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Hiking

Cockyandproud

Cockyandproud

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I didn’t want to hijack Blitzy’s thread about cycling, but I saw Furman Cock had mentioned hiking. 
My wife and I have started hiking on Saturdays over the last few months, and I absolutely love it, especially in cooler weather.  
 

Does anyone have any trails the recommend?  I have been using the All Trails app, and find it very helpful. 

 
You're in the perfect spot up in TR. Lot's a great places within a short drive.

If you haven't checked out Dupont Forest, you should. It's up past Ceasars Head across the state line. Both the Hunger Games and Last of the Mohicans were filmed there. Several waterfalls and open vistas.

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Spur's Addiction said:
You're in the perfect spot up in TR. Lot's a great places within a short drive.

If you haven't checked out Dupont Forest, you should. It's up past Ceasars Head across the state line. Both the Hunger Games and Last of the Mohicans were filmed there. Several waterfalls and open vistas.







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Thanks. We haven’t done anything at DuPont, yet. Tomorrow morning we are hiking from the trailhead that starts at Asbury Hills Methodist Camp up to Ravens Cliff Falls. We’ve hike up to Moonshine and Confusion Falls twice. 

 
JimG said:
You'll need to make a trip out west sometime. This is in Utah. 

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I'll second the out west comment.  I was able to spend almost a week in Colorado this summer, and went into Rocky Mountain National Park every day.  BEAUTIFUL, and lot's of great hiking.  The scenery is so different than what we see here in the East.  I definitely want to go back and spend some time exploring some more in CO and also Utah, Montana and Arizona.

 
Also agree on DuPont, It's one of my favorite spots.  Three really accessible falls -- definitely take your camera, or at least your phone.  In the same relative area, near Hendersonville is the Green River gorge area, very nice.  Also some really nice trails near Landrum you can look up.  Jones Gap has a nice one along a little river to a waterfall.  And there is always Table Rock state park, although the trail to Pinnacle and also the one to the summit of Table Rock is a pretty good workout, so you may need to work up to that one -- but the payoff is a really nice view of the surrounding water table.

 
FurmanCock said:
I'll second the out west comment.  I was able to spend almost a week in Colorado this summer, and went into Rocky Mountain National Park every day.  BEAUTIFUL, and lot's of great hiking.  The scenery is so different than what we see here in the East.  I definitely want to go back and spend some time exploring some more in CO and also Utah, Montana and Arizona.
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Awesome!  I went through RMNP in '17. Loved it! The National Parks & National Monuments have some of the best hiking and views..even if they are the short/easy ones. 

The cool dry air is to die for. 

 
Cockyandproud said:
Does anyone have any trails the recommend?  I have been using the All Trails app, and find it very helpful. 
Click to expand...
All Trails is the bomb. Google maps is also helpful. 

A few tips (if you don't already know):

  • Research your hike before you go. Know what you're getting into. Are the trails marked? Will you get lost? is there connectivity?
  • Hike by time and/or distance. Do I have enough time to hike this? How long is it? 
  • Good shoes. I love Merrills (see below). Great soles and grips. Soft shoes might be Ok for eastern hiking, but if you're hiking on rocks, you need hard soles. 
  • Out west water is a biggie. I still don't back pack, but hand carry my bag with my stuff. I carry a real GPS if there is no connectivity. 
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01N0QXDSV/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o05_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 
JimG said:
All Trails is the bomb. Google maps is also helpful. 

A few tips (if you don't already know):

  • Research your hike before you go. Know what you're getting into. Are the trails marked? Will you get lost? is there connectivity?
  • Hike by time and/or distance. Do I have enough time to hike this? How long is it? 
  • Good shoes. I love Merrills (see below). Great soles and grips. Soft shoes might be Ok for eastern hiking, but if you're hiking on rocks, you need hard soles. 
  • Out west water is a biggie. I still don't back pack, but hand carry my bag with my stuff. I carry a real GPS if there is no connectivity. 
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01N0QXDSV/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o05_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Click to expand...
Thanks. 
Yes, I do research it beforehand. Again, All trails is great for that. 
My wife and I both have Merrells, and they are fantastic. 
We both have hydration packs we wear while hiking. 
 

Today we hiked 8 miles. We started at Asbury Hills trailhead and crossed over Matthews Creek on the cable bridge. Then took a left on the Mountain Bridge trail up toward Raven Cliff Falls, onto the Dismal Loop Trail. The first 3 miles in is fairly easy to moderate, and then once you cross back over the creek on the log bridge, the rot really sets in. It is extremely steep, and narrow. The scenery was absolutely amazing. Many smaller falls are seen along the way, and there are many very fast-moving rapids. We did not get to the main falls because we calculated how much more time we needed to get the rest of the way there and back, and we were going to be cutting it way to close to sunset for my liking, so we came back. I’ve hiked A few trails that were rated as strenuous, and they were difficult, but this one is an absolute butt kicker. 

 
Cockyandproud said:
I didn’t want to hijack Blitzy’s thread about cycling, but I saw Furman Cock had mentioned hiking. 
My wife and I have started hiking on Saturdays over the last few months, and I absolutely love it, especially in cooler weather.  
 

Does anyone have any trails the recommend?  I have been using the All Trails app, and find it very helpful. 
Click to expand...
I don't know where you live but there is an experience that I think that anyone who hikes should check out....look at staying at the lodge on Leconte.  It is outside Gatlinburg, TN in the Smokies....there are 5-6 trails up and down ranging from 5 miles to 9 miles up...once on top (with reservations) they have like 10 or so cabins and they cook you dinner and breakfast and then you hike back down the following day.  It is really neat to be up there and the sunset hike (maybe .75 miles) gives you some of the best vistas in the park...and then at night you are looking down on Pigeon forge and you can see the lights....you can even see the glow from Neyland if the Vols are playing!  If you ever were to consider this we prefer Alum Cave trail...it is the steepest and shortest but the views are unmatched...the longest trail up (boulevard) follows the AT for quite a bit 

Another nearby shorter trail would be the Chimney's...steep and short but it has quite a lot of hikers on it so it can be slow going!

 
STS said:
I don't know where you live but there is an experience that I think that anyone who hikes should check out....look at staying at the lodge on Leconte.  It is outside Gatlinburg, TN in the Smokies....there are 5-6 trails up and down ranging from 5 miles to 9 miles up...once on top (with reservations) they have like 10 or so cabins and they cook you dinner and breakfast and then you hike back down the following day.  It is really neat to be up there and the sunset hike (maybe .75 miles) gives you some of the best vistas in the park...and then at night you are looking down on Pigeon forge and you can see the lights....you can even see the glow from Neyland if the Vols are playing!  If you ever were to consider this we prefer Alum Cave trail...it is the steepest and shortest but the views are unmatched...the longest trail up (boulevard) follows the AT for quite a bit 

Another nearby shorter trail would be the Chimney's...steep and short but it has quite a lot of hikers on it so it can be slow going!
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This sounds really interesting; however, I got this message "The initial 2021 booking process has been completed. Most dates during the 2021 season are currently booked, although cancellations do occur throughout the season.  Normally would you need to make reservations 1+ year in advance?

 
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FurmanCock said:
This sounds really interesting; however, I got this message "The initial 2021 booking process has been completed. Most dates during the 2021 season are currently booked, although cancellations do occur throughout the season.  Normally would you need to make reservations 1+ year in advance?
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yes...but I will say to continue to check back as openings do occur...in fact we were able to just book a Saturday night next October during peak leaf season in one of the 3 bedroom cabins!  They used to run a twitter feed that listed openings and I want to think that there are about 40-50 reservations/night.  The food is pretty dang hearty and they pack it in once or twice a week using llamas!  They also sell shirts at the top about having hiked it and it is the only place you can get them!  It is worth the experience...I think I have done it maybe ~15 times or so...we always hike up some libations and enjoy the amazing scenery.  Last time I was there a big bear decided to mosey through the cabin areas 

I think that starting in 2020 (ironically) they cancelled all standing reservations...I was part of a group of 25 that went up the third Saturday in October and while up there you were allowed to book for the following year...it was totally unfair to others wanting the opportunity but that system has stopped.

If you do get to do Leconte, it takes my family a little under 2 hours to go up Alum Cave and it is strenuous (for me at least lol)...parking at the trailhead can be dicey so we usually end up parking on the side of the road so manke sure you don't leave anything valuable in the car...there are two trails and start and stop from the same location so that has some appeal but the views are just not all the awesome!  One time when I was up there at dinner they announced that they needed help finding a stranded family...so several of us headed out and this group of 4 out of condition hikers tried the up and down on Alum cave starting after lunch...they were hunkered down on the trail and when it got dark the temp was well below freezing...these people looked like death and just goes to show that people who don't know what they are doing (happens a lot in the smokies) can really get hurt.  I have also been up there in 6 inches of snow as well as warm sunshine.  No matter the temps at the bottom Leconte gets snow 9 months out of the year!  As you can tell I really like and I hope that you can get a reservation...you will not be sorry

 
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