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Joe Steele's hike to Gracie's Pulpit on March 13, 2005

Hi Ed, I had planned to be at LeConte on Sunday and Monday the 13th and 14th to help with opening the Lodge this weekend. Ron Underwood said they were painfully short handed and asked if I would try to go up and help. I told him I would do what I could and would see him Sunday morning at the trailhead.  Gary White went up Saturday night and spent the night with Ron. I stayed at my camper in Townsend. We decided to meet in Pigeon Forge Sunday morning for breakfast at seven-thirty.  Tim Line called while we were eating and gave us a heads-up on the weather at the top. 22 degrees and 19 inches of snow.  We hit the Alum Bluff trail at ten after nine local time. Ron and Gary were really overloaded and I had the heaviest pack I had ever carried.  We made it to Arch Rock fairly well but at Inspiration Pointe the heavy weight began to on us all. I got out ahead of Ron and Gary and was at Gracie's Pulpit by the time they reached Alum Bluff, which proved to be a mistake on my judgment.  The Ice had gotten bad above the Bluff so I put on a set of 'cheaters' for safety. They are good for traction but not very good for clumsiness or stupidity. As I made the last lung forward to get to the crest at the Pulpit a root caught the strap of my cleats and I hit the ground hard.( I am the only hiker that I know that can fall UP a mountain.) After surveying the damage (PAIN) to my wrist I ascertained that I would be of little or no use to the crew at the top so I decided to come back down. I later discovered that I had jerked my thumb out of joint. I met Ron and Gary halfway down to Alum Bluff, told them what happened and that I was heading down. They tried to convince me to go up just for the night since I had drive the 300 miles up but I told them that if I couldn't earn my keep I didn't feel comfortable taking a free 'hot and a cot'. By this time I could not hold my hiking stick in my right hand, which was absolutely useless, so I think I made the right decision. I met Tim Webb and Rick Snow at the Bluff, apologized for being old and clumsy, and headed back to the parking lot. I pulled onto 441 at one o'clock local time and was back in Leeds by six. It was a VERY disappointing trip. My hand is improving but with this being the third time in three hikes I have hurt it I'm afraid it is going to take a while to get my strength back.

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