Mt. LeConte 2015

Two posts in one day, like I've lost my mind (or maybe making up for lost time)...

We crazy-people hiked Mt. LeConte again this year and survived. We forgot to take the requisite picture in front of the Lodge with the date on it but we did OK. Its a pretty strenuous hike but we keep doing it. I think this was our third time...I might be willingly giving up my spot to someone else next year. I say that now but I also tell myself that I am going to be in better shape the next year, every year too. It rained all the way up the mountain the first day but I actually have zero complaints about that. I have good, waterproof shoes and a waterproof pack cover so I stayed pretty cool and happy.

As always, we celebrated our survival with a stroll to the brewery, beer cheese and warm pretzels, and a cold beer. You'd think we'd never want to walk again but it is nice to keep moving after coming off the mountain - or you are so stiff that you can't walk for days. I generally felt pretty good by the next day but my calves and ankles were sore for 3 or 4 days afterwards. Old age (ok...and out of shapedness) will do that to you...

Either way, I think fun was had by all.

Len Foot Hike Inn

Both my mom and Chad's uncle Jay asked for time - not things - for Christmas. They wanted to DO things with us and how could we argue with that? Since they are pretty hilarious when gathered together in the same company, we decided that it would be fun to pick something that the four of us could do together.

Enter: The Len Foote Hike Inn at Amnicolola Falls State Park in Dawsonville, GA.

Mom suffered through a hike to Mt. LeConte with us a couple of years ago when we all swore we'd never go again and Jay suffers through that hike most years, with us in tow at least once more and probably again this fall. We knew that hiking would be something they would both enjoy as long as it wasn't too strenuous (me neither!) and it was something that was on my mom's bucket list.

Off we went last weekend and enjoyed a hilarious, cold, invigorating hike up the mountain!

Good fun these folks are. 

I would HIGHLY recommend this hike to pretty much anyone. It is about 4.8 miles of rolling hills. There were only a couple of places that made me lose my breath or where we needed to take a break. It is generally very flat or gentle slopes, crossing a couple of little creeks, and hills. 

The Inn itself is SUPER nice...think hot showers, great food, mostly comfy beds, and an incredible view of the GA mountains. Quite a shock to our Mt. LeConte hiking systems. 

The cost includes a bed, dinner, and breakfast - plus snacks and hot/cold beverages all day. Lots of games to play in the Sunrise Room or you can hike around nearby. 

Go make some memories with folks you love!

Mt. Leconte - Picture Overload!

Total proof that Chad hiked miles carrying a smooshed box of Dunkin Dount Munchkins. This guys loves doughnuts.

Alum Cave Bluffs. About halfway to the top.

If you have a chance, read about how the mining of the bluffs has created an atmospheric phenomenon - incredibly dry, dusty ground in the middle of lush, humid forest. Its strange and beautiful!

One of the cabins at the lodge. Admittedly, this is a great time to hike to the top because the wildflowers are in full bloom at that elevation!

Proof that we made it and what day it happened!

I love that they do this on the front of the lodge...

Our group - minus Sandy (who was resting? photo taking?) plus J's friend who got us the tickets.

Dinner served family style, delivered by llama.

Potato soup, peach half, roast beef, mashed potatoes, green beans, cornbread, and a cookie!

It is exactly what you will have if you go!

View from cliff tops. Further proof that I survived. :)

My pink socks and hiking boots. Of course.

My guy - that puts up with a lot.

We went to Cliff Tops to watch the sunset and it was a little cloudy so this is about as much as we got.

Last glimpses of the sun...

This is Rainbow Falls - about halfway back down. Admittedly, if I had hiked 2.7 miles to get to this point - uphill - I would have probably been disappointed.

All in all, not as bad as last year. But I don't plan on doing it again. I think I'll pick some easier day hikes and find a place to shower at night. :)

Mt. Leconte

Sorry it has been a while again. It is just a busy, busy life.

Update on last weekend's trip to Mt. Leconte in the Great Smoky Mtns. National Park. Admittedly, it wasn't as bad as last year - that pretty much sums it up. I don't think I was in any better shape this year because I had not been able to train as much as I would have liked. Last year's hike in was about 8 miles and gained about 300-ish feet per mile. This year's hike in was "only" about 5 miles but gained about 500-ish feet per mile. So, yes, it was steeper but I think the second half was way worse than the first (which lulled you into a false sense of "oh, this isn't so bad"). Either way, we arrived at Alum Cave Bluffs about halfway in and I would totally hike that trail again - it winds along a creek for the first mile plus and it was cool, scenic, and lovely. The second hike was a little closer to torture so we won't get into that. The last .2 mile is level - rocky and slippery - but level and it is the most welcome blessing.

The hike out was a different story. Closer to 7 miles and downhill all the way. I know, you'd think that would be easy but downhill for that many miles is pretty hard on your body. Knees, hips, and toes can start hurting pretty fast. I did pretty good following along with the rest of our mixed-aged group but about 2.5 miles form the bottom I was really ready to be done. I sort of booked it and left the rest of them to fend for themselves (figuring they would catch up with me if something happened!) We - Meg and I - finished about an hour before the rest of our group but that hour was a take off your shoes and air out your feet miracle.

I had decided that I was going to make the best of a long uphill trip before we ever got started on Friday so I spent a lot of time trying to be intentionally thankful for things. I thanked God for my breath, my healthy body that could hike, the scenery, the family and friends I was with, the view...and for waterproof hiking boots. :) It was a nice test in determination and thankfulness. Sadly, I might do it again.

 

If you have never hiked to Leconte, I suggest you do it just once. It is a pretty cool experience. Super rustic, no electricity - just the folks you love and a nice view when there isn't lots of fog. Dinner and breakfast are included as part of your ticket along with beds in some pretty sweet cabins. Tickets sell out over a year in advance and they are closed during the winter because it isn't really accessible so get tickets now for the year after next. It's worth it...even the climb. 

 

In other good news, I sent in my Chacos to the "Re-Chaco" folks. The soles were coming off - like separating  from the footbed, which they should not do. I hoped it was a warranty thing and I wouldn't have to pay to get them fixed. Thankfully, it was. Their customer service is top notch. I was only without my shoes about 2 weeks from sending them off to getting them back. And they were repaired free of cost - I even got to pick which sole design they fixed them with. This is my "so happy to have my Chacos back the day we left for our hiking trip" face. :)



Mt. LeConte Photos

Finally, posting a few pics from our journey up Mt. LeConte to the LeConte Lodge. It was quite foggy once we finally arrive about 3 seconds (ok, 10 minutes) before dinner time so I didn't take many pictures though I lugged my camera all the way up and back.

My guy loves his tea. Enough that he carried it up too. Good thing it isn't heavy.

Here is the lodge...date and elevation. Further proof that we actually did this and hiked up to 6,593 feet (though thankfully the car took us to around 4,000-something). Great post-hike/rain-I-am-disgusting-picture.

Christmas card pic anyone?

However, the flowers at the top were gorgeous enough to make up for all the fog down below.

Dining hall in the background.

The building on the left is the office/shop (yes, I bought a t-shirt in a style that you can only buy at the top. Of course I did.). The building on the right are some of the toilets.

Running water - yes. Electricity - no.

The front porch of our little home for a night.

Nope, sorry. She didn't get to go. I sure wasn't gonna carry those short legs after the first mile or two.

But I couldn't resist putting that little mug on here. Mom in the background, probably writing a postcard (which will be funny if you know her).

The whole story.

Would you like to read a more accurate, full account of our hike to the top of Mt. LeConte? Check out my mom's blog here. 

My calves are just now starting to feel normal again.  

Survival (edited)

We hiked Mt. LeConte on Friday and back down yesterday...there were a couple of times that I really thought I was not going to make it. 8 miles, nearly entirely uphill and I was completely unprepared for it. The 6+ miles going downhill the next day would not have been ask that bad if my legs weren't already killing me from the previous day. Either way, I am so proud of myself and my hiking buddies. We did see one small black bear the first day near the parking lot but thankfully no others for the rest of the hike... Blogging from my phone in Gaitlinburg now but I will try to post some pictures later.

Edited to add: I have a really cool pedometer thing called a Fitbit that I might have spoken of before. It measures steps, calories burned, general activity, flights of stairs climbed, even sleep, etc...and I was smart enough to remember to wear it when we hiked. I just synced it to my computer and it says that on the way up the mountain, we walked 26,192 steps and climbed enough (it gives you one "floor" for each 10 foot gain in altitude) flights of stairs to equal the Sears (Willis) Tower. Yeah. Beat that. Too bad I only walked 25,054 steps on the way down the mountain and only climbed another 9 flights of stairs (equal to the World Largest Pencil it says!!).