Dave's Hiking Blog

Thursday, October 10, 2013

GSMNP - September 2013

After our last experience at the Great Smoky Mountain National Park we decided we had to come back in better weather. With the kids on break again we headed down for a week in the park. We drove down on a Saturday with some serious rain falling in the area. We stopped at Fontana Dam on the way down and checked it out in the rain and then headed over to Smokemont to camp for the night. We took a quick trip over to Mingo Falls just outside the park as the rain stopped before settling in to our soggy campsite.

View of the road and AT going over Fontana Dam.

View looking down Fontana Dam.

Mingo Falls flowing pretty strong after a long day of rain.

Our soggy Smokemont campsite.

The next morning we woke up early and drove up to Clingmans Dome. We went up to the observation tower and got some great clear views before heading back to the parking lot to begin our hike. We left down the Forney Ridge trail to the Forney Creek Trail. With the rains the day before the crossings of Forney Creek were a little rough. For adults they still weren't much of an issue, but with the kids they are just not setup for shorter legs. But we helped each other out and other than one crossing where my younger daughter lost her legs and I had to grab here we made it over all the crossings. At one point we just hiked with our stream crossing shoes on because the crossings were so close together. Once we were passed the crossings the trail got a little easier and we made it to our campsite. There was a nice couple there that we shared a fire with until we retired to our tent for the night.

View from the road on the way up to Clingmans Dome.

View from the Clingmans Dome parking lot.

The AT passes right through the path leading to the observation tower.

View from the Clingmans Dome observation tower.

The kids enjoying the view.

First stream crossing of Forney Creek.

Second crossing of Forney Creek.

Third crossing of Forney Creek.

View from the other side of the third crossing.

Forth crossing of Forney Creek. Picture does not do justice to how hard it was flowing.

Old chimney at campsite 70.

Forney Creek near our campsite 74.

Campsite night one at site number 74.

Fontana Lake near campsite 74.

Huge tree snapped in half over Forney Creek.

Before we had left for the trip I was so sick I had to call into work 2 days the week before the trip. I was worried I wasn't going to be make the trip, but I felt better as we left and figured me sick is still stronger than my two kids. But as we awoke the next morning and I was packing up I started to get really dizzy. I sat and ate some food and drank some water and added up what I had eaten the day before. Because I was sick I still wasn't putting down food like I normally would and realized I had maybe 1000 calories and did 13+ miles with a 40 pound pack. So we sat and I ate as much as I could. We decided rather than doing another 3-4 days at 13 miles we would change plans and take an easy 3 mile uphill day going up the Bear Creek trail. With the new plan we would have a hard day, followed by an easy day, hard day, easy day, etc... Give us all a little break. As we left camp I had put some trail mix in my pocket for the hike. We stopped for lunch and the kids asked to see the map so I reached in .... and all our maps and permits were gone! I must have pulled out the trail mix and pulled the maps with and dropped them all! We had changed our permit that morning so after a few calls to my wife she actually talked to the ranger that changed our permit that morning and he emailed it over so I had something on my phone in case were checked.

There were toads EVERYWHERE. We must have seen thousands of these guys.

With that adventure over we made it to our campsite. There was a nice creek near the site that the kids played in all afternoon. They had a blast going up and down the creek and playing in the small falls there. We were joined by 3 other backpackers at the campsite and had a good time around the fire talking with them.

Mushrooms on a tree near our camp at site 75.

Campsite night 2 at site 75.

The next morning we woke up and began to finish the climb up the Bear Creek Trail to the Welch Ridge Trail. We had planned on visiting High Rocks, but when we reached the junction we realized it was 3.6 miles round trip along with a lot of climbing so we just kept on and headed down the Welch Ridge Trail. This trail was VERY overgrown in parts. There were thorny bushes taller than me that stretched all across the trail. I was doing my best to clear the way for the kids, but with short sleeves on I ended up looking pretty beat up. After stopping for lunch on the trail we eventually made it to the AT! It was a celebration for all of us to be back on the AT and the views did not disappoint. It was a beautiful days and we could see lots in the breaks of the trees. We made our way over to Double Spring Gap shelter and setup for the night. There were lots of day hikers that stopped by and a few groups of sectioners that were headed to Silers Bald. But we ended up with the shelter all to ourselves for the night.

Me at our first white blaze of the trip!

View from the AT.

Double Spring Gap shelter.

It started pouring rain again about 9 that night. It was probably seemed like a heavier rain than it was in the shelter with the plastic roof, but we awoke inside a cloud with the AT flooded in front of the shelter. We waited around a little till it was just a mist falling and headed out. It was actually nice to hike in a light mist even with the rain gear on. Other than obstructing the views it was cooler out and I'm sure it kept the day hikers off the trail. We made it back to Clingmans Dome and were happy to see the dry car!

Double Spring Gap shelter in the fog and rain.

Since our permit change we now had a night to kill before heading up to Mt Leconte the next day. Originally we planned to stay the night in the front country, but after checking the weather and seeing another 24 hours of rain we decided to head to Gatlinburg to dry off for the night. We got a nice $40 room and hung out in the city through the rain well we got our gear dried out.

The next morning we woke up and headed to the Alum Cave trailhead. With construction going on at one of the lots, the remaining parking lot was packed by 9 when we got there. We got one of the last spots. We headed up the trail enjoying the sites as best we could since the mountain was still stuck in a cloud. There were what we thought was a lot of people on the trail as we made our way up, but we were flying by these day hikers and lodgers with our packs like they were standing still. When we got to the top we came to the Lodge first. It was pretty cool looking in the fog. But we didn't stop and headed over to the backpacking shelter to setup. There were 2 other guys there that were already setup and we talked to them and got our gear out. It was already getting cold so I took the kids to check out the Lodge and get some hot chocolate. While drinking their hot chocolate my one daughter was still shivering with all her layers on and inside! She said her feet were cold. She took off her shoes and socks and they were soaked through. I rang out a couple of cups of water from her socks and let her air her feet out till we had to leave the dining area so they could get ready for dinner. So we headed over to the office to dry out her socks some more and warm back up. We hung out there for a hour or so till everything was dry and then headed back to the shelter. We went to Cliff Tops for the sunset but there wasn't much to see other than the inside of a cloud (and a bunch of annoying lodgers) so we headed back to the shelter for some good times and some rest. Another backpacker had joined our group and we had a good time hanging out there.

View along trail of a nice cascade.

Arch rock.

Stairs leading through Arch Rock. It was a tight fit with my pack on.

Alum Cave Bluffs.

Cool steps made out of a tree.

First view of the lodge.

Not much of a view at Cliff Tops.

Mt Leconte backpacking shelter.

Leconte Lodge dining room.

Trying to enjoy the sunset. Not much to see.

I awoke early and tried taking pictures of the stars as they were amazing. Saw two shooting stars as well. Of course my camera got wet in all this and now I had only my cell phone for what was sure to be a great sunrise as the sky was clear. But we walked over to Myrtle point and say and enjoyed the sunrise. Of course the annoying lodgers showed up eventually making a ton of noise and texting and making stupid videos of themselves. But we just laid there ignoring them as best we good enjoying the beauty of the area. After breakfast at the shelter we packed up and checked out Cliff Tops to actually see what the view is like without the fog and then started to head down. If we thought the trail was crowded on the Thursday in the fog when we were headed up, that was NOTHING compared to the trail on a clear Friday as we were heading down. Tons of people just flowing up the mountain. We didn't stop too much on the way down other than to enjoy a few views and quickly made it back to the car. With some time to kill we deiceded to check out Cades Cove again and hit up the loop before heading to the hotel for some showers and warm beds.

Lots of stars out.

Sunrise at Myrtle Point.

View from Cliff Tops.

Horses along Cades Cove loop.

View from Cades Cove loop.

View from our hotel room.

Tuesday, October 1, 2013

CO - July 2013 - Four Pass Loop

Around the forth of July we took a trip out to Colorado to visit my brother and his family and do some backpacking. We chose the Four Pass Loop because it was a loop trail and offered some great views. My brother joined my kids, my wife, and I on the trip and we had a great time. The Four Pass Loop starts just outside of Aspen Colorado at Maroon Bells. You can also access it from the Crested Butte area, but with the Maroon Bells being one of the most photographed spots in Colorado you'd be crazy to pass that up!

We did the loop clockwise and really I can't understand why the direction is even a debate. Clockwise is the way to go. First off, there is no camping between the West Maroon Pass and the Frigid Air Pass. So you have to knock those out in the same day. If you go clockwise you can work your way up and camp within a few miles of the West Maroon Pass at some great campsites. You can knock out about half the elevation gain up to West Maroon Pass the day before. Then the next day you go over both passes earlier in the day so you can avoid any afternoon storms. If you go the other way there are not any good camping options before Frigid Air Pass for a few miles so you would be hitting both passes later in the day which can be dangerous. Trail Rider Pass is about the same either way. Going clockwise you do break the climb up into two segments rather than one death march to the top. But Buckskin Pass should be the deal breaker for anyone considering going counter-clockwise. So you would start from Maroon Bells, do the couple of miles to Crater Lake and then begin the toughest uphill and trail of the entire loop. There are no breaks, there is no relief, and the terrain is tough. If you go clockwise you start the day with a little steep uphill and some switchbacks, but once you get close to Buckskin pass, the assent is the easiest pass of the trip! It is so nice and gradual when going clockwise it really blows my mind that anyone would consider going the other way... But hike your own hike!

So we started out from the Bells and made it to Crater Lake without any problems. The day hikers are everywhere around this area, but its funny to watch them struggle with the ascent to Crater Lake. We made it there in decent time and started to head into the valley towards West Maroon Pass. We ended up camping between the two river crossings on the trail. Neither crossing was really tough, but the first one presented so many options it took us a little time to decide which way would be the best. We found a beautiful campsite on the edge of the stream and setup camp. After a hour or so we had a deer come right into our camp and check the place out. We spent the rest of the day and night relaxing and got a good night sleep.

The Maroon Bells

Leaving Crater Lake and heading toward West Maroon Pass.

View of the Bells from Crater Lake.

Pika along the trail.

First stream crossing leading up to West Maroon Pass.

View from our first night campsite along the creek looking back towards the Bells.

Our friend that visited us at our camp.

The next day we woke up and crossed the second stream crossing which was no big deal at all and began the ascent to West Maroon Pass. It was a tough climb for us flat landers at times. My one daughter woke up not feeling good at all from the elevation but she toughed it out like a trooper and eventually we made it to the pass. There were a lot of people up on the pass when we got there - maybe 10 other people plus our group. But the views were amazing. After lunch on the pass we started our way down.

View along the trail leading up to West Maroon Pass.

View looking back towards the Bells near West Maroon Pass.

Snowball fight in July!!!

The final assent to West Maroon Pas.

View looking back the way we came from West Maroon Pass.

View looking forward from West Maroon Pass.

The area between the first two passes was beautiful. Lots of wildflowers and views of the mountains in the distance. We made our way over to Frigid Air Pass and started the climb up. This was a tough climb. In between the passes the grade is pretty level so once you get to the base of the pass it is almost straight up to the top. There was a lot of taking 20 steps, take a break, and repeat. Once we made it to the top though we had the pass all to ourselves and soaked in the views. You get a great view of the Bells from here and the Fravert Basin below is just awesome.

View of the area between the passes.

Hiking along between the passes.

First view of Frigid Air Pass.

The final assent to Frigid Air Pass.

The Bells from Frigid Air Pass.

360 Degree shot of Frigid Air Pass.

Last view of the Bells for a couple days.

From there we descended down into the Basin and eventually began to hike on more level ground. We worked our way around following the North Fork River. At times it becomes some really nice falls and eventually the trail opens up into a great view of the valley below. There was one campsite it looked like before you descend into the valley so I guess this is where you would camp if going counterclockwise. We kept going and found a nice campsite right before the stream crossing at the North Fork River. There were probably a dozen really nice sites here and most of them were filling up (not sure where all these people came from because we saw no one else at all well hiking). But we setup camp and then went and relaxed our sore legs and feet in the stream nearby.

Heading down from Frigid Air Pass.

Marmot along the trail.

Upper end of the North Fork River.

View of the valley below.

Waterfall along the North Fork River.

View of large waterfall from below.

The next day we woke up and crossed the river first thing in the morning. It was a deep but very slow moving crossing. No problems at all. Then we began the hike up to Trail Rider Pass. Like I said above it is broken into two sections. The lower half of the climb is a lot of switch backs and some decent views, but a lot of tree covered sections. Once you get about half way up you come to a plateau section with some lakes spotted across the landscape and some great views back the way you came. The second half of the ascent is not terrible but it is a little rough right up to the pass. We again had the pass to ourselves and had some great views of Snowmass Lake below. After soaking in some views and some lunch we started our way down. After some switchbacks you enter a forested area and then have to cross a rock field before re-entering the forest that leads all the way down to the camping areas around Snowmass lake. There were a bunch of people here including a large group of young girls that seemed more interested in screaming and calling attention to themselves then enjoying the beauty around them. Thankfully we crossed a log bridge and found a site all by ourselves away from the noise. We all took a nice swim in the lake to clean up and cool off a little.

Easy crossing of the North Fork River.

First view of Snowmass Peak.

View along the trail heading up.

Devil's Rockpile. This aptly named rock laughed at us the whole way up.

View along the trail heading up.

Wildflowers along the trail.

View looking back along the trail.

Up on the plateau area of the trail. First view of Trail Rider Pass.

Beautiful lakes along the trail as we approach Trail Rider Pass.

View looking back as we climb up towards Trail Rider Pass.

The final death march up to Trail Rider Pass.

View looking back the way we came from Trail Rider Pass.

View looking forward of Snowmass Lake from Trail Rider Pass.

Heading down the trail towards Snowmass Lake.

Me taking a swim in Snowmass Lake.

View from our campsite of Snowmass Lake, Snowmass Peak, and Trail Rider Pass.

The Waterfall leaving Snowmass Lake.

Reflection shot of Snowmass Lake.

After a good nights sleep we awoke to my other daughter throwing up pretty bad. She could barely walk, but we were on our way out this day, so I grabbed her pack and we soldiered on. After a few miles and a power bar she started feeling better and the rest of the day went good. Once you get above the treeline the ascent to Buckskin Pass is a breeze. A very slight upward grade for the last few miles was great compared to the death marches of the other passes. We reached the pass and again there were a few people there. After a bite to eat we started our way down. I think everyone twisted their ankles several times on the rocky terrain on the other side of the pass. But before too long we were back at Crater Lake and then it was just fighting the day hiker crowds back to Maroon Bells and the car.

Snowmass at sunrise.

View from Buckskin Pass looking back the way we came.

View from Buckskin Pass looking forward.

Finally see the Bells again.

Overall it was a fantastic trip. We all had a blast and the beauty of the area can not be overstated. You go through a so many different areas and terrain it is like 4 mini trips all linked together. Leaving the back country and hitting Aspen is bit of a culture shock, but we just drove through and started heading back home. We lucked out on the weather and had zero rain the whole trip which is amazing since it rained at least a little every other day we were in Colorado.

View of all four passes from each direction.

This was also the first trip I messed with shooting HDR images. I included a few of them below.