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The weather looked favorable for the flights and for hiking the trail. I took my normal solo route through Walterboro, SC and spent the night at the Ramada Inn and ate at Shoney's Next door. The next morning, the motel got the time change correct and had breakfast at 6:00 a.m., as scheduled. After breakfast and finishing my morning chores, I headed out to Shoney's at Waynesville, NC to meet two ladies, Lynda and Gail, from the Manatee Community College in Venice, FL. They were on spring break and wanted to hike Mt. LeConte. I was glad to have their company. We met at noon as previously planned and had another breakfast and lunch buffet. They followed me to Cherokee, NC and I checked into the Best Western Motel. We then went by Tillroe Smith's Camper but no one was home. I then drove the ladies over Newfound Gap to the alum Cave Bluff Trailhead and back to their car in Cherokee. We arranged to meet for breakfast at Hardee's, across the street from my motel for breakfast at 6:15 a.m. I suggested that they leave their car in the Oconuluftee Visitor's Center Parking Lot and ride to the trailhead and back with me.
The temperature was in the mid 30's and the sky was partially overcast as we drove toward Newfound Gap. We slowed down about 3/4 mile short of the Gap and observed the staging area for the supplies that were to be flown to the lodge. I took a picture of the moon and Jupiter at Newfound Gap and a picture of the morning sunrise. We then drove the five miles down the mountain to the trailhead.
I was most surprised that my friends Cindy Wisnieski, from Columbus, Ohio and Gerry Sturgeon from Indianapolis, IN. were there. Cindy had e-mailed me Friday that she could not come because of other plans. Gerry took a quick picture of me with Lynda, Gail and Cindy before we started our hike. It was a nippy 32 degrees and mostly clear as we departed. A short distance up the trail, Glen Weatherly from Pigeon Forge, TN joined us. We stopped at the first foot log for a photo and stopped at Arch Rock for a short rest stop and a photo of the three ladies.
We continued our climb to Inspiration Point where Tom Grubbs from Boaz, AL and Tillroe Smith from Moody, Alabama joined us. We enjoyed the view of the mountains as we hiked toward the Alum Cave Bluff. We stopped long enough to take a picture of the Eye of the Needle and look for the peregrine falcons. We took a short break at the bluff before continuing our slow but relentless pursuit of the mountain top.
I took pictures above Little Duck Hawk and Big Duck Hawk Ridges on our journey to Gracie's Pulpit. We were overtaken and passed by the Trail Maintenance Foreman Darris Clabo and Steve Mathias. Steve was carrying a chain saw to remove a small blow-down further up the trail. Folks that hike the trails owe much to Darris and his crew. A short distance above the log steps, we met Joe Steele from Leeds, AL heading down from a weekend at work at the lodge. Joe knew Bill Irwin, the blind guy that hiked the Appalachian Trail with his Seeing Eye Dog "Orient" in 1990. He was also a native of Leeds.
I snapped a picture of Glen on the ice at Trout Branch. This was the first significant ice that we had encountered on the trail. I tried to get a decent photograph of the tower on top of Clingmans Dome from Grassy Slide. The tower is eight or ten miles away as the peregrine falcon would fly. Then I took a general view of Clingmans Dome with a more normal lens setting. Can you see the tower up there? Beneath Cliff Top, I took a photo of Paul's Face and Tillroe and Gerry navigating an icy patch on the trail. We thought about and I said a prayer for Betty Jane Barnett as we reached the Stairways to Heaven, named in her honor. She is undergoing Chemotherapy. Our thoughts and prayers are with her.
I tried again from the top of the Stairway to Heaven to capture the Tower on Clingmans Dome. Looks pretty amateurish compared to Appalachian Trail Hiker Ant's sunrise shot from there. His trailjournal has a good description of how he took the shot. We met three backpackers from Illinois State University, Justin Stanford, Cary Ruklic and Dakota Pawlicki, all from Normal, IL. I wonder if there is an Abnormal in Illinois? Sorry about that guys! I took a picture of our group at Margaret's Place before turning my camera lens skyward to photograph Cliff Top from this vantage point.
We had to pick our steps carefully through the Frazer Fir tunnel because of the icy conditions on the trail. When we arrived at the lodge, the crew was busy passing supplies into the storage shed. I visited with Alyson Virden and Marty Cizek and others. Allyson is Chris, the manager's wife and cook. I met Marty and his friend Beth back in the late 1980's. They later married plus Marty graduated from the University of Tennessee Law School. He is an attorney and practices law in Clinton, TN. The young gentleman in the green hooded jacket in the picture with Allyson Virden and Marty Cizek happens to be Tim Webb's 11 year old son Andrew Webb. This was his second airlift to work and his 13th trip up LeConte.
The helicopter was making round trips about every 15 minutes. The incoming cargo was usually contained in nets and encased in plastic wraps. The outgoing cargo, while we were there, consisted mainly of empty propane tanks. I visited with Lisa Burke, a former assistant manager in 1996. I also visited with Dave Scanlon, Roll Tide Watson, Tim Line, Marsh Wilkes from Perry, FL, Tim Webb and dozens of other folks. I looked for Henry Neel but didn't find him. Perhaps he is back in Iraq?
Knoxville News-Sentinel writer Morgan Simmons and photographer Paul Efird were there to cover the airlift. I would not be surprised if something was said about our hike. Morgan asked me lots of questions and Paul took lots of pictures. We shall see. I visited the restroom before leaving and noticed one of the windows was broken. I used it to frame a picture of the helicopter taking away empty propane tanks. I do not expect it too win any awards!
Going down the mountain was much easier on these old bones than hiking up. On our way down, we met a couple from Cookville, TN. I asked them if they knew Dr. Bunker Stout, a cardiologist in Cookville. They knew him. I met him on the trail back in 1997. He was really young looking for a doctor. Nice guy. I took a photo of the parking lot at Newfound Gap from near Grassy Slide. Cindy and Lynda crossed the ice at Trout Branch with care. No one fell today! I went down essentially non stop except to take a few pictures. At the two- mile spot we stopped for a short snack and chatted with a young couple from Hungary. I took a couple of pictures of Cliff Top before stopping and having a snack at Gracie's Pulpit.
Above Big Duck Hawk Ridge, I challenged Cindy to a camera shoot-our of the parking lot at the trailhead. After I bought my 12 X Panasonic digital camera, Cindy bought a 12 X Zoom Canon Digital Camera. Hers cost about $50.00 more than mine and weighs about twice as much. Here are the pictures! First Cindy's Picture and then mine. Neither of these will win any prizes either. We cruised on past the bluff but stopped across from the Eye of the Needle to take another picture. I had to take a shot of the Dolly Parton Peaks just for old time's sake.
Tom Grubbs was kind enough to give us an ice cold Pepsi before we said our good byes and head for home. It was an almost perfect day. It could have only been better with more friends and family.
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