Cucumber Loop

Hike #28 : November 26, 2014

5.4 miles

5.2 new miles
373.3 total overall miles

265.4 total miles of 800.8


After a month long hiatus due to shin splints, general soreness, a bout with a probable sinus infection and working three weekends in a row, I finally made my way back to the mountains. Since my last hike into the bowels of hell, my legs have been excruciating. Shin splints suck. But after a month off the trails and several evening walks, I should be fine, right? Well...

The weather forecast at six this morning was not promising. Snow turning to rain turning to snow and back to rain with mostly cloudy skies. Whatever. I've got the day off and I'm all in.

After a ritualistic stop at Bojangles for breakfast, I hit the trail around eight o'clock. The sun was rising and the skies rapidly clearing. No snow. No rain.

The trail starts from the Elkmont parking lot at Jakes Creek. To get to the Cucumber Gap Trailhead, you have to walk along the Jakes Creek Trail for .7 of a mile. This is a steady incline but not nearly as bad as my legs seemed to think it was. Guess the lingering effects of the shin splints are still present. As I reached the junction with Cucumber Gap Trail, I was faced with the decision to go on or turn back. This is not a hard trail. I can do this.

As I started up Cucumber, my lower legs started to ease a bit as my upper legs started the ache. The trail is very nice. Simply remarkable as the leaves cover the landscape and the sun peeks through the trees. I can tell this would be a beautiful hike year round.

The climb is steady. Its hard to give a realistic description of it since my legs were artificially hurting but it seemed pretty moderate. Around the 2 mile mark, the trail levels out and begins its downward march and stays either level or downhill for the rest of the hike. Just what I needed. There's a few rock hops along the way but all were manageable.

Around 3 miles in, I came to the junction with Little River Trail. Here you can make a left and head back down to Elkmont or, like me, you can turn right and hike on up the .6 mile to Husky Gap Trail to go ahead and get it scratched off the 900 list. The reward is a really cool bridge just before the trail junction.

This section of the Little River Trail is easy. Its almost completely flat with a downward slant and the leaves make the wide gravel path soft and gentle to the feet.

The Little River itself follows along the whole of the trail. At the 4 and a half mile mark, there's a nice surprise in the form of a waterfall.

The trail eventually spills into the "lost" community of Elkmont around the 7 mile mark and its impossible not to wander around a bit. I love Elkmont. Its beautiful, sad and mysterious all at once.
I don't know if I could have picked a better trail to try to work out my aches and pains. Wonderful hike and an absolutely beautiful day! I'd highly recommend this hike to anyone.

TRAIL REVIEW

Jakes Creek Trail - .7 mile
Cucumber Gap Trail - 2.4 miles
Little River Trail - 2.8 miles

Plus wandering around Elkmont...

Wanna hike the 900 without getting lost? Start by checking out the book Day Hiker's Guide To All The Trails In The Smoky Mountains by Elizabeth L. Etnier.

For more pictures of my hikes, check out the Smoky Mountain Hikertrash facebook page.