Smokies Fall Hangout

“I'd like to get in an extra day out there so I'm gonna take off Thursday (10/18) and spend the night at LeConte shelter. It's been 6 or 7 years since I've been up there.

If anybody is interested in doing the same let me know, I'm gonna call about reservations tomorrow afternoon.”

“you might get lucky and get one for one person”

“I'm considering Thursday night at Icewater Spring Shelter. It depends upon how my first week goes. I'm under Doctor's Orders to start slowly.”

“Yeah, the odds are probably slim. I just haven't been up LeConte in a while. I'm going up Thursday regardless....was thinking Icewater or Double Springs if not LeConte.”

“do you have room for two more? i'll be coming in friday night probably around 8:30ish.”

“Sweet! I was able to squeeze into the LeConte shelter for Thursday. I've never overnighted up there, just dayhiked.

I sure hope they haven't overbooked it like they did Cosby Knob on a past TT trip!!

I was gonna bring my 20F bag for this trip but it's gonna be cold up there..brrr! I'm thinking the 0F bag might be in order.”

“go the 0° to play it safe”

“longlost - 20 in a shelter was dang cozy on that trip.....well, not for long.”

“PS, I imagine you'll be listening to another Bama/UT game on the radio during this trip. I hope you have the same results as last time. I went from feeling really good about that game to really bad this past weekend. We're taking the kids to the game.”

“Stokely as far as I can tell yes.
So c'mon down.”

“Yup, I'll have a radio close by. If the UT team that throttled Gawga shows up, UT wins by 14, if the UT team that played the first 4 games shows up, Bama wins. You never know which of Fulmer's bipolar Vols will show up. Lost in a so-so season is the way Ainge has been playing. He's having a terrific season, he was picking UGA apart...seems like everything their D tried, he read it and had an answer for it.

Vols Mens basketball tix went on sale this morning. They've nearly sold out the season tickets which is the first time that's happened for as long as I can remember. I was able to snag tix for Vandy, Kentucky, and Florida.”

“Those will be great games to go to. Yall are Final Four mat'l this year. Did you hear that Ron Steele is taking a redshirt this year because of his knee surgeries?”

“Great, Jerbear is the second of my group, we'll be riding together!”

“Yeah, I saw that. He's doing the right thing to protect himself. Hopefully he can come back strong next year. That's a real blow to the team, Gottfried may be on the hotseat if they miss the NCAA tourney again.

I heard Lofton once hit a 3 pointer from the Cliff Tops on LeConte. (and there's your segue!)”

“I think we are up to about 21 folks now.”

“Yo bear! Will be good to see ya all HPM and tree U da man an women! c ya!”

“Cool, Jerbear!

Some of our friends from Florida won't be able to make it, alas. But on the flipside it means a few more slots are available for TTers.”

“soo where exactly is this place...and its just car camping, right?”

“Elkmont CG in the Smokies, just a couple of miles past the Sugarlands center on the way out to Cades Cove.

Yes its car camping, plus dayhikes or whatever it is you want to do. I'm hearing the siren call of Christmas shopping myself. ;P”

“if anyone has good directions id appreciate an email with them....longcarbine1983@yahoo.com im still not really sure where it is were going”

“Where are you in NC, BPB?”

“statesville.......the intersection of I40, and I77”

“Oh.... it's a Shopping Trip....     < VBG >”

“Pfft... Take 40 west, then you can either take 74 to CHerokee or the BLus Ridge parkway and go through the park, just turn left at the Sugarlands Center and go a mile or so to ELkmont and turn left into the cg area, or you could go 40 to the foothills parkway (on the Tenn. side) take the parkway to 321 and turn left then turn right to parallel the park and follow that into Gatlinburg, then turn left on 441 (main drag through Gatlinburg) and take that in to the park. Turn right at the Sugarlands Center and follow that road to Elkmont. Its pretty easy either way, really. It may be easier to take 40 to 74 and the Blue Ridge parkway for you though. Gatlinburg traffic is a b!tch on weekends.



Hey there's nothing wrong with shopping! Especially because there's an exquisite little restaurant I want to visit there too! SO neener neener!
last edited: 10/10/07 2:56:47 PM”

“if anyones around me, id be happy to drive..ive got room for three more besides me in comfort, and four if your real friendly.....plus room in the back for gear”

“thanks beastie.....much obliged”

“Here are some park maps for ya BPB:

Park map
http://www.nps.gov/grsm/planyourvisit/upload/grsmmap1.pdf


Elkmont Campground (group site 1)
http://www.nps.gov/grsm/planyourvisit/upload/Elkmont2.pdf”

“longlosthiker,

I'm a definite Maybe for this event... coming down from Pennsylvania ...if the weather is favorable. It will be my first time in the Smokies. I can do the shuttle with you on Saturday ...unless something more quintessentially Smoky Mtns. is on the menu.

PS: Will there be enough room for me at the reserved campsite?”

“Yeppers, M Silver! You're more than welcome!”

“Thanks beast.

I'm considering coming down there a day or two earlier to do some dayhiking prior to the weekend. Might even stay a day or two the following week as well. It's a long drive so I would like to make it more worthwhile, and see more of the Smokies ...never been there. Anyone else thinking along the same lines, lemme know... perhaps we can get together? Only problem is that if I come early and stay late, I dunno where to stay. I would like to car camp on those extra nights... maybe someone can advise accordingly?
last edited: 10/11/07 4:27:28 PM”

“ok hi o Msilver.Willbe good to seeyou again. been a long time. Bring RichB along! So what does quintessentially mean?Yo bear”

“yo jerbear,

You're coming on this one?! I didn't see your pawprints on the Trip Attendees list? ...unless you're traveling incognito (better look that one up in your dictionary too ...*cough*) ...or are you one of those way-cool people who are so way-cool they don't need to indicate their intentions? Well anyways... if you'll be there, and if I'll be there (I'm a Maybe), I'll be looking forward to being there with you again ...and hearing a few more of your amazing stories, if you're so inclined. Haven't seen you since that one Black Forest Trail trip many moons ago! Actually, I haven't seen too many other TTers lately either ...been busy with stuff ...but I'm back now baby!!! ;-)

Oh yeah, and I'm already onto Rich B about coming along ...he sez maybe.
last edited: 10/11/07 7:27:25 PM”

“M Silver...I was trying to pick out a couple of trails I haven't been on, so I don't know a lot about Spruce Flats or Meigs Creek other than what I've read...supposedly a couple of impressive falls along the way. But you're more than welcome to come along or anyone else for that matter.

This being your first trip, during your extra day(s), I would suggest:

From Clingman's Dome...Forney Ridge trail down to Andrews Bald.

From Newfound Gap...take the AT to Charlie's Bunion.

Hike up Mt. LeConte. There are lots of routes, Alum Cave is the most popular.

Hike up the Chimney Peaks. short but lots of elevation gain...strenuous.

Drive (or bike) around the Cades Cove loop....don't wait till the weekend or you'll be stuck in traffic.
last edited: 10/12/07 5:35:24 AM”

“Do the Cades Cove loop at about 2 hrs before sundown for best results.


longlost - the shame of it is the only ones of those in your list I've done are CC and the Charlies Bunion hike I did with you. I'm woefully deficient in the Smokies classics. Never been to Rocky Top either.”

“If I were to get there by 10 a.m. on Saturday...do ya suppose all the day hikers will have left already?”

“Probably not, GH83.

Everyone here tell HPM he has to make one of his famous peach spice dump cakes!”

“HPM, make one of your famous peach spice dump cakes. The masses have spoken.”

“Peach Spice Dump Cake ... I think this will be the perfect opportunity for one of those!!!”

“Lol!

Ugh, that means I need to prep the big huge dutch oven for this!”

“I have a computer conference in Atlanta next week and won't get home until Friday night...which means me and the family won't show up until Saturday morning.

Ya'll gonna save me a spot ?”

“Can I bring my new wife, Nurse Ninja? I'll have to send for her.

I'm here. Took two days for the trip this time. Trying to avoid any more blood clots.

Cataloochee was full, probably will be full through the weekend; thanks to some guy who wrote an article to prime folks to going to Cataloochee instead of Cades Cove and to some press releases by the Park. I have never seen it full, previously, on a week day except during July and August. So I'm at Deep Creek, which was almost empty of folks last night.

The temperature dropped to near freezing last night. I was prepared and now that it is warmer, I'm going to exercise my legs on a trail.

The host, Johny Caldwell, an old acquantance, knew of my heart problems during the summer. He was told by a pretty, young girl, Angel, whom I had informed by e-mail. She is college girl working for the park.
last edited: 10/12/07 10:24:25 AM”

“OK NS...you drove right past me and we didn't have coffee!!!!”

“Princess - Come over early any morning. I brought an extra cup, just for you. I'm at Deep Creek, Site #54.”

“I'm thinking of leaving a vehicle at Metcalf Bottoms and driving up to Laurel Falls TH. Hike from there up past Laurel Falls across to Walker's Sisters place and out at Metcalf.”

“If I were to get there by 10 a.m. on Saturday...do ya suppose all the day hikers will have left already?”
grasshopper83
9:53:21 AM
10/12/07

“Probably not, GH83..."
treebeast666


Great than I might actually make this!!! :)”

“longlosthiker,

Thanks for the suggested hikes. Now all I need is a good map showing those routes. If you can suggest one or two map sets, maybe I can get them here by express mail before I set out for Tennessee on Wed or Thurs? Can I also get any at the Park upon arrival?

Thanks.”

“you can buy the National Geographic Trails Illustrated or Earthwalk Press hiking map at the Sugarlands visitor center.
I would recommend picking up the Little Brown Book called Hiking Trails of the Smokies. It has info and elevation profile of all the trails in the Smokies”

“CHILI- Stokley and I will do the laurrel falls hike wih ya sounds good!
Will we have access to showers at the campground? Yo bear I am getting excited!”

“Of course. The showers at Elkmont are as good as the showers at any National Park.”

“Saw a fast moving animal in the fog at Deep Creek CG during early yesterday's cold morning. It was about the length of about four to six rats and too low to the ground to be a cat. I figured it must have been something like a weasel.

Went for a short walk late yesterday afternoon. It was a little rough, so I won't make it to Icewater Spring Shelter next Thursday evening. I'll be moving very slowly for a while; due to doctor's orders and my condition.

It was cold this morning again. Figured to be near freezing.

BTW, the crows now dominate the area of Deep Creek CG. They are so noisy that at the picnic area it must be impossible to hear anyone talking across a picnic table. People must be feeding them. Guess they're something for the little kiddies to see!”