The Boulevard
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The day was rainy and foggy and we had to don our rain gear even before we hit the trail. We hiked the Appalachian Trail across the imperceptible summit of Mt. Kephart to the Icewater Springs Shelter, where we were to spend the night. After a short rest, we continued east on the Appalachian Trail to Charlie's Bunion, a rocky outcropping that offers one of the best photo opportunities in the Smokies.
The fog obscured any breathtaking views but it was still an amazing experience. We paused at Charlie's Bunion for some photos, made the 1.7 mile return hike to Icewater Springs. The night was cold, especially after a long day of hiking in the rain. Our rain gear kept us reasonably dry, but precipitation still has a way of driving the cold deep into your bones. We slept reasonably well at Icewater Springs with about half a dozen other hikers. Olivia slept better than any of us due to her new and outrageously warm sleeping bag system.
On the morning of the 26th, we turned northwest onto a rugged but beautiful path called Boulevard Trail. Olivia and I had been on the AT and Alum Cave Trail several times, but this was our first experience on "The Boulevard." Early in our hike we stopped at another great overlook called The Jumpoff. Olivia and I had been to the Jumpoff many years earlier and I wanted to recreate a photo of her that I had taken back in 2005 (see photos below).
The fog obscured any breathtaking views but it was still an amazing experience. We paused at Charlie's Bunion for some photos, made the 1.7 mile return hike to Icewater Springs. The night was cold, especially after a long day of hiking in the rain. Our rain gear kept us reasonably dry, but precipitation still has a way of driving the cold deep into your bones. We slept reasonably well at Icewater Springs with about half a dozen other hikers. Olivia slept better than any of us due to her new and outrageously warm sleeping bag system.
On the morning of the 26th, we turned northwest onto a rugged but beautiful path called Boulevard Trail. Olivia and I had been on the AT and Alum Cave Trail several times, but this was our first experience on "The Boulevard." Early in our hike we stopped at another great overlook called The Jumpoff. Olivia and I had been to the Jumpoff many years earlier and I wanted to recreate a photo of her that I had taken back in 2005 (see photos below).
We then continued northwest on The Boulevard, traversing Anakeesta Knob and Alum Gap on our way to the summit of Mt. Le Conte. The 5.5 mile trek to the peak was really amazing. It continued to rain all along the way and the temperature continued to drop into the low 30's. I wasn't cold, but I was wearing all of the clothing I had available and I was barely staying warm enough. Not thinking gloves would be necessary, I brought only a thin pair of cotton gloves that quickly soaked through. Thankfully my new, waterproof Asolo hiking shoes were fantastic.
We reached the summit of Mt. Le Conte, threw rocks on the cairn and had our photos taken. In my summit picture you'll notice that I'm holding up three fingers, indicating my third successful summit of Le Conte.
The only real issue we had on this climb was on this night, the evening of our second day on the trail. Our plan was to sleep near the summit at the Mt. Le Conte Shelter. Heavy fog had rolled in, a constant rain fell and the temperature was going to drop to around 30 degrees.
Ethan was fighting a cold. He was fit to hike, but wasn't feeling his best. I was doing fine but after two days on the trail I decided to take an outdoor shower. It felt great, but the cold water combined with the cold air lowered my body temperature to the point where I couldn't stop trembling. I was mildly hypothermic and both Ethan and I really needed to be warm and dry to allow our bodies to catch up and heal a bit.
I walked from the Le Conte Shelter to the nearby Le Conte Lodge, a small group of cabins atop the mountain that can only be reached on foot. The Lodge has hot water, actual beds in each cabin, hot chocolate and a wood stove. After a bit of negotiating, we paid $75 for one cabin with a bunk bed. Ethan and I took the bunks, while Sis volunteered for the floor since she had by far the best sleeping blanket of all.
Warm and dry makes an enormous difference, and we woke the next morning feeling much better. The weather was still cloudy with light drizzle, which again obscured the amazing view we should have enjoyed at a beautiful overlook called "Cliff Tops" near Le Conte's summit.
Halfway through the 5 mile return trip to our car, the sun finally broke through and we enjoyed dry weather and a few nice views on the way down. Somewhere above the point where the Alum Cave Trail crosses Peregrine Peak, there is a picturesque spot on the trail where the path turns under a stone overhang. I had my picture taken there on Tuesday afternoon, July 1, 2008, when Olivia and I summited Le Conte. I like that spot and posed there again to replicate that photo from 2008 (see below).
After that, we finished our descent and made it back to Gatlinburg in time for our traditional post-climb celebration at Best Italian Pizza.
We reached the summit of Mt. Le Conte, threw rocks on the cairn and had our photos taken. In my summit picture you'll notice that I'm holding up three fingers, indicating my third successful summit of Le Conte.
The only real issue we had on this climb was on this night, the evening of our second day on the trail. Our plan was to sleep near the summit at the Mt. Le Conte Shelter. Heavy fog had rolled in, a constant rain fell and the temperature was going to drop to around 30 degrees.
Ethan was fighting a cold. He was fit to hike, but wasn't feeling his best. I was doing fine but after two days on the trail I decided to take an outdoor shower. It felt great, but the cold water combined with the cold air lowered my body temperature to the point where I couldn't stop trembling. I was mildly hypothermic and both Ethan and I really needed to be warm and dry to allow our bodies to catch up and heal a bit.
I walked from the Le Conte Shelter to the nearby Le Conte Lodge, a small group of cabins atop the mountain that can only be reached on foot. The Lodge has hot water, actual beds in each cabin, hot chocolate and a wood stove. After a bit of negotiating, we paid $75 for one cabin with a bunk bed. Ethan and I took the bunks, while Sis volunteered for the floor since she had by far the best sleeping blanket of all.
Warm and dry makes an enormous difference, and we woke the next morning feeling much better. The weather was still cloudy with light drizzle, which again obscured the amazing view we should have enjoyed at a beautiful overlook called "Cliff Tops" near Le Conte's summit.
Halfway through the 5 mile return trip to our car, the sun finally broke through and we enjoyed dry weather and a few nice views on the way down. Somewhere above the point where the Alum Cave Trail crosses Peregrine Peak, there is a picturesque spot on the trail where the path turns under a stone overhang. I had my picture taken there on Tuesday afternoon, July 1, 2008, when Olivia and I summited Le Conte. I like that spot and posed there again to replicate that photo from 2008 (see below).
After that, we finished our descent and made it back to Gatlinburg in time for our traditional post-climb celebration at Best Italian Pizza.