1292 5/29/05 My youngest son Bob, suggested the timing of this hike to allow his two sons Austin (6) and Charlie (4) to make a hike before their birthdays and to fit in with his vacation schedule. My daughter Peggy Haythorn her daughter Laura (21, a student at UNC) and her son Mike (19, a student at UNCC) joined us. Others that were to join us were Ralph Reed from Mississippi, his 7 years-old son Spencer, Tim McWilliams, also from Mississippi, and his 9 years-old son Zack. Tillroe Smith from Moody Alabama, Cindy Wisnieski from Columbus, OH, Ronnie Holbert and Cheryl from Morristown, TN. Others were iffy.

My family assembled at the Comfort Suite Inn in Cherokee for a short visit before driving over to Tillroe and Jo Ann Smith's camper at the Big Stony Campground in Cherokee for dinner. The Smith's grandchildren, Ashley (10) and Brad (13) were visiting as was one of Brad's friends Cody Palmer from Moody Alabama. Jo Anne had cooked a really fine southern dinner featuring roast beef, mashed potatoes, corn bread, gravy, fried Okra, turnip greens, tomatoes, cole slaw, beans, deviled eggs, cucumbers onions, iced tea, lemonade and a delicious coconut cake and banana pudding for dessert. I surely forgot something but rest assuredly that no one went away hungry. It appeared that some of the youngsters were even helping clean up after dinner but alas they were only filling their water pistols.

 

After dinner Bob and his two sons went to the river and Charlie practiced throwing rocks before returning for a water pistol soak. Mike tried getting even with Charlie for soaking him by carrying him around. After we finished visiting with the Smith's, we headed back to the motel. On the way we saw two grazing elk in a meadow. They were a pair but they too far apart to get into one picture so I just included the male with his big antlers.

 

We ate breakfast at McDonalds, next door to the motel, and some bought extra food to eat at the lodge. We arrived at the Alum Cave Bluff Trailhead at about 7:00 am. We found Tillroe, Ashley, Brad Smith and Cody, Cindy Wisnieski, Ralph and Spencer Reed, Tim McWilliams and Zack waiting for us. After a group picture by son Bob we headed up the trail by 7:10 am. Joe Steele arrived just as the picture was taken. The weather was a nice 45 degrees and overcast. 

 

As usual, I brought up the rear of the string of hikers. The boys looked for salamanders and threw rocks into Alum Creek. Austin found a very nice bright orange salamander. I suppose, from its coloration, that it is a Tennessee Vol fan. Austin would later find more salamanders and he never gave up looking. We cleared Arch Rock in rather quick time. Mike lead Austin and Charlie past the June 28, 2003 washout.

 

Several of us stopped above for a short rest above the site of the washout. There are a couple of large granite boulders that provide a nice place to sit and rest. The folks from Mississippi stayed longer than the rest of us but they overtook us near the lodge.

 

The Catawba rhododendrons were starting to bloom as we approached Inspiration Point. Laura had already arrived when I reached that point and she found a nice rock to sit on. I just walked around and admired the rhodondrons  and the Sand Myrtle that were blooming nearby. Ashley took a seat nearby and guarded her grandfather's pack and umbrella. She gave it back to him when we were ready to move on up the trail toward the bluff. Brad and Cody showed no strain or pain at this two mile point. They had not even broken into a sweat.

 

The hike from Inspiration Point to Gracie's Pulpit is the most difficult for me than any other half mile on the trail. All the others were at the bluff and taking a well deserved rest by the time that I got there. I hiked on past them and caught them as they overtook me. Ashley and Cindy was leading the pack.

 

Gracie's Pulpit is named for an old time hiker to LeConte, Gracie McNicol, This spot is the half way point to the lodge in distance as well as elevation change. At this location the trail actually heads down and drops about 100 feet before reaching the saddle before the trail starts climbing again. This is a welcomed respite while going up the mountain but it is a tough 0.4 miles upon the return trip. I took the opportunity to take a picture of Joe Steele because we missed him on the initial picture and he fell at this point when he was hiking to the lodge to help with the helicopter supply life. Joe injured himself and had to turn back. We took a snack and water break here. Austin and Charlie gazed over to Cliff Top but they hung onto the safety cables to make sure that they did not fall. There is one "Stinking Willie" trillium on the side of the trail near the saddle. These flowers are very common in the park but this is the only one that I have ever found on this trail. Tillroe noted that it does not seem to spread or reproduce itself from seeds.

 

A short distance above the saddle the new log steps comes into view. As we continued our climb, we paused at the three mile point and took another short break. Bob took a picture of Cindy with some old guy. That's not some old guy. That's me. After resuming our hike, we started meeting overnight guests from Karns, TN. Karns is a wide spot in the road between Oak Ridge and Knoxville, TN. So now you want to know where Oak Ridge is located? I lived there for about 25 years. It's a great place to live and hike the trails in the Smokies. The first two guys from Karns were on the wrestling team. Their names were Titus and Briar. I wonder how Briar got stuck with that handle. We next met two more young guys from Karns. They were named Addison and Paul. Paul is the one that's bald!

 

Joe Steel had to turn back at this point to attend a board of directors meeting, in Townsend, TN, for the trailer park where he has his camper. They are going to vote on some expensive upgrades. Bob caught one parting shot of Joe, Tillroe and that old guy. Thanks for joining us Joe and good luck on those improvements. We kept meeting folks from Karns but none of them would claim kinship with the four young guys that we had met.

 

We met Tim Web, his wife Rebecca, son Andrew and daughter Whitney at Bust @ss Rocks. I had Bob, Mike, Austin and Charlie stop near Lou's Pulpit for a short rest. Austin had to stop at Trout Branch to search for more salamanders while Charlie busied himself throwing rocks over the cliff. Clingmans Dome was rather cloud covered but fairly visible. We met Rory Allen and Jennifer Lundy from UTK but stationed in Nashville above Grassy Slide..

 

As we continued to climb, Paul's Face became a prominent landmark. We could see Mike and Bob across the abyss as they were making their way up Betty Jane's Stairway to Heaven.  The last really taxing climb to Mt. LeConte is Betty Jane's Stairways to Heaven.

 

The lodge was mostly clear and a nice 56 degrees. Bob was not prepared for these temperatures and showed it. It is about 30 degrees warmer at his home in Stuart, FL at noon time. After filling my CamelBak with fresh water, I went into the office and signed the register. I signed as hike 1292 for real this time. I had made a mistake two and a half weeks ago and signed in as hike 1292 when it was actually 1291. I returned to the porch and ate my lunch. Douglas Lake, Pigeon Forge and Sevierville were very clear. Eventually a lodge staffer came over and I bought T-shirts for Laura, Bob, Austin and Charlie. We returned to the porch of the lodge for visitation and pictures. Brad and Cody were talking on their cellular telephone or were putting up a good front. I got a nice picture of Tillroe with Ashley and Brad. I had Cindy take a Wright/Haythorn family picture. I found Austin and Charlie enjoying the swing under the porch of the lodge.

 

As we left the lodge, the wise ones took a rest stop before starting the five mile descent of the mountain. Laura and Michael headed out alone in an attempt to see how fast that they could hike down. Tillroe Smith and his crew also took off at a fast pace but not as fast as Laura and Mike. The folks from Mississippi visited the mountain peaks and came down behind us. We enjoyed a nice view from Margaret's Place and Paul's face. Austin and Charlie held on to the safety cable really tight. Austin and Charlie took a short break from hunting salamanders and throwing rocks at the new log steps and along the side of the trail. I busied myself with enjoying the very green mosses growing in damp places, and photographing the common elderberry and the  Witch Hobble in bloom. 

 

As we descended further down the mountain, Charlie and Austin ran low on water and had to get refilled from Bob's supply. Charlie even found a nice log to rest on. He really was not as exhausted as he appeared. I think! I wish that I could relax like that. We met lodge staffers Michael Sherman and Rusty Kirby at Gracie's pulpit. We took a snack break there to satisfy my blood sugar need. The boys had a great time in the rock pile at the Bluff.  Bob and Cindy took lots of pictures of them enjoying the large supply of rocks. We visited with other hikers at the bluff and some of us even sat down and or threw more rocks. The view of the Eye of the Needle was nice. I searched the sky to see if I could see any peregrine falcons but no luck. I noticed that the Sand Myrtle was in bloom at the end of a tunnel of rhodondrons near Inspiration Point.