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On Top of Mount LeConte
In the Great Smoky Mountain National ParkClick here to see one of the trails to the top (Part 1)
Click here to see one of the trails to the top (Part 2)
As I mentioned in the last page, the ridge on top of LeConte extends basically from the Cliff Tops to Myrtle Point. On the north side of that line is a lodge with cabins and a dining hall. You can see them in the pictures below. There is also a camping shelter on the ridge, which accomodates 12 people. Generally, camping in the park is in these shelters. This helps minimize damage to vegetation and also helps keep the wildlife wild. Since there are several trails that get to the top of the mountain, you can see signs for some of the different ways, including mileage.
This sign points out that the flora off of the trail are very fragile and often rare. It cites 5 species that are only found on that mountain, at least within the park. It amazes me that in spite of this huge warning sign, people still felt inclined to go where they wanted, rather than where the marked paths were. I guess everyone on the mountain had a certain degree of character, since they had to walk 5 miles to get there, but some certainly had less than others. While gathering at the cliff tops for the sunset, a few people ventured onto the manways through the scrubby plants downhill from the bare rocks. One of them said "...there is totally a trail here..." perhaps not stopping to think that perhaps it was still there because of the feet of people like her. Sometimes people amaze me.
So far the pictures have been sights along the trail between the lodge and the shelter. There is a separate trail that goes up to the cliff tops, which intersects the main trail in two places. Close to the lodge the trail is 0.1 miles to the tops, while closer to the shelter, it is 0.3 as you can see on the sign below. The pictures that follow are along the slightly longer stretch, since it was more convenient to the shelter.
Prior to this trip, I had not been to LeConte in just under 9 years. Back then, the fir trees had been mostly wiped out by a non-native insect that is still a problem today. I remember being able to see some distance at the top, but all of that has changed now. A new generation of fir trees lines the trail, making it more like a hallway with walls of christmas trees on either side. Since most are the same age, they look just like a christmas tree farm. In the warm afternoon sun the entire mountain also smelled like christmas, with the sweet flavor of the fir tree sap. The hike to the cliff tops is a little bit tricky in that there are several places with great views that make you want to say "wow, this must be it." The way to know that you have gone to the end is a sign that says "dont' go any further."
Having a good topography map makes it easy to figure out which peaks are which. The highest peak to the right of the map picture is Clingman's Dome. It is the highest point on the Apalacian Trail, and the second highest east of the Mississippi.
Here are some pictures of the camping shelter. Things had changed a lot since last time I was there, since they renovated the shelter and installed the food suspension system. The new shelter includes windows for natural light, a porch area, and an absence of chain-link bear protection. They say that this helps motivate people to be more sensible about keeping food and cooking stuff out of the sleeping area. The food suspension system makes a huge difference in the rodent problem that was clear on my last visit. Gone are the mice that would chew through your pack to eat your goodies.
After setting down my heavy stuff, I went back to get more pictures of the LeConte Lodge. This is a place that requires extensive planning to get a reservation for, and it is only accessible by foot or horseback. It seems to be a pretty desireable vacation spot.
These pictures are on the hike from the shelter towards Myrtle Point.
This pile of rocks is the highest point on the mountain. It isn't much of a vantage point for the valleys below, since it is surrounded by trees. The pile of rocks is of course man-made. My guide book says something about protection from evil spirits, but I've also heard that it is an attempt to make the mountain taller. I didn't go all the way to Myrtle point on this particular round of pictures, so they reflect a return back to the cliff tops and the lodge again.
Here are the pictures heading back towards Myrtle Point again. Since I got to the top of the mountain around lunch time, and since the weather was so nice, I just spent the entire afternoon meandering from one place to the next. The Boulevard trail is the way to get to the spur that goes to Myrtle Point. "The Boulevard" is the name that applies to the ridge that connects LeConte to the main ridge. It extends from Myrtle Point, but it is too steep to take the trail from the point. Instead it goes just on the north side of the ridge for a few hundred yards before rejoining the ridge in a more reasonable section. Since the trail is on the shaded north side of the mountain, there are still patches of ice remaining from the winter snowfall. My visit was in early April. In the first picture on the next line you can see Myrtle point, including the Boulevard ridge that extends below it. Off in the distance you can see the main ridgeline that goes through the park.
I would say that the view from Myrtle Point was actually much better than the cliff tops. From the cliff tops you could see about 180 degrees, including a sliver of Gatlinburg in the valley below. From Myrtle Point, you could see about 270 degrees of scenery, ranging from Pigeon Forge to Sevierville on the left, to the Greenbriar Pinnacle, to the previously mentioned Boulevard ridge, then Perigrine Point, and around to the other sites that were visible from the cliff tops, including Newfound Gap, Mount Mingus, Clingman's Dome, and points beyond. In the first picture below you can see part of the Boulevard trail that departs from the ridge for the purpose of connecting back later. After seeing all of that fun stuff, it was time to get back to the shelter for some Pad Thai noodles.
I found the noodles in the grocery store, sold as part of a line called "A Taste of Thai." They were really quite suitable for the short overnight trip that I was on. Though slightly more expensive than ramen noodles (about $2) they were much more flavorful. I never have been a fan of buying fancy camping food, but rather trying to find less expensive stuff in regular groceries. You can also see my stove during the lighting process.
After that tasty dinner it was back to the cliff tops for the sunset. When I got there I was alone, but as the evening continued, a crowd gathered. It is probably one of the best places in the Smoky Mountain Park for seing the sunset.
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