abound there!”

“Mom: true.. the dang bears have been TRAINED to walk up to humans.”

“How long till bears in the Smokies take a page from the Yellowstone bears playbook and start bashing cars?”

“Now that would be scary!

8|”

“I think it is only a matter of time.

The park is doing a lot of work to try and educate people but some folks just prefer to be stupid and THAT is the real danger.”

“TownDawg I'll be seeing y'all on Sunday night.

Madman, Madman Jr. and one of my Scouts will be doing an AT loop out of Elkmont starting on Wed to 24 then to Siler's then Derrick then 27 and on out to meet y'all at Elkmont.

I told Mark that he'll get to meet some of my internet friends and his response was, "TownDawg? Isn't that the dude with the insane snoring? I'm getting my OWN campsite, in Cades Cove!"”

“I'm bringing my earplugs and setting up as far from TD as I can...

No offense TD...”

“Yeah, Towndawg does have a mean snore.”

“Hey just found your thread, I'm going to be up there the week before 13 - 17 at Cades Cove, anyone that want to come over and visit feel free.”

“'Hey just found your thread, I'm going to be up there the week before 13 - 17 at Cades Cove, anyone that want to come over and visit feel free.'
pemsit

There is a chance. I'm planning to leave Florida on the 7th for GSMNP. On the 15th I have been planning to camp at Abrams Campground. I plan to start at Cataloochee and then Deep Creek. Then on the 15th after a shower at Fontana Dam, I have been planning to head for Abrams CG. On the 16th I will head for Iowa and Minnesota.

Are your plans fixed?”

“Day hikes I'm planning to do


Gregory Bald via Gregory Ridge
Leave Cades Cove and enter an old growth forest along
Forge Creek. Ascend to a dry ridge and keep ascending to
the large Gregory Bald, a high meadow with 360-degree
views. In June, the world's finest display of flame
azaleas color the clearing and blueberries ripen after
that. Bears like the blueberries, too.


Silers Bald
Start high and stay high as you traverse the very
rooftop of the Smokies. Leave Clingmans Dome in a
Canadian type spruce-fir forest and undulate west for 5
miles on the Appalachian Trail, where the overlooks are
numerous from the highest spine of the entire
Appalachian chain. End the hike at Silers Bald, a knob
where the views of the highest of the high country
warrant a backtrack to Clingmans Dome.

Overnight backpacking trip

Cades Cove
Twentymile Overnight Loop
This is a hike that combines the best that the high and
low country have to offer. Start at out-of-the-way
Twentymile Ranger Station and hike up the Twentymile
Trail to Twentymile Cascades. Keep up Twentymile Creek
to Upper Flats streamside camp, set in a rich cove. Next
day make an arduous climb onto Long Hungry Ridge. Head
up past Rye Patch to Gregory Bald. Enjoy the majesty
from the top of the Southern Appalachians most famed
bald, with its staggering views and flower displays.
Camp at nearby Sheep Pen Gap, a high country grassy flat
shaded by yellow birch, that lies between Gregory Bald
and Parson Bald. Leave the grassy balds and complete the
loop via the steep Wolf Ridge Trail.

Possible day hikes


Rocky Top”

“Nowslimmer and others. Have any favorite spots at the Elkmont Frontcountry site?

I'm about to snag a reservation, and hope to catch a few glimpes of fireflies.
I know all of you have faves at the big sites, care to tell me which ones to try for or avoid”

“OPIE - I have enjoyed the Cucumber Gap 6-mile loop from the campground. Otherside, since you are strong and able, you could go up the Little River trail and take either of the two trails up the to Sugarland Mtn. Trail. You could make a loop with those trails or continue down Sugarland Mtn. Trail to Little River Road and back along the road.

Some folks like to hike the other way toward CS#20 and 19, and take one of trails back to Little River Road.

Have a good trip.

---

Good luck viewing those synchronized fireflys.
last edited: 6/20/07 10:45:16 AM”

“no i meant car sites. We are coming in late friday, and hiking out west prong at trimont saturday morning. We are just looking for a car site at elkmont, i know most of you guys have favorite sides of the campsites”