Hike #16 : April 19, 2014
19.5 miles
17.9 new miles218.6 total overall miles
Ah, Easter Sunday... what a great day for a hike! So this is my first hike based totally on tallying up some mileage toward the big 900. It's also my longest hike to date.
I hit the trail solo at 7am out of the Cosby Campground parking lot to Gabes Mountain Trail. Just a few tenths of a mile up the trail, it opens up into a powerful display of Mother Nature's destructive force. Dozens and dozens of broken and uprooted trees. Streams were literally covered by broken tree limbs and logs. A devastating sight.
The picture shows a creek crossing. I could hear the water beneath the mess of trees but couldn't even see the water.
At about 2 miles, I came to the Hen Wallow Falls side trail. The sign said it was only .1 miles but I'm betting its a bit longer than that. It was all downhill to the falls and well worth the added distance. Its a pretty steep climb back to the trail.
Then the trail does something unexpected. It stays virtually level with slight declines and an occasional upturn. Is this actually an easy 'walk in the woods' trail in the Smokies? For the next five miles it is. Other than the trail floor being 90% tree root, this is possibly the most pleasant lazy Sunday trail ever.
Of course, its called climbing UP a mountain so I know this easy walk won't last and at the 7 mile mark I come upon the Maddron Bald Trail junction. A left turn and up I go. The trail is a steady unrelenting uphill climb for the next 7 miles. I think I died somewhere around the tenth mile but I kept going. Anyway, about a quarter mile past the junction I came to the Albright Grove Loop trail and passed it up in favor of going the next .3 miles and start it there in order to get the full mileage of the trail. Gotta get those miles. Albright loop actually just circles around like the letter C and rejoins the trail.
Shortly before this picture was taken, I saw my second bear on a trail. I spooked the little fellow when I got within about ten feet of him. Unfortunately, he saw me first and was gone in seconds. I did see his butt as he made his way into the brush. Hopefully I'll get a picture of the next one.
It was somewhere around the 12th or 13th mile that I actually came to Maddron Bald. Some really amazing views that I really wasn't expecting. Beautiful.
Making it to the junction of Snake Den Ridge seemed to take forever. My Snicker Bar buzz from mile 11 was long gone and I was feeling about half past dead. Finally, at exactly 14 miles I arrived. With a left turn, it's all downhill from here. Its wet, narrow in places and rocky as crap but its DOWN hill and after the last 7 miles its a welcome sight.
By the time I made it back to the campground, I was feeling pretty good. 19.5 miles. Wow. I may be getting the hang of this hiking thing after all.
By the way, I hiked this trail exactly as described in Elizabeth L. Etnier's book Day Hiker's Guide To All The Trails In The Smoky Mountains.
TRAIL REVIEW
Gabes Mountain Trail - 6.6 miles
Maddron Bald Trail - 6.0 miles
Albright Grove Loop Trail - .7 mile
Snake Den Ridge Trail - 4.6 miles
2 campsites (29, 34)
For more pictures of this hike, check out the Smoky Mountain Hikertrash facebook page.
For more information on this hike and many more, visit Hiking in the Smokys.
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