Abby Metcalfe's 6th, Jackson Metcalfe's 4th, and Ron Metcalfe's 13th hike to Mt. LeConte

Pictures from other LeConte hikes, click here.
Full photo album of June 17, 2008, overnight stay at LeConte Lodge, click here.  

On June 17, 2008, Abby Metcalfe and her brother Jackson Metcalfe made their 6th and 4th hikes and overnight stays at LeConte Lodge (accompanied by their dad, Ron Metcalfe, of course).  When we hit the trail at 8:30 AM, it was a very pleasant 58°.  The forecast in the valley was for highs in the upper 70s and lows in the upper 50s and clear skies.  There was some cloud cover over Mt. LeConte as we started our hike, but most of our hike was in bright sunshine and brilliant blue skies, especially for mid-June.  Abby, age 10, and Jackson, age 7, both carried their own backpacks with their clothes and some snacks.  We made good time to the first footbridge at the one mile mark, and stopped for a snack at Arch Rock around 9:15 AM.  

After a few minutes, we continued on, crossing the final footlog bridge and the trees with exposed roots near Inspiration Point.  A few rhododendrons were blooming at the lower elevation, along with some Mountain Laurel.  We arrived at Inspiration Point, the two-mile mark, at 9:46 AM and paused to take in the views of Little Duckhawk Ridge.  While there, we were visited by a boomer who was looking for some food.  Between Inspiration Point and Alum Cave Bluff, we had a great view of the Eyes of the Needle on Little Duck Hawk Ridge, and could hear a Peregrine Falcon.  Abby spotted something atop the ridge that looked out of place, and upon closer inspection we were thrilled to see TWO falcons perched atop the jagged rock, one above the other.  They were so big in size, we thought at first that maybe they were just rocks we hadn't noticed before.  But then we saw one of them move, and we noted on our descent that they were no longer there.  Jackson's main concern was whether or not "Italian Falcons" eat people.  After I reassured him that they preferred a smaller menu, he felt a little better.

The low humidity and breezy conditions made for very clear views, more like you would expect from late autumn rather than late June.  Just after 10:00 AM, we reached Alum Cave Bluff.  Abby and I took a rest on the rocks while Jackson kicked up some dust with some other boys his age.  Their father came over and asked if that was Alum Cave Bluff or Arch Rock.   They were out for a hike and didn't want to miss it.  He said he thought that it was Alum Cave Bluff, but wanted to make sure.  We hit the trail again, passing Gracie's Pulpit, the Saddleback, and reaching the Log Steps just before 11:00 AM.  We began to meet people coming down from their overnight stay at the lodge.  During the next section, between the Log Steps and Upper Steps, we kept a steady, slow pace, and only stopped to rest for a couple of minutes.  We reached the Upper Steps at 11:25 AM and stopped again for another snack.   Abby and Jackson both wanted their stuffed animals to enjoy the hike also, so we fixed their backpacks to accomodate.

Passing Lu's Pulpit, we began one of the most scenic parts of the hike, with unbelievable views.  Clouds obcured the top of Clingman's Dome.   Despite some recent showers, there was virtually no water running down the upper parts of Trout Branch, and very little water at the Mossy Drips, although Abby still cooled her head underneath the water.  We reached the Grassy Slide, 1 mile from the lodge, at 11:53 AM.  The West Point peak of Mt. LeConte came into view as we neared the parts of the trail which are carved out of rock.  At 12:19 PM we made the turn to the level part of the trail just prior to the Lodge, and at almost exactly 12:30 PM, we arrived at LeConte Lodge, signed the guestbook, bought our t-shirts, and went to our cabin to relax.  It was about 62°, breezy, and sunny, with just an occasional small clouds.

After some hot chocolate and a stroll around camp, we went back to the office and played some board games.  After a while, we went back to our cabin to lay down and take a short nap.  We left the door open to enjoy a nice cool breeze.  I got my thirty winks in about thirty minutes, and went back out to sit in the sunshine in a rocking chair on the porch and take in the views of High Top, Douglas Lake, and the beautiful blue skies.   Abby and Jackson napped a bit more, and I strolled up to Cliff Top.  Ferns and the trunks of dead balsams lined the trail.  The clouds had lifted from Clingman's Dome, and there were fantastic views of High Top, Chimney Tops, Peregrine Peak (where the ACB trail crosses the saddle) and the Newfound Gap parking lot.   I was able to find the section of the Alum Cave Bluff trail where it turns and levels off, and saw people walking right below Cliff Top on the trail.  Gatlinburg was barely visible around the sand myrtle covered cliffs, and it was clear enough that you could even see the cables for the gondola that goes up to Ober Gatlinburg.  Again, most striking was how blue the sky was, and how it contrasted with the surrounding mountains.

I went back down to the lodge, and the kids and I passed the next four hours playing board games and cards.  While I rocked on the porch, Abby and Jackson explored camp.  We were amused to find a boomer perched on a limb taking a nap.  The temperature seemed to drop some, and the wind picked up a bit, so we put on our pants and jackets and were comfortable as we waited for the dinner bell.   Precicely at 6:00 PM, it rang, and everyone made their way to the dining hall for supper.   None of us had gotten very hungry on the ascent, and we had snacked enough that we hadn't thought to eat our peanut butter and jelly sandwiches that I had packed, but by suppertime, we were starving.  Abby had three helpings of beef and gravy, and two helpings of apples.  Jackson, a bit more finiky eater, preferred the peaches and chocolate chip cookies, although he did have a second helping of beef and ate all his mashed potatoes.  The staff brought all the courses, and we devoured them and loved every bite.  We enjoyed chatting with our table-mates, three of whom had made their first trip to the lodge.

One of the staff members came out to welcome everyone and announce times for sunset (8:55 PM) and sunrise (6:15 AM).  Abby and Jackson, having finished eating, went out to the back porch.  They and some of the other kids were entertained by another staff member smashing tin cans with a sledge hammer.  Of particular delight was when he would pound one, but instead of crushing, it would go flying across the grass.  Around 8:00 PM, we began our short 2/10 mile hike up to Cliff Top to watch the sunset.  There were already several people there, but by the time the sun set, it seemed that everyone in camp (and some of those from the shelter) were sitting on the rocks of Cliff Top.  Abby, Jackson, and I found our spot and watched as the sun set, casting different shadows and glows on the valley below.   It seemed that every few minutes, you were looking at a whole different place.   The sun got lower and lower, and finally disappeared.  And almost in unison, everyone gave a slight gasp, and then applauded.

Though not pitch dark, it did start to get fairly dark as we made our way back to camp.  The view of High Top was particularly beautiful, and we began to see the lights of civilization and Douglas Lake down below.   We played a few more games by lamplight, and they began to get ready for bed around 10:00 PM.  I stopped at the office to look at the full (or nearly-so) moon, and the lights of Pigeon Forge and across the valley (in this picture, you can barely discern the black outline of English Mountain near the center).   We had the heat on in the cabin, but the inside temperature was still in the low 60s, so we got under all four wool blankets and slept warmly through the night.   I did get up once, around 2:30 AM, and peeped outside to find that the skies were still clear and a good breeze was blowing.

The next morning, I awoke and strolled around camp while awaiting coffee.  The thermometer read 37°, although the official thermometer reported the overnight low was 35° - ON JUNE 17!  After sharing some coffee and conversation in the office with other hikers, I awoke the children and we got ready for breakfast.  As we came out of the cabin to head to eat, a deer was walking down the Boulevard Trail.  We feasted on pancakes, eggs, Canadian bacon, grits, biscuits, apple butter, and hot chocolate, then went back to the cabin to prepare for the hike down.  By 9:00 AM, it had warmed to around 47°, so we kept on our long pants, and put on a light jacket, as the first part of the hike would be on the shady side of the mountain.  We carefully negotiated all the rocks and cables and made our way down the Alum Cave Bluff trail.  We did get some occasional sunlight on the western side of the mountian, but not until we made the turn at Lu's Pulpit were we walking in full sunlight.

Around the Upper Steps, we shed our jackets, and while resting there we began to meet hikers making their ascent.  (Actually, the first hiker we met was Ron Valentine, who passed us just below Cliff Top.)  We continued down to the Log Steps, crossed the saddle, spotted the Knot-A-Bear tree, and made the short ascent up to Gracie's Pulpit.  We continued on down to Alum Cave Bluff, where we met a boomer that seemed to pose for pictures, and I wondered if it were the same boomer that posed for me a couple of weeks earlier.   After a couple of minutes, we continued down, stopping to find the Right Eye of the Needle and the Left Eye of the Needle.  We also confirmed that we had seen to Peregrine Falcons the previous day, as their perches were now empty.

After making the turn at Inspiration Point, it got noticibly warmer, and we stopped along the trail long enough for Abby to change from her jeans into shorts.  We stopped again at Arch Rock to relax a bit more.   Abby and I enjoyed sitting on the log bridge while Jackson fished with a stick he found.  Abby donned her sunglasses and we set off again.  The previous day, as we began our ascent, we stopped to hide some drinks under a rock in the cool waters of Alum Cave Creek.  So we knew that each step took us closer to a cold Mountain Dew (for the kids) and a cold root beer (for dad).  The only stop we made on the hike down after Arch Rock was for Abby and Jackson to take a sit on the logs where we had rested the very first time we hiked the trail up to the Bluff's.  After that, we made our way down, found the rocks, removed our cold drinks, and enjoyed them right on the trail.

We posed at the trailhead sign, each holding up fingers showing how many hikes we had made.  It was Abby's 6th hike, Jackson's 4th hike, and my 13th hike.  We drove down to the Sugarlands Visitor Center, walked through the museum, and then into Gatlinburg for some great pizza.   After eating, we took the bypass and stopped to get some great views of Mt. LeConte.  Never, not even in winter, had I seen it clear enough to make out the heath balds that line some of the ridges of Mt. LeConte.  And even over in Pigeon Forge, I was amazed to catch a glimpse of the cabins.   (There was no where I could pull off to take a better picture).  We stopped by Dollywood to enjoy a few of their water rides before driving back home. 

Ron P. Metcalfe
Mosheim, Tennessee