Curses! Foiled Again!

There's a stretch of the Appalachian Trail that has become my nemesis of late. I should have completed it last year with Jennifer and Kirsten on our backpacking trip that is traditionally scheduled just as soon as we get out of school each year. That trip was to have been from Clingman's Dome to Fontana Dam done over the course of three days. But last year, I was injured just a couple weeks before the trip, and my knee just wouldn't go on a strenuous hike yet. The girls went ahead at my insistance; I even dropped them off at the trailhead. But I missed it. So this past weekend, Jennifer had graciously agreed to do the stretch of the Appalachian Trail between Rocky Top and Derrick Knob with me as a one-night trip. I was excited to go up and over Thunderhead Mountain!

We left early Friday morning to drop one car at Middle Prong trailhead and then drive the other car up to the large parking lot at Cades Cove Campground. We had debated going up Lead Cove to Bote Mountain and accessing the AT that way, but we decided that since we were leaving early, Anthony Creek Trail would be a nicer walk since it would be alongside water some of the way and put us out on Bote Mountain with less of that trail to travel. We did realize that this path would be a bit longer, but decided it would be a good trade off. Bote Mountain is not one of my favorite trails, especially in the summer. Heat and gnats are constant companions on that trail.




When we arrived at the parking lot at Cades Cove, we had planned on just walking over to the back of the picnic area from whence Anthony Creek trail departs the Cove. Just as we were getting ready to take off though, a school bus about half full of middle school aged children pulled up and an adult got off to fill up some water bottles. Hey, what could it hurt to ask, right? I walked over to the bus driver and asked if he'd give two backpackers a ride to the back of the picnic area and he was more than happy to oblige! We climbed aboard the bus, appreciative of the lift. When we pulled up at the trailhead, a doe was picking her way through the woods just behind the trail sign, so the kids got to see a deer they wouldn't have seen if they hadn't given us a lift. It worked out great for everyone and they were very excited to see a deer that close.


Anthony Creek is a really nice trail! It crosses over its namesake several times, sometimes on large bridges and sometimes on footlogs, but it never requires a wet crossing. Most of the lower couple of miles is within view and/or earshot of the creek which always makes for a pleasant hike.



Even when we were not near the creek, the trail was lined with beautiful mushrooms and wildflowers in bloom. Bee balm is in bloom lots of places in the Park, but there were many other summer wildflowers blooming, most of which I cannot identify.

We had left early that morning, in part to beat the heat, which we did for the most part. As we reached Bote Mountain Trail, the humidity was beginning to build and become uncomfortable, but by then, we were almost done for the day. With only 1.7 miles to do on Bote Mountain, we made good progress up that steep and rocky stretch and before we knew it we were at the intersection with the Appalachian Trial and finally up on a ridgeline which is where I love to be--MOST of the time!  This day was absolutely gorgeous with only a few puffy white clouds in the sky as we passed through what remains of Spence Field.


This former pasture where stock were grazed in the days before the park became the park is now not being maintained as a bald, so it is in the natural process of returning to woods. This in-between stage is lovely in many respects. In places the field is still fairly open and there are glimpses of what must have once been spectacular views. In other places, tall grasses grow in large clumps under the protective arms of some type of tree that I do not know the name of. If any of my readers knows what they are, I'd love to know. Please put it in the comments below.

For our destination on this first day, the remainder of the hike was very short as we made our way down to Eagle Creek Trail and the .2 mile stint down to the Spence Field Shelter.  It was only about 1:00 p.m. as we dropped our packs and visited with the two young men who had been resting there when we arrived--one a member of the Army (on leave) and the other his nephew. They left after a little bit going on further up the trail.

Shortly after they left, another pair of men came through, stopping for lunch. They brought with them a real surprise! Chicken of the Woods!

The older of the two men sat at the shelter table, got out a couple of large chunks of the wild mushroom, and began to educate us on how to look for it and how to cook it.

He carried with him some olive oil in a packet he purchased from www.minimus.biz. I had never heard of this site, but they do offer many products in very small size packaging, so it might be of use in the future. I usually just stop at Subway and pick up some olive oil packets when I need them for backpacking.

He prepared the shrooms in his camp stove and then graciously offered some to us, so we had to try them. He told me they would taste like a combination between chicken and scrambled eggs.  I guess he was right, but I'd rather have either chicken OR eggs instead! But you only live once, right?






Spence Field shelter is a great place to spend a night. Because of its elevation, it provided us with a nice respite from the heat and humidity in the Tennessee Valley. The shelter is roomier than most, especially in the design of the sleeping area. In this shelter, the upper bunk is higher than is typical, so we actually chose to set up on the bottom bunk area with plenty of headroom and no need to climb the stairs. There's also a strong running water source which is encouraged to pass into and through a pipe which makes it easy to fill water filter bags. I was also surprised to learn that there was a privy there! What a nice surprise indeed!


With all of the extra time we had on our hands that afternoon, I spent some of it going through the shelter register where thru-hikers and others had made notes of their journeys.  One that I found was really cute, so I took a picture to share it with you here:

Seems like thru-hikers may be safe, but weekenders really need to be sure to hang our food!

The fact that we had done this leg of the hike on the first day meant that we would only have about 15 miles to do on our second day.  Having arrived at the shelter early in the day meant that we would be fully recovered from our climb up to the AT (which is never easy no matter which trail you do it on). We decided that we would get up early in the morning, pack up and head out before having breakfast so that we could make it across Thunderhead before the heat of the day. There was also a forecast of storms for later in the day, so in doing it this way, we would have time to get to Derrick Knob before the heat built up and thunderstorms could materialize. At least, that was the plan.

In reality, when we awoke on Saturday morning, I knew our plan was suspect. We were totally surrounded by fog. As we got up and began to pack, a cool wind rustled through the leaves of the trees which envelope the shelter. We were afraid that wind was blowing in weather which would not bode well for us crossing that exposed ridgeline to Derrick Knob. We were out of the shelter by 8:00 a.m. We made a quick trip back across Spence Field and made the climb to Rocky Top hoping that the weather would break and the skies would clear.

The REAL Rocky Top!

So far there was no rain, so I was hopeful that the fog would burn off and we might get some nice views as we crossed over Thunderhead Mountain. We sat at Rocky Top to eat a protein bar to give us energy to make it up and over. I had taken about three bites when the first round of thunder roared. I immediately lost my appetite, put the remains of my Clif Protein Bar away, then reached down to shoulder the pack and hike on. Just as we got past Rocky Top, which would have been the beginning of new miles for me, more thunder rolled, this time closer. I knew in my heart that the thing to do was to play it safe and turn around. My understanding was that much of what lay ahead was exposed to the elements which, I've heard, are much magnified from weather that might be happening below. I walked only a short distance when I turned to Jennifer and told her I thought we might should go back down the way we had come up.  After a little discussion, she wanted me to make the decision since it was new miles for me. We finally agreed to play it safe. I was crushed!




Once we had made the decision, we made quick work of the trip back to cover on Bote Mountain Trail. We kept talking about what a good time we had had at the shelter, and how even though we were disappointed, we were glad that we had made the trip. And all that is true! I am very glad we made the trip to Spence that night and had enjoyed the company of several other hikers at the shelter. But I cannot help but be disappointed that I still have not accomplished that stretch of trail. All I could think of while hiking down the trails back to the car waiting for us at Cades Cove was the Snoopy and the Red Baron song. "Curses, Red Baron! Foiled again!"

On Top of Old Smoky, All Covered with Snow

Days of continual, soaking rain had been followed by an evening of snowfall in the Smokies and the surrounding area this past week. The deluge of rain for days had me itching to get out of the house to do something active besides going to the gym. An unexpected vacation day from the snowfall would have been a great day to hike but roads were closed in many sections of the park. However, it did allow us time to plan to hike on Saturday if the roads would just open in time. Sometime on Friday afternoon the road to Cades Cove did open, and we made plans to do a short hike in that area which would allow me to do a small section of Bote Mountain Trail which I had missed and also allow Jennifer the opportunity to do Lead Cove, a trail that she had been unable to do with us the first time.

The temperature was 28 degrees as Jennifer and I got out of the truck at the Cades Cove Picnic Area. The waters of that typically quiet river that runs through the picnic area were raging with run-off from the rains. An inch or so of snow remained on the ground in many spots making this a pretty morning for a hike.

We crossed two bridges as we made our way up Anthony Creek Trail, both of which were iced over like this one making the passing difficult. The foot logs that we crossed at least three more times were even worse, but it seemed that when the footing was the most slippery, there was a supporting rail post right where we needed to place our feet to prevent us from slipping off the log. Most of the time there was a layer of crunchy snow in which our Keen hiking boots could take hold. Passages were slow, but thankfully uneventful.

It felt great to get back out here even though there were only two of us able to hike on this particular Saturday. We actually thought about not hiking with just two, but I am so very glad we did. The scenery as we gained elevation climbing up to the ridge of Bote Mountain became more and more spectacular. The snow deepened and eventually covered not only the hillsides around us, but also the trail itself. The quietude suggested that we were the only people in the world, but footprints on the path below our feet assured us that we were not the only adventure addicts who had traversed this way since the snow had fallen.

It's moments like this, as the sun's rays make the snow-covered branches glisten as if they are coated in icing made of diamond chips, when you realize how inadequate cameras are and why you must get out and see things for yourself. I knew when I took this shot that there would remain only a hint of the beauty that I actually saw--enough to remind me, but not enough to convince anyone else of its magnitude. I guess you'll have to take my word for it.

Not surprisingly, the closer we got to the top of Bote Mountain, the more snow crunched under our feet. Up here, you could definitely see evidence of many other hikers who had come out to experience the mountains under the cover of snow. We chose our footing carefully on this section, paying so much attention to our steps that we totally missed campsite #9 which lies not far off this section of the trail. The only way we knew about it at all was because only a minute or two after we came to the intersection with Bote Mountain Trail we had company. Suddenly up the trail behind us came a group of men who had spent the night at campsite #9 and had seen us walk by on the trail. But we had not seen or heard them. They were headed to Rocky Top to witness the views of the mountains in the snow from that high vantage point, so we parted, going opposite directions on Bote Mountain Trail.

We had intended to rest for a while at the top (that's a pretty steep climb we had just made in the snow), but after lingering for only a few minutes, the chill began to creep in encouraging us to keep moving. I had not been cold on the hike with the exception of the first 1/4 mile or so when I had zipped my jacket up enough to cover my face. But here on the mountaintop the air was crisp and cold. As we moved along Bote Mountain Trail toward Lead Cove, we were afforded beautiful views of the valleys below shrouded in cloud cover. This short stretch of Bote Mountain Trail that was new to me (1.2 miles) was much more pleasant than the other parts of the trail that I had covered. There were fewer rocks to trip up an unsuspecting hiker and nice views on either side to enjoy as you walked.

At this juncture, we left the ridge line of Bote Mountain and began the descent back down Lead Cove Trail to Laurel Creek Road. Again, I found myself not wanting to leave the mountaintops. As the snow cover diminished and the sounds of the traffic on the road and the rushing waters of Laurel Creek reached our ears, we took a moment to be thankful--thankful for our friendship, the time spent in this special place, and the good fortune to live close enough to be able to frequent it with regularity.

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Toadally Awesome Trip to Russell and Spence Fields

The view on the Appalachian Trail between Russell and Spence Fields

Starting out early proved to be a very good idea on this very hot Saturday morning in East Tennessee.  We hit the Anthony Creek trailhead at the Cades Cove Picnic Area at 8:00 a.m. because we knew the forecasted highs were in the 90s for that day even though at the time, we all wore light shirts or jackets we would shed fairly soon.  This trek up Thunderhead Mountain is a nice 13.4 mile loop through beautiful forest filled with hemlocks and flame azaleas and rhododendron.  In fact, the reason we chose this hike at this particular time was to see the rhododendron in bloom.  Although we did not traverse it during the blooming shrub's peak season, there were enough in bloom to make us realize just how gorgeous it would be to hike this during peak season. 

Camouflaged perfectly--we almost stepped on this guy!

Sunning Salamander in the bottom left

We debated which direction to ascend Thunderhead Mountain by:  up via Russell Field Trail and then down Bote Mountain Trail and Anthony Creek Trail or vice versa.  The Russell Field Trail is longer but not as steep, and the stretch of Bote Mountain Trail we had been on before was rocky and rough.  We decided to go up Russell Field Trail to avoid having to climb the steep ascent of Bote Mountain Trail while also watching our footing on those loose rocks.  This made for about a 5 mile hike to the summit, but I'm glad we went that way.  Along this part of the trail, especially the first couple of miles, we just kept seeing toads!  During the trip we counted 8 toads altogether.  In this moist, lower region of the slopes we also found salamanders in some of the creek crossings (small crossings today or made easy by footbridges).  One of our favorite salamanders was seen in a little puddle from a tiny waterfall.  He was perfectly content to lie there in his own private paradise and gaze up at his personal waterfall while basking in the dappled sunlight coming through the canopy.  He never budged the entire time we sat for a rest, took pictures, and rinsed our bandanas out in the cool water just below where he was sunbathing.

We reached Russell Field shortly before the intersection with the Appalachian Trail.  Just as a heads up, there is no sign or marked trail to the actual field where former inhabitants of these hills once grazed their cattle.  A "social path" takes off a short distance to the left.  Luckily, we took that social trail or we would have missed the field altogether.  It was a beautiful respite on the top of this mountain surrounded by encroaching forest and underbrush.  There was no view of the valley below as I had hoped, just wide open blue sky above, but this field and the trees that rimmed it were quite peaceful.  I stood and wondered what it would be like to have lived in the time when these mountain men (or more likely their children) herded their cattle to such a place so that they could graze on these wild grasses. 

One of the shady areas on the edge of Russell Field

I was able to imagine, during the hottest part of the day, these shady areas surrounding the field full of cattle grazing under the protection of these old trees, nibbling at the plants and grasses that grow here.  It was one of those magical places you wanted to linger in, transported out of the hustle and bustle of our world into the beauty and respite of this mountaintop world.  However, we lingered only briefly and soon made our way up to the Appalachian Trail shelter for rest and a quick snack.  While we were there, we met a thru-hiker, Matt Campbell, who is hiking the AT from Georgia to Maine to raise money for military families.  It was very apropos that we would meet him on Memorial Day Weekend.  His journey can be followed at www.activeheroes.org/trail.  I will be checking up on him occasionally and wishing him well. 

Some of the prettiest views of the day came as we hiked along the AT between Russell Field and Spence Field.  I love the AT anyway because much of it is just like what we experienced on this day.  This section of the AT runs predominately along the ridge line with drop offs on both sides.  I just love that feeling!  Some of it was draped, unexpectedly on my part at least, by gorgeous flame azaleas blooming to cheer us on.  These tall, lanky beauties spread their blossoms out wide in areas which were not as densely covered by the canopy as the other parts of the trail. 

As we came to Spence Field, there was no need for a side trail.  The expanse simply opened up before you.  Here there were lush green grasses bending slightly in the wind surrounded again by cool areas protected by large trees.  Blackberries were in bloom along one edge of the field and I thought to myself that I was sure glad they weren't ripe.  I'd hate to have a bear think I would hike all the way up there to steal his supply of berries.     

From here, we rested for a while, ate our peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for lunch and then began our descent.  We were correct in assuming this part of the Bote Mountain Trail would be as rocky and steep and the previous section of it we had done on an earlier hike.  Once you begin the trek down Thunderhead Mountain, there's little you can do except watch carefully where to place your foot with every step. It's times like these I'm glad my Keen Targhee II hiking boots are high enough to keep my ankles from turning.  I sure needed them on this part of the hike.

The rocky path of Bote Mountain Trail passes through blooming rhododendron tunnels

There were a few times when we could stop and take in the rough beauty of this trail too though.  Some of it moves through dense rhododendron tunnels.  This is the part of the trail which would have been exquisitely beautiful if we had caught the rhododendron in full bloom as we had hoped; however, there was still plenty of beauty and serenity to make this hike worthwhile. Although it is a strenuous hike, I will make this one again.  I'd like to do it when I had more time at the top to enjoy the respite offered especially by Spence Field.  The hike took us a total of about 8.5 hours including the stops we made, but I could have spent all day at the top!  Next time...!