The View from the Top

On our family vacations, we enjoy the outdoors and do a lot of hiking.  We like the exercise, the challenge of making it to the top, and the thrill of getting to the scenic overlook and looking down at the panoramic view. Sometimes, in the Smoky Mountains, you see that they were aptly named.  There's not much of a view!

Below is the end of the trail at Clingmans Dome (near Newfound Gap) and at 6,643 feet, it is the highest point in the Great Smoky Mountains and the highest point in Tennessee.  On a clear day, you can see for 100 miles.  As the picture below shows, we didn't get a clear day.  If we squinted our eyes, we could see Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge though.

Observation Point at Clingmans Dome

The Smoky Mountain Gang

It was early yet after we hiked to the top of the trail and I figured if we really hustled, we could hike the Appalachian Trail before dark.

The Appalachian Trail

So Tricia and Laura stretched and were about to get started.  On second thought, the Appalachian Trail is the longest footpath in the world and goes on for 2,180 miles.  It stretches from Katadhin, Maine down to Springer Mountain, Georgia.  I did some quick ciphering and determined that we probably wouldn't make it to Maine by nightfall, so we called this hike off.

Stretch it out, ladies

Instead, we opted for another nearby trail that we had not done before: Alum Cave Trail to Mount LeConte. Here are some details on this particular hike:

Roundtrip: 11 miles
Elevation Gain: 2,763 feet
Average elevation gain/mile; 502 feet
Highest elevation: 6,593 feet
Trail Difficulty Rating: Strenuous

This is exactly the type of trail that the kids like - an aggressive one that pushes them.  Tricia and I can't keep up their quick pace, so they forge ahead.  At the trail head, there are some picturesque sights as you cross over bridges and look into absolute paradise.

Shall we Gather at the River?

Here is the pioneer woman crossing a bridge made of a log that has had 1/3 cut off of it and has handrails. There was a lot of work on the trails at nearby Chimney Tops trail by a group named Friends of the Smokies.  The trails they were refurbishing worked with the natural landscape in order to compliment, not distract, from the gorgeous sights.

A bridge too far

The photo below shows the Alum Cave Bluff with Laura and Russ exploring.  In the early 1830s, there was a mine around here where minerals such as alum, Epsom salts, saltpeter, magnesium and copper was extracted.

Alum Cave Bluff

Here's another example of using nature for the trails that I was describing.  In this photo, you can see that a log has been anchored to the ground and stairs cut out of the log.  Very cool!

The Stairway to Heaven

Another interesting aspect of this trail is Arch Rock.  You must climb through an arch in the rock.  It is damp and cool.

Passage through Arch Rock

If you look closely in the distance, you can see the Eye of the Needle, a hole in the side of Little Duck Hawk Ridge.

The Eye of the Needle

After asking numerous hikers on their way back down, "Are we almost there?" we finally make it to the top of Mount LeConte.  There is a lodge at the very top in which you can rent cabins for the night if you call in advance.  Supplies are brought up to the lodge by llamas three times a week, but by a different trail than the one we came up on.

Mount LeConte was named for one of the LeConte brothers who in the early 1800's helped bring a barometer to the peak of this and other surrounding peaks to chart elevations.  When trying to entice politicians to create Great Smoky Mountain National Park, men led a group of dignitaries to this very spot where they tent camped.  They wanted to showcase the natural beauty of the area.  They later built a cabin which evolved into the rustic lodge that exists there today.

We made it!

Now for the spectacular view from the top.  Well, there's really not a spectacular view.

Majestic... fog

Sometimes, you work really hard and make it to the summit to find that the reward is not the view. Sometimes, such as in life, you learn that the destination is not the reward of the journey, but the journey itself was the reward.  Often, we're so concerned about getting to where we're going that we miss out on the beauty of life that lies all around us that we all too often miss.  Tomorrow I'll illustrate just what I'm talking about.