national park hikes Archives - Nancy East

Chimney Tops Trail: Hike #22 of 100 Favorite Trails Map

Tue, 04 Jan 2022 17:54:23 +0000

Quick Look at Chimney Tops Trail Distance: 3.5-mile out-and-back Elevation Gain: 1600 feet High Point: 4668 feet Difficulty: Strenuous Trail Surface: Dirt and stone with many steps Map: 7.5-min. Mt. LeConte, Clingmans Dome; 100 Favorite Trails of the Smokies and the Carolina Blue Ridge GPS: 35.63545N, -83.46976W Notes: Day-use only, good for older kids, no...

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Operation Whatever Floats Your Boat

Mon, 25 Jan 2021 00:57:47 +0000

Last July, my friend Chris and I came across a canoe hung up on on some boulders in Forney Creek at campsite 74. We were perplexed. How in the heck did a canoe end up there? Neither downstream or upstream made any sense given its location. In late December while we were backpacking with our...

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Clingman’s Dome to Bone Valley….and back

Fri, 05 Jun 2020 19:09:33 +0000

The following is a trail journal of a 36.5-mile day hike in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, connecting the following trails: Appalachian Trail, Welch Ridge, Cold Springs Gap, High Rocks, Bone Valley, and Hazel Creek Trails. This hike was taken in early June with my training partner and good friend, Chris. Trail Journal As strange...

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Shuckstack Double Loop: A.T. – Gregory Bald – Long Hungry Ridge – Twentymile – Lost Cove – Lakeshore Trails

Wed, 26 Feb 2020 18:39:06 +0000

The following is a trail journal of a 25-mile “figure 8” loop hike in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, connecting the following trails: Appalachian Trail, Gregory Bald, Long Hungry Ridge, Twentymile, Lost Cove and Lakeshore Trails. A side trip to the Shuckstack Fire Tower is highly recommended if you have the time. This hike was...

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Hemphill Bald Loop Hike

Mon, 17 Feb 2020 23:13:02 +0000

The following is a trail journal of an 14-mile loop and 21-mile double loop hike in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, (two different routes were taken by the four people who hiked), connecting the following trails: Cataloochee Divide, Hemphill Bald, Caldwell Fork, Rough Fork, and Flat Creek Trails. This hike was taken on Valentine’s Day...

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Noland Divide – Pole Road Creek – Deep Creek Trails Loop Hike

Mon, 10 Feb 2020 03:15:47 +0000

The following is a trail journal of an 18-mile loop hike in Great Smoky Mountains National Park connecting the following trails: Noland Divide, Pole Road Creek, and Deep Creek Trails. This was a solo hike that I took in early February, after the Smokies received a significant amount of precipitation in the form of rain,...

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Mt Sterling – Balsam Mtn. – Palmer Creek – Pretty Hollow

Fri, 07 Feb 2020 02:39:18 +0000

The following is a trail journal of a one-way, nearly 20-mile hike in Great Smoky Mountains National Park connecting the following trails: Mt. Sterling, Mt. Sterling Ridge, Balsam Mountain, Palmer Creek and Pretty Hollow Trails. I hiked with two of my faves, Chris and Lane, on a chilly day on the last day of January....

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Appalachian Trail – Lower Mt. Cammerer – Low Gap Loop Hike

Fri, 24 Jan 2020 02:53:27 +0000

On a seasonably cold winter’s day in January, I set out to hike one of my favorite loops in the Smokies, combining the Appalachian Trail from Davenport Gap, Low Gap, and Lower Mt. Cammerer Trails. In total, it was 20.8 miles (I really wanted those last 2/10 to take it to 21 miles, but I...

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Thomas Divide – Indian Creek Motor Trail….with an impromptu rescue effort

Sun, 19 Jan 2020 17:14:19 +0000

On a chilly, winter’s day, ripe with conditions conducive to hypothermia, I set out on a hike to complete a 15-mile convoluted route in the Smokies. My hike, however, was altered about two thirds of the way through when I encountered two teen boys in desperate need of help. This post will be a bit...

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Sequoia and Mt. Chapman SB6K Summits

Mon, 06 Jan 2020 03:04:49 +0000

The following is a trail journal of a 23.6 mile hike in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, combining Snake Den Ridge and the Appalachian Trail, along with bagging two peaks, Mt. Sequoia and Mt. Chapman, in the South Beyond 6000 (SB6K) Challenge. It took place in late November. Trail Journal The older I become, the...

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