Ewker's Smoky Mountain Trip

“Last Monday I along with a female companion took off for 3 days of fun in the Smokies.
We left Nashville around 9:00 AM and took our time getting there. I decided to go in through Townsend to avoid the Pigeon Forge/Gatlinburg traffic. It was the first time I had went in that way. Very nice drive in.

We finally got to Cades Cove campground. I didn't know what to expect since it is first come first serve on campsites this time of year. The campground only had one section open. There was more RV's than anything else. We found a campsite and got everything setup. This was my friends first car camping trip in the winter. I wasn't sure how she was going to react to the cold weather.

After setting up the tent we drove back to Townsend to get a few items ice and beer :)

We just sat around that evening talking and enjoying the full moon and stars. It was nice to get up every morning to deer roaming around the campsites.

Tuesday morning we went to Cades Cove. I was planning on spending the day there. She hadn't been before and there is lots to see.
We stopped at the old cabins, churchs and cemetarys. We took a hike to Abrams Falls. This was an easy hike to do and she managed it quite well even though she did trip over a stump coming out of the trail.


here is the pics of Cades Cove
http://community.webshots.com/album/240676274WjGzBb

Wednesday we got up and drove from Cades Cove to Newfound Gap. I wanted to thike the AT out to Charlies Bunion. We stopped at Sugarlands visitor center to find out what kind of conditions the trail was going to be in. The ranger we spoke to said it was passable with the trail being snow packed. I was worrying about ice since neither of us had crampons or insteps.
Off we took to the Gap. I was suprised by the number of people up there for a weekday.
Cars and people were everywhere. We went to the bathrooms to change into our hiking clothes. We set out with sunny skies and a slight breeze. The further we got up the trail the colder and windier it got. The trail turned to snow, then to snow and ice and finally more ice than snow. We made it to Icewater Spring Shelter. That is 2.9 miles and it took us 2.5 hrs. It was slow going plus her ankle/foot started bothering her from her fall the day before. She is a runner so when she saw we had to go only 2.9 miles she thought it would be a quick trip. She said the miles here are different than what I run...lol.

We did run into 2 thru-hikers who were doing a flip/flop. They had started in June from NY heading to Maine. Once they got there they returned back to where they had started and headed south. They were taking a zero day in Gatlinburg to take a shower and do laundry. We wished them well as their pace was faster than ours..a shower will do that to ya..lol

After we got back down we headed back to camp where I fixed a huge pot of minestrone soup. We devoured all of it.

pics of the AT to Icewater Spring http://community.webshots.com/album/240698759iQZwHQ

Thursday we got up and packed everything up. we took our time since checkout was at noon. On the way out we stopped in Townsend to eat at the Back Porch. I have now eaten at both the Front and Back Porch. Great food at both locations.
We filled up her car ($1.59 a gallon) and took a long slow drive back to Nashville.

I had a great week and she did to. All of her friends couldn't believe she was going to stay in a tent in the winter. She can't wait to go back again.

here is the remaining pics of our trip
http://community.webshots.com/album/240686898BIwXmj”

“Thanks for the report. I'll check out the pics. Glad yall had a great time.

$1.59 is outstanding.”

“Glad you all had a nice time Ewker!”

“Dang, close to 200 pics. Nice deer shots from what I see so far.”

“dayhiker, the deer would almost walk up to you. It finally got to the point of there is another deer..yawn...lol

Sass, it was a good time. Makes me want to go back and bike Cades Cove in the summer. Two days a week for a few hours the road is open to bike riders only. That would be fun. It is a 11 mile loop and they rent bikes if you needed one.”

“MDS and I took a trip where it got to that point.

Ewk - Wed and Sat they open the road at 10am. We usally walk the last mile of the road on Sat mornings when there. You can also take horseback rides and hayrides there. I might do that if we get to go next fall.

Man, this makes me want to go to the Smokies.”

“Brought back bad memories! ;-)
I was married in that first Cades Cove church on the right of the loop.”

“Really, now that's interesting. That's the Methodist one?

I always notice how bad the foundation looks on that thing. Occupational hazard I guess.”

“Sounds like fun, nice pics, & that water looks cold.
Ain't winter caming great?”

“Can you post pics of the babe?”

“Yes, dayhiker. You can use those churches for private things. Just have to reserve them and pay a small fee.
We did it Jan. 7 many years ago during the week so not to many tourons peeked in thur the windows. A few did, but none came in the doors.
We also had to bring in portable heaters. It was around 20 degrees that day!”

“That's neat. So you were into the outdoors and the like back then. Nice. I really wish I'd picked this hobby up before kids. I might have a backpacking wife if I had.”

“Dayhiker, the first job I took after my BSEE at MS State was with the TVA in Knoxville.
The only reason I took that job was to be near the Smokies so I could backpack!
I also got into caving and met my now exwife on a caving trip. Nothing like a dirty muddy woman to get the juices stirring! ;-)
I've been into backpacking since my second year at MS State. My very first trip was Thompson Creek to one of the rock shelters in the Sipsey.
Well, enought derailing of Ewker's thread.

Ewker - Nice pictures, and pretty lady!
last edited: 1/03/05 10:38:46 AM”

“Great pics... and Deanna looks like a good match for yas... hope it works out!”

“So you've been going to Sipsey almost as long as I've been alive. Cool.”

“Since 1975 anyway, dayhiker. ;-)”

“When you have to make a separate trip just for beer and ice, you have a problem.”

“"She said the miles here are different than what I run..."

I've heard that so much... people don't realize what a challenge hiking can be.”

“So you started going right when it became a wilderness then. Nice.

I was 4 then!

Nothing wrong with a beer run.”

“I meant to pack wine and vodka but forgot. So off to the store we went. It takes no time to get from Cades Cove to the package store right outside the park entrance. Plus on the way back we stopped and took some pictures.

BTW the campground never even got close to being 1/3 full. It keep getting warmer the whole time we were there. By Thursday the highs were going to be in the upper 60's.
Monday was the coldest night, probably in the low 20's.”

“dayhiker - yes, it had just been protected, but was half the size it is today.
The road to the Thompson Creek trailhead was still a good gravel road and it continued all the way to the closed off bridge at Collins Creek. That gravel road was used ever day by local cars and is now just a trail. That road was the North & East side of the Wilderness then.
last edited: 1/03/05 1:12:57 PM”

“null
last edited: 1/03/05 1:12:34 PM”

“Interesting.”

“Ewker - did yall try to find a place for showers while there? We typically stay 3 days and by the 3rd day we would all like a bath. I'm thinking of pushing the trip to 4 days this summer. We'd have to find a place for a bath if that were to happen.”

“Nice trip.

There is another place in Townsend with outstanding food. I think it is called the Trailhead.

Sort of pricy, but it was great.”

“I've seen that place too. We just seem to always wind up at the Back Porch.

chili, thanks for UT whipping ole coach fRAN.”

“dayhiker, I didn't look for any places to take a shower. It was a short drive home plus you didn't sweat that much. I did clean up some in the bathrooms. Wish they had hot water though.

In the summer you can stop and jump in at the Sinks. Just remember to take your soap and shampoo when you jump”

“Best game UT plays all year and I spent the entire day moving our stuff into storage.

The Trailhead (and I am pretty sure that is the name) has some damn good Italian Food. Expect to put down some cash, (for Townsend starndards) but well worth it.”

“I usually take a sink bath while there.

One time my wife walked in the ladies room and someone had a big rubbermaid container in the toilet stall. The thing was so big she couldn't close the door. There was a 70 year old lady buck naked, standing in this tube attempting to take a bath. Pretty gross.”

“The Back Porch was packed when we got there and stayed packed the whole time we were there.
Meat and veggies with lots of tea, then finished it off with blackberry cobbler and ice cream. No wonder I gained weight on this trip...lol”

“Of course, you can now shower at the chili hacienda.

I can't wait to get there for good.”

“Great pictures Ewker..I thought about you guys..glad you had a good time.”

“Aw, man, that's the ticket then. Thanks. If we go Thur-Sun during the summer then we'll probably hit you 2x on the trip. Very cool. Thanks.”

“No problem, the porch light will be on.”

“chili - you have mail.”

“Great report and pictures. I wish I could get gas for $1.59. It seems to be staying right around $2.00 out here. Those icicles are really pretty.”