One Car, Two Men, Three Trails, Four Tired Feet

Ron Metcalfe's 14th hike to LeConte and Richard Adams' 3rd hike to LeConte

Full photo album of August 8, 2008, hike, click here.  
Pictures from other LeConte hikes, click here.

Richard Adams and I (Ron Metcalfe) hiked to LeConte Lodge on Sunday, August 10, 2008.  Neither of us had been on the Boulevard Trail, and it was the only one that I had never taken to Mt. LeConte.  We had debated hiking back out the Boulevard or hiking down Alum Cave Bluff and hitching a ride back to Newfound Gap.   At the top, I told Richard that I was definitely taking the shorter ACB trail.   I offered to let him go down Trillium Gap (the only one he hadn't done), and I would pick him up.  So we went our separate ways and both completed all the trails to Mt. LeConte.

Some statistics and notes about the Boulevard Trail.  It's easy to look at the elevation at Newfound Gap (5,046 feet) and compare that to the elevation of Mt. LeConte (6,593 feet) and think "Well, that's only 1,500 feet of climbing, compared to 2,500 feet of climbing on Alum Cave Bluff, or the over 3,000 feet gained on Rainbow Falls, Bullhead, or Trillium Gap."  However, the Boulevard is an up-down-up-down-up-up-up kind of trail.  You climb approximately 1,100 feet along the 2.7 miles of Appalachian Trail.  Once you turn onto the Boulevard, you gain just a few more feet before beginning a 500 foot decline over the next 3/4 mile.  Then you climb back up to Anakeesta Knob - about 400 feet gain in 1 1/2 miles - then drop back down 200 feet in 1/2 mile.  After 3/4 of a mile of "relatively" level trail, you begin the most strenuous part of the hike.   The next 1 1/2 miles climbs 800 feet to the summit at High Top.  From High Top to the Lodge itself is about 1/2 mile of downhill.  So, in the 8 miles total length, you are hiking uphill for 4.7 miles, and downhill for 3.4 miles.  While the NET gain is only 1,317 feet from the parking lot to the lodge, you have climbed 3,724 total feet.   The difference (2,406 feet) is the amount of elevation you have lost in all the descents.  That's not meant to scare you off the Boulevard, just to inform you, as I've heard people remark that the Boulevard must be the "easiest" since your starting elevation is higher than any other.  Boulevard is a beautiful trail, and a beautiful hike, with wonderful views, and magnificant trees and flowers and shrubs; BUT, be ready for that last push.

We left Greeneville around 6:30 AM and drove through Pigeon Forge, and stopped at the Gatlinburg Bypass overlook on our way to the Newfound Gap parking lot, where the Appalachian Trail crosses.  Just before reaching the parking lot, we stopped at an overlook and had a great view of the Sugarland's valley and Chimney Tops.  We arrived at the parking lot just a few minutes after 8:00 AM, donned our boots and hit the trail at 8:24 AM.   The temperature was in the mid 50s, and we walked in and out of sunlight for most of the morning.

The Boulevard Trail doesn't actually begin at that parking lot.  You must hike 2.7 miles north on the AT before reaching the Boulevard Trailhead.  The first few hundred feet of the trail consists of log steps, which are spaced just far enough apart that you can't really get into a good rhythm.  After that, there is a rocky area as the trail turns to the left.  The trail is a steady climb, not too difficult, but pretty consistent.  There are occasional views of Newfound Gap Road on the Cherokee side of the mountain.  In this photo, Newfound Gap Road goes down on the back side of the ridge in the center, curves around the far end, descends on the near side, then turns again and continues down the valley to Cherokee.

We came across a large area of Common Dodder, or Love Vine, blooming, and saw berries of Witch Hobble.  Southern Bush Honeysuckle, White Snakeroot, and Pink Turtlehead were blooming all along the trail.  Also blooming was the rare Rugel's Ragwort, which grows only in the high elevations of the Smokies, and nowhere else on earth.  The trail continued its steady incline as we reached the Sweat Heifer Trail junction.  Just for clarification, it is sweat like perspiration, not sweet like sugar.  It took me a while before I realized that.  (And, for you non-farm folks, a heifer is a a young female cow that has never had a calf).  I think I read somewhere the trail was named that because cattle were driven to the top of the mountain by that route, and it was fairly strenuous, causing the heifers to sweat.   Sweat Heifer descends the north side of the Smokies and intersects the Kephart Prong Trail.

Just past that intersection, we saw an area that had been uprooted by the wild boars which inhabit the Smokies.  The picture doesn't do it justice, but just like I've always read, it looks as though someone has taken a tiller and upturned everything.  (Later, on the Boulevard Trail, we came to another disturbed area.)   We also came across the first of four piles of scat which we saw that day.  The first two, on the AT and Boulevard, appeared to be recent, but not too recent.  (Not to put too fine a point on it, but they weren't steaming.)  We could only assume it was from a bear, mainly because of the sheer volume.  Also, it was fully of berry seeds.  I pointed out that anything that left a pile that big obviously has had a full stomach, so I didn't think we were in danger of being eaten.   Still, I kept a sharp eye out around every turn.  Enough about poo.

A mile past the Sweat Heifer Trail, and a total of 2.7 miles on the AT, we came to the Boulevard Trail junction, having ascended about 1,000 feet in elevation.  The Boulevard continues to climb until just past the spur trail to the Jumpoff.  It's a short hike out to see the Jumpoff, but we decided to save that for another day.  Most of the trail, both the AT and Boulevard, follow very near the ridgeline.  In some areas, you can look to your left and right and the mountain falls away on both sides.  It's not dangerous, but it is fantastic to know you are on the very very top of the ridge.  Rather than being covered in short heath growth, you are often walking through fir and spruce tunnels.  In some areas, the trail opens up and you walk in sunshine and grass.  Tunnel, sunshine, tunnel, sunshine.  And there are a few lookouts along the ridge.  But as nice as they are, you can't help but notice you're now walking downhill, losing 500 feet of elevation in just 1/2 mile - 500 feet in elevation that you had already conquered.  After that quick descent, the trail levels out as it turns back toward Mt. LeConte.  (The first 2.7 miles of the AT run parallel to Mt. LeConte, only after getting on the Boulevard do you begin to close the distance.)  In fact, for the next 2 1/2 miles, except for a climb toward Anakeesta Knob, the trail gently rises and falls, or is perfectly level.  We came to a small stream crossing, saw some blooming Indian Pipe (which, legend says, the Cherokee used to think was responsible for the "smoke" in the Smokies) and large patches of Bluebead Lily and Wood Sorrell.

After a 150 or so foot climb, you reach a u-turn just beside Anakeesta Knob, and descend again to a level part of the trail.  We caught a glimpse of Clingman's Dome, and came to a lookout across Porter's Flats toward the Greenbrier Pinnacle.  We could also look back toward the Jumpoff, and trace along the ridge lines where the trail had come.  In this picture, we came in from the right along the highest ridge, descended and came back "right" on the middle ridge, then turned "left" and crossed the closest ridge.  We also continued to see several flowers blooming, including Cutleaf Coneflower, Monk's Hood, Crimson Bee Balm, Turk's Cap Lily, Bluebead Lily, White Asters, Snakeroot, and Alumroot.

6 1/2 miles into the trail, and just over 1 1/2 miles from the Lodge, we began climbing again.  We had 1,000 feet of elevation to gain (and re-gain) to the summit.  I never was quite sure where the rock slide was on the Boulevard Trail, and I had assumed it was the large scar visible below Myrtle Point from the Alum Cave Bluff trail (as seen in this picture from a previous hike).  However, I now realize that the slide on Boulevard is actually on the other side of the ridge, and as we made a left turn, it came into sight.  The slide is very similar to the one on Alum Cave Bluff trail, and although bigger in size, but is just as safe to cross.  There are cables, and the trail is chiseled out of rock and is wide enough to be crossed safely.  Just beyond the slide, as you turn toward Myrtle Point, is an area much more dangerous.  A sharp drop-off right next to the trail.  The pictures don't do it justice.  This part of the trail was the hardest to climb.  The mile approaching the summit gains you about 700 feet in elevation.  It wouldn't be as hard if it didn't come after already hiking 6 1/2 miles.  There are a few areas that are quite steep, but they're only a few yards in length till it regains a more gentle slope.  But it's steady, and it's up, until you reach High Top.

We arrived at LeConte Lodge at 12:51 PM - 8 miles (almost exactly) in 4 hours, 27 minutes.  We grabbed some rocking chairs on the office porch and had lunch as we watched low clouds drift over the summit.  The thermometer read 61°, but there was a slight breeze, making it a bit cooler.  I tried to talk Richard into asking someone if we could stay in their cabin with them, but he wouldn't go along with it.  We signed the guestbook, and got ready to descend.  I had originally asked Richard to hike in Boulevard and down Alum, hoping we could hitchhike back to our car at Newfound Gap.  Richard toyed with the idea of returning by Boulevard, but I flatly refused.  My reasoning was that ACB was five miles, Boulevard is eight.  And I didn't care if you were going up, down, or sideways - three more miles is three more miles.  I did suggest that Richard might take down Trillium Gap trail, I would go down ACB, hitch up to Newfound Gap, get the car, and pick him up at the Grotto Falls parking lot.  That would allow Richard to have hiked all the trails to Mt. LeConte.  We agreed to do that, so at 1:33 PM, we set off.

Without trying really, I made great time, reaching Gracie's Pulpit, the halfway point in one hour, three minutes.   I had already seen and photographed all the same wildflowers, and there are just so many pictures a man needs of log steps and upturned roots, and I met very few people on the trail.  But those that I did meet were some of the most interesting I have ever encountered hiking.  I met Allyson and Chris Virden, lodge manager, just past the Grassy Slide and spoke with them for a few moments.  About 1 1/2 miles from the lodge, I met a man and woman.  She asked "How much further?"  I said, "When you get to the Grassy Slide you are one mile away."  She turned and yelled at her husband, "Jeffrey!  You told me that back there was only one mile to go."  They had started at ACB trailhead at 8:30 AM, and were 1 1/2 miles away at 2:00 PM.  They were debating turning around as I left them.  I met a family of four from Dandridge.  And I passed a family of three as I neared the trailhead at 4:00 PM.  They said they were hiking to Cliff Top to watch the sunset and would be returning at night be flashlight.  A father, mother, and their eleven year old daughter.  Sounds exciting.

Down ACB, there were more flowers in bloom, including Joe Pye Weed, and the rare Mountain Krygia, which like Rugel's Ragwort, is found only in the Smokies, and Pale Touch-me-not.  I walked with a yellow butterfly for a few yards, saw some very interesting mushrooms, another blue butterfly on the trail, and more scat.

I arrived at the trailhead at exactly 4:00 PM, and was able to get a ride from a couple I had talked with earlier on the trail.  Tom and Irene from Wisconsin were kind enough to give me a lift back to the Newfound Gap parking lot.  I unloaded my pack, shed my boots, and drove down to meet Richard at the Grotto Falls/Trillium Gap trailhead.  We drove back to Gatlinburg, had some awesome pizza, stopped by the Gatlinburg Bypass overlook, and headed home.

 

Ron P. Metcalfe
Mosheim, Tennessee