Great Smoky Mountains National Park - Eastern Section (Metcalf Bottoms, the high country, The Sinks, NC area)
Alum Cave smells like gunpowder due to the minerals found in the rock. It is dry as a bone because the overhanging cliff doesn't allow any rainfall to reach underneath. Some of the minerals include: potash alum, epsomite, melanterite and apjohnite. We were in the clouds during much of our hike.
Be happy when you reach these steps, you are nearly to Alum Cave!
There are 5 trails that lead to Mt. Leconte, Alum Cave Trail is just one of them. The others are: Bullhead, Rainbow Falls, Boulevard, and Trillium Gap. On Monday, Wednesday, and Friday a team of llamas bring supplies up to Mt. Leconte on the Trillium Gap trail. The trail to the left will take us back to the car at the Alum Cave trailhead, the trail to the right goes to Bullhead and Rainbow Falls. Rainbow Falls trail is very rocky and difficult.
Do not feed the bears! Bears that learn to associate food with people may have to be trapped and moved to a more distant area of the park. Bears that continue to be a problem usually have to be killed. "A fed bear is a dead bear!" The smaller chain-link cage is a wild hog trap.
A short side hike to Cliff Tops is a must! The view from the top is incredible, especially when the fog rolls up the mountainside. If you are up at Mt. Leconte for a sunrise or sunset, be sure and go up to Cliff Tops.
just above Cherokee, NC. Joe Pye Weed and Goldenrod add a splash of color in late August. I'd love to come back here in October!
This rock foundation is all that is left of an old mountain cabin near Baskin Falls.
. Not only did this family break the law by vandalizing this cabin in 1981, they came back in 1983, '87, and '90 and did it again! What a great impression they made on their young son! I hope the rangers were able to find the Coots family and pay them a visit (and hopefully slapped a major fine on them!). It's not too smart to write your full name and your kids' names when you vandalize! That's a big "duh"!
The little Cataloochee school is one of the original buildings that was left in the park. It is open and can be enjoyed by visitors.
This trail is the final approach Charlies Bunion.
is the highest point in Tennessee at 6,643 feet in elevation. It is a steep, but paved, half-mile walk to the top. There are many benches along the trail for the faint of heart or out-of-shape folks who need to rest. It is best to walk up on a clear day to see the distant mountains. Keep in mind that it is often 10 - 15 degrees cooler at the top than it is in Gatlinburg and other lower-elevation areas, so you might want to take along a jacket or sweater. The high temperature record here was hit in August 2007 at 72 degrees F! Don't go up on a bad air quality day, the ozone levels are often elevated on high pollution days. map...
Some people either can't read or they just foolishly choose to ignore the signs! See next photo...
Alum Cave is nearly half-way for hikers going to Mt. Leconte, otherwise, it is a nice destination to enjoy then go back to the car. It is very dry and dusty.
The trail starts to get interesting past Alum Cave! Be prepared to hike on narrow slate ledges. Many parts of the trail have cables as hand holds. It is not good for people who are afraid of heights! Don't try this trail in the winter, it can be very icy.
is one of the very popular trails in the Smokies. It is the shortest, but steepest, route to Mt. Leconte. One sign says it is 5 miles, another says 5-1/2. I'd rather go for the bigger number, it sounds more impressive to say you've hiked 11 miles than 10 when you get back!
in the fall.
The Appalachian Trail (a.k.a. AT) has some challenging spots. My friend Terri climbs up some of the large rocks in the middle of the trail. Sturdy boots are a must for this trail!
with a rainbow. This trail is located off the Roaring Fork Motor Trail behind Gatlinburg. It is a short, but steep, hike to get to the falls.
The John Ownby Cabin (why were the cabins were always named after the men?!) is located on the Sugarlands Trail behind the main Visitor Center in the park.
is located on the North Carolina side of the park. The easiest way to get there is to get off at Exit 20 on I-40. The gravel road back to the cove is narrow in some areas, so it would be tricky to drive a large camper back there. This is a view of one of the grassy fields in the cove, this is where the elk come out to graze in the early morning and late afternoon.
Cataract Falls is a short walk from the Sugarlands Visitor Center. I took this photo in mid-June 2007 during the drought.
Many of the trees on Charlies Bunion have branches growing on just one side due to the strong, nearly constant winds that blow at this high elevation.
Dumb Tourist Trick #4 Some people can't seem to read signs! The man up on the rocks was encouraging the young boy to come up and join him.
An interesting door latch at the Walker Sisters Farm.
The rocks on the cliff above Alum Cave are lots of different colors due to the various minerals.
These steps are made of 2 large logs with asphalt on them. (photo by Ken Light)
. The trail begins at the Clingman's Dome parking lot. Andrews Bald is a large, open, grassy area. Be prepared for any kind of weather in the Smokies!
One of the bridges along the Chimney Tops Trail.
We are going to take a 4-mile hike to Charlie's Bunion. This part of the Appalachian trail begins at Newfound Gap.
We came across this young black bear as we hiked on the Trillium Gap trail. Some people hiking behind us nearly knocked us down as they ran from it. Even though it may be frightening to come across a bear, the worst thing you can do is run, it could trigger an attack response and they can run a LOT faster than you can! This bear mostly ignored all the commotion of the hikers who had gathered to watch it as it ate ferns and ripped open a decayed log searching for grubs and other insects.
A view from behind the John Ownby Cabin
This is the view from an overlook along the road to Cataloochee. The fall trees were beginning to show their spectacular colors in early October 2009.
Terri, Rod, Ken and I made it the 4 miles to Charlies Bunion! What a great place to enjoy our lunch and a spectacular view. We feel so blessed to live so close to the Smokies! map...
Chickens!
The view of Mt. Leconte (below the large cloud on the left) from Clingmans Dome is fabulous on a clear day. This was the day after a tropical storm came through and cleared out the smog. The Spruce Wooly Adelgid (an insect) killed the beautiful and fragrant trees at Clingman's Dome. It is sad to see the silvered skeletons of once-beautiful trees.
Dumb tourist trick #3 continued!
Only 2.8 miles to go to Mt. Leconte!
Landslides are common on the steep mountainsides in the high areas of the park. This is just part of one that can be seen along the Alum Cave trail.
Does a bear **** in the woods? You bet it does! :) This is an important sign to recognize when you hike in the mountains! Bears are omnivores, they eat both plants (notice the seeds) and animals. Scat (the name scientists use for animal droppings) is an important sign of the animals found in the forest.
A view from the Chimneys on a late September day. The white stripe in the middle is Highway 441 where I took the picture of the Chimneys.
Our friends, Rod and Terri, hiked to Charlie's Bunion with us. We are about half-way at this point. (photo by a fellow hiker)
. It has spectacular views of the surrounding valleys and mountains.
John Ownby Cabin - inside view
A view of the inside of the old Cataloochee school. No computers or Smart Boards here!
. Like the Chimney Tops, it is not a good place to bring small children!
This is the uplifted slate crest of the Chimney Tops. This is NOT a good place to bring small children or foolhardy daredevils, people have died from falls here!
area of the park is popular for groups wanting to tube in the creek. Businesses rent tubes just outside the park entrance. Tubers have to be willing to schlep their tubes a mile or so up the trail to get a ride. It looked like fun when they were bouncing along down the river! It might look "geeky", but people would be well advised to wear helmets, shoes, and even knee and elbow pads while tubing, it could help save them from serious injury.
Cataloochee is famous for the elk herds that have been reestablished in the park. After being hunted to extinction in Tennessee and North Carolina in the 1800's, these magnificent animals were brought back from Land Between the Lakes in west TN in 2001. The herd is up to 109 animals as of Oct. 2009. It is amazing to come to the park from September to mid-October to hear the bulls bugle and defend their harem of cows from rival bulls.